Review: Lust for Life by Jeri Smith-Ready

Book Description

EVERYONE’S OUT FOR BLOOD—HERS Ciara’s con-artist parents taught her three keys to survival: keep low, keep quiet, and most of all, keep moving. But managing WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock ’n’ Roll—not to mention becoming a vampire herself—has kept her in one place long enough to fall madly in love, adopt an undead dog . . .

. . . and make more enemies than she can shake a stake at.

A psychotic DJ, a wanna-be necromancer, and a posse of vengeful hippies would all love to see Ciara get her day in the sun—literally. To protect Ciara, her fiancé, Shane, has traded his flannel shirt and guitar for a flak jacket and crossbow. If she survives to walk down the aisle, will she recognize the man waiting at the altar?

In this final chapter of the award-winning WVMP RADIO series, Ciara must decide who to trust, whom to love—and whom to kill.
(Description from Goodreads)

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy

Series: WVMP #4
Does the series need to be read in order? Yes. You should start the series with book 1, Wicked Game.

Quick Synopsis

Ciara has to deal with being a vampire, repercussions of her conflict with Jim (psycho DJ), and her obligations to Control all while planning a wedding.

Review

Liked
• I love the writing style. The author often manages to add humor without pulling you out of the story and the other emotions evoked by the scene.
• It's nice for an urban fantasy to deal with the downsides of being a vampire and not in an overly-brooding "woe is me" kind of way. I really loved Shane and Ciara's talk about what foods they missed the most.
• Shane and Ciara are a great leading couple. They balance each other out well, and you can tell that they have a genuine respect for another.
• Shane gets a little more alpha-male in this book and it's kinda hot.
• The supporting characters are wonderful. I especially enjoyed seeing more of Ciara and Monroe's interactions. Maybe someday there can be a story exploring Monroe's origins? *hint hint*
• The world-building is excellent. I especially like the variety and creativity of the different powers people possess. Ciara's power of non-belief is expanded in a lot of unique ways that I didn't expect. Also, Shane's power? Way cool!

Liked Less
• There was almost no buildup to the showdown with Jim's progeny. The potential attack was discussed and planned for but there was no real sense of urgency. Events do eventually pick up but I wanted more tension beforehand.
• I didn't want it to end! Lust for Life is a great ending to a series that I love. While I'm glad that the series won't get dragged out until it sucks, I'm greedy and I want more of the WVMP gang.

Rating

King of Swords
A very enjoyable read with a couple of minor issues. Recommended as are the other books in the series.

Disclosure: I purchased this book.

Amazon | B & N

Review: Lord's Fall by Thea Harrison

Book Description

In the latest Novel of the Elder Races, two mates find themselves on different paths, torn between their duty to the Wyr and the passion that binds them…

Before she met Dragos, half-human/half-Wyr Pia Giovanni was alone and on the run. Now she’s mated, pregnant and heading south to repair the Wyrs’ frayed relationship with the Elves. Being separated from Dragos is painful, but for the good of the Wyr demesne they need to figure out how to be partners—in more places than just the bedroom.

In New York to preside over the Sentinel Games, Dragos is worried about his mate, but knows that finding two replacement sentinels is essential to show the rest of the Elder Races just how strong and brutal the Wyr demesne can be. But as the Games heat up, Pia’s negotiations with the Elves take a turn for the dangerous, straining her bond with Dragos and threatening everything they hold dear…
(Description from Goodreads)

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Series: Elder Races #5
Does the series need to be read in order? No. I jumped right in without having read the previous books, but as with most series, I think you'll get a little extra if you've read the other installments.

Quick Synopsis

Pia and Dragos are separated for the first time since they've been together as a couple. The distance is hard on them but duty calls each of them. The couple soon reunites when an old force resurfaces and puts the Elves in terrible danger. Pia, Drago and the rest of the Wyr must work with the Elves before the peril spreads beyond their demesne.

Review

Liked
• The world-building is pretty solid. I enjoy the wide variety of magical beings - shapeshifters, vampires, elves - and the interactions between them. The relationships between the groups are not always easy and that gives it a nice realism. I also loved the larger mythology of the God Machines. It's an intriguing concept.
• Pia and Dragos definitely have a passionate relationship, but it's also a maturing one. At this stage they are learning to work together, trust one another's abilities and compromise. It's rare to see this stage of a relationship in romance or even a book with romantic elements. It's refreshing to watch a couple progress beyond the new love glow (and lust).
• Pia and Eva's relationship was fun.
• The plot was well-paced right up until the end (more on that below). Once the craziness got going in the Elven lands, I was completely sucked in.

Liked Less
• Nothing to do with the writing, but the print in this paperback was tiny. It made it a little difficult to read. Maybe I'm just getting old.
• Sometimes there were so many people involved in a scene that I lost track of who was who. The confusion didn't detract from the overall story arc, but it sometimes pulled me out of the story a bit until I figured out the significance of a particular character. It might be easier for someone who has read the previous books in the series.
• The disposal of the main villain was too easy. (Spoiler-avoiding vagueness follows.) There were explanations as to why that solution was not used earlier but I didn't buy it. Everything could have been settled a lot sooner and with less damage. Also, after all the buildup, the villain's easy defeat was kind of a letdown.

Rating

King of Swords
A very enjoyable read that I feel happy recommending to other readers. I will likely read the other books in the series.

Disclosure: I won this book in a contest. A positive review was not required nor was any compensation offered or received for a review.

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Review: The Warlock's Curse by M.K. Hobson

Book Description

THE YEAR IS 1910. Eighteen-year-old Will Edwards has landed a prestigious apprenticeship at Detroit’s Tesla Industries, the most advanced scientific research center in the United States. It’s a plum prize for a young man who dreams of a career in the new science of Otherwhere Engineering.

But his father doesn’t want him to go. And he won’t tell him why.

Determined to get there by any means necessary, Will finds unexpected support along the way. His old friend Jenny Hansen—daughter of a San Francisco timber baron—is eager to help him for reasons of her own. And so is his estranged brother Ben, who he hasn’t seen in over ten years.

But running away turns out to be the easy part. On the first full moon after his eighteenth birthday, Will is stricken by a powerful magic—a devastating curse laid upon his ancestors by the malevolent sangrimancer Aebedel Cowdray. Will must find a way to control the magic that possesses him—or the vengeful warlock’s spirit will destroy everything and everyone he loves.
(Description from Goodreads)

Genre: Fantasy, Steampunk, Family Saga

Series: Veneficas Americana #3
Does the series need to be read in order? It's complicated. Books 1 & 2 are a duology exploring the life of Will's parents. Although The Warlock's Curse is listed as number 3, it's the first in a duology focusing on the next generation generally and Will specifically. You can read The Warlock's Curse without having read the previous books (The Native Star and The Hidden Goddess) and you won't be missing anything major that would stop you from enjoying it. However, you would probably get a little more out of the book with the prior ones under your belt.

Quick Synopsis

Will and Jenny conspire to get him to his apprenticeship at Tesla Industries where Will's father is determined he should not go. Things seem to be coming up roses for the conspirators until family secrets catch Will in their dark grip.

Review

Liked
• The world-building is amazing. This is real American history with a very large twist. A couple of times I found myself wanting to research some of the events mentioned in the story to see if they were real or only in this alternate reality.
• The book does have a large steampunk component to it though the gadgets are by no means at the center of the story. I thought the devices were neat and well-integrated into the world.
• The magic system is unique, well-developed and consistent.
• Jenny and Will are great characters that I really connected with.
• Ms. Hobson doesn't pull any punches. Some of the events in this book are absolutely heartbreaking. At the same time that I'm sad for the characters, I also respect that the author is willing to follow her vision wherever it will go.
• I was really happy to see Emily and Dreadnought again. I love family sagas because you can experience the warm joy of old friends and the freshness and hope of new generations simultaneously.

Liked Less
• The book focused mostly on Will, and the readers get a decent picture of Jenny through his interactions with her. While I understand why the author made that choice, I still wish that we had seen more of Jenny outside her relationship with Will. Hopefully the next book will remedy that. She's wonderful and I want more!

Rating

Queen of Swords
Amazing! Why aren't you buying this book right now? I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Disclosure: I helped fund this book through Kickstarter because I loved the first two books in the series. A positive review was not required. My opinion is 100% my own.

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Review: Blade Song by J.C. Daniels

Book Description

Kit Colbana—half breed, assassin, thief, jack of all trades—has a new job: track down the missing ward of one of the local alpha shapeshifters. It should be a piece of cake.

So why is she so nervous? It probably has something to do with the insanity that happens when you deal with shifters—especially sexy ones who come bearing promises of easy jobs and easier money.

Or maybe it’s all the other missing kids that Kit discovers while working the case, or the way her gut keeps screaming she’s gotten in over her head. Or maybe it’s because if she fails—she’s dead.

If she can stay just one step ahead, she should be okay. Maybe she’ll even live long to collect her fee…

(Description from Goodreads)

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal Fantasy

Series: Colbana Files #1
Does the series need to be read in order? N/A, first in series

Quick Synopsis

Kit gets hired to find a missing kid and is stuck with Damon, a sexy shifter, for the duration of the project. She also has to deal with a vampire stalker named Jude.

Review

Liked
• Kit is a great character. She has a traumatic past and though she copes really well, she still experiences echoes of her abuse. She can never shove it completely down and just keep blithely going every time. Her trauma is given its due without taking over her life completely. The author keeps it nicely balanced.
• The world of the book has the typical vampires, shifters and witches. I found the paranormal races to be fairly typical for UF but I found the interactions between the races to be interesting.
• Kit is something different - aneira. Aneira are a paranormal race similar to Amazons but different enough to keep it fresh. I like the set of powers that Kit has and how accepting she is that she is weaker because she’s half-human. She works with what she has.
• Damon starts out as a total asshole. At first I was pretty annoyed with him (as Kit was), but then he grew on me. I think his finally starting to trust Kit made the difference to me.
• The Walgreens scene is comedy gold.

Liked Less
• There were a few typos in this book. The mistakes were not enough to throw me out of the story, but they definitely shouldn’t have been there.
• I really wish that more had been explained about Jude’s business venture (to explain more would spoil). Why did he set something like that up in the first place? I also thought that his business was very cliched and I was a little disappointed because of it.

Rating

King of Swords
A very enjoyable read that I feel happy recommending to other readers. I will likely read the next in the series.

Disclosure: I purchased this book.

Amazon | B & N

Audiobook Review: Riveted by Meljean Brook

Book Description

A century after a devastating volcanic eruption forced Iceland's inhabitants to abandon its shores, the island has become enshrouded in legend. But the truth behind the legends is mechanical, not magical—and the mystery of the island a matter of life and death for a community of women who once spilled noble blood to secure their freedom.

Five years ago, Annika unwittingly endangered that secret, but her sister Källa took the blame and was exiled. Now Annika serves on an airship, searching for her sister and longing to return home. But that home is threatened when scientific expedition leader David Kentewess comes aboard, looking to expose Annika's secrets. Then disaster strikes, leaving David and Annika stranded on a glacier and pursued by a madman, with their very survival depending on keeping the heat rising between them—and generating lots of steam . . .
(Description from Goodreads)

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, Steampunk

Series: Iron Seas #3
Does the series need to be read in order? No

Quick Synopsis

David and Annika meet and their relationship starts to bloom aboard the airship Annika works on. Then some crazy awesome action stuff happens (don't want to spoil) and Annika and David are in a fight for their lives. Along the way, there's plenty of airships, clockwork devices and other neat steampunk tech.

Review

Liked
• The world-building is amazing. You can tell that the author has the world completely sculpted in her head. Each place has its own feel and history and people. It's a cornucopia of stories to be told, and I want to read them all.
• There are plenty of steampunk devices - airships, clockwork dogs, nano-agents, mechanical prosthetic limbs, and much more. The technology is neatly integrated into the story so I never felt like it was a collection of "look at the cool things my brain invented."
• Annika and David are fascinating, layered characters. I loved getting to know them almost as much as they loved getting to know each other.
• There is no insta-lust. I don't always mind insta-lust but I very much appreciated the slow-developing romance between David and Annika. Many times I found myself grinning like a fool as things progressed so sweetly.
• The sexy scenes are hot and well-written. Ms. Brooks doesn't fall into any over-used phrases typical to romances (flat, male nipples anyone?). As with everything else, the sex is well-integrated into the plot.
• About 50% of the way through the book, shit gets real. I was already enjoying the story immensely, but then the action really got ratcheted up and I loved it even more.

Liked Less
• I wish we'd seen Annika's home. Maybe in another book in the series?

Audiobook Notes

• Clarity - 5/5 - Words and names were very easy to understand, even with differing accents.
• Differentiation Between Characters - 4/5 - It was fairly easy to tell the difference between characters speaking in conversations. There were a couple rare moments of confusion.
• Sound Levels - 5/5 - I never had to adjust the volume because the sound levels were too different i.e. suddenly too loud or too quiet.
• Overall Performance - 4.5/5 - Excellent voice acting.
• Audio Version Recommended? Yes

Rating

Queen of Swords
Amazing! Why aren't you buying this book right now?
I will be buying up this author's entire backlist.

Disclosure: I purchased this book.

Buy the audiobook at: Tantor | Amazon | B & N
**Currently the digital download is on sale at Tantor for only $6.99!**

Buy other editions at: Amazon | B & N

Review: Dying Bites by D.D. Barant

Book Description

Her job description is the “tracking and apprehension of mentally-fractured killers.” What this really means in FBI profiler Jace Valchek’s brave new world—one in which only one percent of the population is human—is that a woman’s work is never done. And real is getting stranger every day…

Jace has been ripped from her reality by David Cassius, the vampire head of the NSA. He knows that she’s the best there in the business, and David needs her help in solving a series of gruesome murders of vampires and werewolves. David’s world—one that also includes lycanthropes and golems—is one with little knowledge of mental illness. An insane serial killer is a threat the NSA has no experience with. But Jace does. Stranded in a reality where Bela Lugosi is a bigger box office draw than Bruce Willis and every full moon is Mardi Gras, Jace must now hunt down a fellow human before he brings the entire planet to the brink of madness. Or she may never see her own world again…

(Description from Goodreads)

Genre: Paranormal Fantasy

Series: Bloodhound Files #1

Review

Dying Bites has your standard urban fantasy helping of vampires and werewolves, but there's a unique twist. These creatures exist in a parallel universe where humans are in the minority. Jace Valchek is a (human) FBI profiler from our world who gets pulled into the alternate universe by their NSA. They need help tracking a human who's killing vampires and werewolves.

The alternate world that Jace is pulled into is pretty neat. It's a lot like our world but a step to the side. There are vampires and werewolves, and golems, the animated sand/clay of Jewish legend. I found the golems to be a refreshing addition because they're not seen often in stories. As mentioned previously, there are humans as well though considerably less of them than the other races. The history of this universe is explained to Jace (and the reader) as she acclimates to her new situation. I was really enjoying my tour of this world at Jace's shoulder until I thought about it a little more. That's when I noticed the logic problems.

As a reader of paranormal fantasy, I have no problems suspending disbelief to a point, but Dying Bites lacked the internal consistency that makes other urban fantasy worlds easier to swallow. The entire premise for bringing Jace to the other universe is flawed. Apparently, in that world, vampires and werewolves are immune to mental disorders so humans are the only ones who can be insane. I could buy this if vampires and werewolves were distinct races, but alternate universe humans can be turned into either one. So does the mind change so completely during the transformation that they're no longer like humans at all? I saw no evidence of that. In fact, the author seems to go to a lot of trouble to show that vampires and werewolves can be pretty "normal." So why is it that they can feel emotions and interact like humans but not be crazy? I don't get it. Not to mention, a werewolf does some weird stalkery things toward Jace but nobody thinks that's maybe a little nuts, especially Jace who's supposed to be an expert? And that's not the only sign of Jace's apparent lack of skill. It seemed to me like every conclusion that she drew was due more to detective work than to any special insight into the criminal mind. I was expecting decent psychiatric analysis, but instead I was told that the killer is insane. Well, duh. That's why you were brought to this world in the first place, Jace. This is not a character that I can respect.

Perhaps I would have like Jace more if I'd been able to understand why she acted the way she did. Unfortunately, this book is full of tell instead of show so I never really got a feel for her. For example, we're told that Jace likes Gretchen and that she's probably the closest to a friend that Jace has in this world, but there's no real evidence of that. The friendship isn't actually shown developing or existing. There are also several times where she notes that a man is attracted to her that left me scratching my head. Once again, there are no signs of this attraction other than Jace just telling us it's there. She doesn't even really elaborate on her own feelings/attractions. This disconnect leads to many of Jace's conclusions looking like stunning leaps of non-logic.

Overall, I liked the idea of an alternate universe with supernatural creatures but the logic holes and the distant heroine left me wanting.

Rating

Page of Swords

Has some good points that are unfortunately overwhelmed by bad points/flaws.
I will not be continuing with the series.

Disclosure: I purchased this book.

Amazon | B & N