Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge: Motor City Fae by Cindy Spencer Pape

On 27/04/201212/07/2014 By MikaelaIn Book Recommendations, reviews

The Particulars: Urban Fantasy, Carina Press, available as e-book
The Source: Purchased at Kobo ( I think.)
The Grade: C
The blurb:
Detroit artist Meagan Kelly has had a strong sixth sense all her life, but that doesn’t mean the gorgeous stranger’s crazy storythat she’s a half-elf, half human heiressis true. But Meagan can’t deny the evidence of her own eyeshe’s Fae. A tall, blond, handsome, pointy-eared elfand a man she just can’t get enough of.
Ric Thornhill’s assignment just got a lot more complicated. The more time he spends with Meagan, the harder it is to see her as a political tool to prevent an all-out war between humans and Fae.
Now Meagan’s in a race to master her newly released powers in time to prevent the conflict, convince a jealous Queen not to strip Ric of his powers, and find out if she can build a life that straddles two worlds.

The Review:

I think I have started reading this book twice before, but put it down. But people kept praising this series, which made me wonder if I had missed something. So I decided to read it again. So what did I think?

Despite the fact that the world was populated by the standard races ( werewolves, fae and magic users), it felt unique. One important reasons were that the elves wasn’t perfect breathing mannequins. No, they are delightfully flawed. Some are ruthless, some xenophobic, some honorable. Just like humans.

This is reflected in the plot. The stakes in the plot gradually increased, thanks to the pressure of the Queen. The plot twists took me by surprise, yet they had been cleverly foreshadowed in the plot. A lot of them stemmed from actions by characters, and the characters feelings ( both good and bad).

I loved the sense of loyalty that exuded through the plot. Ric was loyal to the queen, Meagan loyal to her friends, Ric’s friends supported him. But what I didn’t feel through the book was a spark between Meagan and Ric. Which was a disappointment, since the romance subplot was an important part in the book ( The hints about Aidan and Eileen did make me want to read their story.)

Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge: Heart of Stone by C.E Murphy

On 23/04/201212/07/2014 By MikaelaIn Book Recommendations

The Particulars: Urban Fantasy, Luna, available in print and as e-book
The Source: The Bookshelf
The Grade: B-

The Blurb:

Okay, so jogging through Central Park after midnight wasn’t a bright idea. But Margrit Knight never thought she’d encounter a dark new world filled with magical beings–not to mention a dying woman and a mysterious stranger with blood on his hands. Her logical, lawyer instincts told her it couldn’t all be real– but she could hardly deny what she’d seen and touched.

The mystery man, Alban, was a gargoyle. One of the fabled Old Races who had hidden their existence for centuries. Now he was a murder suspect, and he needed Margrit’s help to take the heat off him and find the real killer. And as the dead pile up, it’s a race against the sunrise to clear Alban’s name and keep them both alive.

The Review:

It has been years since I read this one the first time, and before this I would have said it was on my Keeper shelf, but now I am not so sure.

First, I love the world of Old Races. The races feels fresh and unusual, even the standard fantasy races like Dragons and Vampires. I loved that each of the races represented an element. But everything isn’t perfect among the longlived Old Races. They live their lives in the shadows, avoiding discovery by humans.

It is a delicate balance, and Alban’s decision to approach Margit disturbs it.
Soon, Margrit juggles her normal workload, her quest for Alban’s innocence and an suspicious cop boyfriend. I loved how everything slowly dragged Margrit into the world of the Old Races.
How it all felt connected, but I admired Margrit for her courage and her sense of justice. She butted heads with Dragons and Vampires, refusing to show any fear.
She ignored the grumbles of her boyfriend, that they yet again is on differing sides of a case. Add in the fact that her lover is a cop, and that she is spending a lot of time with a suspected murderer. . I am amazed that she managed it. (No, honestly. I would have collapsed, but maybe it is something they teach you in law school. )

Despite the fast paced plot, what made the book for me were the characters. Margit has core of honor that pulls at her through the book. She is sharp, and bargains with powerful men. And, as the plot races on she really wants to tell her roommates, not to mention boyfriend, what is going on.
Alban… His soul is battered, but being around Margrit is pulling him back into the Old Races from his exile. I loved how Alban’s past were a red thread in the book, and how smoothly it was woven into the plot.

The romantic subplot was bittersweet, since both of them knew that they couldn’t happen.

So, what I didn’t like with this book. Despite the intriguing world and plot, there were an invisible barrier that stopped me from sinking into the book. It might have been the fact that I decided to read it with the intent of reviewing it.

Urban Fantasy Reading Challenge:Blood Song by Cat Adams

On 10/04/201212/07/2014 By MikaelaIn Book Recommendations

The Particulars: Urban Fantasy, Tor, available as print and e-book

The Source: Purchased from Kobo.

The Grade: C

The Blurb:

Bodyguard Celia Graves has definitely accepted her share of weird assignments, both human and supernatural. But her newest job takes the cake. Guarding a Prince from terrorists and religious fundamentalists is hard enough, but it seems like the entire supernatural world is after this guy too. When she is betrayed by those she is employed to help, and everything goes horribly wrong, Celia wakes to find herself transformed.

Neither human nor vampire, Celia has become an Abomination—something that should not exist—and now both human and supernatural alike want her dead. With the help of a few loyal friends—a sexy mage, a powerful werewolf, and a psychic cop—Celia does her best to stay alive. On the run from her enemies, Celia must try to discover who is behind her transformation…before it’s too late.

The review:

Cat Adams is another author that I have wanted to read for awhile, so when Tor offered their first three books for 2.99 I bought the first one.

Once I started reading this book, I devoured it. It is set in an intriguing world, filled with a number of paranormal creatures. What I liked were the fact that Celia was already a part of it as her job.

The world felt solid, and well researched both when it comes to vampires, werewolves and demons. I loved how holy water affected demons, and the silver affected werewolves. It was based on a lot of myths, with a twists.

Set against this background is Celia’s struggle to adjust to her life as an abnomation. Which is clearly shown through the book. I liked it. I especially liked that Celia refused to enter Birchwoods, but at the same time recognized that it might be necessary.

As if this isn’t enough, she also has to deal with her ex-boyfriend, and other life issues.

This was well written, but not perfect. I think some of the issues I had with it depended on my mood. The biggest issue I had was Celia. I had trouble connecting with her. I cared about what happened to her, but not much. Part of the reason were the fact that so much happened. Sometimes it felt as if the authors had gotten an idea, and added it without connecting it to the plot.

Will I read more books by Cat Adams? Maybe.

Kickstarter: Miles to go/ Promises to Keep by Laura Anne Gilman

On 27/03/2012 By MikaelaIn Uncategorized

I have made no secret about the fact that I love Laura Anne Gilman’s books. So, I when I found out that she planned to Kickstart Cosa Nostradamus stories, I was very happy. Still, despite this, the launch took me by surprise. ( Primarily since I was offline for a couple of days.) I pledged as soon I found out. If you haven’t read Laura Anne Gilman, this is a great place to start.

From the Kickstarter page:

The stories, Miles to Go and Promises to Keep, introduce Danny Hendrickson. He’s a half-breed, very very rare in the Cosa Nostradamus. Human mother, faun father, 100% Attitude. For the most part, he’s made his own way, first as a member of the NYPD and then – when they started looking too closely at non-humans in the force – as a private investigator, straddling the line between human and fatae in his job the way he does in his life
He has a good life, he has good friends, he makes a difference… But he also has a dangerous life. And sometimes – when you’re in the middle of magic – good friends aren’t enough.
Miles to Go: It’s an ordinary day, another ordinary – for Danny – job, when he’s approached by a young woman who has information he needs to solve a case. All she wants to do is help. When a life – or more – are on the line, it’s hard to turn that down. But the cost of that information will change Danny’s life…forever.
Promises to Keep: Following up on the events of MtG, Danny has a boring snoop-and-scoop infidelity case, the kind of thing that pays the bills and keeps everyone fed. But his new – and magical – partner sees something more in the scenario…and what she sees is deadly. To the client – and to them.

You can read more, and pledge here. ( You are going to pledge. Right?)

Urban Fantasy and Horror reading challenge: Matchbox girls by Chrysoula Tzavelas

On 17/03/201212/07/2014 By MikaelaIn Book Recommendations

The Particulars: Urban Fantasy, Candlemark and Gleam, available in print and as e-book
The source: Received as a Kickstarter pledge reward
The Grade: B+

The blurb:

Marley Claviger is just trying to get her life together. Stumbling into an ancient conflict between celestial forces is going to make that a whole lot harder…

When Marley wakes up to a phone call from a pair of terrified children, she doesn’t expect to be pulled into a secret war. She rescues them from an empty house and promises to find their missing uncle. She even manages to feed them dinner. But she barely feels competent to manage her own life, let alone care for small children with strange, ominous powers…

And when a mysterious angelic figure shows up and tries to claim the girls, it all falls apart…

Plagued by visions of disaster, Marley has no idea what she’s gotten herself into, but she knows one thing: magical or not, the kids need her.

The review
I received this book as part of a Kickstarter pledge. Since I was in an Urban Fantasy slump, I didn’t read it immediately. Which I regret, since this is a really good Urban Fantasy novel. The intriguing worldbuilding takes the standard tropes of angels, demons and fairies, and twists them around a couple of times, until the end result is something unique. The writing starts with a bang, or a phone call to be more correct, and it doesn’t slow down. Marley’s reaction to the events were refreshing. She isn’t a kick ass heroine, she is just an woman who wants to return to her normal life.

The plot is just as fast paced as it should be, and when you think that nothing else can go wrong for Marley and her friends, something unexpected, yet totally logical happens, that turns an already dire situation into a catastrophic situation.

But what made this book for me were the cast of characters. All of them were deliciously flawed. From Marley with her shambled life, to Zacharias with all his secrets, to the impulsive twins, to the new friends she gets in Corbin and AT. And Neath.. I loved Neath. She behaved like I imagine a cat should. The bad guys were scary. Brr. I wouldn’t want to be alone with either Severin, Tarn or any of the other bad guys.

What keeps me from giving this book an A is the sparseness of description. It stopped me from imaging the settings to the level I wanted, and needed to get really sucked into the book.
Still, I’ll definitely get the sequel, since I believe in supporting good authors. And Chrysoula Tzavelas is definitely one of them.

The Zero Dog War by Keith Melton

On 07/01/201212/07/2014 By MikaelaIn Book Recommendations

The Particulars: Urban Fantasy, Samhain, available as e-book.

The Source: Purchased at Allromance

The Grade: B-

The blurb:

After accidentally blowing up both a client facility and a cushy city contract in the same day, pyromancer and mercenary captain Andrea Walker is scrambling to save her Zero Dogs. A team including (but not limited to) a sexually repressed succubus, a werewolf with a thing for health food, a sarcastic tank driver/aspiring romance novelist, a three-hundred-pound calico cat, and a massive demon who really loves to blow stuff up.
With the bankruptcy vultures circling, Homeland Security throws her a high-paying, short-term contract even the Zero Dogs can’t screw up: destroy a capitalist necromancer bent on dominating the gelatin industry with an all-zombie workforce. The catch? She has to take on Special Forces Captain Jake Sanders, a man who threatens both the existence of the team and Andrea’s deliberate avoidance of romantic entanglements.
As Andrea strains to hold her dysfunctional team together long enough to derail the corporate zombie apocalypse, the prospect of getting her heart run over by a tank tread is the least of her worries. The government never does anything without an ulterior motive. Jake could be the key to success…or just another bad day at the office for the Zeroes.

The review:

I had heard good things about Keith Melton, so when Allromance offered a 50% discount on Samhain books, I bought it. The story starts with a bang, and everything wents down hill from there. The plot twisted and turned. I liked how they only had partial success, never a total victory, when they faced the villain. I enjoyed the misfits of The Zero Dog Mercenaries. From Rafe, the werewolf, to Mai with her undead pets. I enjoyed how the author played with the prejudices, and turned them into something new.

This story has a large dose of humor with the action, and I loved the snark, and the way Andrea couldn’t stop mouthing off with Jake. However, at times it felt like the author focused to much on the humor.

This especially shows when it comes to the villain, which is a heap of clichés. In fact, it felt like the author had piled on every cliché he could think off. So, will I buy another book by Keith Melton? Probably. It was a fun, fast paced read and I enjoyed it.

Book Chick City’s Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge

On 04/01/201212/07/2014 By MikaelaIn Book Recommendations

I decided to sign up to this challenge too:

From the challenge page:

Challenge Details

• Timeline: 01 Jan 2012 – 31 Dec 2012

• There are two levels:

– Read TWENTY FOUR (24) horror & urban fantasy novels in 2012
– Read FORTY EIGHT (48) horror & urban fantasy novels in 2012

• You don’t have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront you can change them, nothing is set in stone! The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

• You can join the challenge at anytime. All books read in 2012 count towards the challenge regardless of when you sign up.

• Audiobooks do not count, but all other formats are accepted.

• No non-fiction – only fiction.

• This challenge can crossover to other challenges.

• You DO NOT have to write reviews of the books you read, but if you decide you would like to then Mr Linky will be available each month so you can link up your reviews.

• You don’t have to have a blog to join in – for those without a blog but who use Goodreads, Amazon, LibraryThing etc, you can add the URL to where you track your books. If you don’t have a URL at all then choose a name you would like to use and then copy and paste the following link:

http://www.bookchickcity.com/2011/12/sign-up-horror-urban-fantasy-reading.html

Please add your DIRECT URL link, not just your blog link. If you have trouble adding your URL link below, just drop me an email.

My goal is to read 48 novels. It will be mixture of UF and Horror, new books and PD books. And re-reads. :).

Tentiative reading list:

Child of Fire by Harry Connelly ( library book)
Raven Cursed by Faith Hunter ( Unread)
Zero Dog War by Keith Mellon.
Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent (Unread)
Hot trick by Patricia Rosemoor ( Unread)
Aberswyth Mon Amour by Malcolm Price ( Unread)
Faerie Blood by Angela Korra’ti ( Unread)
Convent of the pure by Sara M Harvey ( Unread)
The Wyvern Mystery by Joseph Sheridan ( PD)
The Portrait of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde ( PD)
Run by Blake Crouch ( Amazon freebie)
The Wedding Gift by Kathleen McKenna( Amazon freebie)
Book of Shadows by Alexandra Sokoloff
Shadow City by Diana Pharaoh Francis (Unread)
Fair Game by Patricia Briggs ( TBR list)
Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews ( TBR)
Demon Marked by Meljean Brook ( TBR)
No Dominion by C.E Murphy ( plus assorted novellas)( April 2012)
. Raven Calls by CE Murphy. ( TBR)
Dragon Justice by Laura Anne Gilman ( TBB)
The Negotiator triology by CE Murphy. ( Re-read)
Matchbox Girls by Chrysoula Tzavelas

All these books have one thing in common: They are either among the 200 e-books I have marked as unread in Calibre or on my TBR list. O_o.

Review: Hounded by Kevin Hearne:

On 26/10/201112/07/2014 By MikaelaIn Book Recommendations1 Comment

The Particulars: Urban Fantasy, Del Rey, available in print and as e-book.
Source: The Library
The Grade: C-
The Blurb:
Tempe, Arizona is as far removed from paranormal activity as is possible. And that’s where Atticus O’Sullivan, rare book salesman, herb peddler, and 2,000 year old Druid – the last of his kind – has decided to set up shop. He’s been on the run, guarding a very powerful sword from a very angry ancient Celtic god for over two millennia now.

But while these years have been good to him – Atticus has become more powerful than he could have possibly imagined – The Morrigan, a very old god of death, has predicted death and doom for our hero, and it’s up to Atticus, with help from a pride of werewolves, and a gorgeous bartender with a secret of her own, to stay alive, hopefully for another thousand years.

The Review:

What I liked:

The premise is what hooked my interest, and I am glad that I downloaded it.

This is the first book in the Iron Druid series. It is a funny and fast paced Urban Fantasy, with a solid base in Celtic Mythology. I liked the druidic magic Atticus use, how he has developed it in ways that even the gods haven’t thought of. I must admit that I liked the Celtic gods that appeared regularly. It was fun to watch them trying interact with the modern world. Atticus was wise enough to not mouth off to them.

It is clear from the start who the villain is, but the element of uncertainty comes from the fact that Atticus doesn’t know if the other deities will tell Aengus Og were he is, or not.

What I didn’t like:

I had a couple of issues with the plot. The plot felt, well, a bit pat as if there were no real surprises. Yes, there was some uncertainty, but none of the totally unexpected twists that the best Urban Fantasy novels have. That might be because Atticus is so old, and because he knows how Aengus Og thinks.

Summary:

A fun read, with a lot of promise.

Review: Born to Run by Mercedes Lackey

On 23/09/201112/07/2014 By MikaelaIn Book Recommendations

Born to Run by Mercedes Lackey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Blurb:
Book one of a new urban fantasy series centered on hot cars, fast elves, and rock-n-roll. Good elves are intrigued by stock car racing, and bad elves run kiddie-porn and drug rings. Trapped in between are three runaways who are in serious trouble and about to get into more–unwitting pawns in a deadly game between good and evil.

The Review
What I liked about it:

This is the first book in the Serrated Edge series, and it is a bit dated now. But when I read it, all those things turned into quaint details. This is a surprisingly complex book, and a book I urge everyone to read. Yes, I know it is an urban fantasy. The focus of the conflict is the animosity been Keighvin Silverhair and Vidal Dhu. If I explained how much it affected the book, I would spoil the plot. Fairgrove, and Silverhair, are genuine do-gooders. But since the world is much more technical, they cannot conjure gold. No, they need to earn money. And that’s where this book starts. The plot moves on rapidly, and every decision, both good and bad, makes sense from the characters point of view. What makes this book so important is Tania, and her story. Tania is a runaway teenager. This is as much about her as it is about Fairgrove and Vidal Dhu.

The characters had their flaws, both good and bad. Sometimes I wanted to scream at them, since they could be so stubborn.

So, that’s what I liked but what I didn’t like:

It might be because I haven’t read her books in awhile, but I didn’t like that there is always a runaway in her books. Or at least it feels like that to me. But, on the other hand it is the strong social theme that makes her urban fantasy novel stand out. So, I guess it is something I have to swallow.

I am not sure if it is something I didn’t like, but I was struck by the fact that it is unusual to have the classic Sidhe/ Unseelighe rivalry as the main source of conflict. That could be because I haven’t read the right books.

Summary:

The book is a bit dated, but when I reached the end, I felt satisifed. Which means it is still a good read, filled with good characters and a dose of humor to lighten the bleak stuff..

View all my reviews

Review: The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe

On 28/07/201112/07/2014 By MikaelaIn Book Recommendations

The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Particulars: Fantasy, TOR, available in print and as e-book

The review:
The blurb:
It should have been a case like any other: a missing princess, a king willing to pay in gold for her return. But before he realizes it, sword jockey Eddie LaCrosse is swept up in a web of mystery and deceit involving a brutally murdered royal heir, a queen accused of an unspeakable crime, and the tragic past he thought he’d left behind.
In order to uncover the answers he seeks, Eddie must delve into the dark underbelly of society while digging deep into his own private history, drawing past and present together. Vast conspiracies, women both beautiful and deadly, and a centuries-old revenge scheme are only a few of the pieces in a lethal puzzle.
The Sword-Edged Blonde is a tour-de-force foray into a realm of action, intrigue, and murder.
My impressions:

I have wanted to read Alex Bledsoe’s books, so when I found it a Kobo for four dollar, I snapped it up.

And, I am glad I did. The book felt like an Urban Fantasy set in an other world. That’s a refreshing change from the more Traditional Fantasy novels. The world was intresting, but since the story included a lot of travels, I wished they had thought of including a map.

The plot shifted between now and thirteen years ago. The events that happened 13 years before gave a background to what happens now. The plot was fastmoving, and kept me on the edge.

And I loved the characters. They were flawed, and deliciously so. Their motivations felt real.

View all my reviews