Book Review: Kitty Goes to War

Product Description: From Booklist

In the eighth installment of the Kitty Norville series, Kitty, the alpha werewolf of the Denver pack and host of a radio talk show that examines lives and problems of paranormal people, is summoned to an army base to help with a werewolf problem. The werewolves in question were part of a secret project that infected soldiers with lycanthropy to make them more effective in the war in Afghanistan, but when their alpha was blown to bits the squad imploded. The three remaining members, who have a murderous lack of self control, are facing extermination unless Kitty can teach them the ways of civilized werewolves, while dealing with her own problems revolving around a libel suit and possible wizard. Kitty is an empathetic character and smart as can be in this fast-moving urban fantasy. --Diana Tixier Herald
 

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Review:
Given the excellence of Kitty’s House of Horrors, I expected quite a lot more from this one.  It was interesting enough to keep me reading but I wasn’t gripped like I was with the last one.  Ms. Vaughn had an interesting take on werewolves in the military but the resolution of the difference in Cormac was lame.  It’s a solid entry in the Kitty Norville series, but probably best read as a transition book as Book 9, Kitty's Big Trouble (Kitty Norville, Book 9) , looks really packed.  It actually looks like what I was expecting for this one given the name and the hints at war coming in Kitty’s House of Horrors.
Sensuality: a few fade to black sex scenes and some kissing.
 
Rating: 3 stars

Book Review: Magic to the Bone

Product Description

Devon monk is casting a spell on the fantasy world...
Using magic means it uses you back, and every spell exacts a price from its user. But some people get out of it by Offloading the cost of magic onto an innocent. Then it’s Allison Beckstrom’s job to identify the spell-caster. Allie would rather live a hand-to-mouth existence than accept the family fortune—and the strings that come with it. But when she finds a boy dying from a magical Offload that has her father’s signature all over it, Allie is thrown back into his world of black magic. And the forces she calls on in her quest for the truth will make her capable of things that some will do anything to control...

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Review:
I wanted to love this book, it sounded very promising.  I enjoy books where the characters have to train to use their abilities, they don’t just automatically arrive and the main character knows immediately exactly how to use the ability, I enjoy stories where there is a cost to using the ability, even if it’s only fatigue.  We have that here in spades.   Not only does Allie get fatigued, she pays a physical price for the magic she uses: headache, flu, nausea, bruising and sometimes she pays a double price: memory loss, sometimes large chunks.
 
The book was well-written, the theme is a nice mystery, it’s tense in the appropriate spots, I just wasn’t that interested in what happened to Allie and friends.  I’ve heard the next few books in the series are much much better now that the author has laid the groundwork in this book.  That’s the main reason I gave it 3 stars instead of 2.  It’s the first book in the series and often there’s a lot of world-building stuff that the author needs to do.  I will probably read more books in the Allie Beckstrom series but there are so many more books that are calling to me: “read me, read me!” that it will probably be a while before I actually get around to it.  Overall, I do recommend the book.  It probably won’t rock your world or anything but it’s a great alternative to sitting and staring at a wall! 
 
Sensuality: a few sex scenes
Rating: 3 stars

Book Review: Lord Langley is Back In Town

Product Description

Lord Langley and Minerva, Lady Standon, began their faux engagement with three simple rules set down by the baron's all-too-proper (and utterly unlikely) bride-to-be.
1. No more kissing. The intoxicating kiss Langley stole from her lips still has Minerva aflutter.
2. She will not share his bed. (For if his kiss is that tempting, Minerva doesn't dare imagine what a night in Langley's embrace will do to her already addled senses.)
3. No scandals during their engagement. With the infamous Langley back in Town, there is no lack of trouble he can bring to Minerva's unblemished reputation.
Oh, the wily Lord Langley will keep his word—but that doesn't mean he won't use every rakish trick he knows to get Minerva to break her own proper rules, especially once he realizes that this convenient arrangement has led him to the only woman he's ever loved . . .
 
Review:
Set in Regency England, I knew I would enjoy the book from the first page.  The author included a cast of characters, which included “the nannies.”   The story was a bit improbable but it was well-written with good character development as well as steady action.  The characters came to trust one another in a fairly believable manner, not immediate and not strung out forever.  The heroine was practical and smart, had a lot of spitfire buried under her  prim façade and didn’t have a lot of TSTL moments like so many heroines do.
 
Lord Langley is a man accused of treason and comes back to London to clear his name.  He finds his twin daughters’ former “nannies” (his mistresses) have moved into the house he’s hiding in, the indomitable Minerva, who has a huge secret of her own.  What ensues is a lot of craziness with the nannies, various relatives, intrigue and of course, a romance.  I recommend this book for a summer afternoon read.  It’s light with just enough action and romance.
 
Sensuality: a few sex scenes
Rating: 3 stars

Book Review: One Magic Moment

Product Description

Medieval studies scholar Tess Alexander is thrilled for the chance to live in a medieval castle. But then a trip to the village brings her face-to-face with the owner of the local garage, who looks a great deal like the man who married her sister...800 years in the past. She's determined to remain objective about magic and destiny, but she can't help wondering about that mysterious, sword-wielding mechanic.
 

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Review:
Lynn Kurland can still craft a heartwarming time travel romance, however, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as I enjoyed many of her other stories.  The characters seemed a bit too “bolt-y” for my taste, the heroine a bit too emotionally fragile and the hero too secretive.  The lack of communication was problematic in the beginning (on both sides). 
 
John de Piaget has many characteristics of the trademark LK heroes: handsome, protective, wields a mean sword, curses in many different languages and grumbles but he doesn’t have that loveable arrogance so many of them have.  It was a satisfying addition to her paranormal world but it felt a little bit long, although I’ll readily admit I wanted to finish it quickly so I could read another book that was on my list.  It was nice to see several characters from past books and it made me want to re-read Kendrick’s story, Stardust of Yesterday (Haunting Hearts Series)which has to be my all-time favorite Lynn Kurland book, closely followed by This is all I ask, which I previously reviewed.  This would be a fantastic beach read or a lazy Saturday afternoon read.
 
Sensuality: kissing and references to sex
Rating: 3 stars

Mini Reviews Part 3

Yes I have more I want to squeeze in!  Told you I’d been reading a LOT!

Tangled Threads by Jennifer Estep

Book 4 in the Elemental Assassin series begins a few weeks after the showdown at the giant’s house, where Gin Blanco declares war on Mab Monroe.   She now has another problem: Mab has hired an assassin to assassinate HER!  And it’s Christmas!  What a Scrooge Mab is!  What follows is a dark novel  with some bright rays of family and friendship.  The scenes with the assassin, LaFleur, are really well-done.  I LOVE how Gin taunts her!  I’ve been rooting for her to tell Bria who she was.  We also see more of Owen, much to my delight.  They are really so good for each other.  Of course there are the loyal, trustworthy dwarves and Finn drinking his chicory coffee.  If you haven’t read the first 3, don’t bother with this one, there’s too much history, even though the author does a bit of summarizing for us.  However, if you have read the first three Elemental Assassin books, this one is not to be missed.  My one complaint about the series is Jo-Jo has told Gin repeatedly she’s the strongest elemental she’s ever seen and Gin doesn’t use her magic much at all.  I’d like to see her practice with it more, just in case she ever loses her silverstone knives

Sensuality: a few sex scenes
Rating: 5 stars

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Iron Crowned by Richelle Mead

Iron Crowned is the third book in the Dark Swan series about Eugenie Markham, a shaman in the human world and a fairy queen in the Otherworld.  We see more of Dorian and Kiyo and a surprising about of Jasmine, her sister.  I have mixed feelings about this book.  The story was well-told, but I was soooo frustrated with Eugenie.  She made so many poor personal decisions.  I realize it was all on purpose and that the author has a fantastic grand design to all this, but it was rough reading it; I had to get up and walk away from the book a few times toward the end (kind of like Joey putting the book in the freezer).  I was really upset with Dorian and Kiyo in this book, they both had their own agendas  and I think Eugenie needs  an all together new man, leave these guys alone.  The ending was great but it also had some ambiguous parts, leaving the next installment wide open; the author could go in any number of directions with the series.  I do look forward to reading the next book.  If you haven’t read the first two books, you should do so before you read this one as it will make a lot more sense.

Sensuality: a few sex scenes
Rating: 3 stars

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Vampire Journals series by Morgan Rice

These are mostly novellas with Destined being a bit longer.  I’m not going to review these individually, although I will put in individual links to amazon for them.
These appear to be self-published and I had some real problems with the writing.  I appreciate how difficult it must be to edit your own writing, but the author should spend some more time on it or have someone with fresh eyes read it. 

This is a young adult series, written from the perspective of a teenage girl and I read it as such but it was dizzying how quickly someone turned from an evil person to best friend, possible boyfriend to forgotten in the face of a new guy.  The timeline was seriously messed up as far as personal history of characters.  My other major complaint about the novellas is that the author merely states something and it is so.  Girl sees boy, falls in love, done deal, no real description about why or how.  The bad guy is evil to the extreme, no nuancing or redeeming qualities, more of a caricature of evil.  Also, the author spent very little time doing world-building.  How does vampirism work in this series?  Does one bite kill or can vamps sip from willing donors?  It reminded me a bit of Twilight in parts (although no sparkles!). 

The story is pretty decent;  I enjoyed the action scenes, the vamps have some interesting abilities and the coven mentality was well-done.  The quest that threads through all of them is a really good one; it involves time travel and saving the world.  I will continue reading the series and recommend with reservations.  They read quickly and are inexpensive but the writing and editing need help. 

Sensuality : very little
Rating: 2 stars

Turned




















Loved




















Betrayed




















Destined

Mini-Reviews part II

As I mentioned in the previous post, I’ve been reading a lot.  I thought I would split the post to be easier to read through.  So refresh that beverage of choice and settle down to read about some more books you might want to add to your to-read list.

Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

The husband-wife writing team that is Ilona Andrews knocks one out of the ballpark again.   Magic Slays is a solid entry into the Kate Daniels Magic series.  I loved how Curran and Kate grew together even more.  There’s a new enemy in town and this group is baaaaaad.  Her best friend, Andrea, comes back to town and they join forces to solve the first case of her new magical detective agency.

Kate is just as brash, cranky and loyal as ever.  She really has grown more mature over the course of the series as she makes friends and adds more responsibilities to her life.   We learn a bit more about Kate’s family, her mother this time and it was a shocker.  This series is a must-read for any lover of urban fantasy, man or woman (not a lot of that mushy stuff and a lot of action).
Sensuality: I only remember one sex scene
Rating: 5 stars

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Lover Unleashed by J.R.Ward

The ninth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series picks up right where Lover Mine ends, with Payne brought to the compound and V in shock he has a sister.

Jane know she can’t handle the injury on her own but knows her former co-worker, Manny, can certainly handle it.  I enjoyed this installment, although it’s generous to call it Payne and Manny’s story when V seems to have more page time.  It does however feel like there’s some completion there.  If you read BDB, you will definitely want to pick this one up.  It felt like a transition book, getting ready for a new batch of Brothers as we meet several new males so JR Ward can continue this spicy series.
Sensuality: several sex scenes
Rating: 3 stars

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Vampire Mine by Kerrelyn Sparks

Vampire Mine is grumpy Connor’s story.  Of course we always knew his grumpiness his a soft heart.  In true Love at Stake fashion, Ms. Sparks weaves a funny, heartwarming story that leaves you with a goofy smile on your face.  This time around, the girl is an angel, fallen from grace.  When I read that, I thought “hmmm how will that work?”  It ended up being a decent story, definitely worth reading, but maybe not one I’ll re-read.  Gregori’s story is next, out in September.  Looking forward to that!

Sensuality: a few sex scenes
Rating: 3 stars

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Looking Glass Trilogy Books 1 and 2 by Jayne Ann Krentz and Amanda Quick

OK, I’ll admit it, Amanda Quick is one of my guilty pleasure reads.  I’ve read most of the books she’s written as Amanda Quick and many by her other pseudonyms.  Amanda Quick is Regency and Victorian England, set in the ton or on the fringes of ton society, usually involving a murder mystery and/or involving some type of magic (Arcane Society).  The heroines are usually vocal and smart, which I enjoy quite a lot. 

Jayne Ann Krentz is set in modern day and Jayne Castle is future, but often related in some way to the others.  The Looking Glass Trilogy follows an arcane item through all three time periods (and authors).  I read Quicksilver first (book 2) and then In Too Deep (book 1) and was able to follow easily, maybe because book 2 was set before book 1.  Anyway, each book easily stands alone.  I am looking forward to reading book 3, Canyons of Night due out August 30, 2011.

In Too Deep by Jayne Ann Krentz

This is the Story of Fallon Jones and Isabella Valdez.   There seems to be a lot of backstory for Fallon and the J&J detective agency but JAK does a neat job summarizing any necessary plot points as they come up.  Fallon and Isabella make a really good team as each of their psychic abilities complement the others as do their personalities.  Fallon and the small town he lives in provide a perfect hiding place for her as she is on the run from her former boss.  They investigate several mysteries which are separate but linked in some way, making for an interesting and satisfying read. 

Sensuality: a few sex scenes
Rating: 3 stars

Quicksilver by Amanda Quick

This is the story of Virginia Dean and Owen Sweetwater.  Virginia is a genuine talent, able to read glass, or rather the images that are psychically burned into the glass at the time of a person’s death.  Needless to say, many people think she’s a fraud.  Owen Sweetwater, a psychic investigator, has closely observed her and knows she’s telling the truth about her ability and he needs her help on a case he’s working.  Adventure, romance and laughs abound in the book.  I especially giggled at references to medical treatment for female hysteria, which Virginia Dean and her friend, Charlotte have been researching.  This book is definitely worth reading if you enjoy historical romantic fiction with a touch of the paranormal.

Sensuality:  a few sex scenes
Rating: 4 stars

Books I’ve read recently (mini-reviews)

I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately and not much reviewing.  I know, I know, I’m slacking even more than usual.  My to-read list keeps getting longer and longer!  Some of the following books have been on my can’t-wait-to-read list for a year and some of them are starts to new series by authors I have not heard of or have heard of and simply have not read yet.  Some of them are young adult and some adult, some mystery, some urban fantasy, some light, some dark, but all worth reading.  So sit back and enjoy a beverage while I tell  you about some books you should add to your to-read list!

50 Ways to Hex Your Lover by Linda Wisdom
Entertaining read about a feisty witch with anger problems and her vampire lover.  Throw in a ghost who smokes, a client who smells so bad the  main character has to throw away her clothes and some fuzzy attack bunny slippers and you have a recipe for a a wild ride of a story.  You should probably consider having the next in the series ready to start when you finish this one.
Rating: 3 stars
Sensuality: some brief semi-graphic sex scenes



Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

This is a dark urban fantasy set in San Francisco, about a half-fae, half-human named October Daye, who tries to pass as human.  The world-building is rich, and well-done, but Toby didn’t really grab me as a heroine.  I get that the author was probably going for an everyday heroine and I whole-heartedly approve of that, it’s a nice change of pace from the super-warrior heroines usually found in urban fantasy but she just seemed too weak.  She also made some really dumb personal decisions that had me shaking my head at her.  I will probably read more in the series but they aren’t on my immediate read list.  It’s a clean book, lots of fairy politics, a good murder mystery and angst.  I loved the setting: it made me want to visit San Francisco even more than I already do!
Rating 3 stars
Sensuality: mentions a few kisses that happened in the past.  No sex.


City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Book 4 in the Mortal Instruments Series for young adults, this continues the adventures of Clary, Jace, Simon, Isabelle and Maia with brief scenes with Magnus and Alec.  I enjoyed this book, no spoilers, but I will say I was screaming in my head at the author for how she ended this book.  This was pretty heavy on teen angst and internal drama but was an enjoyable read.  If you liked the first 3 books in the series, you won’t want to miss the fourth.  Also, if you like the author’s style, you might consider reading a related series, the first of which is out now (the second will be out in December I believe), The Infernal Devices.  I can’t wait until Book 5 comes out!
Rating: 4 stars
Sensuality: a few make-out sessions

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong

This book is the first in a trilogy for young adults.  The main character goes to a very exclusive (and small!) private school.  The author introduces us to Maya, her family and friends and introduces some mysterious occurrences.  The book doesn’t go much further than that and sets up the second one, which comes out who-knows-when, to be full of action and mystery with a splash of romance thrown in.  I would probably wait to read this one until  the next one comes out, but it was an enjoyable read.

Rating 4 stars
Sensuality: main character is drugged at a party and makes out with a boy but no sex

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Sookie, where do I start?  Life certainly has gotten complicated for our favorite telepath from Bon Temps!  Her cousin and uncle live with her, she has a telepath cousin that she tries to mentor a bit, work responsibilities, someone who repeatedly tries to kill her, the blood bond with Eric (mmmm Eric) and friendship with Pam and various other supernatural beings.  It will certainly keep a girl busy!

Book 11 in the series begins with a Molotov cocktail thrown into Merlotte’s and the action continues with very little downtime.  We have some surprises in store for us, some are nice some not so nice.  Ms. Harris wraps up some story lines, answers some long-standing questions and appears to be gearing up for a fantastic end to the Sookie series.  Rumor has it there are two more books to come (2 more years to know how it ends waaaaaaah).  I am eagerly awaiting book 12 which will probably be out in May 2012.

Rating: 4 stars
Sensuality: I remember one sex scene, not very long.

Review: Double Cross (The Disillusionists Book 2)

Product Description

SOME SECRETS COME BACK TO HAUNT. OTHERS COME TO KILL.

Justine Jones lived her life as a fearful hypochondriac until she was lured into the web of a mysterious mastermind named Packard, who gifts her with extraordinary mental powers—dooming her to fight Midcity’s shadowy war on paranormal crime in order to find the peace she so desperately craves.

But now serial killers with unheard-of skills are terrorizing the most powerful beings in Midcity, including mastermind Packard and his oldest friend and worst enemy, Midcity’s new mayor, who has the ability to bend matter itself to his will. 

As the body count grows, Justine faces a crisis of conscience as she tests the limits of her new powers and faces an impossible choice between two flawed but brilliant men—one on a journey of redemption, the other descending into a pit of moral depravity.

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Review:
It must be said:  I seriously wanted to hurt the author at the end of this book for leaving me hanging like that!   However, I will admit the wisdom of the way it ended (to make you come back for the final installment of the trilogy!).   That said, on with the review!
 
Double Cross continues the fascinating world of ordinary people “zinging” their neuroses into other people.  Do not even think about reading this book if you haven’t read the first in the trilogy, Mind Games; there’s too much back story and you will be completely lost.
 
Justine’s main case in Double Cross is disillusioning Ez, a dream invader, who may or may not be guilty of causing people to be sleepwalking cannibals.   She also assists other disillusionists in investigating some highcap murders.  We meet a few new characters and previous characters show nice development.  
 
This book showed definite improvement over the first Disillusionist book, although the writing was still choppy and vague in places.  At times, I could tell a scene was supposed to be particularly horrifying but it felt glossed over, lacking urgency.  The same thing happened with a few other scenes, not the horrifying part, but a pivotal scene evoked the same emotions as a regular scene.  For example, several times, I was reading along and regular stuff regular stuff regular stuff (no spoilers here!) and then boom!  Major Information and I said to  myself “what?!” (reread, oh wow, that was sudden!)   A time or two and it makes for a super-fun surprising read, but it was distracting here.  I enjoyed Double Cross, indeed, I eagerly anticipate reading the final installment of the trilogy, just had to share that quibble.  
 
Sensuality:  a few brief sex scenes
 
Rating: 3.5 stars

Review: Mind Games (The Disillusionists Trilogy: Book 1)

 

Product Description

JUSTINE KNOWS SHE’S GOING TO DIE. ANY SECOND NOW.

Justine Jones has a secret. A hardcore hypochondriac, she’s convinced a blood vessel is about to burst in her brain. Then, out of the blue, a startlingly handsome man named Packard peers into Justine’s soul and invites her to join his private crime-fighting team. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime deal. With a little of Packard’s hands-on training, Justine can weaponize her neurosis, turning it outward on Midcity’s worst criminals, and finally get the freedom from fear she’s always craved. End of problem.
Or is it? In Midcity, a dashing police chief is fighting a unique breed of outlaw with more than human powers. And while Justine’s first missions, including one against a nymphomaniac husband-killer, are thrilling successes, there is more to Packard than meets the eye. Soon, while battling her attraction to two very different men, Justine is plunging deeper into a world of wizardry, eroticism, and cosmic secrets. With Packard’s help, Justine has freed herself from her madness—only to discover a reality more frightening than anyone’s worst fears.

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Review:
Mind Games delves into the fears of Justine, a hypochondriac who yearns for a normal life.  Packard offers to help rid her of the fear that threatens to consume her.   It’s an unusual premise and the author satisfies with an amusing read. 

I enjoyed the story, but felt like the execution was a bit off; clunky sentence structure, flat descriptions, slightly shallow characterizations and an easily  manipulated heroine.  Some of it just felt forced, not a natural flow of events and character development.  That said, I did laugh out loud several times at some of the dialogue and situations in which Justine found herself.

I’d recommend this as a decent read even with the problems previously mentioned.  It’s a fun read with great promise.  I plan on reading all three and have the second ready to go.

Sensuality: several fade to black sex scenes and a few mild sex scenes, not overly descriptive.

Rating: 3 stars

Review: Claimed by Shadow

Book Description:

A recent legacy made Cassandra Palmer heir to the title of Pythia, the world's chief clairvoyant. It's a position that usually comes with years of training, but Cassie's circumstances are a little...unusual.  Now she's stuck with a whopping amount of power that every vamp, fey, and mage in town wants to either monopolize or eradicate-and that she herself doesn't dare use.



What's more, she's just discovered that a certain arrogant master vampire has a geis on her-a  magical claim that warns off any would-be suitors, and might also explain the rather ... intense attraction between them. But Cassie's had it with being jerked around, and anyone who tries it from now on is going to find out that she makes a very bad enemy...

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Review:

Claimed by Shadow begins shortly after Touch the Dark ends.  Only a few pages go by before there’s a crazy war-mage barreling toward her.  We meet some new characters, including the Graeae, an ancient trio who bring giggles as well as some “oh my goodness, I can’t believe they just did that!” moments.  Mac, a former war-mage,  is also a great new character we meet in Claimed by Shadow.   Several other secondary characters from the first book make appearances as well.

Now that Cassie is Pythia, she is taken back in time several times to the late 1880s to protect the timeline because Myra is back, making trouble for Cassie.   As far as villains go, she’s pretty devious, but more than that, she’s just REALLY obnoxious.   Cassie  finds out  Mircea placed a geis on her when she was a child to protect her from Tony.   It does protect her as she grows up, but it also has a surprising effect once she becomes Pythia and meets Mircea in the past. 

We don’t see Mircea very much in this book as Cassie tries to avoid him so he doesn’t gain control of her in her new role through the geis.   We see more of Pritkin in this book than in the last and he develops from hating Cassie, mistrusting her every move to helping her when she goes to Faerie to track Myra and Tony.  

Cassie develops a bit in this book amid all the crises she faces, becoming a woman determined to not hide from her new responsibilities as Pythia.  She may not be the smartest, fastest, most intimidating heroine ever created, but she has heart, tenaciousness and spunk.   It seems at times the book is not going places, but there is development in the story as well as in several characters and it lays the foundation for the next one.  Make sure you have the next book in the series handy.

Sensuality: several lusty thoughts, some kissing, one sex scene,  and a scene in Faerie that’s disturbing.

Rating: 3.5 stars