Review: Bloodshot

Title: Bloodshot (Cheshire Red Reports #1)

Author: Cherie Priest

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published: January 25th by Spectra

Blurb:

VAMPIRE FOR HIRE
Raylene Pendle (AKA Cheshire Red), a vampire and world-renowned thief, doesn’t usually hang with her own kind. She’s too busy stealing priceless art and rare jewels. But when the infuriatingly charming Ian Stott asks for help, Raylene finds him impossible to resist—even though Ian doesn’t want precious artifacts. He wants her to retrieve missing government files—documents that deal with the secret biological experiments that left Ian blind. What Raylene doesn’t bargain for is a case that takes her from the wilds of Minneapolis to the mean streets of Atlanta. And with a psychotic, power-hungry scientist on her trail, a kick-ass drag queen on her side, and Men in Black popping up at the most inconvenient moments, the case proves to be one hell of a ride.

My Review:

Bloodshot is the first book by Cherie Priest I´ve read, even though I have heard a lot about her other books, especially Boneshaker.

I thouroughly enjoyed reading Bloodshot. Even though Cherie Priest does not invent the vampire new ability-wise, it is Raylene´s personality and charater that make her stand out that much.Her neurotic and obesssiv compulsive behavior is hilarious. Still, she more than capable of taking care for herself, her, well, unique charactersaves her from more than one precarious situation. That´s why she has become something like a legend in her line of work and has allowed her to horde tons of cash and other riches.

Little does she know what she gets herslf into when she accepts a job that starts out more interesting than her usual ones.

The rest of the characters is, aside from Raylene´s character, one of the things that made me like this book so much. Cherie Priest does not picture her vampire as incredibly powerful beings with god-like abilities like it´s common in other book featuring vampires. This gives the story a very interesting take. Ian, her client, is actuallly blind. The only other blind vampire I know is Wrath from the BDB, but those two have nothing in common! As mentioned, I really liked that kind of vulnerability Cherie Priest added to his character.

Then there is Adrian. He/she (I share Raylene´s confusion about his gender) is totally kick-ass. But then again, what else do you expectfrom a former Navy SEAL and current drag queen. His two side are so incredibly contradictory I can only admire Cherie Priest for creating a character like him/her.

Together with Ian´s ghoul and guide Cal, they form partnership of convinience to investigate the organisation behind the vicious attack, abduction and torture that led to Ian´s blindness.

During the whole investigation, there are tons of action including break-ins, explosions, government conspiracies, Men in Black and pursuits.

My verdict:

I enjoyed every single minute I spent reading it. Bloodshot is a great blend of action, witty dialoges or in that case monologes and one liners by Raylene and likeable, unique characters.

I would totally recommend it to everyone who loves a good Urban Fantasy book with a witty heroine.

4 stars for Cherie Priest´s Bloodshot.

Series Review: The Succubus Diaries by Jill Myles

Titles: Gentlemen Prefer Succubi, Succubo Like It Hot, My Fair Sucubi

Author: Jill Myles

Genre: Paranormal Romance

You´re wondering what I´ve been up to in the last three days? Well, here´s your answer! Once I started reading Gentlemen Prefer Succubi, I simply counldn´t stop myself. I HAD to read the entire series so far. Lucky me that I treated myself to all of the books for Christmas (hehe).

Now I not only have a new favorite series but also a new crush: Zane. *swoon*. I can´t believe it took me so long to finally read this series, as it has everything I want in a good book: great, enjoyable characters, an entertaining plot and well, just look at the covers. *grins*

Jackie is really kind of prude for being a succubus, but that makes her so unique (obviously not only in my eyes). I loved how she is still embarrased about some of the more… sticky aspects of her new existence. Jill Myles had a wonderfully genius idea when she created the character of a reluctant succubu who tries her hardest to stay decent. With two hot guys. (Poor thing.)

The very opposite of our dear Jackie is her best freind, Remy. Frivolous, shameless Remy, who just happens to be a porn star. Reading how the unusual freindship between the two sucks developed throughout the books was pure pleasure.

Noah and Zane, the two guys in book are a whole new league of hotness. I guess everyone should guess from the tiltles and the premise of the book, there are quite a few deliciously hot scenes in the books, involving either of the men. But besides all the steamy action, you also get the feeling that they both really care about Jackie, each one in his very own way. Noah, Jackie´s “rock” with his gentle, caring personality and Zane with being Zane. I don´t know what it was about him that made my heart break for him, but he had me after the first few pages! The end of book two made me incredibly sad and reading about Zane´s fate in My Fair Succubi made me cringe.

In each book, Jill Myles adds another great chracter to the band of Immortals: the evil vampire queen in book one, Luc the mysterious stalker in book two and of course Ethan in book three. I especially enjoyed Ethan and his scenes with Remy: the two of them make an awesome pair!

Each book has great storyline that keeps you entertained on every single page.

Jackie and her friends have stolen my heart over the last three days and I can´t wait to read more about them, as well as other books by the fabulous author!

The entire series gets 5 stars!

Review: “Something Wicked”

 Author: Michelle Rowen

 Title: Something Wicked (Living in Eden #2)

 Genre: Paranormal Romance

Published: September 11th 2010

 Blurb:

Being a little wicked isn’t all bad…

Every woman has a sexy demon inside her just waiting to get out, but for Eden Riley it’s a little different. Her inner demon is named Darrak, and he’s been inhabiting bodies for the past 300 years. In the daytime, thanks to her special psychic energy, he’s able to take physical shape—a shape she wouldn’t mind getting her hands on, if it wasn’t a threat to her immortal soul…

Because of her possession, Eden now has uncontrollable black magic at her fingertips, and she and Darrak are trying to end the curse that binds them before the situation gets any worse. To do it, they’ll have to get tangled up with some unsavory characters from the underworld. When sparks and spells fly, they could get the distance they need…or each have their own private hell to pay.

*Warning: this review might contain spoilers ragarding the first book in the series!*

Review:

Something Wicked is the second book in Michelle Rowen´s Living in Eden series.

After the unfortunate ending of the events in Living in Eden, Darrak and Eden are still dealing with their little problem of sharing a body. And just like in the last book, they are desperatly searching for help. An old friend of Darrak called Theo, archdemon himself offers his help for a small favor of course. And as if her life wouldn´t be crazy enough, an old friend of Eden dissappears along with several other women, her partner Andy begins to see the world with new eyes and Her new neighbour turns out to be more than meets the eye. 

You just have to love the characters of this book. Their banter is really priceless and makes you laugh out loud more than one time.

You can really see how Darrak´s character changes throughout the book. No matter how hard he tries to convince himself that he is or could still be his former demon self,he just can´t hide the fact how much he actually cares about Eden.

Eden still has her moments of doubt concerning Darrak, doubts that are sometimes totally justified. But Eden also does some really stupid things in this book. One the one hand, that´s understandable, she is afraid but still…

The relationship between Eden and Darrak evolves as well in this book. They are so great together and you can feel the sparks flying between them!

Leena and Andy are very enjoyable side character, even though we don´t get to see them that often in this book. Andy goes through a major change, literally and I´m really curious how it will affect his charater in the next book.

We also learn more about Eden´s family and a very intersting tidbit about herself that might or might not be a crucial piece to save her and Darrak´s life.

I already mentioned it, there were so many great and funny scenes that mostly involve Darrak. One of my favorite is a scene where his friend Theo tells him he has a gift for him. Just guess what Darrak wishes for:

wait for it… a pony. How demonic!

 

My verdict:

4 stars! This series has grown more and more on me with each book. I love the two main character, I really feel for them and hope they get their HEA.

Review: Mojo

Title: Mojo

Author: Kris Sedersten

Genre: Paranormal Thriller

Blurb:

When Scottie Brown, a New Orleans college student, is aggressively haunted by nightmares and daytime apparitions, he begins a search for answers; unwittingly putting himself and those closest to him in a confrontation with evil.

To defeat the energy that torments him, he recruits a team of paranormal investigators, friends from high school, and a psychic medium.  Together, they pursue the ghosts of Scottie’s ancestors in a haunted plantation deep in the Louisiana countryside.  They uncover dark family secrets and the spiritual energy of a malevolent patriarch who projects an unholy prophecy that has deadly consequences for all mankind.

The power of an elusive mojo amulet becomes central to fighting Scottie’s demons as the journey through the haunted mansion, filled with twists and turns, takes on a life of its own against time

*I was sent a copy by the author in exchange for an honest review.*

 

Review:

The book I get for review often tend to surprise me. Mojo once again succeeded to do so.

Right from the very first page, Mojo picks up the pace and tells the story of Scottie who is haunted by nightmares and the ghosts of his family and never slows down for one minute before it comes to a very action packed and scary end. What starts out as nightmares soon turns out to be nothing less than life threatening. As Scottie, his best friend C.J and his girlfriend Aimee along with a team of paranormal investigators set out to unravel the mystery of Scotties haunting, they also discover things about Scottie´s family that will make you shiver.

You never know if the ghost who is permanenty  telling Scott to find “mojo” is something good or bad. There is also a plot twist concering said “mojo” that gives the story a whole new direction I hadn´t seen coming.

The atmosphere Kris Sedersten creates in her book Mojo is very dark, scary and there are a few rather gory details. However, it all feels very authentic. Especially all the scenes taking place in the house of Scottie´s youth are sometimes downright creepy (maybe I´m also just a wuss. Ghosts tnd to creep me out!). With great attention to detail, Kris Sedersten creates a mood that couldn´t fit the book any better.

Mojo ends with a scene that leaves you wondering if our crew of paranormal investigators can really close their case and st least left me curious whether there would be another book about Scottie and his family from hell.

There were a few things about Mojo that I wised would have been dofferent.

I felt Scottie´s conclusion that the haunting must have something to do with his family  (he thinks that every early in the book) rather surprising, since there was nothing hinted in this direction before. I also felt that sometimes I would have liked to know more about the characters´ backgrond.

Overall, I would recommend Mojo to everyone who likes to read books that give you the creeps ,keeps you on the edge of your seat and out of breath for the whole time. But be warned, you might want to sleep with your lights on afterwards!

 

My Verdict:

Kris Sedersten´s “Mojo” gets 3.5 out of 5 stars from me. It was a great read that keep me well… frightend. I will keep my eyes open for

Kris Sedersten´s books from now on!

Short Review: The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire Book One)

Title: The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire Book One)

Author: Clay and Susan Griffith

Genre: Steampunk

Published: November 18th 2010 by Pyr

Blurb:

Vampire predators run wild in this exciting steampunk adventure, the first in an alternate history trilogy that is already attracting attention. In 1870, monsters rise up and conquer the northern lands, As great cities are swallowed up by carnage and disease, landowners and other elite flee south to escape their blood-thirsty wrath. One hundred fifty years later, the great divide still exists; fangs on one side of the border, worried defenders on the other. This fragile equilibrium is threatened, then crumbles after a single young princess becomes almost hopelessly lost in the hostile territory. At first, she has only one defender: a mysterious Greyfriar who roams freely in dangerous vampire regions.

The Greyfriar has everything I love about a book. It really breathes new life into the genre vampires and undead. The vampire society in this book is really extraordinary and stellar, just like the rest of the world building. Based on a richly woven alternative history, Clay and Susan Griffith have made up a world that sucks you right in. This is only my second Steampunk book after The Iron Duke, but I enjoyed them both very much.

The relationship between the princess and Greyfriar and Adele and Gareth was captivating and bitter sweet. I´m a huge fan of relationships that develop slowly over the course of more than just one book so I really enjoyed to see the small steps the respective relationship took throughout the book. Gareth is definitely one of my favorites heroes as of now. His character in contrast to the other vampires of this book was amazing.

There were so many moving, exciting and at the very end even heart-breaking scenes in this book that I can´t start to tell whoch one was my favorite. It´s one of those books that gets a special place in my bookshelf and Clay and Ssan Griffith are on my auto-buy list from now on. Can´t wait for book two!

Five stars for The Greyfriar!

 

By the way, does anybody know anything about book two in the series? I´ve done a little research but I can´t find anything. :(

Review: Afterlight by Elle Jasper

Title: Afterlight (Dark Ink Chronicles #1)

Author: Elle Jasper

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published: November 2nd 2010 by Signet

Pages: 316

Blurb:

The Dupres have been Savannah's guardians, appointed by a band of root doctors and hoodooists, for nearly two hundred years. They've all grown...complacent. Now, the Arcos brothers, who've long been entombed at Bonaventure, have been inadvertently freed by a group of teenagers horsing around in the cemetery. Determined to take revenge on the city who entombed them, the Arcos' gather strength in the city's youth. Within the moon's full cycle, the gang's quickening will be complete--they'll become vampires. Newlings, out of control and craving human blood will ravage the city. The one thing the Arcos' didn't count on was the powerful love of a sister. Riley Poe will stop at nothing to get her brother back. The one thing Riley didn't count on was the powerful love of a vampire. Eli Dupre will do anything to get her. Follow Riley, Eli, and the vampires of the Dupre House into the shadowy, underside of Savannah.

This is one of those books where I instantly fell in love with the cover. You know me, I´m that shallow. :) You can imagine my excitement when I finally held a copy in my hands. It was even more beautiful in the flesh.

Then I started reading. The story of Afterlight is a little bit like the cover: dark, atmospheric, and utterly intriguing. After the first few pages, I was completly absorbed by Ellen Jasper´s Savannah with all its creepy, seedy and repulsive sides.

I loved to read about Preacher and Estelle and the Gullah way of life and magic. To me, something totally new and fascinating. I seriously wish people like them would live next to me as well. They came across kind-hearted and caring, just the way you would wish your surrogate grandparents to be.

Riley Poe (is her name a hommage to Edgar Allen Poe whom Elle Jasper seems to admire? I can only guess!) is a woman right after my taste: independent yet caring, sexy without being trashy, sassy, savy, stubborn and too reckless for her own good. I pretty much loved everything about her. She´s had a violent and dangerous past and does everything to protect her youger brother from anything evil.

Seth is the victim of the story. His change from the nice guy to what he becomes at the end of the book is very emotional for Riley and I could totally feel with her (there are few things I wouldn´t do if my sister were in trouble).

Furtunatly, Riley finds help with the Gullah community and new, unusaul allies and she discovers things that turn her world upside down. One of them being the enigmatic, mysterious Eligius Dupré, who becomes her protector and a constant temptation. The sexual tension between Riley and him is incredibly strong and some scenes between them made me consider a cold shower.

The story´s pace is masterfully designed: you´re thrown right into Savannah´s underground and the world Elle Jasper has so talently created. I loved all the details about it: be it the wicked cool (you see, it rubs off!) name of Rileys tattoo studio Inksomnia, the descriptions of the tattoo designs she makes or the Urban/Goth clubs they visit.

The real threat in the book, the two Arcos brothers and the gang, as Riley sometimes refers to them are more of an invisible threat, but none the less evil and creepy. Even though Riley and the Duprés have only seldom contact and mostly deal with the victims, the danger that they present is frightingly clear.

To describe the book, I use Riley´s word: wicked cool. I loved it so much, even though vampires are not too different from what we already know about them. In the case of Afterlight, I seriously didn´t care. 

As far as I´m concerned, I´m ready for Everdark, the sequel to this book. Like, now.

My verdict: 4.5 out of 5 stras for Elle Jasper´s debut Afterlight.

 

To learn more about Elle Jasper and her books, visit her hompage here.

For more teaser for Afterlight, watch the trailer below. And join me in the wait for Everdark, #2 in the Dark Ink Chronicles, coming in June 2011

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review: “and Falling, fly” by Skyler White

Author: Skyler White

Title: “and Falling, fly”

Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Released: March 2nd 2010 by Berkley Trade

An edgy, erotic blend of fantasy and romance-from a debut author whose star is on the rise.
In a dark and seedy underground of burned-out rock stars and angels- turned-vampires, a revolutionary neuroscientist and a fallen angel must pit medicine against mythology in an attempt to erase their tortured pasts...but at what cost?
Olivia, vampire and fallen angel of desire, is hopeless...and damned. Since the fall from Eden, she has hungered for love, but fed only on desire. Dominic O'Shaughnessy is a neuroscientist plagued by impossible visions. When his research and her despair collide at L'OtelMathillide- a subterranean hell of beauty, demons, and dreams-rationalist and angel unite in a clash of desire and damnation that threatens to destroy them both.

 

This book was a real challenge for me. I´ve ha it waiting on my TBR shelf for quite a while now, always postponing to read it. But when the release od the second book “In Dreams Begin” drew near, I finally started it.

At first, I struggled a bit with it. This may be due to the fact that I´m not a native speaker and the fact the the writing of this book is different from the usual Urban Fantasy and Paranormal books I usually read. It´s much more poetic and intense and there is so much going on between the lines that I really had to concentrate to read it. But once I´ve gotten used to the book, I was compelled by the beauty of Skyler White´s writing.

“The angel of desire is damned.”

The angel of desire or Olivia is such a multi lyred character that I find it difficult to describe her. She´s a vampire, who hungers for love and salvation, trying to find both at the same time, but is always failing. In this book, Olivia and her sister are rather sad and unfortunate characters: Olivia doesn´t know what she looks like for example. She only sees her how some guy imagines her to be perfect. And even though she feeds on lust, she actually can´t have sex.

Dominic, the male lead character is a Reborn, someone who remember his past lifes, along with everything that happened in them. However, he thinks himself and others like Olivia sick, mentally ill and spends every waking hour to find a cure.

The two fo them meet at L`Otel Mathilide, sanctuary for all vampires, demons and Reborn. The story that then unfolds is a treat. It´s also dark, lyrical, utterly absorbing and challanging. I was really slow with reading “and Falling, fly”. At the beginning I tought of stopping (greeting to Anna here!), but the beauty of this book kept me hooked!

I recommend this book for every reader who is not afraid to dare to read a more difficult book. I enjoyed my visit to Skyler White´s world more than I initially thought!

All in all, I guess “and Falling fly” deserves more than the 3.5 stars I´m going to give it. When you´re a native speaker without the language troubles I had, I suppose it´s 4 stars!

Watch out for the next book by this talented writer who knows how to weave a poetic tale: “In Dreams Begin” is being released today!!!

Review: “To Kill a Warlock” by HP Mallory

Title: To Kill A Warlock

Author: H.P. Mallory

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published: July 2010, smashwords

The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch.

 

I have already read To Kill a Warlock, but somehow I totally forgot reviewing it. When I saw that the release of Toil and Trouble is drawing near, I Remenbered this book and decided to re-read it.

It´s just as much fun the second time around! :)

Dulcie O´Neil is a fairy and regulator for Association of Netherworld Creatures (ANC), who keep an eye on all paranormal creatures living amongst humans. Luckily. Dulcie is not one of the slightly overused, kick ass chicks who are incredibly powerful. She´s a fairy and her magic is based on fairy dust, but that´s it. I really enjoxed Dulcie´s down-to-earth character. She´s a girl like you and me who watches Bridget Jones movies and writes romance novels (about her boss as fierce pirate captain), who is full of self doubts due to a relationship gone really bad and who thinks about ear enhancement for her pointy fairy ears.

When a Warlock who was know for selling illegal potions is killed and partially eaten, she and her team start to investigate As more bodies turn up dead, a stanger called Knight is sent from the Netherworld to help with the investigation. Investigation that lead Dulcie to a vampire called Bram, who insists that Bram Storker was named after him, a demon informant that runs a sex club and some really nasty potions.

On her side are hobgoblin Trey who seems to annoy everone, her boss Quillian (said inspiration for the romance novel) and sexy but cocky Knight. When the creature starts to gun for Dulcie and her love life starts to spin out of control, it might just be too much for Dulcie to handle.

If you read a book by H.P. Mallory, you´re in for a funny and thoroughly entertaining story that will make you forget the word around you. There´s one great scene after another and leaves you wishing you could read faster!

I can only recommend this book to every Urban Fantasy fan who like books with a great plot, whit and sexy guys.

5 out of 5 for “To Kill A Warlock”

Review: “The Iron Duke” by Meljean Brook

Title: The Iron Duke

Author: Meljean Brook

Genre: Steampunk

Published: October 5th 2010 by Berkley Trade

After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power — and fear — of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.
Mina can’t afford his interest, however. Horde blood runs through her veins, and despite the nanotech enhancing her body, she barely scratches out a living in London society. Becoming Rhys’s lover would destroy both her career and her family, yet the investigation prevents her from avoiding him…and the Iron Duke’s ruthless pursuit makes him difficult to resist.
But when Mina uncovers the victim’s identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans — and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.

So, this is my first Meljean Brook and my very first Steampunk book. But not my last.

Okay, this book is definitely something else. Let me start with the worldbuilding. This book has pirates and their ships, airships, zomies, kraken, megalodons and great gadgets. Oh, and the Iron Duke. :) No, but seriously, you seldomly find a book that is more detailed, imaginative and mindblowing in its worldbuilding. I just love it when everything is very carefully planned and thought through. Even the fictional/alternative history in the book!

And if even the character live up to the overall awesomeness, I´m totally happy. Mina, our heroine in this book is a strikingly modern woman in worls that reminds of the late 19th and early 20th century. I loved how she stood up to her mother when they discussed divorces. She grows up in an England that is dark and the people are twisted and misshapen. More than any one else, she has to suffer from a horrible stigma: her face bears the features of the race that oppressed England for so long: The Horde. Her everday life is definitely not a walk in the park, yet she does everything to help her family and to be strong for them.

Strong is also one of the adjectives to describe the Iron Duke. Along with ruthless, relentless and determined. A true pirate, he gets what he wants and he is not afraid to take it. Even when it is a woman. I had to take a breath or two over his bluntness sometimes. He is very much alpha, sometimes a tad too much for my liking, but in the end, it didn´t really matter in this book.

My most favorite secondary character was Yasmeen, the Lady Corsair. A fierce female pirate is sometimes even better than a male one! :)

For me, my first steampunk adventures was truly engrossing, surprising and seductive! I want more of it! NOW!

4.5 out of 5 stars

Review: Shadow of the Sun by Laura Kreitzer

Title: Shadow of the Sun (Timeless #1)

Author: Laura Kreitzer

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published: February 22nd 2010 by iUniverse

Gabriella's past is a mystery, but that never stopped her from achieving her goals. As a supernatural specialist, and far more intelligent than anyone her age, she has always been ignored by her peers. Because of the isolation she has always felt, she put her life and soul into her job. Being a supernatural specialist hasn't given her the divine intervention she always longed for, until one day a shipment arrives from Italy containing three dead bodies with an uncanny ability to regenerate. Gabriella is frightened and intrigued, but not as scared as she becomes when a dark creature attacks her.

As the bodies come back to life, the plot takes an unexpected twist that you won't see coming. The supernatural world only begins to unfold before her as angels appear, her dreams start to haunt her, and the very past she has forgotten comes back with startling clarity. Romance blooms, escape plans are made, an assassin is out to kill her, and death is only around the corner. But what is more terrifying than all of it is the fact she is the chosen one, the Illuminator, the one who will save them all.

*I received my copy from the Publisher for review*

Before I got the offer to review this book, I hadn´t heard anything about this author. Now, I want to start the second in the series like as soon as possible. I seem to have a huge thing for angel of all sorts right now.

Okay, where to start? To say I really liked this book is not much of a review, so I try to come up with something better.

I have mixed feeling towards the characters of the book. On one hand, I really liked Gabriella who is a strong and independent woman with loner tendencies, a woman who still struggles with events from her childhood that made her lose the first five years of her life. It´s also not a big stretch to imagine that I adored Andrew, Gabriella´s very own Guardian and Angel. His fiercely protectiveness, calm and soothing manner and okay, his looks somehow really spoke to me. Strangely so, as I´m usually all for the bad boys in a story. But their growing relationship was really sweet. On the other hand, I felt like some of the other characters fell somehow short, which is really a shame. Lucia and Ehno are just as intriguing and I would have loved to read more about them. It´s the same with Joseph, the hunky FBI guy that sticks around for the story. I´m really hoping I´ll get to see mor of them in the next book.

As far as the worldbuilding is concerned, I have to admit that is original, well tought-out and very rich in details. The whole world of Angels, Guardians, Shadows and the Soul Stalker is nothing like you´ve ever read before. Well, at least I haven´t. You know when you sometimes read a book and think: Oh, that one reminds me or (insert title here)? I couldn´t possibly compare it to another book. There´s a lot of action, magic, prophecies and romance (romance mind you, no random sex scenes in this book. We´re dealing with angels after all! :) I guess their love has to be more…pure)

The story had just the right pace and I especially enjoyed the episodes where Gabriella had The Sight. There are some events in the book I really wouldn´t have anticipated. Plus, the end changes everything I´m like I said, I´m really looking forward to reading “Soul Stalker”, the next book in the series.

Two minor things were bothering me, however. I would have expected another, you know, more ancient name for an immortal being that has been around for 4000 years. Andrew? Not so much. It would also be noce for a change if the hero and Heroine would take more than say two days to determine that they are kindred souls. Just saying.

For all who are (like me) just discovering their love for angels or who want to read outside of their vampire/werewolves comfort zone, “Shadow of the Sun” might just be the right book for you.

As far as the books I´ve received for reviews are concerned, “Shadow of the Sun”, along with “Jenny Pox” is one of the most pleasant surprises.

I´m going to give “Shadow of the Sun” 4 out of 5 points!

Review: “Touched by an Alien”

Author: Gini Koch

Title: Touched by an Alien

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published: April 6th 2010 by DAW

How can a sexy marketing manager join forces with an Alpha Centauri male in Armani to save the planet-using hairspray, a Mont Blanc pen, and rock n' roll?
Easy...
She's Touched by an Alien
Marketing manager Katherine "Kitty" Katt steps into the middle of what appears to be a domestic dispute turned ugly. And it only gets uglier when the man turns into a winged monster, straight out of a grade-Z horror movie, and goes on a killing spree. Though Kitty should probably run away, she springs into action to take the monster down.
In the middle of the chaos a handsome hunk named Jeff Martini appears, sent by the "agency" to perform crowd control. He's Kitty's kind of guy, no matter what planet he's from. And from now on, for Kitty, things are going to be sexy, dangerous, wild, and out of this world.

I´ve read a lot of good reviews about this book and when I saw the amazing cover by Dan Dos Santos (once again), I just had to have it.

Let me tell you, it´s been a long time since I had so much fun with a book, right from the beginning, when we meet Kathrine “Kitty” Katt who wields a mean Mont Blanc pen. Gini Koch creates a world that is not only filled with super sexy aliens (one like Martini could kidnap me anytime in a grey limo) but also with so much wit, charm and orginality that there´s not one dull moment. Throughout the book, I had to laugh, smile, giggle and grin practically constantly. You stumble from one absurd yet highly entertaining situation into another. And did I mention that Kitty´s MO tends to be rather unusual? :)

The cast of characters is also a whole new league. While you sometimes really begin to ask yourself if Kitty really is insane (going after Alien with hairspray? not my first choice of weapon!), she is also refreshingly normal. She gets lost in the science center, has issues with her over-protective family and is jealouse when she meets all the equally beautiful femal alien. Kitty is definetly a girl after my heart! At first I was afraid that I would be annoyed by Martini´s behaviour, but I guess his alien charm even works through the book – I couldn´t help but like him. Add to the mix a family that is so familiar in their adorable weirdness, pets who save the day and one big fat fugly (I leave it to you to find out about that one) and your in for an all-night read.

I can recommend this book to all of you if you´re looking for something different, something that stands out from the mass of vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters, something funny, witty and sexy, then Touched by an Alien is just the book for you.

But be careful, these aliens are highly addictive! :) With this amazing debut, Gini Koch goes straight to the top of my list of favorite authors!

5 points straight for Touched by an Alien!

To stalk Gini Koch, and go and visit her blog. And did you notice the awesome countdown widgets on my sidebar (Thaks to Larissa for those!)? They definetly make waiting for the release of Alien Tango in December easier!

Review: Ghost Hunter

Title: The Ghost Hunter

Author: Lori Brighton

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published: September 11th, smashwords

Ashley Hunter is intent on uncovering the truth about her father's disappearance. But Ashley realizes she's in for more than she bargained. Not only has she inherited a decrepit pub, she's also inherited ghosts and demons. Then Cristian arrives, a mysterious man who insists he only needs a room to rent. She believes him, until one by one her ghosts start disappearing...
As a fallen angel destined for a life of servitude, Cristian Lucius is relegated to protecting earth from unwanted spirits. But he can’t accomplish this daunting task alone. He requires assistance from the very woman who frustrates him as much as she intrigues him. Cristian is determined to ignore his intense attraction for Ashley, and focus on his mission. If they don’t work together, they won’t have a chance in hell of defeating the demon threatening their lives. The problem is getting Ashley to trust him. No easy task, for Cristian is the very man responsible for her father’s disappearance.

“Considering the place was at least three hundered years old, she supposed it could have been worse. Then again, it could have been better… much, much better. Hell, who was she kidding; not even Frankenstein could feel at home in this pub of horrors.”

The Ghost Hunter is a dark and haunting Urban Fantasy story that features everything a good book needs: a realistic, atmospheric setting, likeable characters, a sizzling love story/love triangle, fallen angels (rawr), a page turning story and Scottish accents.

Inheriting the totally decayed pub marks a huge change in Ashley´s life; she´s left her less than great life behind her to find out about the mysterious disappearance of her father -  and finds herself sucked into a new world that will change her life.

The dynamic between the characters was really well written: I liked how Ashley slowly came to accept her unusual roommates and even started to care about them and their well-being, despite that fact that she has suffered quite a bit earlier in her life whenever she claimed to seem ghosts. In Camile, a witch/college student she finally finds a friend who remains on her side even through the turbulent and threatening events throughout the book. Ashley grows throughout the book from someone who runs from his past to a woman who has come to terms with her abilitiy, the fact that she sees ghosts and can interact with them.

The concept of fallen angels whose job it is to help unwilling ghosts to pass over and the demon as antagonist was new to me and very appealing. Enough of the secrets aurrounding the house, Cristian´s real character and intentions and other tidbits I don´t want to give away guarantee for an exciting read right until the very last page. The sexual tension and complex, sometimes rocky relationship between Ashley, Cristian and tempting ghost Devon is hindered by lots of emotional baggage. It definetly takes a while until two of the main characters finds their HEA.

However, I would have liked to read a little bit more about Cristian, his past and fallen angels in general. The other supernatural being in the small village also seem to be more on the margins, they are merely used to show their need for normalcy and their adjustment to the life of “normal” people rather than to use them to create and populate a rich, paranormal world.

Nonetheless is Ghost Hunter a great book that kept me well entertained. I´d really like to read more stories in this specific world to learn more about fallen angels.

Guest Post & Review: Fat Vampire

Hello my dear readers!
Once again I´m proud to announce that I´m having another incredibly talented and simply awesome blogger friend of mine over to do a guest post. It´s the wonderful Savannah from Books with Bite!

Meet Savannah!

She´ll be doing a review about Adam Rex´s “Fat Vampire”, a book I hadn´t heard about before but whose cover I instantly loved. But let´s listen to Savy what she has to say about the book! 

Title: Fat Vampire
Author: Adam Rex
Publisher: Blazer + Bray
Release Date: July 27, 2010
Books: Bought
"Doug Lee is undead quite by accident—attacked by a desperate vampire, he finds himself cursed with being fat and fifteen forever. When he has no luck finding some goth chick with a vampire fetish, he resorts to sucking the blood of cows under cover of the night. But it’s just not the same.
Then he meets the new Indian exchange student and falls for her—hard. Yeah, he wants to bite her, but he also wants to prove himself to her. But like the laws of life, love, and high school, the laws of vampire existence are complicated—it’s not as easy as studying Dracula. Especially when the star of Vampire Hunters is hot on your trail in an attempt to boost ratings.…"
I choose this book to read and review for being a part of Reading on the Dark Side Urban MANtasty. During this month, Christine from Reading in the Dark side hosted this in order to support and get out the word on reading more books by male authors. Thank you Christine for letting me be a part in this! For more information on Urban MANtasty please visit her site. Thanks!

This book was interesting and hilarious. I love how it was written, from a male point of view, which you don't see much. Also it was written by a male author.
I knew from the moment I layed eyes on this book that I would enjoy it immensely and that I did. Right from the beginning, you were thrown into this geeky, fat boys world of trying to make it as a fat vampire. I felt for him during his hardships. He struggle in feeding, as well in other areas.
I was glad to see he go help through a mentor. Through this he was able to learn more and of course become a better vampire. He also took a chance and finally step up to the plate, becoming the true vampire that he his. But in doing this, his ego went straight to his head and all of the sudden he was "BAD" He end up getting a girlfriend and used her badly. I was disappointed in his choice. While I was glad that he finally came who he was, he made a poor choice in it as well.
In the end, Doug hardships paid off. He went off the find he friends attacker, dubbing him my knight and shining armor. I admit that the ending was a little confusing for me. I'm still not sure what to make of it.
Mr. Rex, did a great job writing this. The plot, drama and suspense was written perfect. I enjoyed reading each and every page of it. Mr. Rex did a great job capturing the voice of a real teenage boy. I was happy as a reader to get a good insight on the character. Doug was not your typical teenage boy and for that I was grateful to see someone who was not popular, or cute from the start.
I give it 5 BITES!
Happy Reading!

Thank you so much Savannah! I loved to read your thoughts and I really hope we can do soemthing together sometime soon!

Review: “Dante´s Journey”

Title: Dante´s Journey

Author: JC Marino

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published:  February 22nd 2010 by Star Publish

goodreads blurb:

“A flash of light and Detective Joe Dante steps through. No longer on the cobblestone streets of 1961 Boston, Joe finds himself in a horrifying new world-Hell itself. Joe was in hot pursuit of his family's killer, drug lord Filippo Argenti, when both were killed, and isn't about to let a little thing like death slow him down. So, with a healthy dose of New England stubbornness and the help of a mysterious guide, Virgil DiMini, Joe must evade angry demons, and search ever-lower through the rings of the original Dante's Inferno in hopes of finding justice for his wife and children. However, Joe will soon discover that behind every sin lies a secret and each secret revealed could land Joe in an eternity of hot water... VERY hot.”´

Dante´s Journey is based on the famous Inferno by Dante Alighieri which I haven´t read to be honest. I know however basically what it is about.

Each chapter of this book represents another circle of hell with a sin and the respective punishment. Every once in a while, there are chapters called thoughts of home which are a flashback to Joe´s previous life.

I have to say, JC Marino does a great job to write a modern version of the classic. As in the original poem the story is told by Joe Dante, Boston cop, whose life after the death of his family is exclusive focused on avenging their death and destroying the person he deems resposible, Filipo Argenti.

This book starts with a kind of mystery. After a flash of white light in Boston in the 60s, Joe Dante finds himself in totally unknown surroundings with no clue how he got there. After he follows a strange trail of footsteps, he soon he gets to know a relative young guy called Virgil who claims to be his guide and tells him that he is dead and in hell. Surprisingly, Virgil seems to know more about Dante than possible. So, with the strange and dubious Virgil on his side, he starts his way through hell.

Joe Dante is definetly stubborn. Sometimes annoyingly so, but I guess that only means that JC has done a great job of making his character believable and realistic. His love for his family and the guilt he feels about his death has not only destoyed him and his career but also his faith. When he finally confronts his arch nemesis and wants to kill him, said white light appears and changes everything. Well, maybe not his stubbornness. Even though there is no other logical explanation for what Dante sees and experiences in hell, he still doesn´t want to acknowledge that he might really be dead and in hell.

The pacing of the story is sometimes breathtakingly high, especially whenever one of the numerous demons appear, sometimes it allows you to actually think for yourself about the imagery used in the book. There are many turns regarding the death of his family and the mystery of how Joe Dante ended up in hell is solved very late in the book, so there is hardly a dull moment.

Through his language, some of his character traits and beliefs, Joe Dante is definetly a man from his era. Just as credibly as Joe are all the other people he meets from the different periods of time. JC Marino has done and incredible job of bringing them to life by the way they act and talk. Espacially the slangs are really well done. I also enjoy the running gag about the Boston Red Sox and their notorious curse (yes, even I here in Germany have heard about it!)

Dante´s Journey is a book about a journey, both in the literal and in the figurative sense. It´s also a book about sins, punishment, belief, faith and ultimately forgiveness. It´s great to see how Dante´s character evolves throughout the book.

So, all in all, for all of you who want to read something different for a change, a book with a little more depth, that stands out among the mass of Urban Fantasy titles because of the re-imagination of a classic and ,the great character design, go on and read it. It will be definetly worth your time. In an interview with the author, I found out that it took JC Marino ten years to finish this book. But after reading it, I can tell you that he has done one hell of a job in this ten years.

Guest Post: Lily´s review of Blood Vice

Now, I hand over my blog to the awesome Lily from Lilium´s Realm.

  HI Lily! *waves*

First I would like to say a HUGE thank you to Christine for allowing me to blog over here today - I feel honored. If you twitter and follow me you know I have a long standing rival with one Keith Melton. I can't really trace back to where I met him, but I will say he is a trip and a half. I have been giving him a hard time for almost a year now and I finally just read his book Blood Vice. I bought it and TBR'd it based of the "WARNING" in the book - which stole my heart

"Warning: Intense, graphic mafia-related violence, profanity, gangster slang, assassinations, fang punctures, explicit vampire sex, betrayal, greed, murder, gangland warfare, pervasive supernatural mayhem, large-scale explosions, and extremely expensive Italian suits."

*raised eyebrow* See what I mean?

I have not really read very much Urban Fantasy or even Paranormal Romance that is written by men. Not that I choose to avoid them.....there just doesn't seem to be that many out there. Keith Melton is one of those men. I was wary about the book because I knew the author (well as well as you can know anyone 140 charachters at a shot) but I was nervous about reading the book - because what if it sucked? And not in the good vampire way neither. Rest assured - it didn't suck - in the bad way.

We are introduced to a Master Vampire named Karl Vance, who has sworn for the rest of his lifetime to never feed off innocents. Karl is your traditional vampire, he can't do the Holy objects, he can only come out at night, him and silver don't mix and he has to have someone look after his coffin while he's sleeping. Aside from these things, he is a hitman. An excellent one at that. Karl is employed by the Ricardi family to help take over Boston and reign over all - including the Lucatti family.

Maria Ricardi is your typical Mafia princess, if you count the fact that she wants to play with the big boys. Tired of only being seen as Daddy's Girl who cleans the money she is determined to climb the family ladder and prove herself as a Mafiso. She has her father hire Karl on full time to get the job of taking Boston from the Luccattis done. Things are strange about Karl - he won't call her back till after sunset, he walks so quietly she can never hear him approach her and there is just something so dark, dangerous and sexy about him. Fighting for her respect in the family Maria becomes convinced that if she can watch someone get killed, so she can learn to do herself she will be the son her father lost. How wrong she is when it becomes apparent Karl is not what he seems and the enforcer working with the Luccatti family is more than your average rival. After the harrowing introduction to what Karl really is:

He smiled but there was nothing nice about it. "Why were you there tonight?"

"You work for me. Don't make me say it again."

His smile widened - became predatory...almost...anticipatory? And that sent waves of cold washing down her skin from head to foot.

"You're trying my patience. You should remember you have far more to lose than I."

Damn him. "I was curious."

"About what? About me?"

"I wanted to watch someone die."

He thought about it a moment. "Fair enough. Some urges are not pretty."

Make no mistake, this is not the vampire to cuddle with and take long walks on the beach, he is a monster - but he has a strong moral code. Karl did not choose his life and does his best to help The Order of the Thorn - a religious group out to kill ALL monsters of the night. As twists and turns become more and more convoluted in the plot line it becomes clear that some grudges last more than one lifetime, and sometimes, blood doesn't make you family. This book was very well written and well researched in my opinion. He mentions a lot of weapons in this book and I have to say - he did his homework. I was left hanging at the end of Blood Vice and I have already been harassing him for book two. Hats off to Keith Melton for this one.

Review: Fire Burn & Cauldron Bubble

 

Title: Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble
Author: H.P. Mallory
Published: July 2nd 2010
Genre: Urban Fantasy

A self-deprecating witch with the unique ability to reanimate the dead. A dangerously handsome warlock torn between being her boss and her would-be lover. A six hundred year old English vampire with his own agenda; one that includes an appetite for witches. The Underworld in a state of chaos. Let the games begin.
Life isn’t bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn’t have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.
Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she’s a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost’s demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!
Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the Underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.

 

I read “Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble” after a few book of Dark Urban Fantasy and to be honest, it really enjoyed the lighter note of it.

Jolie is a psychic who has no idea that she is actually a witch. Together with her cat and her best friend she leads a relatively quiet life. Okay, she doesn´t have a boyfriend, but so what. All that changes when one day smoking hot Rand walks into her life. Not only does she meet the very first ghost in her life, she also discovers she has very extraordinary powers. From now on, ghosts are the most normal things she will encounter.

Jolie is is a very down to earth character who sometimes has to struggle with all the changes in her life and sometimes seems to be a bot overwhelmed by it. However, she never gives up or is whiny as other characters. Christa, her beautiful, flirty and fun-loving best friend is on her side. Rand, the male lead character is everything you wish for: atrractive, mysterious and powerful, yet still caring and charming whenever he is alone with Jolie. There are some really hot and steamy scenes between those two.

The story picks up the pace quite fast and you´ll never have a dull moment reading it. Jolie finds herself in the middle of the powerstruggle of a supernatural society whose rules Jolie doesn´t know. Throughout the book, you´ll never know whom to trust. Throw in another sexy and recently brought-back-to-life werewolf and you´ll get a picture if the chaos Jolie´s life and love-life is.

I really enjoyed the worldbuiling in this book. Other than most of the other Urban Fantasy books, H.P. Mallory has chosen England as the main location. Pelham Manor, Rand´s house was described with very much love for deteils and atmosphere and I could really picture the splendid manor with all its beauty and luxury. The supernatural society is inhabited with creatures like weres, ghosts, vampires and fairies. The schemes and powerstruggle guarantee for a lot of action and excitment and Christa sightly ADD-like behaviour adds light and funny moments.

The writing is really good and just right for the story. H.P. Mallory finds the right balance of action, humor, romance and sexy scenes to guarantee for a thoroughly entertaining read. The end leaves a lot open for the next book in the series.

Favourite scenes: I really loved the scenes with King Odran and his Fairy court. He has a very unsual and blunt charm I found very refreshing and amusing. Sinjin, the mysterious and sexy vampire adds further spice to this book.

If you´re looking for a funny light and sexy read for your summer, then Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble is exactly the book.

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble gets 4 out of 5 points from me!

Review "Wait for Dusk"

Title: Wait for Dusk
Author: Jocelynn Drake
Published: July 27th 2010 by Eos
Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy

There is no sanctuary in the night…

Feared even by her own kind for her mastery of fire, the Nightwalker Mira is summoned by the Coven to take her rightful place as Elder. But with this honor comes grave responsibility—a commitment to the annihilation of the unleashed naturi. For now the foul creatures walk the earth—and neither vampire nor human will survive their horrific onslaught.

A tide of blood is sweeping relentlessly across the European continent, as Mira is dispatched to Budapest for the most devastating test yet of her astonishing powers—and falls into a well-laid trap. With the dark secrets that haunt her growing darker by the hour, she must confront the terrible truth of her past and protect her fragile sanity in the face of unanticipated treachery—a betrayal by her ally, her enemy, her lover…the vampire slayer, Danaus.


*This review might contain spoilers regarding the previous book in the series!*

After the huge cliffhanger of the last book (Pray for Dawn) I was very curious about it. Unlike the previous book, Wait for Dusk is again told from Mira´s POV and picks up right where the cliffhanger left us.

Yet again, the story is fast and kept me biting my nails. This time, Danaus and Mira´s journey takes them to Budapest, where trouble is brewing. Once again, Jocelynn Drake´s story easily sucks you into the dark, violent and intrigant world of the nightwalkers. Not only does Mira have to face the constant and ever growing threat of the Naturi, after claiming (rather bloody) her seat in the coven, Mira also has to put up with the scheming and mack-stabbing Macaire and his fledgelings.
Amongst high octane action and political powerplay, Jocelynn Drake once more capitivates her readers with Mira´s and Danaus´s complex relationship. There are tender, playful but also angry and wary moments between our nightwalker and the hunter. The romantic tension in the last books has almost killed me and sometimes I was thinking something like "Come on, do it already...", but in this book, their seemingly doomed relationship takes an important step. Plus, we finally get our way. Brace yourself for some passionate and somewhat anrgy sex. :)
However, especially because of Danaus´s and Mira´s very special if rocky relationship, Danaus´s betrayal in this book was all the more shocking. I found it hard to conciliate after the glimpse of his thoughts and feelings we got after Pray for Dawn.
Valerio and Stephan are very interesting and charismatic sidekicks (even though that does them no justice) and I´m looking forward to read even more about those two in future books. Mira´s archenemy Rowe also makes his appearance in this book, ending with a very surprising and unexpected twist.
Odelia, Veyron and especially Clarion complete this book´s great cast of characters perfectly.
Toss in another mysterious, mighty and very creepy power player who is highly interested in Mira´s special powers and the usual machinations among the pwoerful nightwalker of the coven, "Wait for Dusk" is another excellent addition to the Dark Days series.

Favourite scenes:
As previously mentioned, Mira´s scene with Rowe in Veyron´s house was very surprising. I also enjoyed the more intimate moments between Mira and Danaus- as usual. It´s so great to watch both their characters evolve and grow with each book.

All in all:

Wait for Dusk exceeds once again my expectations is, alongside with Pray for Dawn my most favourite in the Dark Days series. It´s intoxicating, thrilling, fast-paced. Jocelynn Drake´s nightwalkers and their world are definetly one of my all-time favorites! I highly recommend it to all lovers of darker Urban Fantasy and vampires!

5 points from me!

The next book in the series which is still untitled is supposed to be released July 15th 2011. Seems like such a long wait...

Review "City of Ghosts"

Title: City of Ghosts
Author: Stacia Kane
Published: July 27th 2010 by Del Rey
Genre: Dark Urban Fantasy


IT’S A THIN LINE BETWEEN ALIVE AND UNDEAD.

Chess Putnam has a lot on her plate. Mangled human corpses have started to show up on the streets of Dow...more IT’S A THIN LINE BETWEEN ALIVE AND UNDEAD.

Chess Putnam has a lot on her plate. Mangled human corpses have started to show up on the streets of Downside, and Chess’s bosses at the Church of Real Truth have ordered her to team up with the ultra-powerful Black Squad agency to crack the grisly case.

Chess is under a binding spell that threatens death if she talks about the investigation, but the city’s most notorious crime boss—and Chess’s drug dealer—gets wind of her new assignment and insists on being kept informed. If that isn’t bad enough, a sinister street vendor appears to have information Chess needs. Only he’s not telling what he knows, or what it all has to do with the vast underground City of Eternity.

Now Chess will have to navigate killer wraiths, First Elders, and a lot of seriously nasty magic—all while coping with some not-so-small issues of her own. And the only man Chess can trust to help her through it all has every reason to want her dead.


*This review might contain spoilers!*

Oh my God. I thought the second book was absolutly and utterly brilliant. That it was the best book yet this year. Well, what can I say, I´m running out of words.
"City of Ghosts" is once again perfection.
I don´t want to give away too much about the story, but it is fast, surprising with unexpected turns and uttely original.
What makes this book so amazing are the characters. Chess grows so much in this book, even though her life is still pretty much you know f**ked up. She realizes hiw how she needs and wants Terrible in her life, but due to the events of the last book, they are not really on good terms. It was heartbreaking to read how hard she tries to fix their relationship and what she´s willing to do to make amends. For once, her drug addiction takes a little bit of a backseat in the story. Which is completly understandable, because so much happens in the book.
Terrible´s character experiences an equal growth. It is unsettling to see just how insecure and vulnerable he is underneath his brutal and aggressiv demeanor. At some times during the book I still wanted to slap him, because he was that cold and just plain cruel to Chess. Still you can´t be really mad because what happened him must have been upsetting to say the least. But how everything works out in this book doesn´t leave anything to be desired! :)
Well, maybe not for fans of Lex. There´s a little less Lex in this book, but he stillgets his moment to shine and surprise you at the very end of the book.

Favorite scene:
Oh boy, where do I start? Definetly the scene with Chess and Terrible in the tunnels. And the one in Chuck´s. :) Both very... hot! :) I also loved how Terrible and Lex worked together to find Chess and her simple yet so meaningful and moving confession later in the book when she is aked who they were: "They´re my friends." (Even though I also kind of liked "My drug dealer´s enforcer and his rival who I used to fuck.") And the end. Oh yes the end. Sometimes the simplest words are the most beautiful and moving. All in all there are simply too many good scenes in the book. I could enlist the whole book just as well.

I don´t know what to write without sounding like a broken record. "City of Ghosts" is brilliant, heart-wretching, compelling with some of the best characters ever created. For me, "City of Ghosts" and the whole Downside series set the standarts for all Urban Fantasy books yet to come.
I´m addicted to these books. Seriously. I don´t know how I´m going to endure until fall 2011 when the next book is released.
I guess I´ll have to re-read them again. And again. And again. You get the picture.

My verdict: read it read it read it! 5 Points. Without a moment of hesitation!

By the way, look what I´ve found! Watching it is really fun and interesting!

Review "Tracking the Tempest"

Title: Tracking the Tempest (Jane True, #2)
Author: Nicole Peeler
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: July 1st 2010 by Orbit

Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and Ryu - Jane's bloodsucking boyfriend - can't let a major holiday go by without getting all gratuitous. An overwhelming dose of boyfriend interference and a last-minute ticket to Boston later, and Jane's life is thrown off course.

Ryu's well-intentioned plans create mayhem, and Jane winds up embroiled in an investigation involving a spree of gruesome killings. All the evidence points towards another Halfling, much to Jane's surprise...


*SPOILER AHEAD*

A few words about the cover first: I LOVE it. Honestly. It´s cute and adorable and original. After you´ve read the book, you once again notice that it´s not random but there are many details depicted that you can also find in the book.


If you´ve read the previous book in the series, you´ll know the Nicole Peeler has put together an incredibly original and funny cast of supernatural creatures you don´t find very often out the in the Urban Fantasy genre.
The story continues only a short while after the events of the last book. Jane is now training her new powers and tries hard to make her relationship woth Ryu work.
As a Valentine´s gift, he sends her a plane ticket so that she can visit him in Boston.
Their relatioship is definetly changing in this book. They still have great sex and they seem really close, but there are the first problems as well. Janes tries to come to terms with the implications of him being a vampire, while Ryu tries his best to convince Jane to stay with him in Boston permanently.
I really thought he was sweet at the very beginning, but throughout the book, he becomes somewhat patronizing. It seemed like he dind´t take Jane serious, even though she was the one helping him most with his case.
Jane is in this book once again great. The inner dialogs between her libido and her reason are always hilarious. I really appreciate that she is afraid, yet she still tries to overcome her fear and act against it. She´s witty, snarky and full of surprises.
The rest of the characters is almost unrivaled. We meet Ryu´s co-workers, including a mother-son vampire duo, a djinn and a satyr; the new bad guy of the book, an ifrit and a very fnny new creature called Brownie (I so want to see more of them and their mysterious connection to Anyan in the next book!). Plus, together with Jane he is just awesome. Hands down.
We also meet some of the charaters we´ve got to know and grwon to love in the first book; Tracey, Grizzie and Iriy the ever horny succubus. And we finally get to see Nell´s real power. o.O
Nicole Peeler succeeds in giving each race and creature her/his very own voice and oddities to create a rich and tightly woven mythology for her book.
Anyan Barghest however remains a mystery, even though we get a few glimpses of his past.
The story is entertaining, amusing and also violent at times, but not as unpredictable as other books I´ve read. I had a huch of who the bad guy(s) really are quite soon. Still the end surprised me. It is an open ending without a major cliffhanger, but enough questions remain unanswred to guarantee for a gread read in the next book.
Favorite Scenes: One of those I enjoyed most was definetly when Grizzie took Jane to her hair stylist. Not only is Grizzies secret revealed, I also almost thought it was me stitting there instead of Jane (I´m very protective of my hair and I don´t trust any stylists at all. Too many bad memories.) Anyan and Jane´s cooking scene also made me chickle really hard. In the end, when a drunk Jane is being brought home by Iris, Nicole Peeler shares a very insightful view of how relationships should or should not work.

So let me sum "Tracking the Tempest" up for you:

one of a kind worldbuilding with some of the most surprising creatures ever - check
a cast of interesting and memorable secondary charaters - check
hot sex - check *grins*
love triangle potential - check
explosive and high adrenaline action - check
absorbing and tightly written story - check

Jup, Tracking the Tempest has all the necessary ingredients for a stay-up-all-night or read-it-in-one-day book!

4.5 out of 5 points from me (I think I´m on a roll here. I seriously haven´t read a book I didn´t like at all in the last four weeks, there were so many great new books in June/July. I hope this trend continues!).

The only bad news I´ve got for you is that the next book in the series, Tempest´s Legacy is coming out in February 2011.
Until then, check out Nicole Peeler´s funny hompage
where I´ve read not too long ago that we can look forward to at least 3 more books after Tempest´s Legacy!

Review "Blood Song"

Title: Blood Song, (Bloodsinger, #1)
Author: Cat Adams
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: June 8th 2010 by Tor Books


Bodyguard Celia Graves plies her trade in a world where vampires roam the alleys of Tinseltown and movie stars openly practice witchcraft., where stre...more Bodyguard Celia Graves plies her trade in a world where vampires roam the alleys of Tinseltown and movie stars openly practice witchcraft., where streetcorner psychics have real powers and cops use memory enhancement spells on witnesses. Though she’s an ordinary human, Celia uses street smarts and charmed weapons to protect the rich and famous from mortal and supernatural threats.

She’s landed a plum job, protecting the Prince of a small but politically vital nation while he tours Los Angeles’s least savory hot spots. What should be a routine assignment goes badly wrong. Attacked by a master vampire, Celia knows she is about to die.

She’s startled to awaken on a cold metal table in a university lab. Celia Graves has become an Abomination, neither fully mortal nor fully vampire. Her “master” is hunting her, to destroy her or finish what his bite began. She’s accused of murder and the cops aren’t sure whether she should be locked up or staked. And then there’s the demon she glimpsed during the vampire attack . . . .
Struggling to cope with her new powers and trying not to terrify everyone she meets with a flash of fang, Celia reaches out for help from her once (and future?) lover, who is a powerful mage; his warrior-priest brother; a handsome werewolf who keeps his lupine nature concealed from the world; an elderly clairvoyant, and one trustworthy cop.

Celia Graves has three days to save the world, her sanity, and her soul.


When I first saw the cover, I was really intrigued. It rather dark but still capitivating, so you can say the cover literally sold the book for me. I was even more surprised that it was not lightly chosen. In one scene during the book, Celia, the heroine looks into the mirror and then describes her "new" self after becoming an abomination and it´s pretty much the model on the cover. The tone of the skin, the color of the eyes, the hair, everything looks just like Cat Adams describes Celia. I really like it when covers are chosen and created with such care!

But the cover is not the only thing about this book that I liked. When I first read the blurb, I was somehow reminded of Three Days to Dead, where the heroine also wakes up and has only three days to solve her own murder. I was afraid that the story would be oo much alike, but thank god I was wrong.

Blood Song depictures a world where clairvoyants, werewolves, vampires and demons are known to the common people. Known, but not necessarily liked. Quite the contrary, being a vampire practically equals a death sentence. Even the nickname for them, "bats" has a deprecatory sound to it. In this world, Celia, an ordinary vanilla human (a human with no supernatural powers), as she refers to herself- tries to make a living as bodyguard. It´s a job that allows her a fairly decent living. Still, she can´t afford to turn down the offer of the prince of a small (fictional) European country.
But the job goes awfully wrong and Celia ends up an Abomination, half human, half vampire. From the moment she wakes up she has to deal with the reactions of other people to her new self as well as her new cravings and instincts as half-vampire. The turn in this book is definetly not a positiv thing. Even though it has some positiv effects like heightened healing abilities, which Celia watches with an almost morbid fascination, the change is followed by even bigger trouble. Not only does Celia try to find the ones/bats resposible for her turn, she also has to convince the authorities, who are more than willing to lock her up or worse stake her at sight, that she is the actual victim of the attack. What´s more, there are still bats out to finish the job of killing her and a demon who wants her dead.
Only with the help of her friends is Celia able to barely make it from one day to another.
Vicky, her best friend and a powerful clairvoyant; Alex, Vicky´s girlfriend and police officer; Gibson, an honest cop, her exm Bruno, a very powerful mage and his brother, a warrior priest.
Celia is a very believable and down to earth heroine. The story is for a good part about her own struggle to come to terms with her new self as well as how she copes with the way other people react to her. She is always in danger of being mistaken for a bat and because of that being staked on sight. You can tell that it is very hard on her, especially so as she is not free of her own demons. Throughout the book there are hints to a event in the past that has not only changed her profoundly, but also her entire family. Celia is a strong heroine without being too kick-ass, smart but also vulnerable and dangerously weak at times. Even though she really has to deal with a lot in this book, she is never whiny. When she´s sad, she has every right to be so.
If you´re looking for hot and steamy romance and sex in your Urban Fantasy you might be disappointed with Blood Song. There is romantic tension and more than one possible love interest for the next book, but it is still Urban Fantasy, not PNR.
The story is very cleverly planned and written. There are a moments that make you wonder at first, but as your read the book on, all falls into place. The story takes a few turns I hadn´t seen coming, which just shows the the author (or rather authors) really know what they are doing. A huge twist at the end opens a whole new perspective to the book and exciting possibilities for the next book in the series, Siren Song.
Blood Song is a powerful book not only about action (there is a whole lof of action in this book, believe me!). It´s also about finding a way to deal with a situation that turns your life upside down in the worst way imaginable, when everything around you seems to fall apart.

All in all, Blood Song is in my opinion a topnotch Urban Fantasy book with great character and an intricate, well planned and cleverly written story.

Blood Song gets 4 of 5 points from me!

The next book in the series, Siren Song is released in September 2010.




If you want to learn more about the authors, visit their homepage here. Among other things, you can find a first excerpt of Siren Song!