Review of Moonshifted by Cassie Alexander

It's no secret that I heartily enjoy urban fantasy, particularly the kind with kick-ass female leads and large scale monster hunts. The Edie Spence series is more of the same, except that the heroine is not particularly kick-ass at all. Edie is a nurse working third shifts at a hospital ward secretly dedicated to creatures of the night--shapeshifter, vampires, and vampire's servants. Moonshifted is the second book in the Edie Spence series.

After the events of the first book, I thought it was interesting to see that Edie is becoming even more settled into her role at the hospital, and in fact might even enjoy knowing the secrets of the supernatural world. This, despite the fact that her zombie boyfriend left her, she witnessed a brutal hit-and-run on a werewolf, and she's been asked to appear at her vampire friend's induction ceremony.

What made this book (and the first one) work for me is Edie. She's incredibly well written, and she just feels real to me. She's relatable because she's both an underdog and a bit of a screw-up, yet she's not stupid. Throughout the book, she's genuinely trying to make the best moves and work out who she can trust, but she makes mistakes and the odds are against her. In addition to the supernatural conflicts--the fight between werewolf leaders and the vampire politics, we also get a painfully realistic look at her personal life. Edie's brother is the motivating factor for her working in the supernatural ward in the first place--the powers that be keep her brother off of drugs as long as she works for them. She really and honestly loves her brother, she wants to help him, but she's also faced with the constant realization that her help can only go so far, and she can never afford to trust him completely. Plus Edie is broke, PB&J for dinner every night broke. The girl can't catch a break. My point is, there's something cathartic about seeing Edie's messed up life and her bad decisions with regard to men and her endless fight for survival as a human in a tooth and claw world. She survives on pure determination, and it's awesome.

While I obviously can't say enough about how much I like Edie, the plot of this book in itself was nothing too special. The power struggles of alphas, like we see with the werewolves, is on the point of being old hat in the urban fantasy world. Same with the vampire politics. To her credit, the author does a good job of making us question who Edie can really trust and what the smartest path for her really is. To her discredit, by the time I finished the book I was left with few truly memorable plot points to carry me forward. We'll have to see, with book three, if the originality of the plot improves.

To sum up, I've really been enjoying the fish-out-of-water nature of Edie's story, and I love her character, and for that reason I do continue to recommend this series. I expect good things from it in the future. 4 stars.

On Missing Fathers: A Review of Shifter's Pride by Laura Diamond

I'm always inclined to like shapeshifter books. They're my comport reading. So when a request to review this book found it's way to my email, I couldn't refuse.

Nickie's father has been missing for over a year, and most people accept that he's likely dead. Nickie, however, is determined that he must be alive and she must find him. Nickie has been noticing some changes in herself--in her mood, motor skills, food preferences, and so forth. This, coupled with a mysterious note that may or may not have come from her father, leads her to believe that something big is about to happen to her.When she meets Xavian, the sexy new guy who seems to take a strong interest in her, she's not sure whether to be excited or terrified.

Nickie is characterized fairly well. She's you're normal, average teen, but she manages to not be a blank-slate heroine by having legitimate interests and a bit of a personality. I thought the author was very clever to utilize her talent as an actress in the climax. She's not useless, and her powers and abilities are interesting enough to build a series on.

Xavian and Nickie are an okay match, as far as such things go. Their romance is not sweeping or consuming, but not totally absent either. I liked seeing Xavian try to guide Nickie through the changes in herself--he's very supportive.

This book's major weakness is pacing. The first 3/4 were terribly slow, spending far too much time on exposition and just plain nothingness. It's somewhat redeemed by it's satisfying climax, but 75% boring is a pretty damning number.

My parting words for this book are this: it's not the best shifter book out there, but it's certainly not the worst. To be more specific, the writing was competent enough and the characters interesting enough that this could very well be a very interesting series. 3 stars.

On Nursing: A Review of Nighshifted by Cassie Alexander

I bought this book based on the description, and looked at reviews after the fact. They were pretty mixed, and many of them quite critical. So when I started I had some feelings of trepidation, to be sure.

Edie's brother is a drug addict, and she's sick of watching him flirt with overdose and infection. So when she's offered a mysterious nursing job on a floor called Y4, in exchange for a mysterious promise that her brother will become clean, she takes it. Y4 turns out to be where non-human patients are sent--vampires and their servants, werewolves, shapeshifters, zombies, and so forth.   When a patient dies on Edie's watch, having asked her with his last words to find Anna, she's compelled to do just that. Her actions soon put her on trial with the vampires, in a life or death struggle for survival.

The best parts of the book are, without a doubt, those that take place in the hospital. You can tell the author knows nursing, and has just added the supernatural parts in for flavor, and as a result it feels very real. I was drawn into Edie's life and her struggles to fit in and do her job.

Edie's a surprisingly novel sort of heroine. She's kind of a screw up--she makes mistakes that endanger patients and coworkers, she makes questionable personal decisions, she has random unprotected sex...But she has a good heart, too, and she means well, and she's terribly easy to relate to. At every turn, I could easily see myself making the same fatal errors.

Among the secondary characters, we meet a zombie and a shapeshifter--both potential love interests, predictably. But the zombie is really different from your typical UF hero, and I found myself very intrigued by him. He's not at all attractive, for one, with lots of scars. I hope to see more of him as the series progresses.

The biggest problem with the book is that, outside of the hospital the plot mostly drags. It is not nearly as inspired, and the mystery is not something I could force myself to care about.

Overall, this urban fantasy manages to stand out a bit because of the medical aspects and it's oddly appealing heroine. I hope for great things from this series. 4 stars.

On Eels: A Reveiw of Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews

This was an important book. It's book number 112 in 2012 for me, the last book I needed to finish to complete my year long goal. It's less impressive in that, by the end, I had to declare it a 3 star book.

William is a shapeshifter and a loner, but he's reluctantly talked into a quest to track down Spider, a ruthlessly villainous villain. This puts him in league with Cerise, who's parents have been taken by the Spider. Before Cerise can track down her parents, she must end a family feud that's stood for three generations, and take back a house that belonged to her grandparents.

So, yeah, 3 stars. It's a bit odd, because I sing the praises of Ilona Andrews often and loudly when it comes to the Kate Daniels books, and even Andrea's book, but I think it's now safe to say that I don't care for The Edge series nearly as much. What's missing here? Well, I think it's partly to do with world build and partly to do with plot. But, let's start with what I did like.

I liked William and Cerise. William has a social awkwardness and vulnerability about him that I found charming. It really fit his status as a shapeshifter who has been shunned more often than not. I also really liked Cerise--I liked her toughness and her loyalty and her way of viewing the world. The tow have excellent chemistry. I think it's safe to say that Andrews writes characters you want to embrace. Even the secondary characters are appealing.

The world building, while better than a lot of the sludge we see on the UF market now, is still not as strong as the Kate Daniels books. Perhaps it's unfair to compare the two, but that's reality. With Kate's Atlanta, I have a really clear idea about the rules and how things work, and what the organizations are and where loyalties lie. And the way magic works in that universe is so freaking clever. The Edge, on the other hand, feels a lot more vague and less inspired. I'm not that clear on who belongs where and why, and I can't say I'm motivated to figure it out. I'm not really sure, for example, if William's shapeshifting is based on magic or nature or some hybrid of the two, and I don't know why he's able to work in magic free Broken if he is indeed magical.

The plot has it's merits, and it's passably interesting on the surface, but as the story proceeds I found that many stretches were decidedly meh. Things I felt were really interesting--Cerise's grandfather and his life restoring formula, for one--got very little page time. Things I don't care about, like the family feud, went on and on. As a result, for much of the book my enjoyment level was at or just above neutral, with a few periods of outright frustration.

All told, while it's still an above average book, I must honestly admit that there are better books out there. I cautiously recommend this one, but I highly recommend the Kate Daniels books. 3 stars. 

On Shiftertown: A Review of Pride Mates by Jennifer Ashley

Sometimes I get in the mood for a very particular kind of book, and I go to the TBR shelf, and I find that I don't have much that will hit the spot. So, when I felt I wanted a shlock filled paranormal romance with lot's of sex and maybe a lifemate type trope thrown in? I had this and Shelly Laurenston's The Mane Event, which was pretty disappointing...This one was a bit better though.

The basic plot is as follows: Shifters are considered second class citizens and are forced to live in isolated communities without reliable cable or internet access. They have to wear magic collars to stop them from becoming aggressive.When a shifter is accused of murdering his human girlfriend, Kim makes it her personal cause to clear his name--and also hopes to use the case to further her career as a lawyer. As a human, she needs special protection to enter and talk to the citizens of Shiftertown, which is where Liam comes in. When she's (predictably) threatened, Liam extends his protection to overnight stays and bed sharing. And so forth.

So, what does work in this book? Well, I really liked the world of the shifters and the rules of that world. I liked their origin story. I can see a lot of potential for this series, a lot of good stories to be told within the world. The shifters seem oppressed, but at the same time they have a lot of secrets and a lot of strength.

Indeed, this story in itself isn't bad, as we get to know the politics and variable social dynamics of the shifters. There's mystery, there's violence, and there's certainly romance. Liam is a good hero, if not great--he's a problem solver, a protector, and very predictably alpha-ish when it comes to his relationship with Kim. Kim is not all together unlikeable, either, since she genuinely just wanted to help the shifters.The relationship building is...okay. It's not magical or memorable or gripping, but it isn't overtly lacking either.

The problems within this book are really a lot of little things.

Example 1: Kim is "dating" this guy, who she really doesn't like, who constantly neglects her, out of convenience or whatever...they are still "dating" as of when she first sleeps with Liam. She only ends the pointless relationship when she knows she's got another guy in the bag. Really damaged my opinion of her as a strong, independent female lead.

Example 2: Liam has a slight temper tantrum about Kim taking birth control. At this point in the relationship development, they had just gotten together, and he instantly wants to flush her pills. Kim has a brief WTF? reaction to this, but then just lets it go.

...and so on, with many such semi-bothersome incidents interrupting what might otherwise have been an entertaining story. And that's what made this an okay book instead of a good book. 3 stars.

A Very Abbreviated Review of The Mane Event by Shelly Laurenston

My primary motivation for reading this book was that the first of the two stories is a Christmas story. And I thought, okay, I'm finally going to read a holiday book around the appropriate holiday. I get a big gold star on my forehead for that.

Sadly, neither story really rang my jingle bells, and I ended up skimming for the most part.

The first story is called Christmas Pride, and it tells the tale of Dez and Mace, long ago childhood friends who now want to mate like bunnies. Or lions. Or whatever. One of the things that was initially intriguing about the story is that we're told about these lion Prides, which are run by females. Unfortunately, said females come across as monstrous bitches, and Dez (a human and a cop), is kind of out to get them--not unjustly. Then there's Mace, who feels obligated to his Pride but refuses to be subservient to it, and as he would rather have one mate then serve as a master stud for all of the females. The whole structure, as I learned more about it, struck me as viscerally unappealing.

Another strike against it was that I didn't really care for the heroine (and yes, I know, I'm picky with heroines). She seemed crass and a bit flat in development, and I just couldn't get a handle on her. I did like the idea of Mace remembering her from high school, twenty years later, and actively seeking her out as a mate...but I guess I don't see what he sees.

On a positive note, Laurenston seems to be good at writing sexiness and sex. The men are hot, the chemistry is hot, and the sex is hot. No complaints there.

As to the second story, I skimmed to an even greater degree. While I liked the heroine more, I still didn't really care for the setting or world building. So overall, I think we have to call that a DNF.

So would I recommend this book? I don't know that I have the authority to, since I read it so very incompletely. What I will say is that, again, the sex is hot and the concepts are at least somewhat interesting, and if you're into shifter romance you could do a lot worse than that.

On Pregnancy: A Review of Broken by Kelley Armstrong

When I picked this book out of my TBR pile, I remembered only one fact with any clarity: this is the one where Elena is pregnant. And, I'm not going to lie, that was what intrigued me. I really wanted to see how this strong character, so familiar and beloved to me, would cope with impending motherhood.

The meat of the plot, however, deals with Elena unwittingly unleashing the soul of Jack the Ripper from a stolen letter. As a result, she and the gang have a zombie hunt to deal with.

Positive Comments

I really enjoy these characters, and I find that any chance to visit them is a treat. I like the fact that Clay and Elena have clearly grown as a couple. The relationship has continued to mature and develop, as good relationships do in real life. Their willingness to take the risk to try to become parents is evidence of that maturity.

I really appreciated the fact that the core plot was not about the baby. We were blessedly NOT victimized with the mystical pregnancy trope, so common to the fantasy and paranormal romance genre. Instead, it's a relatively normal pregnancy that causes normal conflicts and ends happily. Armstrong could have easily made Elena's baby have the spirit of Jack the Ripper or Satan, or be the werewolf chosen one. Nothing so ridiculous happens here.

Critical Comments

To be honest, I really found the Jack the Ripper plot to be entirely uninteresting. I'm not big on serial killers and old mysteries and so forth. I admit that it made for a few suspenseful moments, but for the most part it just felt like something I had to read through.

Recommendation

Six books in...is it still a great series? Admittedly, I don't think I've enjoyed any of these books as much as I did Bitten. Broken may actually be the weakest in terms of plot. This is partially balanced out by the fact that I really like the primary and secondary characters, and I enjoyed seeing them interact in new ways. So, yes, if you've liked the series up to this point, I suggest you keep reading. 3.5 stars.

On Beastkin: A Review of Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

Oh, Ilona Andrews. You write the very best and most entertaining urban fantasy on the market. Now, this latest book happens to be a spin-off of the most beloved Kate Daniels series. Was I cranky that we wouldn't be getting another Kate book for well over a year? Yes, a bit. But in the end, if I couldn't have a Kate book, this was a damn good substitute.

This book follows Kate's best friend, Andrea, as she investigates several untimely deaths related to a vault of mysterious ancient artifacts. The case brings her into close contact with her ex, Raphael, whom she is not over yet. As she fights for her life against the latest threat to Atlanta, Andrea must confront her own identity issues and old insecurities. Will she join the Pack of shapeshifters and get Raphael back, or flee and be alone forever?

Positive Comments

I can certainly understand how this book came to be. The Kate Daniels world lends itself to a lot of stories outside what might be going on with Kate herself. Andrea was introduced in book 2 (I think), and has progressively grown on me like a fungus. The side stories of her relationship with Raphael have always been intriguing, so its nice to see some resolution to that as well.

Andrea is an intensely interesting character, in that she has survived some serious shit. Child abuse, rejection, leading to mild self loathing and identity issues, leading to a tenure as a knight in the very prestigious Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid. When The Order kicks her out for being a shapeshifter, her life is shattered. In this book, she has to put the pieces back together and find a new purpose for herself, all while trying to solve this heinous crime. The emotional story is fascinating.

The emotional journey is fascinating, but it never gets in the way of the action (and the violence) of which there is a great deal. Ultimately, Andrea and Raphael go head to head with the Egyptian god Anubis,  taking huge risks to end his existence as best they can. How does one kill a god?

Negative Comments

I did feel that a bit more raw mythology would not have gone amiss in this story. Since we have an Egyptian god as our "villain", why not delve into his back story thoroughly? We are given the bare minimum to serve the purpose of the story, and I'm sure some readers like it that way, but I would have liked a bit more.

Recommendation

Probably the first question you might ask is: Does it stand alone? Umm, hmm, uhh....No. I don't really think it does. I think to understand the world and it's characters and everything Andrea is struggling with, you really need to have read the five Kate Daniels books already available. But trust me, that's no hardship.

If you are already a fan of the Kate series, you'll enjoy this one. The shift in point of view is temporarily refreshing. We do see enough of Kate that you won't miss her too much. And as with all of Andrews' books, there's mythology, violence, horror, and romance in a very nice package. 4 stars.

On Selkies: A Review of Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler

Alright people, you're about to get the very definition of a "mixed review". This book was ADORABLE, but boring. It had these great fantasy elements, but it was boring. It had an awesome, likeable heroine that I could relate to...but it was boring. See where I'm going with this?

Tempest Rising is book one in the ongoing Jane True series, which centers around a half-human, half-selkie (named Jane, of course). This book is mostly about her finding out what she really is, and discovering the world of the supernatural. This world includes gnomes and vampires and all manner of shape-shifters (awesome, right?) Jane also has a tragic past to come to terms with, and a more recent local murder mystery to solve. Enter Ryu, the sexy investigator with fangs, who enjoys being Jane's tour guide through the supernatural world (and getting into her pants).

Positive Comments

I liked Jane. She's sort of your average twenty-something, except for this one unusual ability (swimming in a near-frozen water). She's loved and lost, and gone through periods of depression, and been institutionalized, and survived everything. She's defenseless in this book, but her strength of will makes me think that she won't be for long. 

Loved the world building. I get so excited when I find books where demon dogs mingle with gnomes and kelpies.

I liked Ryu, and many of the other characters introduced...but God, I smell a love triangle coming, and I'm worried about that. While I felt that Jane was sexually attracted to Ryu, and that she enjoyed his attention in general, I didn't get that true love vibe from them. And that's fine. But yeah, if it turns into a love triangle I might have to kick a seal. (Commenters who have read further into the series should also know that I throw sharp objects at those who spoil things for me. You've been warned.)

Critical Comments

It's boring. Yeah, I know, I was surprised too. How jaded am I that I can be bored by a book that has selkies, sex, and murder? But seriously, just trust me on this, the plot drags after a certain point. The pacing sucks big time. There isn't much to the murder investigation, and we aren't even introduced to the murderer until 3/4 of the book is over. There's a lot of Jane and Ryu having sex, Jane trying on fancy clothing, Jane thinking about things, Jane's libido talking to her...

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of talking libidos or talking hormones. Am I alone here? Do other women have horny feelings that manifest in the form of voices in their head telling them to hump things? This is a minor pet peeve, but it's one of those little details that just gets under my skin. There are other ways to let your reader know that the character is feeling...amorous.

Recommendation

I was so charmed by so many things about this book, that it's hard not to recommend it, even though I found a good chunk of it hard to get through. I'm tempted to say that this book just has "first book" woes, and now that the world is all set up, the next books will be better. But I don't know yet. So what I will say, is that I liked it enough to order book 2, and we'll see how it goes from there. I offer a cautious positive recommendation to the patient urban fantasy reader. 3 stars. 

A Review of On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniel's series is perhaps my favorite ongoing series right now--it's at least in the top five. That sort of standard was a lot for this book to live up to and...well...

On the Edge is set in a very different universe. In this world, there is a dimension known as "The Broken", which is essentially our world--no magic, just ordinary people. Then there's "The Weird", where everything runs on magic. Between the two, there's the Edge, land of outcast who don't quite fit anywhere. Here, we meet Rose, an Edger with unusually strong magic. She's been pursued all of her adult life, by men who would sell her or use her to breed magic babies. Rose has two younger brothers to protect, in addition to keeping herself safe. So when Declan shows up on her doorstep, claiming he wants to protect her, Rose is naturally suspicious and hostile...despite her attraction to him.

Positive Comments:

I wasn't that engaged by the large, overarching plot of this novel. Instead, I became fascinated with the minutia of the story. I was interested in the magic Rose possesses and how it works. I wanted to visit more of the Edge and the Weird. I was engaged with what was going on with the kids. Jack and Georgie, Rose's brothers, are a far cry from the useless plot moppets I expected. I was especially impressed with the subplot involving Georgie's ability to bring things back to life, at the expense of his own health.

Declan and Rose...Rose and Declan....They had their moments. The dialogue was great. These two had enough chemistry to justify calling this book a novel with strong romantic elements--though not necessarily a romance novel.

Critical Comment:

So here's the thing...remember that overarching plot I mentioned? My attempt to explain to you, and to myself, why I didn't like it are probably going to be laughable, but here goes:

--Declan shows up on Rose's doorstep and seems to want to marry her or make her his mistress for a thousand wrong reasons. At this point, I'm mad at the book and worried that the two might form a marriage of convenience or some ridiculous thing.
--Rose agrees to  give Declan three challenges, and if he succeeds at them, she'll cooperate with him. At this point, I'm intrigued. I figure, okay, he can do these challenges, they can fall in love for real over the course of them, and I'll be happy.
--But guess what? There's a much bigger problem going on, and that problem is monster dogs eating people, and that kind of takes over the book.

I don't think the big monster plot was necessary. I just...I didn't care. I wanted more relationship building, and more character development, and more of the boys and their antics, and more of just about everything else. Especially relationship development. I wanted to see more of Rose and Declan together, working out their differences, figuring out where they fit in each others' lives.

Recommendation:

If you like urban fantasy, especially if you enjoy a good monster hunt, you'll enjoy this book. I would recommend it, to a lesser extent, to casual fans of paranormal romance. This book was good, but it didn't have the magic of the Kate Daniels books. 3.5 stars.
Buy from Amazon: On the Edge

On Thor: A Review of Hammered by Kevin Hearne

This poor book fell victim to my crazy life. I started it while still finishing school, literally in between finals and packing. It got carried home an lost in a box, found again when I needed something to read on the way to my wedding dress fitting. Got shoved aside again because one of my my best friends was in town for the first time in ages, and I wanted to spend every waking moment with her. And finally, I finished it while dining on hastily ordered Chinese takeout behind a pile of boxes that I will have to sort through at some point. Later. I always reason that the mark of a good story is the ability to survive a reader's reality, to still make an impact no matter what might be going on. Hammered survived my reality in as much as I was never tempted to give up on it, even after the third time I had to reread the middle because I'd forgotten what was going on. 

The book opens with Atticus climbing Yggdrasil, the world tree of Norse legend, signaling that this is going to be a Norse mythology themed book. In fact, the book focuses on Atticus's quest to fulfill his promises, first to steal an apple or immortality and later to help his friends kill Thor. This book is a bit weightier than it's two predecessors in that it asks questions about fate and morality and decision making.

Positive Comments:

Again, I was invested despite an awful lot of distraction. Atticus is a likeable character, and I wanted to see him succeed. I was invested in Hearne's version of the mythology, and how all of the gods of this world fit together. It borrows much from American Gods by Neil Gaiman, and I mean that as the highest compliment.

It has a questing, adventure seeking tone to it, and I love that in a fantasy novel. I deeply respect a quest. By far my favorite part of the book was when the group of men who want Thor dead sit around a fire and tell stories about why they want Thor dead. Is this a cheap, quick way to deliver character motivation? You bet. Did I lap it up like chocolate syrup? Oh yeah. By the time they got done, I wanted Thor dead too. And even though I was tired of this book, and wanted desperately to move on to other things, I had to finish at all costs.

Critical Comments:

I'm not a big fan of fate/destiny plots. The introduction of gods who warn Atticus that they've seen his future if he helps to kill Thor, and it's a grim future, frustrated me on a couple of levels. First, because it isn't necessary. He should be able to figure out for himself that this course of action is likely to screw him over. Do we really need harbingers of doom to tell us that? Second, because the prophecies are so vague and so heavy-handedly foreshadowing. Perhaps something slightly more or slightly less subtle would have suited the story better.

I felt that there were far more characters than necessary. It was a crowded story. I can sympathize with the author's desire to display so many awesome characters, but I can't help but feel that the overall story suffered for it.

Recommendation

I'm continuing to recommend this series whenever possible. I love the mythology, the ideas, and the writing style. I love Atticus. This wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't bad either. 3 stars.

Click here to buy: Hammered: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book Three

On Harmony: A Review of Bonds of Fenris by S. J. Bell

In the past I've mentioned that werewolf books are, strangely, comfort reading for me. So when the author of Bonds of Fenris asked me to do a review, of course I agreed, reasoning that you could not find a reviewer more inclined to like this book.

Our heroine, Talia, is a woman in her early twenties who was unwillingly transformed into a werewolf. Talia hates her wolf side, which is constantly hungry and violent. She's forced to live in a shabby house with her equally shabby pack mates, hunt under the full moon every month, and avoid humans at all costs. Then Talia meets Corwin, a fellow werewolf who has complete control over his wolf side--something Talia craves above all things. To learn the same skills, Talia is forced to confront her own flaws and learn to accept herself.

Positive Comments

This story is not, by any means, epic in it's scale. The mythology is fairly limited and narrow in scope. The cast of characters is limited to six werewolves. There are no world saving quests or grand battles. But what the story lacks in breadth, it more than makes up for in depth. The plot is surprisingly thoughtful, following the slow journey from self-loathing to acceptance and confidence. I loved that this book delved into the psychology of what it means to be a werewolf, a human being, and a survivor.

 Talia was a decent, if not very memorable character. She is relate-able, and I did find myself cheering on her successes. Her romance with Corwin is understated, but respectable. Her relationship with her pack mates, particularly in her efforts to teach them to live with lycanthropy, is both interesting and emotional.

Each member of the pack is given a distinct, though simplistic, personality. Bo is dimwitted but lovable. Marline is the intellectual, somewhat cold one. And so on. Normally, I would complain about such shallowly developed characters, but honestly, it isn't really possible to fully develop six characters in 230 pages. At least they all had a few pages of self discovery.

Critical Comments

My interest in the story was strong during the first half, but waned a bit as the story continued. The problem is, Talia's emotional journey is wrapped up pretty quickly, and the focus turns to her pack--particularly Peirce, the young self styled "alpha". Peirce was not a sympathetic character in my eyes. And no, not every character needs to be sympathetic for a book to be likable...unless the last part of your book is about that character's decent and/or redemption. Because I did not care about Peirce, I felt little tension as Talia and company tried to make him see the light.

 Recommendation

If, like me, you are fond of werewolf books, this is a good pick. While the pacing is a little off, and the end is a bit lackluster, the overall story is captivating enough to entertain you. It's also short (223 pages), which makes it a good candidate for travel reading or a lazy afternoon. 3.5 stars.

Bonds of Fenris will be available on Smashwords on May 7! 

On Sea Monsters: A Review of River Marked by Patricia Briggs

River Marked by Patricia Briggs is book six in the Mercy Thompson series, and now that I've read it, I am finally caught up!

In this book, Mercy and Adam get married and go on an impromptu camping trip as a honeymoon. Their new marital bliss is spoiled by the presence of a river monster, who has been eating people. Mercy teams up with some of the local people--and a mysterious ghost that might be her father--to kill the monster before it can become too strong.

Positive Comments:

I love Adam and Mercy together. They're two very different people, but they fit well, and I enjoyed the romance between them.

I enjoyed learning about Mercy's lineage, including what makes her a walker. These things were glossed over in the previous books, so it was nice to finally have the gaps in world building filled in. Furthermore, those touches of world building supported Mercy's development as a character.

Critical Comments:

This is by and large a monster hunting book. That means the antagonist is bland and uninteresting compared to some that we've seen in past books.

I missed a lot of the supporting cast. Stefan, Gabriel, Jesse, Warren, and the rest, are almost entirely left out of this book. In a way, it was nice to focus more on Mercy's back story and her relationship with Adam, but overall, I missed everyone.

Recommendation:

While this is, by no means, the strongest book in the series, it also isn't the weakest. As an addition to a good series, it passes the bar for me. I recommend it to Mercy Thompson fans. 3.5 stars.

On Bonds: A Review of Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

This one really surprised me. I didn't care much for Bone Crossed at all, and I assumed that signaled the downfall of my enjoyment of this series. I'm happy to be proven wrong.

Silver Borne is the fifth novel in the Mercy Thomson series. This is one series that you do have to read in order, because there's a lot of overarching character development. In this book, Mercy is trying to return a book that she borrowed from a fae friend, but there seems to be a problem. The friend is missing, and some suspicious parties seem to be after the book. Mercy's problems are compounded by the fact that her room mate and good friend, Sam, has lost himself to his inner wolf. Mercy knows that according to pack law, Sam should be sentenced to death for everyone's safety. But Mercy refuses to give up on Sam, just as she refuses to turn the book over to unknown and dangerous hands.

Positive Comments:

There's so much rich character development in this book. I've always loved Mercy and all of her friends, and they really shine in this one. Sam's journey alone had me emotionally gripped, and I would have been happy if that had been the whole book. But there's so much more going on, and it all serves to build each individual into a more realistic, unique character.

I loved the way Briggs managed to portray Mercy and Adam's relationship in this one. Normally, I complain about mystical mate bonds, but that's because I've seen them written very poorly. Usually mate bonds are used as a substitute for relationship building. In this book. Briggs uses it as an obstacle, as well as an advantage: something neither good nor bad that has to be acknowledged and dealt with. The bond can be imperfect, become damaged, or even be broken. Mercy has to keep making the choice to hold onto and go back to that bond. This makes for a kind of romance that you just can't get with insta-love plots.

Critical Comments:

I love that Brigg's puts character growth first, but sometimes I wish she'd spend just a few more pages on world building. Seriously, just a page here or there to help us make some connections between the events of the book and the big picture of the world.

The villain in this one is a bit unimaginative. She might as well have stood up and said "Hi, I'm the current obstacle to your happy ending. Take a shot at killing me. G'ahead." For someone so great at building interesting characters, Briggs seems rather bad at writing interesting villains.

All things considered, however, I'm very happy with this book. I'm happy with this series again, and I look forward to reading the next one. If you haven't tried this series yet, Moon Called is the first one--give it a try. This series has it's ups and downs, but it's one I still recommend. 4 stars for Silver Borne.

On Blood: A Review of Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

I've been promising this discussion for awhile. I love Ilona Andrews, so I really wanted to read this one thoroughly and give it the attention it deserves. For those who don't know, the Kate Daniels books are a must read urban fantasy series featuring a monster killing heroine who wields some dark and interesting magic. This is the fifth book in the series For more information you can see my past reviews HERE, HERE, and HERE.

In this book, Kate is just getting settled into her role as the owner of Cutting Edge Investigations, when a monumental case is brought to her door. It seems that a secret society has been developing a device that has the potential to harm every magic user in the entire city. Kate must uncover their secrets and stop the threat. Meanwhile, Kate is dealing with the pressures of being mated to the Pack alpha, and struggling to keep her ward, Julie, safe and out of trouble.

Positive Comments:

This book is smart. You don't usually find a lot of social or philosophical commentary in urban fantasy books. And that's fine, because urban fantasy books are action driven by nature and they don't need to be thought provoking to be entertaining. The great thing about this book is that it has these themes about class, social structure, and morality, presented so subtly that you barely notice them. But they're in there, making the story seem richer. The conflict is about a group of people who want to destroy magic, because they believe that magic creates an unfair class system. Those born with magic get better jobs and have an easier time in the world than those without it. This group is willing to basically commit genocide to get what they want. The later part of the book has magic users, many of whom are normally rivals, banding together to stop the threat. Additionally, the creation of the device itself is a lot like the creation of the atomic bomb or dynamite (the book references the atomic bomb directly); The creator thinks he's doing a good thing, and is so caught up in the invention process that he isn't really thinking about long term consequences. And all of this is weaved into the story so that it doesn't slow down the action or over tax the reader's brain.

I love the characters. Kate has grown on me, and I like her more with each book I read. She's tough, smart, and funny. She's flawed in many ways, but she has a good heart. I love Curran, who in all his surliness really just wants to be with Kate, unconditionally. This book has their relationship taking some big strides toward maturity. It's not a romance novel happily ever after, but it does make me feel warm and fuzzy. I also really like Julie, even though she's a walking, talking plot device more than anything else. I love Andrea, who is a fitting best friend for Kate. I'm eager to see her grow and develop more in future books.

Critical Comments:

There is so much plot that it does, at times, feel a bit crowded. Especially in the middle, when new plot points were still being introduced, I kept thinking "Oh God, what now?!" But it doesn't get confusing, everything manages to connect and wrap up (miraculously) by the end. The end is not what I would call fully satisfying, but it only has the tiniest of cliffhangers. Cliffhanger may be the wrong word--it has a hint of more. Which is good, because I hate dramatic cliffhangers.

In the end, I'm caught up with a series for once! This never happens! It really is a fantastic series, and I highly recommend it to any fantasy fan. Magic Slays excellent addition to the Kate Daniels story. 4.5 stars.

On Coyotes: A Review of Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

So, first of all, this review is going to contain spoilers form Iron Kissed, the previous book in the series (you can find a spoiler free review of that one HERE).

On Gremlins: A Review of Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

When I first started getting into urban fantasy, Patricia Briggs was one of those authors that was on everyone's list of recommendations. I quickly discovered why. With her unique characters and simple story telling, she keeps her readers immersed for hours. In my review of book 2, Blood Bound, I discussed all of this in more detail. Iron Kissed was equally impressive for me, although for different reasons. Now on to the review.

Mercy's mentor, Zee, has been accused of murder. Zee is an iron kissed fae (a metal worker), which is a breed that humans have little understanding of and therefore fear. When the fae community fails to jump to Zee's rescue, Mercy is determined to find the real killer herself.

Positive Comments:

I had some pretty strong emotional reactions to this book. I've resolved to keep these reviews as spoiler free as possible, so I can't get too specific. I'll just say that Mercy goes through quite a lot of trauma, which I did not see coming. I really felt for her, and I applauded her recovery. The visceral reaction that I had to this book is something that I don't think was present in the previous books, so I'm counting it as a major positive. Maybe it was an intentional ploy on the part of the author, but if so, it worked on me.

The character development is intense, but without being overdone. Obviously, Mercy's world view is altered several times throughout the story. But equally impressive, to me at least, was the efficient way that Briggs started to develop her secondary and background characters. From the important one like Samuel and Adam, to the minor characters of Ben and Zee, you gain insights into what makes them who they are.

Critical Comments:

The world building part of the plot gets buried in drama. There's some interesting mythology being invoked in this book, but it was in no way explained to my satisfaction. There are a lot of magical objects being used, and we are given very little information as to their origins or how they actually work. Since these things were extremely important to the plot, I felt they deserved more page time.

I also had some issues with the pace of the book. It jumps from mundane things into action so abruptly I felt dizzy. Overall, the tone of the novel just isn't consistent. It goes from intellectual murder mystery, to action/chase scene, to tragic drama, all with very few transitions.

I'm having trouble grading this one. Going purely on emotional impact, it would be a 4. Taking that out of the equation, it's more like a 3. I'll split the difference: 3.5 stars. In any case, the Mercy Thomson series is a must read for any urban fantasy fan.

On Lions: A Review of Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

Ilona Andrew's Kate Daniels series has grown on me like a fungus. You can find my reviews of the first three books HERE and HERE. So naturally I was looking forward to reading the forth installment, Magic Bleeds. Happily, it did not let me down. I'm going to try to keep the spoilers to a minimum in this review.

In this book Kate is knee deep in trouble once again, as an unknown power is attempting to unleash a plague of disease on Atlanta. The Pack appear to be prime targets for the Steel Mary (as the villain is labeled). Kate has strong loyalties to The Pack--many members are close friends. More importantly Kate carries a torch for the Alpha, Curran.

Once again Andrews delivers a captivating and well written urban fantasy story. The villain is original and genuinely scary. There is a ton of action and violence. Plus we learn just a little more about the rules of magic, particularly Kate's personal powers. Ilona Andrew's shines when it comes to clever world building. As usual Kate is a bold, kickass heroine with a good heart, who grows with each book.

Now, as to the relationship between Kate and Curran--I was aware that this was the book when it was all supposed to be addressed. And I was really excited to see that happen. I don't want to get too specific and spoil anything, but...this book uses the Big Misunderstanding trope. Yeah...one person doesn't show up for a date, the other assumes it's because they don't care, and instead of actually talking about it (which would have fixed things in like 10 seconds) they decide to ignore one another and brood in silence. Now, this no talking, brooding thing does fit Kate and Curran's personalities. But I still felt like it was a pretty cheap plot device. Other than that though, I love these two as a couple and I was excited to see hints at their future together. And according to this book, lions can mate up to 30 times a day, so I think they'll be pretty happy.

*Side Note: Princess Bride references in this book earned the authors major brownie points.

I can't say enough good things about this series so far. I highly recommend it to any urban fantasy fan. 4.5 stars.

The Roaring Twenties: A Review of Chasing Midnight by Susan Krinard

I read Chasing Midnight last fall, and have since reread bits and pieces. In the vast sea of paranormal romance the thing that stands out the most about this series is the time period-vampires and werewolves in 1920s New York. This seems to be an altogether rare combinations, and I liked it for that alone.

The Plot: Allegra Chase is a fiercely independent vampire woman who is searching for a friend who has recently disappeared after having been turned vampire himself. Griffin is a werewolf who spends his life hiding from his wolf-side in favor of a society that is unaware of the existence of non-humans. He joins forces with Allegra when his own good friend goes missing and he suspects a connection to the vampire clan. As they fight to save their friends, they are drawn to one another and ultimately fall in love.

The setting and time period are quite interesting, and surprisingly perfect for characters like vampires and werewolves. The night clubs, the fashion, the gang wars,the societal restrictions all blend seamlessly with the paranormal world in which vampires and werewolves fight to keep the peace between their races, and to keep their existence hidden from humans.

The plot, while difficult to follow at times, is fairly engaging. There is a lot of action and mystery to be had along with the romance.

Allegra is a very interesting character. She embodies the defiant 20s flapper type, full of her own independence and sexuality, not afraid to break rules. Griffin is a fitting balance for her in an almost opposites-attract sensibility.

I had one really big issue with this book--length. Some of the content, while engaging, was unnecessary and could have easily been cut down to 300 pages. Krinard seemed to be concerned with fitting in as much detail as possible, and it simply was not needed-it can become tedious and hard to follow. There is a lot of filler, and it requires a great deal of patience on the part of the reader.

I would recommend this book to both paranormal and historical fans. 3.5 stars.

On Mates: A Review of Amber Eyes by Maya Banks

This is a bit different from what I usually read and review. Not only is it erotica, which I tend to avoid reviewing, but it's a ménage a trois story. It was a quick enjoyable read, but also surprisingly emotional, so I decided it was worth commenting on.

Kaya is a shape-shifter, and having been left behind by her family she's spent most of her life as a cougar in the wild. She's been watching Jericho and Hunter, two men who live in an isolated cabin, and they have been watching her. When she is hurt, she allows them to help her--and they discover that their wild cougar companion is in fact a beautiful woman. They both form an attachment to her, and are reluctant to leave her even when their work calls them away.

I liked that the plot was slow and mellow. It has a quiet, isolated feel that I found relaxing. It isn't an adventure story, and the paranormal element is uncomplicated and matter-of-fact. That simplicity really fit the story and set the tone.

While reading this story, I spent a great deal of time trying to figure out how the author intended to characterize each of her protagonists. Kaya comes across as a bit weak and helpless, but then you have to bare in mind that she hasn't had much human contact. Still, I feel like the author could have spent a little time establishing that Kaya does have some innate strength, and isn't totally dependent on her men to provide for her. Hunter is portrayed as the more closed off, emotionally isolated of the two men. Why that is is never fully explained. I can't really get a handle on Jericho's personality at all, other than that he's a bit more open than Hunter. Both men are, of course, insanely protective and intent on caring for Kaya. I think part of the problem at work here is page limitation. It's a short book, so there is only a limited amount of time to establish everyone's personality and allow them to develop.

My other "complaint" is the sunny, slightly sugar coated ending. Everyone is accepting of Kaya and her relationship with two men. Nobody comments or thinks it's odd. Everybody is just part of a big happy family. That's a bit unrealistic. But then, this book has shape-shifting so I guess I shouldn't demand realism.

All told, for a novella you can read in one day, this is worthwhile. It has steam, emotion, and a fairly satisfying happy ending. 3.5 stars.