Review: Curse the Dawn

 

Product Description

Cassie Palmer may be the world’s chief clairvoyant, but that doesn’t mean people have stopped trying to kill her. And now, the self-styled god Apollo, the source of Cassie’s power, is on the warpath—leaving her no choice but to face down her creator once and for all.

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Review:
 
WOW!  What a wild ride!  This book, like all the others in the series, chains action scenes, chases, magic fights and a few sensual scenes together into a delightful read.  It had many laugh-out-loud moments, usually followed by “oh wow, that did NOT just happen!” moments.
 
Pritkin really shines in this book.  The chemistry between Cassie and him sizzles. Pritkin seems to be Cassie’s only true ally as she tries to learn how to do her job.  He doesn’t coddle her, he tells her the truth and doesn’t manipulate her into doing what he wants.  I sincerely hope Karen Chance pairs them romantically because if she doesn’t she’s going to need to do some work on Mircea because he seems a bit flat; yeah, he’s hot and seductive, but he seems to want to keep Cassie as a pet, which prevents her from doing her job as Pythia not to mention stifles her personally.
 
Ms. Chance introduces us to a few new fun characters, one of whom is a drag queen lounge singer who steals the scenes she is in.   Character development for primary characters is steady but the story is primarily action-based.  A fun read, whole-heartedly recommended.  The only problem is we have to wait for the next installment (due in the summer of 2011).  The series is best read in order: Touch the Dark, Claimed by Shadow, Embrace the Night and Curse the Dawn.
 
Sensuality: kissing, several sensual scenes, one sex scene
 
Rating: 5 stars

Review: Sookie Stackhouse Series

Dead Until Dark

Product Description

Sookie Stackhouse is just a small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. Until the vampire of her dreams walks into her life-and one of her coworkers checks out....
Maybe having a vampire for a boyfriend isn't such a bright idea.

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Living Dead in Dallas

Product Description

When a vampire asks Sookie Stackhouse to use her telepathic skills to find another missing vampire, she agrees under one condition: the bloodsuckers must promise to let the humans go unharmed.

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Club Dead

Product Description
Sookie's boyfriend has been very distant-in another state, distant. Now she's off to Mississippi to mingle with the underworld at Club Dead-a little haunt where the vampire elite go to chill out. But when she finally finds Bill-caught in an act of betrayal-she's not sure whether to save him...or sharpen some stakes.

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Dead to the World

Product Description
When cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse sees a naked man on the side of the road, she doesn't just drive on by. Turns out the poor thing hasn't a clue who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric the vampire--but now he's a kinder, gentler Eric. And a scared Eric, because whoever took his memory now wants his life.

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Dead as a Doornail

Product Description
Small-town cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse has had more than her share of experience with the supernatural—but now it’s really hitting close to home. When Sookie sees her brother Jason’s eyes start to change, she knows he’s about to turn into a were-panther for the first time—a transformation he embraces more readily than most shapeshifters she knows. But her concern becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population, and Jason’s new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter. Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who’s behind the attacks—unless the killer decides to find her first…

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Definitely Dead

Product Description
Sixth in the Anthony Award-winning Southern Vampire series. Spiked with a frothy fusion of romance, mystery, and fantasy, this bestselling series sends the supernaturally gifted cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse to New Orleans, where she has to deal with the legacy of one of her own family and a host of potentially dangerous characters.

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All Together Dead

Product Description
Betrayed by her longtime vampire love, Louisiana cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse must now not only deal with a possible new man in her life-the oh-so-handsome shapeshifter Quinn-but also contend with a long-planned vampire summit. With her power base weakened by hurricane damage to New Orleans, the local vampire queen is vulnerable to those hungry for a takeover. Soon, Sookie must decide what side she'll stand with. And her choice may mean the difference between survival and all-out catastrophe.

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From Dead to Worse

Product Description
After the natural disaster of Hurricane Katrina, and the manmade horror of the explosion at the vampire summit, Sookie Stackhouse is safe but dazed, yearning for things to get back to normal. But her boyfriend Quinn is among the missing. And things are changing, whether the weres and vamps in her corner of Louisiana like it or not. In the ensuing battles, Sookie faces danger, death…and once more, betrayal by someone she loves. And when the fur has finished flying and the cold blood ceases flowing, her world will be forever altered.

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Dead and Gone

Product Description
Now an HBO original series, True Blood-the New York Times bestselling Sookie Stackhouse series continues. Except for Sookie Stackhouse, folks in Bon Temps, Louisiana, know little about vamps-and nothing about weres. Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to reveal their existence to the ordinary world. At first all goes well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found near the bar where Sookie works-and she feels compelled to discover who, human or otherwise, did it. But there's a far greater danger threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings-older, more powerful, and more secretive than vampires or werewolves-is preparing for war. And Sookie finds herself an all-too human pawn in their battle.

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Dead in the Family

Product Description
The #1 New York Times bestselling Sookie Stackhouse series- the basis for HBO(r)'s True Blood-continues! After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Faery War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she's angry. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he's under scrutiny by the new Vampire King because of their relationship. And as the political implications of the Shifters coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie's connection to the Shreveport pack draws her into the debate. Worst of all, though the door to Faery has been closed, there are still some Fae on the human side-and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry...

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Series Review:

Sookie Stackhouse is one of my very favorite characters out of all the books I’ve read in the past few years.  She is one tough cookie, as she has learned to be growing up a telepath (I REALLY don’t want to know what people are thinking!).  She’s strong emotionally, thinks fast on her feet (she flashes a bad vampire before she knees him in the groin to get away in one of the books), she is one of the most “normal” heroines (despite the whole telepathy thing), she’s funny, loyal, determined to do the right thing (Miss Manners doesn’t always have the answer for the problems she deals with regularly though to her chagrin) and be a good person in this crazy world. 

The  world and the characters are all exceptionally well-thought out.  Bubba is an excellent addition to the Sookie world, one of my favorites.   Dead to the World is my favorite in the series, but  From Dead to Worse and Dead and Gone are also excellent installments to the series. 

If you like series with “real” heroines you will probably love this series as much as I do.  I wouldn’t recommend for young teens to read the series as some of the sex scenes would  be too much for them, but they are well-done, not overly graphic and they blend in well with the story.   Another reason this series would not be appropriate for younger teens is it deals with some other adult themes.  There’s a lot of violence throughout, torture in one book, supernatural politics and more.  For older teens and adults however, the stories are rich and entertaining, deeply moving at times, and linger in your memories as you await the next Sookie adventure.

Sensuality:  sex scenes in most books, not overly graphic

Rating: 5 stars

Review: Night Huntress Series

Halfway to the Grave

Product Description

Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership.
In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

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One Foot in the Grave

Product Description

You can run from the grave, but you can't hide . . .
Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She's still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.
Being around him awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline kick of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head—wanted: dead or half-alive—means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard she tries to keep things professional between them, she'll find that desire lasts forever . . . and that Bones won't let her get away again.

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At Grave’s End

Product Description

Some things won't stay buried . . . at grave's end

It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield's life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she's successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat's worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover's finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.
As if that wasn't enough, a woman from Bones' past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat's about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she's learned as a special agent won't help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself—and Bones—from a fate worse than the grave.

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Destined for an Early Grave

Product Description

Her deadly dreams leave her in grave danger
Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they've fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it's time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed when Cat awakes one night in terror. She's having visions of a vampire named Gregor who's more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn't know about.
Gregor believes Cat is his and he won't stop until he has her. As the battle begins between the vamp who haunts her nightmares and the one who holds her heart, only Cat can break Gregor's hold over her. She'll need all the power she can summon in order to bring down the baddest bloodsucker she's ever faced . . . even if getting that power will result in an early grave.

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Series Review:
Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost is on my must-read list.  Ms. Frost creates a rich world with well-developed characters; Cat and Bones make a great team.  At first, she’s a bit whiny but she grows up fast.   The training sessions in the first book are really good as are the fight scenes throughout.
 
If you like series with a strong female main character, an interesting (and hot) hero, lots of  action, great dialogue, and a couple that works together more often than not, you will probably enjoy this series as much as I did.  Make sure you have the next book in the series as soon as you finish each one so you can start right away on the next adventure!
 
Sensuality: many sex scenes in the series, most graphic
 
Rating: 5 stars

Book Review: Kate Daniels Magic series

Magic Bites

Product Description

Mercenary Kate Daniels cleans up urban problems of a paranormal kind. But her latest prey, a pack of undead warriors, presents her greatest challenge.

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Magic Burns
 

Product Description

As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels knows how waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta's paramilitary clan of shape shifters, she quickly realizes much more is at stake. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug of war between two gods hoping for rebirth, and if Kate can't stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive.

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Magic Strikes
 

Product Description

Drafted into working for the Order of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems than she knows what to do with. And in Atlanta, where magic comes and goes like the tide, that’s saying a lot.
But when Kate’s werewolf friend Derek is discovered nearly dead, she must confront her greatest challenge yet.

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Magic Bleeds
 

Product Description

Kate Daniels cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to deal with-especially if they involve Atlanta's shapeshifting community.
And now there's a new player in town-a foe that may be too much for even Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family.

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Series Review:
 
This is an outstanding series by Ilona Andrews, a husband-wife writing team.  The world-building is incredible.  Set in 2040ish, the world has changed substantially from how we know it.  Tech (electric-based items) and magic take turns working and you have to be prepared for either.   The authors take vampires in a different direction too; they are not the sexy creatures often portrayed today.
 
Kate Daniels, the heroine, is tough physically and mentally; she constantly strives to be a better warrior and magic user.   She’s a loner, afraid to get close to others because of a secret she carries.  The secondary characters are well-developed; as the series progresses, she grows  and learns to accept others in her life, that she can’t do what she needs to do all alone.
 
I saw several lists recommending this series and had it on my to-read list for at least a year before I actually started reading it and kick myself now for waiting!  It’s one of the very best series I’ve read.  Action, humor, solid world and character building all are very strong throughout the series.  Tough, strong heroine with some weaknesses, a little bit of romance, but not a lot.  This definitely falls in the urban fantasy not romance category.  My husband thoroughly enjoyed the series and I would probably let my 14 year old daughter read it.
 
Sensuality:  very small amount, no sex until the 4th book.
 
Rating: 5 stars