by: Shana Abe

Number of pages: 335

This rich story, although not the first of a series, is an amazing gem.

Told partly in fairy tale, and in the tale’s period of mid-1700’s Europe, the fantasy revolves around the legend of the Drakon.

These lost people have legendary powers, but have hidden from the world due to the greed and ambition of man. Amalia Langford is the daughter of a Drakon alpha, and she can hear the future. The foil to her power, Zane, is a master thief who knows about the Drakon secrets, and how to destroy them. An unlikely pair, fate has conspired to pull them together to find a mystical blue diamond with the power to enslave Lia’s people.

The building story, along with the pair’s obvious growing infatuation, contrasts with the genuine hopelessness of the situation. Lia doesn’t know if the man she’s fallen for is going to enslave her and use her to destroy, or if he truly loves her. As the story is revealed, the reader roots for the seemingly impossible happy ending.

Delicately written and wonderful, this is a story not to be missed. I loved it.

Overall book rating: 9

by: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Pages: 533

Ahh, space the final frontier… for romance that is. Kenyon’s League debut book, re-released with more than before, is an excellent read. The author notes at the beginning of the book are almost as much fun (getting a glimpse of the author’s life and start in the business) as the reading.

I have some reservations about this work, mainly a cliché’d happenstance that tastes of Deux en machina, however it still ties everything together nicely, and it isn’t like it drops out of the blue. I suspected the chance meeting’s roots near the beginning of the book.

Actually, I suspected much more than really happened, but that’s just my over-active imagination getting stimulated by a good story. Read if you like science fiction, read if you like action, read if you like
romance. It’s got it all.

Rating: 7.5

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by Steven Brust

I was disappointed by the latest Vlad Taltos novel. While the writing hasn’t deteriorated, the whimsical Joie de vivre is gone. Vlad is simply a tired criminal on the lam and spends too much time whining over his failed marriage. The intrigue of former novels isn’t as easy to pick out and the wrap up at the end, although expertly contrived, leaves much room for reader enjoyment.

Jhegaala is set in Draghera, but in the non-Empire portions of the East where “Easterners” dwell. Convenient, isn’t that? Vlad, a professional assassin and former leader of his very own Jhereg syndicate, has fled the Empire so he can hide from assassins like himself who have been hired by the Jhereg to kill him. He finds that the east is much like the west and he is forced to defend himself from his own kind.

This is not a “stand alone” novel. If you have read the series, it falls somewhere after Phoenix, of course. Vlad has recently fled Adrilanka following a complicated assassination that threw him into a mess he could not fix.

BUT, there are references in this book(to a Teckla boy) that make me wonder if it is supposed to fall after Orca. All in all, it was confusing so I Googled for the proper reading order, here it is:
Taltos, Yendi, Dragon, Jhereg, Teckla, Phoenix, Jhegaala, Athyra, Orca, Issola, Dzur

Not his best novel: 7.1

by Christopher Moore

What I really enjoy about dipping my feet beyond the paranormal romance pond is the opportunity to savor phrases, passages, laugh out loud, wonder what twist comes next and step beyond formula and into the realm of true genius.

Whether Moore is a genius or a madman could be debated.

But he makes me laugh. Moreover, I stop and re-read passages for the alliterative tickles, the subtle digs, the fantastic faux pas that he litters so freely in his books. To call them mere books is almost a misnomer.

Coyote Blue features Native Americans, ditzy children of flower children, bad bikers, a trickster of a god, and a drunk uncle. Dash in a bit of Vegas and you have a truly unforgettable sordid mess that you simply feast upon because it’s like peanut butter, bananas, and potato chips. You just don’t know what it’s going to taste like, but somehow it’s excellent.

The madcap mayhem is almost tragic so I cried between belly laughs. (Mostly because I was laughing so hard…)10.

by Jade Lee

First a warning, those who don’t appreciate Anne McCaffrey or LKH’s Nightseer fantasy don’t read it. You will be lost. Comparing it to Nightseer isn’t a stretch either. There is a certain element of epic fantasy versus romance that threads through the book. It definitely could be classified as a fantasy rather than romance because the story would not suffer greatly if you took the nookie out. Of course, where would the fun be in that?

The story in quickie format: There’s an evil overlord who is also a dragon lord. He’s spent a hundred years wiping out the existence of dragons to “protect” his kingdom. How does he do it? Enter Kiril, dragonslayer extraordinarrre. His job, kill any and all dragons and their attached humans.

The complication? Lovely Natiya current host of the last dragon egg. Kiril hunts down Natiya, falls for her in the process, there’s betrayal, backstabbing, intrigue, creepy bad guys who are insane, dragons and other fun stuff. Epic.

Overall: Despite semi-cardboard characters there’s a sewer scene (every good castle has a sewer) and other nods to fantasy works. I’m not convinced it was intentional. 8.2

by Eileen Wilks

I really think I read this book’s prequel, but for the life of me cannot be certain because the writing style/voice is so unique that I should have recognized it.

Wilks spins such a hefty web of world building and paranormal camp plot that the novel cannot be put down easily. That’s a good thing, right? I’m not sold. The non-geeky part of me was simply overwhelmed by the shear size of Night Season’s universe. Much like a newbie Tolkein fan I simply could not grasp much outside the Shire.

Overall: Masterful writing, complex storyline, compelling concept but not affiable characters. 7.5

by Karen Marie Moning

Book Two of a very promising series, BloodFever takes place approximately a month after DarkFever started. If you’re choosing a series to start, this one is excellent! But please, oh please, start at the beginning. The leading lady changes so much in the first book you wouldn’t recognize her in this book. Part of that change is what makes this series SO amazing. It steps beyond the Anita Blake clones and into a fantastic world that is so real your hands feel dirty from falling down with the MC in the alleys.

Writing: without a doubt, the first book was not a fluke. Moning’s style and voice pull you deeper than most writers will ever imagine their works taking you.

I could run home, I suppose. Try to forget. Try to hide.Then I think of Alina, and how she died.Her face swims up in my mind - a face I knew as well as my own; she was more than my sister, she was my best friend - and I can almost hear her saying: Right, Junior - and risk leading a monster like Malluce’, a death-by-sex Fae, or some of the other Unseelie back to Ashford? Take a chance that some of the Shades might cop a ride in your luggage and devour the charming, idyllic streets of our childhood, one burnt-out streetlamp at a time? When you see the Dark Zone that used to be our home, how will you feel, Mac?Before her voice even begins to fade, I know that I’m here until this is over.Until either they’re dead or I am. Alina’s death will be avenged.

That was just a small sample of the texture and tension that rivets you to your seat. Believe it or not, that was in the prologue. Moning isn’t just a writer’s writer, but a reader’s writer. (I’m gushing again…sorry.) 10

Characters: Mac is growing into someone different, yet you glimpse her inner vulnerability. She’s really the perfect hero, the quiet town resident forced to step up into a role she’s uncomfortable playing, but knows she must. After all, heroes aren’t the ones who don’t fear the battle, they are the ones who fear battle the most, yet enter it anyway. 10

Plot: This installment leads us deeper into the dark realm of Fae yet doesn’t forget some of the enemies Mac and Barrons have found along the way. While it’s amazing that Mac has lived this long, what’s more amazing is the fact that she hasn’t either killed Barrons or jumped his bones. No spoilers… 9.9 (They can’t all be tens!)

Ending: Here’s a great idea, start a series, have situations that are just about as complicated and life threatening as you could imagine within plausibility (Moning gives herself wiggle room on this situation, so I’ll give her a pass this time), create great heroes, and leave the story with a major cliffhanger! AAaaaakkkk! 9.8

Overall: I really can’t wait until the next book comes out. 9.9

by Laurell K. Hamilton
Merry Gentry Volume 05

Book 5 in the Merry Gentry series, Mistral’s Kiss is the next step for Princess Merideth, heir to the throne of the Unseelie Court. While you may think being a princess is grand (and it does come with delicious perks), life is not easy for the half-human fae.

While much better than the “rushed” Micah, Laurell’s newest work leaves the reader just a little disappointed. Maybe because it is so short, or maybe because the author could have extended the darker portions of her timeline. Too much of the focus was on the interaction between Merry and her guards, not enough time on the external events that are shaping her future.

Hardcover book has “unevenly cut” pages. This is a printer’s/publisher’s decision to resemble hand bound works. While it is a more expensive process, most readers have commented/complained about the decision. On a personal level, I feel the cover art is not up to the same “erotic/beauty” level as prior installment’s.

Overall: 8

by Karen Marie Moning

The first book of a promising new series by accomplished author, Karen Marie Moning, DarkFever brings to life a new world of paranormal fiction. I was going to start this sentence with “While not a romance novel…” but stopped and edited myself because that sounds like I’m making excuses for a book that needs none. This work is brilliantly designed, magnificently executed, and almost flawless. It certainly does NOT need to be relegated to the bookstore’s back shelves. Indeed, it should be put ahead of all the DaVinci sequels, right there… in the main aisle.

MacKayla Lane, the heroine, lives a typical suburban American post-teenager’s life. She spends her Summer days contemplating college courses, perfecting her tan, and only mildly morning the loss of her cell phone, which accidentally fell to the bottom of the pool. Nothing out of the ordinary, right?

Do you see a set up here? You should. It’s the stuff that makes you fall into the lead’s life where in the end you won’t be the same. That is the way I felt when I finished the book.

MacKayla, or Mac for short, is drawn into the strange world of the Sidhe-seer, people who can see the denizens of Faerie (not Fairy…this is the darker version, think Brother’s Grimm, or Cath Maige Tuireadh). She’s almost Buffy-like as she bumbles through the streets of Dublin. This gritty, almost accurate portrayal (for a work of fiction) of American meets old world, begins by holding your hand as it guides you into the mist, then the claws come out and it doesn’t let you go. A must read for paranormal fans.

Writing: Without a doubt, there are amateurs and there are professionals when it comes to writing. I’m not talking about being paid for novels, I’m referencing the fine art of telling something with style. Here’s an excerpt (from Chapter One, so I’m not spoilering.)

Is there such a thing as tempting the Fates to slice on of the most important threats that holds your life together simply by being too happy?When the phone rang, I thought it was my parents.It wasn’t. … t’s funny how such a tiny, insignificant, dozen-times-a-day action can become a line of demarcation. The picking up of a phone. The pressing of an on button. Before I pressed it- as far as I knew - my sister Alina was alive. At the moment of pressing, my life split into two distinct epochs: Before the call and After. Before the call, I had no use for a word like “demarcation,” one of those fifty-cent words I knew only because I was an avid reader. Before, I floated through life from one happy moment to the next. Before, I thought I knew everything. I thought I knew who I was, where I fit, and exactly what my future would bring. Before, I thought I knew I had a future. After, I began to discover that I’d never really known anything at all.

Re-reading that brought tears to my eyes. I’m not sappy, or melodramatic, but that passage, introduced near the very beginning of the story, made me sit up and take notice. This was not going to be an ordinary read. This was going to be a story. It’s like the difference between drinking Starbucks mochas everyday and then sampling a five-star hotel’s gourmet blend brewed by a master chef. There is good stuff out there, but this book overshadows it. Enough gushing. Review time.

Writing: The above passage shows a small example of the solid, descriptive, emotional prose that wove together to create a work of art. 10

Characters: I’m a Buffy fan. She’s great, flawed, kicks butt, cute…but not Cordelia “I’m gorgeous” beautiful. In essence, she’s the cheerleader who gets second place in the homecoming votes. She’s also the cheerleader who can field dress a demon, a handy skill to have in the paranormal world. Mac does not come by her knowledge easily. The journey IS the story. Secondary characters have as much mystery enshrouding them as the tale itself. We find that not everyone is trustworthy, nor are the people we should (?) trust that nice. It makes for a bumpy ride. Lovely! 10

Plot: I alluded to the bumpy ride, not only are the characters twisting things, the whole story must be unraveled. There’s the distinct possibility that things are not going to end well. To quote Lion King…”Danger? I laugh in the face of Danger…” Good stuff. I can’t think of any way to make it better. Yikes! 10

Ending: I wanted more closure. That’s what sequels are for… 9.8 (I couldn’t give it ALL tens now could I?)

Overall: Brace yourselves… 9.95…which rounds up to…10

There’s a first time for everything.

by Peter David

(Fantasy sword and sorcery stuff…) Overall a good book. There’s a huge plot twist that I didn’t expect, but then again, I was reading Peter David so I should have known better.

Writing: Biggest pet peeve of the book is the first few chapters introduce a new character until they all are introduced. It is so disjointed and POV odd that I almost couldn’t read it. Some of the character stories are more intimate than the others so it really threw me. Then it picked up. I know there is a specific literary term for what he did, but can’t remember it at this time. It reminded me of viewing Pulp Fiction for the first time. Score: 7.1

Characters: There were a lot of grey lines crossed, recrossed and tangled with his characters. I loved it. This is where this author shines at creating characters who are not all good or all evil. In fact, most of them are bumbling idiots with a lot of luck, or heroes in disguise dogged by unfortunate circumstances. 9.5

Plot: Twisted, twisted, twisted. Bad is good, good is bad, or is it? Amazing! 9.8

Ending: Odd. Brief, and well…leaves room for a sequel. Darn it! 8.4

Overall: 9.2 Great book, but very odd. Must love fantasy to read it.