Book Review: Death Magic by Eileen Wilks

Death MagicAuthor: Eileen WilksPublication: Berkley; Original edition (November 1, 2011)
Description: Recovering from an attempt on his life by an FBI traitor, Lily Yu's boss forms a ghost unit that will operate in secret-and outside the law. Lily's conscience won't let her join. Her fiancé, lupi Rule Turner, has no such reservations. But when a senator is killed, Lily's decision becomes a matter of life and death-and all the magic in between.
My Thoughts: This was another exciting episode in the World of the Lupi series. Lily and Rule are in Washington, DC to testify before Congress. One of the senators who is extremely anti-magic is murdered and, when Lily investigates, she finds out he was killed with death magic. Also, it looks like it was her boss Ruben Brooks who killed him. It is obviously a frame-up but it is very well-constructed.
Lily and Rule have to find out who is using the death magic. They also have to find a new home for the Wythe mantle which is being carried by Lily even though she is not lupi and can't use it. However, the mantle is doing bad things to Lily. While it is healing the arm muscles that were hurt in the previous book, it is also sending out tendrils into her brain and causing mini-strokes (which it is also healing). This causes major problems for Rule since he is the one who encouraged her to take the mantle. It is damaging his trust in the Lady that all the lupi have vowed to support. The lupi are the earthly weapon of the Lady who is an Old One and who is battling another Old One that the lupi call the Great Bitch. Neither can work directly in the human realm but both can find agents. The Lady has the lupi. Thus far they have been able to thwart the attempts of the Great Bitch's agents in their attempt to bring chaos to the human realm.
Those who oppose the attempts of the Great Bitch have formed a secret unit. Lily's FBI boss is the leader, Rule is second in command. But when Lily is asked to join, she can't. Her image of herself is as a cop and she can't see herself operating without the bounds of the law. But when Lily is also framed for a crime and is in danger of losing her job, she knows that she has to become part of this secret unit to stop that agents of the Great Bitch and to get her life back.
This story was exciting and entertaining. I highly recommend this series to lovers of urban fantasy. Lily is a wonderfully strong female character and Rule is a perfect romantic hero - strong, stubborn, supportive, and hotter than hot.
Favorite Quote:

An Old One wanted to amputate the future that all these people were building with whatever mix of altruism and cruelty, determination and thoughtlessness. The Great Bitch wanted to graft her version of the future onto the world. According to the lupi, she saw herself as humanity's benefactor. Sure, people would die on the way to her shiny utopia, but death was what mortals did, right? No real problem. She'd make it up to the survivors by making sure they didn't get to make bad choices anymore. 

I bought this one. You can get your copy at Amazon too.

Teaser Tuesday: Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I grabbed Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis off my towering TBR mountain today. I am in the mood for a light, contemporary romance and this cover really grabbed me. Buff man, cute kitten...what's not to love?

Teaser:

"You have a taboo list?" Jade asked.

"You don't?" Lilah asked.

Jade bit her lower lip and Adam laughed. "Jade has a list for everything."

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (Nov. 28, 2011)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.


I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving week. I managed to get more than the usual amount of reading done this past week because there is a lot of time to read if you are waiting in the Emergency Room for tests to be run and you remembered to bring a book. I had a little flare-up of my Crohn's disease which put me in the hospital for a couple of days and messed up my Thanksgiving travel plans. On the upside, I am feeling much better and had a very restful Thanksgiving week.


Here is what I read this past week:

I finished In the Forests of the Night by Kersten Hamilton. This is the sequel to Tyger Tyger and is a fascinating young adult fantasy. I really like the strong characters and the emphasis on Irish myth and legend in this story. Here is my review.

Death Magic by Eileen Wilks is the eighth book in the World of the Lupi series. I wouldn't recommend it as an entry point to the series but followers of the series won't want to miss this exciting episode. I love the strong characters, the relationship between Lily and Rule, and the well-developed world that Wilks creates. My review will be posted on Nov. 30.

The Next Always by Nora Roberts begins a new trilogy of contemporary romances. This one tells of the romance of widowed Clare who returns home with her three small sons after the death of her husband and Beckett who has loved her since she was sixteen. Both are successful people from strong, loving families who need to find a way to fit the other into their lives. They get some assistance from a ghost in the inn that Beckett and his family are restoring. My review is here.

Mastiff by Tamora Pierce is the conclusion of the Beka Cooper series. This young adult fantasy tells of the early days of Tortall in the person of a young woman who is part of law enforcement. This episode has Beka and her friends searching for a kidnapped four-year-old prince and trying to bring down a plot to destroy the king. Beka also meets the man who will be her love. My review is here.

I am currently reading Singled Out by Sara Griffiths. This is an eARC and is the last book on my list from NetGalley. I chose it because it is a sports story with a girl as the main character. I have noticed, as I am book buying for my High School Media Center, that sports stories are not very common and ones with girls as main characters are even less so. 

Next week I have two review books and two from my TBR mountain on my agenda.

Blaze of Glory by M. Garzon was sent to my by its author. I chose it because it is about a girl and horses. I have tons of horse-loving girls who use my media center. I hope this is something they would enjoy.

Ignite by Kaitlyn Davis is a young adult paranormal. This is also a very popular genre with my students. I am eager to see if this one would be something they would enjoy.

I also chose a couple for me. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater has been on my radar for a while and on my TBR mountain since it was published. This is a book that she says is her favorite. I love her writing style and am eager to read this story about water horses and a deadly horse race.

Animal Attraction by Jill Shalvis is the other book on my list for next week. This is a contemporary romance that is in a series I am reading. The first was cute and funny. I hope this one is too.

Those are my plans. What was your week like?

In My Mailbox (Nov. 27, 2011)

The weekly In My Mailbox post is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is fun to see what everyone else gets in their mailboxes, shopping bags, and library visits. Click on the link to The Story Siren's site to see the rules and join in the fun.
 
I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow when you see all the wonderful books everyone gets. You will discover lots of great blogs and lots of books that you won't be able to live without.

Here are the books that followed me home this week.

I haven't checked out the free books for my Kindle for a while. But this week I was looking at some inexpensive books and thought I'd check out the free list too.

Starcrossed: Perigee by Tracey Lee Campbell is a paranormal romance and the first book in a trilogy. I liked the science fiction take on this story and thought I would give it a try. It was free.

Girl's Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky is the first book in the Jane Madison series. I was drawn to this one because the main character is a librarian. It sounded like a cute story. This one was a $.99 title.

Twas the Night by Sandra Hill, Kate Holmes and Trish Jensen combines the stories of three men who find romance during the Christmas season. It sounded seasonal and like a fun read and it was free.

Tiger Eye by Marjorie M. Liu was also free this week. I must be fated to read this book. I already have two print copies of this book somewhere in my TBR mountain which is currently 1152 books high. This one will be sitting conveniently on my Kindle. 

The only print book I got this week was Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis which is the third book in the Lucky Harbor series. I really liked the first book. I thought it was a wonderful, light, contemporary romance. I hope this one is as good. I chose the print book because it and the Kindle version were the same price. It is easier to share a print book than a Kindle one currently and I don't know if this one will be a "keeper."

That was my haul. What did you get this week?

Book Beginning & Friday 56: Death Magic by Eileen Wilks

Happy Friday everybody!!

Book Beginnings

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Katy at A Few More Pages.  

Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. 

If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

The Friday 56

Rules:

• Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Freda's Voice
• Post a link along with your post back to Freda's Voice

Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

I grabbed Death Magic by Eileen Wilks to read this week. I am in the mood for some urban fantasy and this story with werewolves, dragons and other assorted magic should fill the bill. I like the tough FBI agent heroine and love the sexy werewolf hero.

Beginning:

Lily Yu was at the shooting range at FBI Headquarters when she saw the ghost.

Friday 56:

Rule moved to the foot of the stairs. He stood motionless, head up and nostrils flared. She waited until a subtle shift in his stance said he'd found no strange scents.

Review: The Next Always by Nora Roberts

The Next Always
Author: Nora Roberts
Publication: Berkley Trade; Original edition (November 1, 2011)
Description: "America's favorite writer" (The New Yorker) begins an all-new trilogy-inspired by the inn she owns and the town she loves.

The historic hotel in BoonsBoro, Maryland, has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumored hauntings. Now it's getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. As the architect of the family, Beckett's social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there's another project he's got his eye on: the girl he's been waiting to kiss since he was fifteen...

My Thoughts: I have to start out by saying that I buy Nora Roberts' books on her name alone. I have seldom been disappointed in any of her stories. This was another wonderful, feel-good romance with well-drawn characters and strong, loving families.
The Montgomery family is restoring an old inn in Boonsboro. The family consists of a widowed mother and three grown sons. You can easily see that they love and support each other even while the brothers pick at each other and teases. This romance stars Beckett who is the architect in the family but who also doesn't mind turning his hand to any carpentry tasks or other needed tasks in the inn restoration project. 
The heroine of this story is Clare Brewster. She is back home in Boonsboro with her three young sons after the death of her husband in Iraq. They were childhood sweethearts and had a strong loving marriage. Now that she is home, she has started a bookstore and has made a new life for herself and her sons.
Beckett has loved her since she was sixteen but has settled for a friendship until now. This story explores their growing relationship as they learn to adjust and trust each other. It was fun to see Beckett interacting with Clare's three sons and see him fitting himself into their lives. Clare is the one who is most reluctant to be in the relationship at first. After all, she has already had a wonderful relationship and had her heart broken when she lost her husband.
I did like that Clare was not a passive heroine. When she decides to commit to the relationship with Beckett, she is the one who puts the moves on him. He wants to take it slow and ease her into the relationship but isn't at all reluctant when Clare wants to move faster. 
But everything can't go smoothly. Clare has also drawn the attention of a former schoolmate who has developed an unhealthy obsession with her and has begun stalking her. Clare just thinks that he is an annoying person who is really hard to discourage but the stalking episodes quickly escalate.
The story also features Beckett's two brothers - Owen and Ryder and Clare's best friends Avery and Hope leading the way for the romances in the next books in this trilogy. What I really like about Roberts' books is that her heroines are real adult women. Clare owns a bookstore; Avery owns and operates a restaurant; and Hope is experienced in running hotels. None of them are looking for a man to make their lives better. They have perfectly good lives already. Nor are her heroes rich men of leisure. They may be comfortably well-off but they are all hard-working.
I really enjoyed this story and will certainly be following along with the rest of the Inn Boonsboro Trilogy.
Favorite Quote:

Movements practiced and quick, Avery began placing the rolled dough in rising pans. "Now, about that sex. You had sex Friday night and--"

"And into Saturday morning."

"Bragging is the tool of the small and the petty. Am I or am I not your best friend?"

"BFF." Clare tapped a finger on her heart.


"And, what do I get, a measly text message. Spent night with B. Fabulous."

"Didn't I leave that bit of Shania Twain on your answering machine, the 'I Feel Like a Woman' cut?"

I bought this one because I am a huge fan of Nora Roberts for entertaining contemporary romances. You can buy your copy here.

Teaser Tuesday: The Next Always by Nora Roberts

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I am currently reading the first book in Nora Roberts' new The Inn of Boonsboro Trilogy - The Next Always. I love her romances because they are filled with strong, competent heroes and heroines. They also have a dash of humor and this one looks like it will also have a ghost.


Here is the product description:

"The historic hotel in BoonsBoro, Maryland, has endured war and peace, changing hands, even rumored hauntings. Now it's getting a major facelift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother. As the architect of the family, Beckett's social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there's another project he's got his eye on: the girl he's been waiting to kiss since he was fifteen...

Teaser:

Ryder sent Beckett a slow smile. "So, you're hitting on Clare the Fair."

"I'm not hitting on her. I'm exploring the possibility of seeing her on social terms."

"He's hitting on her," Owen said around a mouthful of chips. "You've still got that thing you had for her in high school. Are you still writing bad song lyrics about heartbreak?"

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (Nov. 21, 2011)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

I had another slow reading week. I managed to finish only two books this past week.

Unleashed (Wolf Spring Chronicles) by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie was an ARC I got from the Amazon Vine program. This was the story of girl who moved from California to a small town in the Ozarks to live with her grandfather after her mother dies. She finds all sorts of secretive characters and meets two interesting boys. It was very suspenseful but I thought the ending was rather abrupt. There are definitely things hanging for a second book to address. My review is here.

I also took time from reading review books to read one of the ones I have been most waiting for. Drink Deep by Chloe Neill is the latest in her Chicagoland Vampire series. This one has Merit getting pressure from all sides. She is grieving the loss of her Master - the man who made her a vampire - and is trying to still protect her House from threats within and without. It was very exciting. My review is here.

I started to read my next review book - In the Forests of the Night by Kersten Hamilton - but decided that I needed to read the first book in the series - Tyger Tyger - again to refresh my memories. The second book begins right after the first one. I am about 70% into the re-read. 

Next week, I have ambitious plans. I hope to get some extra reading time during Thanksgiving Break. I do not intend to be anywhere near a store on Black Friday (and doubt I will be in one on Saturday or Sunday either.) I'm traveling home with my Kindle and just a couple of print books.

Blaze of Glory by M. Garzon is a review book on my Kindle. This is a young adult contemporary that features a girl who is training to be a professional horseback rider.

In the Forests of the Night by Kersten Hamilton is the sequel to Tyger, Tyger. This one is contemporary fantasy with goblins.

Ignite by Kaitlyn Davis is also young adult. This one is a paranormal. Singled Out by Sara Griffiths is contemporary young adult with a sports theme. In the Forests of the Night is the only print book in that group.

The Next Always by Nora Roberts is the first in a new contemporary romance trilogy. I am a huge Nora Roberts fan. I really like her style and look forward to reading this one.

Those are my plans. What did you get read and what do you plan? Does the Thanksgiving Holiday (for US Residents) give you more or less time for reading?

In My Mailbox (Nov. 20, 2011)

The weekly In My Mailbox post is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It is fun to see what everyone else gets in their mailboxes, shopping bags, and library visits. Click on the link to The Story Siren's site to see the rules and join in the fun.
 
I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow when you see all the wonderful books everyone gets. You will discover lots of great blogs and lots of books that you won't be able to live without.

This week my TBR mountain increased by three books. All of the books I received this week were books I need to read and review. Here they are:

Added to my Kindle, at the request of their authors, were Bess, Nicholas & A Dog Called Bones by Tessa Armytage and Lowcountry Punch by Boo Walker. Bess, Nicholas & A Dog Called Bones is a contemporary romance and should, according to the blurb, have some funny and sexy moments. Lowcountry Punch is a suspense novel set in Charleston, South Carolina. These are both already published and available stories.

Then I received a print ARC of The Other Guy's Bride by Connie Brockway from a publicist. This one is a historical romance novel taking place in turn of the century Egypt. It sounds like an entertaining romance. It will be published on Dec. 22.

These ought to keep me busy as they are additions to a review stack that I thought I was finally getting under control. Oh, well! It is impossible to have too many good books to read.

What landed in your mailbox this week?

Review: Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

Drink DeepAuthor: Chloe NeillPublication: New American Library; 1 edition (November 1, 2011)
Description: "A strong-minded, sharp-witted heroine who will appeal to fans of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series and Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake." (Library Journal)

Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and Merit the vampire can't tell if this is the darkness before the dawn, or the calm before the storm. With the city itself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times have never been more precarious for the vampires. If only they could lay low for a bit...

Then magic rears its ugly head when Lake Michigan turns black. The mayor insists it's nothing to worry about, but Merit knows a panic is coming. She'll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who's behind this, and stop them before it's too late for both the vampires and humans.

My Thoughts: This was another exciting adventure for Merit. She is still grieving the loss of Ethan Sullivan. But she doesn't have time to really grieve. The House had been put into the charge of a receiver who is testing their fitness. He is not an admirable character which does, at least, distract the vampires from their grief. He is delighting in setting up petty rules just to have the vampires break them. He undoubtedly has a hidden agenda and a special desire to see Merit fail. This provides tension within the House.
There is also major political fallout in Chicago since the previous mayor who had supported the vampires was found to also be a drug dealer and genuine bad guy. The new mayor is looking to run for president and thinks a campaign against supernaturals will aide her. She disbands the Ombudsman's office and legislates a system which would require supernaturals to register and have permission to travel. She is managing to blame the vampires especially for everything that goes wrong in Chicago. This provides a lot of tension outside the House.
Unfortunately, lots is going wrong in Chicago. Some sort of magic is loose. The lake and rivers turn black and stop flowing, the sky turns red and has constant lightning flashes, earthquakes erupt in downtown. Merit along with Jonah who is a guard at Grey House and her recruiter for the Red Guard are investigating the problem. Their goal is to find out the cause and prove that the vampires had nothing to do with it. Along the way Merit has to meet with the former mayor, the Siren of the lake, and the queen of the fairies. All those meetings put her in danger and are very frustrating because she gets more questions instead of answers.
Meanwhile, Merit is having nightmares that may be prophetic dreams about Ethan. Her best friend Mallory is pulling away from her because she is so involved in becoming a sorcerer. Merit feels that all her support system in being pulled away. Ethan's gone; Mallory is distant. And she is facing harassment from inside the House. Through it all Merit is determined to solve the problem and protect the House.
The story is filled with tension and is a true puzzler both for Merit and the reader. I found that I had to keep reading to see if Merit would ever figure out what was going on. I was very satisfied with the ending of the story because a number of the threads were resolved. I do very much look forward to the next story to see what happens with the threads that were not resolved in this story. 
Favorite Quote:

And the kiss was just...toe curling. Jonah wasn't a novice, and he used every part of his body to his advantage, his fingers at my jaw, his tongue teasing mine, his body moving closer and closer, a suggestion of things he could offer: warmth; the solace of touch; another kind of intimacy.

I bought this one at Amazon. You can get your copy there too.

Book Beginning & Friday 56: Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

Happy Friday everybody!!

Book Beginnings

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Katy at A Few More Pages.  

Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. 

If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

The Friday 56

Rules:

• Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
• Turn to page 56.
• Find the fifth sentence.
• Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Freda's Voice
• Post a link along with your post back to Freda's Voice

Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

I was eagerly anticipating Drink Deep by Chloe Neill but didn't have a chance to read it as soon as I got it. Now it has reached the top of the TBR mountain. This is the most recent in her Chicagoland Vampires Series. After the surprising ending of the previous book, I can't wait to get into this one to find out what happens.

Beginning:

The wind was cool, the fall night crisp.

Friday 56:

Sitting around and anticipating things to come wasn't exactly a favorite pastime.