Friday Memes: The Eldritch Conspiracy by Cat Adams

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

This week I am spotlighting The Eldritch Conspiracy by Cat Adams. I grabbed this one off my TBR mountain where it has been languishing since Jan. 30, 2013. It is the fifth book in the Blood Song urban fantasy series.
Here is the description from Amazon:

Celia Graves was once an ordinary human, but those days are long gone. Now she strives to maintain her sanity and her soul while juggling both vampire abilities and the powers of a Siren.

Not every bride needs a bridesmaid who can double as a bodyguard. But Celia's cousin Adriana is no ordinary bride: she's a Siren princess, and she's marrying the king of a small but politically important European country. She's getting death threats from fanatics who want to see the whole Siren race wiped out—including Celia herself, who is half Siren.

Luckily, Celia is on duty when a trip to a bridal salon is interrupted by an assassination attempt, so everyone survives. When Adriana returns to the Siren homeland to try to prevent a coup, Celia is free to hunt for the terrorists and the vile mage who is helping them (while keeping her eyes open for the perfect maid-of-honor dress).

Assuming the bride and groom both live to see their wedding day, this will be one royal wedding no one will ever forget.

Beginning:

We were running out of time.

Friday 56:

Gary might be glad to meet me and Trudy might be reserving judgment, but Jan, very obviously, was not at all happy. 

Book Review: The Isis Collar by Cat Adams

The Isis Collar 
Author: Cat Adams
Publication: Tor Books (March 13, 2012)

Description: Celia Graves was once an ordinary human, but those days are long gone. Now she strives to maintain her sanity and her soul while juggling both vampire abilities and the powers of a Siren.

Warned of a magical "bomb" at a local elementary school, Celia forces an evacuation. Oddly, the explosion seems to have no effect, puzzling both Celia and the FBI. Two weeks later, a strangely persistent bruise on Celia's leg turns out to be the first sign of a magical zombie plague.

Finding the source of the plague isn't Celia's only concern. Her alcoholic mother has broken out of prison on the Sirens' island; her little sister's ghost has possessed a young girl; and one of Celia's boyfriends, a powerful mage, has disappeared.

Cat Adams delivers another page-turner Blood Singer novel with The Isis Collar.

My Thoughts: THE ISIS COLLAR was a fast-paced, multi-layered urban fantasy novel. It is the fourth book in the Blood Song series. Celia is a former bodyguard who is adjusting to life after surviving a vampire bite and becoming one herself and discovering that she is also part siren. In this episode, she has to deal with a magical plague that has been set off in schools and is killing the teachers and children who were there. She also has to deal with a witch who has stolen a very powerful artifact and who wants Celia dead. 

Celia also has a variety of relationship issues. Her mother has escaped from the island of the sirens and returned home where she is resuming her life as an alcoholic. Her sister Ivy who died at eight and has been a ghost haunting Celia and her mother has learned to possess bodies and has taken over the body of a young friend of Celia's. Celia is also torn between her old love Bruno who betrayed her with another woman and her new love John Creede. Both men are powerful mages what want to have a relationship with her.

The story is packed with perilous situations. The action never stops. I really enjoyed this story which is told from Celia's point of view. Watching Celia struggle with both the large problems and the smaller personal problems was very engaging. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. 

Favorite Quote:

Saturday was a strange day. I had nightmares all night, waking up screaming multiple times. I couldn't remember the dreams, but I remembered the voice. The witch was there, taunting me, whispering to go out and hunt people. But I wouldn't. I couldn't.

This one is from my TBR mountain. I added it to LibraryThing on March 13, 2912. You can buy your copy here. 

Teaser Tuesday: The Isis Collar by Cat Adams

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!

The Isis Collar by Cat Adams has been sitting on my TBR mountain since March 2012. I finally had a break in my review schedule and could browse the mountain to pick something that looked good.

Teaser:

A basement window was being opened...from the inside. Okay, that just screamed sneaky. There were plenty of exit doors; why crawl out of a window unless you were up to something?

Here is the description from Amazon:

Celia Graves was once an ordinary human, but those days are long gone. Now she strives to maintain her sanity and her soul while juggling both vampire abilities and the powers of a Siren.

Warned of a magical "bomb" at a local elementary school, Celia forces an evacuation. Oddly, the explosion seems to have no effect, puzzling both Celia and the FBI. Two weeks later, a strangely persistent bruise on Celia's leg turns out to be the first sign of a magical zombie plague.

Finding the source of the plague isn't Celia's only concern. Her alcoholic mother has broken out of prison on the Sirens' island; her little sister's ghost has possessed a young girl; and one of Celia's boyfriends, a powerful mage, has disappeared.

Cat Adams delivers another page-turner Blood Singer novel with The Isis Collar. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Nov. 4, 2013)

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.

On the Personal Front:

Since this was the final week of the quarter, my time at work was filled up with finishing things up and doing report cards. This is the first year for many years that I have had to grade my classes. It was decided that all specialists would grade students using a separate report card. Since our grade-book vendor didn't have the report card ready, I had to recreate the report card using Google Docs which took one whole afternoon. My colleagues and I then took advantage of the time available when two classes went on field trips to make report cards for all K-3 students. It took 5 of us over two hours to make the roughly 400 cards. 

We were supposed to be able to use our regular vendor to do our fourth and fifth grade students. However, it wasn't until late Friday afternoon that we figured out how. It didn't work for me because one of my classes was missing and the rest had the wrong assessments. I had used the vendor's grade-book and thought I was ready to go with my fifth graders only to learn that they weren't getting letter grades but were using the same 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 scale as the younger students. It looks like I'll be spending most of Sunday afternoon converting the grades I have into the proper format for 90+ kids -- and each one gets 3 grades!

Last Week:

I had a pretty slow reading week. I finished only three books.

I have been catching up on Cat Adams' Blood Singer series. I read The Isis Collar and The Eldritch Conspiracy. Both were engaging urban fantasy titles. I finished up just in time, too. The next book in the series is being released this week. Reviews will be posted on Nov. 7 and Nov. 9 for these two.

Twinmaker by Sean Williams was a fascinating science fiction story. It was an exciting story that I am eager to share with my students. My review will be posted on Nov. 9.

Currently:

Haven't started my next book yet.

Next Week:

Here are my must reads for the rest of November.

I got The Whole Golden World by Kristina Riggle at ALA this past June. It will be released on Nov. 5.

Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye is an Amazon Vine pick that has to be read in the next 30 days. It is a Nov. 26 release.

Wild Justice by Kelley Armstrong was a LibraryThing win that is being released on Nov. 26.

Kissed by a Dark Prince by Felicity Heaton will have its cover released on Nov. 4. I think this one is being self-published as I can't find any information about it at Amazon. I am told it is being released on Nov. 30.

Extracted by Sherry D. Ficklin and Tyler H. Jolley is a time travel story that I got from Spencer Hill Press. It will be released on Nov. 12. 

Uncrashable Dakota by Andy Marino is an alternate history story being released on Nov. 12.

Pawn by Aimee Carter and Crash Into You by Katie McGarry are both eARCs I got from NetGalley. Both books will be released on Nov. 26.

Reviews Last Week:

• Darkness Dawns by Dianne Duvall
• Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach
• Elysian Fields by Suzanne Johnson
• The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa
• The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

That was my week. I'm off to grade papers and plan next quarter's lessons. What was your week like?

Stacking the Shelves (Nov. 3, 2013)

Tynga of Team Tynga's Reviews has a meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Visit her site to check out the linky and see what everyone gets. I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow.

This week made up for my last few weeks of empty mailboxes or very small mailboxes. Here is what arrived this week:

I have been gathering Joelle Charbonneau's mysteries. Two more arrived this week - Murder for Choir and Skating Around the Law.

I couldn't resist these Kindle deals -- Playing the Part by Robin Covington and Sisters in Love by Melissa Foster.

Storm Warrior by Dani Harper was another Kindle Daily Deal.

After Dead by Charlaine Harris - I needed to know more about the characters in the Sookie Stackhouse series.

Two auto-buy authors had new books released this week. Dark Witch by Nora Roberts begins a new trilogy and Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh adds to a series.

I got some review books too.

A Study in Ashes by Emma Jane Holloway completes a steampunk, mystery trilogy. I enjoyed the first two and want to know how it all resolves. I got this one from NetGalley. It will be released on December 31.

Hard as It Gets by Laura Kaye was an Amazon Vine pick. It will be released on Nov. 26.

Runner by Patrick Lee is from NetGalley. I got an email from NetGalley and couldn't resist. It will be released on Feb. 18, 2014.

Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery was my second Amazon Vine pick this month. This Christmas romance was released on Sept. 24.

What did you add to your stack?

Book Review: Elysian Fields by Suzanne Johnson

Elysian Fields
Author: Suzanne Johnson
Publication: Tor Books (August 13, 2013)

Description: Elysian Fields by Suzanne Johnson is the fun, fast-paced third book in the Sentinels of New Orleans, a series of urban fantasy novels filled with wizards, mermen, and pirates. These novels are perfect for readers of paranormal fiction and “fans of Charlaine Harris and Cat Adams” (Booklist) and RT Bookreviews agrees that “for readers missing Sookie Stackhouse, this series may be right up your alley.”

The mer feud has been settled, but life in South Louisiana still has more twists and turns than the muddy Mississippi.

New Orleanians are under attack from a copycat killer mimicking the crimes of a 1918 serial murderer known as the Axeman of New Orleans. Thanks to a tip from the undead pirate Jean Lafitte, DJ Jaco knows the attacks aren’t random—an unknown necromancer has resurrected the original Axeman of New Orleans, and his ultimate target is a certain blonde wizard. Namely, DJ.

Combating an undead serial killer as troubles pile up around her isn’t easy. Jake Warin’s loup-garou nature is spiraling downward, enigmatic neighbor Quince Randolph is acting weirder than ever, the Elders are insisting on lessons in elven magic from the world’s most annoying wizard, and former partner Alex Warin just turned up on DJ’s to-do list. Not to mention big maneuvers are afoot in the halls of preternatural power.

Suddenly, moving to the Beyond as Jean Lafitte’s pirate wench could be DJ’s best option.

My Thoughts: As usual, DJ Jaco is up to her ears in trouble. As the lone Sentinel in New Orleans, she has to deal with all sorts of preternaturals. Her most immediate problem is the historical undead serial killer the Axeman who has made his way back from the Beyond and begun a new killing spree. He seems to be targeting DJ. But older problems haven't gone away. Since being adopted by an elven magical object, she has drawn the attention of the elves who don't think she should have it.

She also has her usual man problems. She is juggling Jake Warin who has turned loup-garou and who is having trouble controlling the anger issues that come with it, Alex Warin who was her former partner and who is now her next door neighbor, new neighbor Quince Randolph who is dating her best friend and who sets of her creep meter, and historical undead pirate Jean Lafitte who has a very flexible moral code but who is devoted to her.

This story is action-packed and fast paced. DJ seems to go from one hazardous situation to another as she tries to figure out how to permanently send the Axeman back to the Beyond before he kills her, tries to figure out what the elves want with her, and tries to figure out the complex set of alliances that are being formed in the preternatural world in the wake of Hurricane Kristina. Oh, yes, she also has to figure out what to do about being scratched by Jake and possibly turning loup-garou herself.

DJ is not the usual kick ass urban fantasy heroine. She seems to draw trouble like a magnet and gets out of it again through a combination of brains, magical potions, and the help of her friends. She is concerned with her appearance and has a quirky turn of phrase. She is fun to read about.

I recommend the whole Sentinels of New Orleans series and highly recommend this entry into the series.

Favorite Quote:

He was tall, powerfully built, black-haired, cobalt-eyed, a shameless flirt, and talked with a raspy French accent that made me swoon even though he was technically dead. In other words, I had a bit of a problem with Jean Lafitte and my own common sense being present at the same time.

This one was on my TBR mountain. I bought it in August. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Elysian Fields by Suzanne Johnson

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

This week I am spotlighting Elysian Fields by Suzanne Johnson. I have enjoyed the first two books in this Sentinels of New Orleans series. Here is the description of this urban fantasy novel:

Elysian Fields by Suzanne Johnson is the fun, fast-paced third book in the Sentinels of New Orleans, a series of urban fantasy novels filled with wizards, mermen, and pirates. These novels are perfect for readers of paranormal fiction and “fans of Charlaine Harris and Cat Adams” (Booklist) and RT Bookreviews agrees that “for readers missing Sookie Stackhouse, this series may be right up your alley.”

The mer feud has been settled, but life in South Louisiana still has more twists and turns than the muddy Mississippi.

New Orleanians are under attack from a copycat killer mimicking the crimes of a 1918 serial murderer known as the Axeman of New Orleans. Thanks to a tip from the undead pirate Jean Lafitte, DJ Jaco knows the attacks aren’t random—an unknown necromancer has resurrected the original Axeman of New Orleans, and his ultimate target is a certain blonde wizard. Namely, DJ.

Combating an undead serial killer as troubles pile up around her isn’t easy. Jake Warin’s loup-garou nature is spiraling downward, enigmatic neighbor Quince Randolph is acting weirder than ever, the Elders are insisting on lessons in elven magic from the world’s most annoying wizard, and former partner Alex Warin just turned up on DJ’s to-do list. Not to mention big maneuvers are afoot in the halls of preternatural power.

Suddenly, moving to the Beyond as Jean Lafitte’s pirate wench could be DJ’s best option.

Beginning:

The scariest sound in New Orleans' French Quarter is silence.

Friday 56:

"Sure." The idea of alcohol kind of made me ill after the Jake incident, but the encounter with Quince Randolph had unsettled me. He'd all be admitted he wasn't human. Question was: why was a faery or elf hiding his species and hanging out with my friend Eugenie?