Friday Memes: Puma by Jorrie Spencer

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

The male had made his home in this canyon, where his tawny fur blended with the sand, where the night could freeze you and the day bring your blood to a boil. 

Friday 56:

He would miss her. Given they'd only known each other three days, the harsh regret was a little absurd, but it sat there, inside him, very real, very painful. She had opened up his past for him.

This week I dug deep into TBR mountain for Puma by Jorrie Spencer. I bought this one August 1, 2009. From the cover and description, I'm looking forward to an urban fantasy/paranormal romance which is a genre I used to read obsessively. Here's the description from Amazon:

Callie, a cat-shifter, is a loner by virtue of the puma that lives inside her. After a job gone bad, her very human need for contact sends her in search of the only family she has. Callie finds her foster sister in a disturbing living arrangement.

The truth is more dangerous than Callie imagines. And Dev's need to protect the vulnerable is as strong as Callie's own.

ARC Review: The Vampire of Kings Street by Asha Greyling

The Vampire of Kings Street
Author: Asha Greyling
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (September 17, 2024)

Description: In this gothic debut novel, perfect for fans of Tread of Angels and Gail Carriger’s Soulless, Miss Radhika Dhingra, a newly minted lawyer in 19th century New York, never expected that her first client would be a vampire accused of murder.

Having a resident vampire is just the thing for upper-class New Yorkers–besides being a status symbol, they make excellent butlers or housekeepers. The only thing they require in return is a drop or two of blood and a casket to shut out the dawn’s early light.

Tolerated by society only if they follow a strict set of rules, vampires are seen as “less than”–and as the daughter of immigrants, Radhika knows firsthand how this feels. Accused of murder, her undead client Mr. Evelyn More, knows that the cards are stacked against him.

With the help of a journalist friend and a diminutive detective inspector, Miss Dhingra sets out to prove her client’s innocence and win his freedom. Failure will mean Mr. More’s death, the end of her dreams of becoming a successful attorney, and the loss of the vampire Miss Dhingra has begun to call her friend.

Offering an alternative paranormal history, delightful characters, and insightful social commentary, The Vampire of Kings Street will thrill readers of Deanna Rayburn and Rebecca Roanhorse.

My Thoughts: Miss Radhika Dhingra is a newly minted lawyer in New York City in this story. She hasn't been hired by any of the local firms and is eking out a living in a lower-class part of town and living in her office. 

When a vampire comes to her door looking for legal advice, she is interested and afraid and conflicted. Mr. Evelyn More fears that he will be accused of the murder of a young woman who was once his ward. Vampires aren't often given the benefit of a doubt when it comes to murder. 

Agnes Tomson had been killed in a particularly brutal way in her dressing room at the opera and a bloody glove belonging to More was discovered on site. Things aren't looking good for More. But Radhika is determined to find out the truth even though she's fired by the Frost family who have sheltered More for hundreds of years. 

This alternate paranormal history mystery was an interesting look both at vampires and at life in Nineteenth Century New York. I enjoyed it and especially enjoyed Radhika's mixed feeling about defending a vampire. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Archangel's Lineage by Nalini Singh

Archangel's Lineage
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter (Book 16)
Publication: Berkley (April 23, 2024)

Description: New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s dangerous and beautiful world of archangels, vampires, and mortals has never faced a threat this cataclysmic…

Raphael and Elena are experiencing their first ever year of true peace. No war. No horrors of archangelic power. No nightmares given flesh. Until…the earth beneath the Refuge begins to tremble, endangering not only angelkind’s precious and fragile young, but the very place that has held their most innocent safe for eons.

Amid the chaos, Elena’s father suffers a violent heart attack that threatens to extinguish their last chance to heal the bonds between them and make sense of the ruins of their agonizing shared history.

Even as Elena battles grief, Raphael is torn from her side by the sudden disappearance of an archangel. But worse yet is to come. An Ancestor, an angel unlike any other, stirs from his Sleep to warn the Cadre of a darkness so terrible that it causes empires to fall and civilizations to vanish.

This time, even the Cadre itself may not be able to stop a ticking clock that is counting down at frightening speed…

My Thoughts: Raphael and Elena are experiencing their first year of peace after years of horrors. However, the earth beneath the Refuge is starting to suffer from earthquakes and the Mantle which protects if from being seen by humans is fading. 

As the quakes get more pervasive and more world-wide, none of the extensive archives of the angels provide any answers. It takes the awakening of one of the ancients who has been sleeping almost since the start of time to provide a solution.

Meanwhile, Elena is dealing with her father's major heart attack and the fear that she will lose him before they can ever reconcile. As she is going through emotional trials, Raphel is dealing with one of the Cadre going into sleep and leaving his territory unsupervised which is very destabilizing in a world that is already teetering on the edge of collapse.

This story was a very emotional one and very fast-paced. The Cadre are racing to deal with a crisis that could cause the destruction of all living things on Earth while Elena deals with her emotional trauma. 

Fans of the series won't want to miss this one. 

Favorite Quote:

Some wounds didn't ever vanish; they just faded with time, until you could look at them without bleeding and breaking.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

The Golden Enclaves
Author: Naomi Novik
Series: The Scholomance (Book 3)
Publication: Del Rey (June 27, 2023)

Description: #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Saving the world is a test no school of magic can prepare you for in the triumphant conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate.

FINALIST FOR THE HUGO AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Paste, Publishers Weekly

The one thing you never talk about while you’re in the Scholomance is what you’ll do when you get out. Not even the richest enclaver would tempt fate that way. But it’s all we dream about: the hideously slim chance we’ll survive to make it out the gates and improbably find ourselves with a life ahead of us, a life outside the Scholomance halls.

And now the impossible dream has come true. I’m out, we’re all out—and I didn’t even have to turn into a monstrous dark witch to make it happen. So much for my great-grandmother’s prophecy of doom and destruction. I didn’t kill enclavers, I saved them. Me and Orion and our allies. Our graduation plan worked to perfection: We saved everyone and made the world safe for all wizards and brought peace and harmony to all the enclaves everywhere.

Ha, only joking! Actually, it’s gone all wrong. Someone else has picked up the project of destroying enclaves in my stead, and probably everyone we saved is about to get killed in the brewing enclave war. And the first thing I’ve got to do now, having miraculously gotten out of the Scholomance, is turn straight around and find a way back in.

My Thoughts: In this finale to the Scholomance trilogy we learn what happens after El, Orion, and her colleagues manage to get everyone out of the Scholomance. Well, almost everyone, Orion stayed behind which makes El determined to find a way back in to get him.

There are some problems to overcome first. Something is killing enclaves, and the various enclaves are on the brink of war. Looking for help uncovers all sorts of secrets. Secrets that could bring the whole system of enclaves tumbling down. 

El's plans for the escape from the Scholomance did manage to cut the number of mals in half but didn't do anything for the most awful of all the mals. The maw-mouth doesn't just kill wizards. It keeps them alive inside it in such a way that they can't die. And killing them has been a task that requires a large group of adult wizards working together. At least it did until El. 

This was an excellent conclusion to a very good series. I loved the worldbuilding. I loved the way El grew through the trilogy. She had so many decisions to make. 

Favorite Quote:

I imagine it's always easier to do something monstrous if you can convince yourself you aren't going to, up to the last minute, when you do. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

The Friday 56 is hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice. This meme is currently on hiatus but many of us are still including a sentence from page 56 or from 56% of the ebook. Anne @ Head Full of Books is picking up the slack until Freda is ready to return. I think this link will get you to the correct place. 

Beginning:

The last thing Orion said to me, the absolute bastard, was El, I love you so much.

Friday 56:

It wasn't anything like being inside the Scholomance gym. That place had been a lie: an imitation of the real world we couldn't get to and most likely would never see again. This wasn't a lie. This was a story, a fairy tale: it wasn't pretending to be real, it was just a place that couldn't be and hadn't been, a place of perfect beauty.

This week I am spotlighting The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik. It is the last in the Scholomance trilogy. Here's the description from Amazon:

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • Saving the world is a test no school of magic can prepare you for in the triumphant conclusion to the New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate.

FINALIST FOR THE HUGO AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Paste, Publishers Weekly

The one thing you never talk about while you’re in the Scholomance is what you’ll do when you get out. Not even the richest enclaver would tempt fate that way. But it’s all we dream about: the hideously slim chance we’ll survive to make it out the gates and improbably find ourselves with a life ahead of us, a life outside the Scholomance halls.

And now the impossible dream has come true. I’m out, we’re all out—and I didn’t even have to turn into a monstrous dark witch to make it happen. So much for my great-grandmother’s prophecy of doom and destruction. I didn’t kill enclavers, I saved them. Me and Orion and our allies. Our graduation plan worked to perfection: We saved everyone and made the world safe for all wizards and brought peace and harmony to all the enclaves everywhere.

Ha, only joking! Actually, it’s gone all wrong. Someone else has picked up the project of destroying enclaves in my stead, and probably everyone we saved is about to get killed in the brewing enclave war. And the first thing I’ve got to do now, having miraculously gotten out of the Scholomance, is turn straight around and find a way back in.

ARC Review: The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett

The Tainted Cup
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Publication: Del Rey (February 6, 2024)

Description: A Holmes and Watson–style detective duo take the stage in this fantasy with a mystery twist, from the Edgar-winning, multiple Hugo-nominated Robert Jackson Bennett

In Daretana’s greatest mansion, a high imperial officer lies dead—killed, to all appearances, when a tree erupted from his body. Even here at the Empire’s borders, where contagions abound and the blood of the leviathans works strange magical changes, it’s a death both terrifying and impossible.

Assigned to investigate is Ana Dolabra, a detective whose reputation for brilliance is matched only by her eccentricities. Rumor has it that she wears a blindfold at all times, and that she can solve impossible cases without even stepping outside the walls of her home.

At her side is her new assistant, Dinios Kol, magically altered in ways that make him the perfect aide to Ana’s brilliance. Din is at turns scandalized, perplexed, and utterly infuriated by his new superior—but as the case unfolds and he watches Ana’s mind leap from one startling deduction to the next, he must admit that she is, indeed, the Empire’s greatest detective.

As the two close in on a mastermind and uncover a scheme that threatens the Empire itself, Din realizes he’s barely begun to assemble the puzzle that is Ana Dolabra—and wonders how long he’ll be able to keep his own secrets safe from her piercing intellect.

By an “endlessly inventive” (Vulture) author with a “wicked sense of humor” (NPR), The Tainted Cup mixes the charms of detective fiction with brilliant world-building to deliver a fiendishly clever mystery that’s at once instantly recognizable and thrillingly new.

My Thoughts: THE TAINTED CUP is a mystery fantasy that begins a new series. Dinios Kol has won a position as an assistant to Ana Dolabra through some slightly shady means. Ana Dolabra has been exiled to a dangerous canton near the sea walls that keep might leviathans from coming ashore during the wet season and wreaking magical havoc. 

To battle the leviathans, the Empire has made changes to many of its citizens. Din has been altered to remember everything that he hears, sees, and reads so that he can bring the information back to Ana who is wildly eccentric and not at all eager to leave her home. She spends her time devouring data from books and other things Din brings her. She is able to put together all the input from what she has read and what Din brings to her from his onsite investigations to come to startling deductions.

Their new partnership is tested when there is a murder. An Engineer is found dead at the home of one of the wealthiest families in the Empire. He is found to have been killed when a tree grew out of his body and devoured him. Such contagions aren't unknown in the Empire. In fact, one whole canton was abandoned and burned to the ground when overtaken by a similar contagion.

Ana's investigation into the murder takes the pair to a canton even nearer the dangerous wall where they discover that the engineer's death was only one of a number of strange deaths and discover political intrigue that has been building for years and threatens the security of the Empire.

The worldbuilding was intriguing and complex. The characters were interesting people with depths and secrets. While the blurb compares the main characters to Holmes and Watson, I saw more of a similarity to Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin and was glad to see that those characters were part of the author's own reading history. A smart young assistant with some secrets of his own and a reclusive genius of an employer brought Wolfe and Goodwin to mind. But while Wolfe and Goodwin worked for profit, Din and Ana work as agents of the Empire keeping it together despite many threats from inside and outside of it. 

I look forward to reading more adventures for these characters in this world.  

Favorite Quote:

And besides, you've had a horrid few days, and I think you need reminding of what the Empire is even for.

I cocked an eyebrow at her, puzzled.

"It's not all this!" she said. She waved her hand at the shuttered window. "It's not all walls and death and plotting! Nor is it dreary dispensations and bureaucracy! We do these ugly, dull things for a reason -- to make a space where folks can live, celebrate, and know joy and love."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Slay by Laurell K. Hamilton

Slay
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Series: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter (Book 30)
Publication: Berkley (November 7, 2023)

Description: Laurell K. Hamilton has captivated readers with her gritty, seductive tales of vampire hunter Anita Blake for thirty bloody fantastic years. Now, in the thirtieth novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, wedding bells are ringing. But before Anita can make it to the altar, she must face an obstacle more daunting than any supernatural threat....

Necromancer Anita Blake is small, dark, and dangerous. Her turf is the city of St. Louis. Her job: U.S. Marshal—Preternatural Branch. She’s faced horrifying monsters and brutal killers and come out the other side still standing.

Considering how things in her life tend to go, Anita never expected her walk down the aisle with Jean-Claude to go smoothly. They’ve already been confronted with naysayers and a power-hungry ancient evil, but now Anita has to do the one thing that actually scares her: introduce her very religious, very human relatives to her fiancé—the newly crowned vampire king of America.

As Anita tries to keep the peace between the family she left behind and the family she’s chosen, dark forces jump at the chance to take advantage of the chaos. With her happy-ever-after at risk and everyone’s immortal souls hanging in the balance, Anita grapples with a hard truth: Blood makes you related, but loyalty makes you family.

My Thoughts: This was an excellent entry into the long-running Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series. Anita has gotten to the part of planning her wedding which she is least looking forward to: introducing her family to Jean-Claude and the rest of her poly group. Her family is ultra-religious and, if the pope says vampires are evil, they are right there with him. 

The visit gets off to a horrible start since the grandmother who abused her until she grew up enough to hit back has come as part of the family visit despite Anita asking her father to leave his mother at home. The grandmother begins the belittling right away and her father isn't much better. Both say that their main concern is for the condemnation of Anita's soul to hell. But nothing can satisfy them about Anita.

And, while the family visit is causing personal stress, the city of St. Louis seems to be facing a growing number of seemingly random attacks on vampires. Maybe the ancient evil sent running in the last book didn't go too far before regrouping for another try to take over St. Louis and Jean-Claude's role as the new king of the American vampires. 

An attack when Anita storms out of a family dinner with her family causes Wicked and Truth to be burned with holy water. And, while Anita should be able to use the ardeur to heal them, something is blocking her access to it and her access to Jean-Claude through their marks. 

Traitors within Jean-Claude's ranks conspire with the ancient evil which makes it even worse and the fact that the evil vampire can turn into a 50-foot-tall fire-breathing dragon means that Anita and her allies including Edward and other preternatural marshals have their hands full. 

There was lots of excitement and action and, thankfully, less of the gratuitous sex scenes that filled earlier volumes of this series. This one spends more time talking about love and the nature of family - birth versus found. It was a very satisfying story with an ending signaling big changes. 

Favorite Quote:

Love is great, but it's different from being in love, like the difference between gazing over the cliff edge at the great view and leaping off, trusting that the love you share will catch you before you hit the ground. In love was a leap of faith.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Vicious Circle by Linda Robertson

Vicious Circle
Author: Linda Robertson
Publication: Pocket Books (June 11, 2009)

Description: This exciting urban fantasy debut mixes a modern-day witch with a rock’n’roll werewolf boyfriend, pitted against a powerful vampire!

A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do...

Being a witch doesn't pay the bills, but Persephone Alcmedi gets by between reading Tarot cards, writing her syndicated newspaper column, and kenneling werewolves in the basement when the moon is full—even if witches aren't supposed to mingle with wolves. She really reaches the end of her leash, though, when her grandmother gets kicked out of the nursing home and Seph finds herself in the doghouse about some things she's written. Then her werewolf friend Lorrie is murdered...and the high priestess of an important coven offers Seph big money to destroy the killer, a powerful vampire named Goliath Kline. Seph is a tough girl, but this time she bites off more than she can chew. She needs a little help from her friends—werewolf friends. One of those friends, Johnny, the motorcycle-riding lead singer for the techno-metal-Goth band Lycanthropia, has a crush on her. And while Seph has always been on edge around this 6'2" leather-clad hunk, she's starting to realize that although their attraction may be dangerous, nothing could be as lethal as the showdown that awaits them.

My Thoughts: Persephone Alcmedi's life is changing. She's always been a witch who keeps under the radar. She makes her living reading tarot cards, writing a syndicated newspaper column about werewolves, and kenneling werewolves in her basement during the full moon. But now, the grandmother who raised her has been kicked out of her nursing home and moved in with her and one of her werewolf friends is murdered leaving a nine-year-old daughter.

Seph is hired by the head of the local coven to take out Lorrie's killer which goes against the Rede but is not new to Seph. She accidentally caused the death of her friend Lorrie's stalker. She's offered big money which would certainly come in useful but, then she finds out that the killer is a vampire who is way out of her league.

When another werewolf friend is attacked for trying to find information on the vampire, she and her other werewolf friends bring her home since human hospitals are very prejudiced against the weres. Seph needs to perform a difficult ceremony in order to heal her friend which, among other difficulties, means that she has to invite a couple of vampires into her home. 

Seph also finds out that she is The Lustrata - the one destined to unite the humans, witches, weres and vampires. This is a responsibility she has never wanted and will require many changes in her life. 

The world building was engaging in this story. The fact that the paranormals have come out of hiding and that humans are not very accepting and in fact are completely hostile is a central point of the story. 

I enjoyed this book which is the first of a series. 

Favorite Quote:

Nana followed me. "What is wrong with you?"

"I feel like I'm playing some nightmarish game of tag. Everyone keeps telling me I'm it and nothing can undo the fact. I don't want to be it. Being it scares me."

I bought this one August 5, 2009. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews

Magic Claims
Author: Ilona Andrews

Narrator: Hillary Huber & Michael Glenn
Series: Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years (Book 2)
Publication: NYLA (June 13, 2023); NYLA (July 10, 2023)

Length: 12 hours and 21 minutes

Description: A new town, new friends, new challenges…. And a new heart-stopping adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Ilona Andrews. Kate, Curran, and Conlan may have left Atlanta for Wilmington, but the usual magic mayhem has also hitched a ride!

Kate and Curran have just settled into:  their new home and their 'low profile,' when a local businessman approaches them with an offer they can’t refuse. A mysterious evil has spawned in the nearby forest and is holding a defenseless town hostage. The ‘due date’ is rapidly approaching.

It’s exactly the kind of fight the Lennarts can’t resist, not for the prize the town offers, but for the people who will surely die if they ignore it. If they succeed, they’ll be rescuing an entire community and can build a strong new base for their family and the Wilmington Pack. If they fail...well, fail is a four-letter word.

Nothing comes without a price. Now Kate must decide if she has what it takes to pay it.

My Thoughts: I chose to read this one since I just got the audiobook which includes both Magic Tides & Magic Claims. I'll listen to the audiobook later. 

Kate, Curran and Conlan are getting established in Wilmington. But living a quiet life seems like a hopeless dream. When Kate is approached by a man looking for help with a mysterious evil, Kate and Curran can't refuse to help.

This adventure with creatures from the Ice Age helps Kate define who she wants to be. The creatures were interesting and the villain really creepy. 

I liked that it was told from both Kate and Curran's viewpoints. I like the action and the worldbuilding. It looks like things are coming together for what Kate and Curran both want for their futures. 

Favorite Quote:

"Do they use names?" Owen said from his corner of the balcony. "If they use names, they are people."

Troy frowned. "That's a weird criterion."

"If they name themselves, they have a language and a sense of self," Owen said. "It means they recognize that each one of them is unique and unlike the others, so they must have a separate name. That means they know that life is valuable."

I bought this one on its release date. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Unbroken by Rachel Caine

Unbroken
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: Outcast Season (Book 4)
Publication: Ace; Original edition (February 7, 2012)

Description: For millennia, Cassiel was a powerful Djinn—until she was exiled to live among mortals. Now the threat of an apocalypse looms, and Cassiel is in danger of losing everything she has come to hold dear…

As the world begins to fall apart around her, Cassiel finds herself fighting those she once called her own: the Djinn. With Weather Warden Luis Rocha and the rescued child Ibby by her side, Cassiel struggles to find a way to protect those who are in her charge and come to terms with the leadership role she never asked for.

Cassiel is opposed by Pearl—a powerful Djinn bent on raising an army of kidnapped Warden children to bring about nothing less than the end of the world. It will take everything Cassiel has to stop the Djinn from starting a war that will wipe all of humanity from the face of the earth. She knows that this might not be a battle she can survive, but protecting those she loves is worth any cost…

My Thoughts: The finale of the Outcast Season series has Cassiel, Luis, and his niece Ibby fighting to preserve human life. Mother Earth has awakened, and she is angry. The Wardens are fighting losing battles on all sides. The Djinn have been coopted by the Mother and are fighting against humans.

And Pearl is getting ready to do her last betrayal and become the new Mother. Cassiel is determined to find a way to stop her that doesn't mean the end of the human race but her odds of success seem miniscule. 

This episode was filled with battles and fighting, unexpected allies and unexpected enemies too. Cassiel has to find a way to preserve what she loves and values and the cost will be high.

This was an epic conclusion to the quartet of books. The worldbuilding was very well done. I liked the connection to the Weather Warden series too.

Favorite Quote:

We were not so given to the inevitable, we Djinn. We liked to be the inevitable, not its victims. Humans had a kind of courage I'd never truly understood: the courage to face their own doom.

I bought this one March 19, 2013. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Marked by Moonlight by Sharie Kohler

Marked by Moonlight
Author: Sharie Kohler
Series: Moon Chasers (Book 1)
Publication: Pocket Books; First Edition (December 26, 2007)

Description: She doesn't know what bit her...

Seemingly overnight, Claire Morgan has transformed: the normally mousy schoolteacher is now bold, and her behavior is truly wild. Her eyes gleam silver. Suddenly she's a self-confident femme fatale with a libido that just won't quit. After an impulsive makeover, she's even...dare she say it?...sexy. Is Claire going insane?

Then brutally handsome stranger Gideon March tells her she was bitten by a werewolf, and Claire figures he's the insane one. Sure, she was attacked by a nasty dog in a back alley, but this guy stalking her says he's a member of an underground society of lycan hunters -- and his mission is to kill her immediately.

When Claire finally realizes she really is a lycan, there's no turning back -- because by now Claire and Gideon are bound by a hungry passion. If they can't break the curse by the next full moon, Claire's soul will be lost forever and Gideon will be forced to terminate his prey -- a woman dangerously close to devouring him, heart and soul.

My Thoughts: Claire Morgan is a high school English teacher who is bitten by a werewolf when she tries to track down one of her favorite students who has missed school for a few days. Gideon March is a lycan hunter and has been since his mother who was recently turned killed his father and was killed by another hunter. 

Gideon knows that he should execute Claire before the full moon comes and turns her into a killer, but for reasons he can't quite articulate, he decides to help her track down and kill the alpha of the pack member who bit her. At least, that's the plan once he can convince Claire that she actually was bitten by a werewolf and will become one herself at the next full moon.

Claire recognizes some changes in herself. First of all, the newly silver eyes aren't what she usually sees when she looks in the mirror. Also, her appetite especially for meat increases yet she doesn't gain any weight on her 5' 2" frame and is in fact getting more muscular. But the biggest change is that she has stopped being the wimp her abusive father trained her to be all her life. 

Gideon has his work cut out for him as he tries to convince her that the changes that are happening are because she was bitten. He is also dealing with a change in attitude. He's no longer sure that killing the newly bitten is the right course of action. Maybe some of them can be kept from becoming killing machines. 

This was an entertaining paranormal romance with interesting characters. It hit a bunch of the romance tropes in an engaging way. It is also the first book in a series set in the same world -- LA with a paranormal side. 

Favorite Quote:

"After you kill him, the curse will be broken."

At this, Gideon hesitated, his hand hovering over her foot. "If he's the alpha, yes."

"Alpha?"

"Each pack has one alpha and every lycan can be traced back to the alpha, wither through birth of infection."

"So if you kill the alpha, the rest of the pack will become human again?"

"No." His eyes cut directly to hers. "Only those who aren't damned."

I bought this one March 9, 2008. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Unseen by Rachel Caine

Unseen
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: Outcast Season (Book 3)
Publication: Ace; Original edition (February 1, 2011)

Description: After Cassiel and Warden Luis Rocha rescue an adept child from a maniacal Djinn, they realize two things: the girl is already manifesting an incredible amount of power, and her kidnapping was not an isolated incident.

This Djinn-aided by her devoted followers-is capturing children all over the world and indoctrinating them so she can use their strength for herself. With no other options, Cassiel infiltrates the Djinn's organization-because if Cassiel cannot stop the Djinn's apocalyptic designs, all of humanity may be destroyed.

My Thoughts: The third book in the Outcast Season series has Cassiel trying to find a way to kill Pearl with killing all of humanity. She and Luis have reunited with his niece Ibby, but Ibby is not well. Pearl has forced her to develop her powers many years too soon, and the new power will kill her sooner or later and probably sooner. 

Luis and Cassiel have a basic difference of opinion. Luis feels that he has to stay and try to help Ibby. Cassiel is sure that she has to take the fight to Pearl. This argument causes them to go their separate ways for a while which nearly breaks Cassiel's heart. Once given, love isn't a gift that a Djinn can take back. 

The story is filled with all sorts of battles with the good guys nearly always on the ropes. Pearl, who doesn't care if her soldiers survive, seems to have the advantage in all the battles. But that doesn't mean that Cassiel will give up. 

I like the world building in this series and really enjoy Cassiel's character as she develops more human-like characteristics. 

Favorite Quote:

Pearl hated everything and hated it enough to be willing to sweep it all away in her blind rage. Humans, Djinn, animals, plants, the rich life force of the planet itself. She might expire with the rest of it, but she would survive long enough to look on a barren, dying ball of rock, and the death of all that lived. Dying last was her definition of winning.

I bought this one January 5, 2011. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Deadtown by Nancy Holzner

Deadtown
Author: Nancy Holzner
Series: A Deadtown Novel (Book 1)
Publication: Ace; Reissue edition (November 10, 2009)

Description: First in a brand new urban fantasy series that's "fresh and funny, with a great new take on zombies" (Karen Chance) and "full of dangerous magic and populated with characters so realistic, they almost jump off the page" (Ilona Andrews).

If you were undead, you'd be home by now...

They call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders-but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human.

My Thoughts: Victory Vaughn is a shapeshifter and demon killer. She might be the last of her kind if her young niece doesn't inherit shapeshifting which her sister really hopes she won't.

After a plague hit Boston and turned most of the citizens into zombies, the human government created an enclave called Deadtown for the inhuman and undead residents. Since then, residents have been fighting for their rights which is a real uphill battle.

Vicky's sometime boyfriend Kane is a werewolf lawyer really concerned about winning rights for all inhuman and undead residents. Currently, Massachusetts is one of the few US States were residents of Deadtown have some limited rights. The current race for governor could change that as the leading candidate is extremely opposed to any more rights and freedoms for people he calls "monsters."

Vicky is more concerned about making a living than politics. She is hired by the haunted wealthy to rid their dreams of various demons that cause nightmares. However when helping her latest client who happens to be a gangster and a supporter of the anti-inhuman governor candidate, she encounters the demon who killed her father and marked her. 

She learns that the demon has been bound by a human sorcerer. It makes Vicky determined to find the demon and send it back to hell and to find the sorcerer too. 

There is another problem too. A fanatic human scientist wants to study Vicky and her family and goes so far as to kidnap Vicky's ten-year-old niece. Since it isn't certain that the niece is human or like Vicky, human law is taking a wait-and-see approach leaving the rescue to Vicky and one police officer who is one her side. 

This was an engaging and entertaining urban fantasy story with an interesting main character. I enjoyed this story which begins a series. 

Favorite Quote:

For me, ethics were a lot simpler. If you had a problem and you could afford my fee, I'd help you out. And if you were a demon and came after me, I'd kill you. So I wouldn't win the Nobel Peace Prize any time soon. My system worked for me.

I bought this one for my first Kindle December 29, 2009. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Deadtown by Nancy Holzner

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is 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.

Beginning:

Two rules I live by: Never admit to being a shapeshifter on a first, second, or third date with a human. And never, ever bring along a zombie apprentice wannabe on a demon kill.

Friday 56:

The next summer I was eighteen years old, a high school graduate, and feeling more than ready to graduate from Mab's training program as well. I was all grown up now, and this would be the summer I finally got to kick some demon ass. 

This week I am spotlighting a book I added to my stack December 29, 2009. It was one of the first books I bought for my Kindle. Deadtown by Nancy Holzner is the first in an urban fantasy series. Here is the description from Amazon:

First in a brand new urban fantasy series that's "fresh and funny, with a great new take on zombies" (Karen Chance) and "full of dangerous magic and populated with characters so realistic, they almost jump off the page" (Ilona Andrews).

If you were undead, you'd be home by now...

They call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders-but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human.

Book Review: Unknown by Rachel Caine

Unknown
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: Outcast Season (Book 2)
Publication: Ace; 1st Printing edition (February 2, 2010)

Description: Living among mortals, the djinn Cassiel has developed a reluctant affection for them-especially for Warden Luis Rocha. As the mystery deepens around the kidnapping of innocent Warden children, Cassiel and Luis are the only ones who can investigate both the human and djinn realms. But the trail will lead them to a traitor who may be more powerful than they can handle...

My Thoughts: The second book in the Outcast Season series finds Cassiel becoming more human and falling in love with Earth Warden Luis Rocha. They are both on a quest to rescue Luis's niece who has been kidnapped by Pearl along with many other Warden children to be turned into weapons in her war against humanity.

Cassiel is conflicted and alone. She was exiled from the Djinn and turned human because she refused to massacre humanity. Her leader believes that this is the only way to defeat Pearl and save the Djinn. More and more Cassiel fears that he might be right. But the more she spends time with humans, the more determined she is to find a way to defeat Pearl and still save humanity. 

I enjoyed the worldbuilding in this story. I am also getting to like Cassiel more as she becomes more involved with humans and their problems. 

Favorite Quote:

Luis sighed. "So, I'm taking bets. Did we just do something really smart, or really, dramatically stupid?"

"I see nothing to say it can't be both," I said. "There is, after all, an endless supply of stupidity."

I bought this Kindle version February 2, 2010. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Unshapely Things by Mark Del Franco

Unshapely Things
Author: Mark Del Franco
Series: Connor Grey (Book 1)
Publication: Ace (January 30, 2007)

Description: In the alleys of the decrepit Boston neighborhood known as the Weird, fairy prostitutes are turning up dead. The crime scenes show signs of residual magic, but the Guild, which polices the fey, has more "important" crimes to investigate and dumps the case on human law enforcement.

Boston police call in Connor Grey, a druid and former hotshot Guild investigator-whose magical abilities were crippled after a run-in with a radical environmentalist elf. As Connor battles red tape and his own shortcomings, he realizes that the murders are not random, but part of an ancient magical ritual. And if Connor can't figure out the killer's M.O., the culmination of the spell might just bring about a worldwide cataclysm.

My Thoughts: Connor Grey was once a hotshot Guild investigator with amazing magical powers. After an encounter with a radical environmentalist elf, his powers have been crippled and he is forced to survive on a disability pension and consulting work for the Boston Police Department. 

Connor is called in my Boston PD detective Murdock when bodies of fairy prostitutes missing their hearts are found in the Weird, a decrepit neighborhood. The Guild has passed the crime to the Boston PD since they have more "important" crimes to investigate. Connor soon recognizes that the crimes are part of a magical ritual but doesn't know which one or what the goal might be.

As he and Murdock investigate, Connor gets help from his friends including a flit named Joe.

Connor was an interesting character who is still in the denial stage of grief about losing his powers and place. He is constantly longing for what he once had and only barely works to redevelop his once strong powers. He does have a nice circle of friends who are ready to help him or kick him in the butt if he needs that. 

I enjoyed the worldbuilding in this story which, since the Convergence, has the fae integrated into regular human life. It is also concerned with a rivalry that could burst into a war between the fairies and the elves. 

This was entertaining urban fantasy with an interesting world and an intriguing main character. 

Favorite Quote:

Murdock shook his head, laughing. "I don't know if you're trying to drive me crazy or just get more consulting fees."

I poked my cheek out with my tongue. "Both have their appeal."

I bought this one May 8, 2007. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst

The Lake House
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publication: HarperTeen (April 25, 2023)

Description: Yellowjackets meets One of Us Is Lying in this masterful survival thriller from award-winning author Sarah Beth Durst.

Claire’s grown up triple-checking locks. Counting her steps. Second-guessing every decision. It’s just how she’s wired—her worst-case scenarios never actually come true.

Until she arrives at an off-the-grid summer camp to find a blackened, burned husk instead of a lodge—and no survivors, except her and two other late arrivals: Reyva and Mariana.

When the three girls find a dead body in the woods, they realize none of this is an accident. Someone, something, is hunting them. Something that hides in the shadows.

Something that refuses to let them leave.

My Thoughts: This was an entertaining story about girl friendships with more than a touch of horror.

Claire, Revya, and Mariana are late arrivals at the Lake House. All have been pressured by their parents to go to this summer camp for and "enrichment retreat." None expected to find themselves alone on an island in Maine with the camp burned to the ground and something chasing them. 

I liked the way each girl exposed herself to the others as they began to trust each other. Claire has a pessimistic viewpoint on life. She's the first to identify all the things that can go wrong in any situation. Sometimes these circular thoughts cause her be suffer panic attacks. Her parents don't know what to do with her and make her feel that these attacks can be overcome with a more positive attitude. This only makes Claire feel worse about them. 

Mariana and Revya are hiding secrets of their own.

But all three girls have to develop their own sorts of survival skills if they want to live through their summer camp experience. I loved watching the girls grow while learning to depend on and accept each other for what they are. 

The horror aspect was also a nice addition to the story in a very creepy way. 

Favorite Quote:

I'm a puzzle solver, she thought, turning the words over in her head. She liked that a lot better than "paranoid mess." I've hidden who I am and been ashamed of who I am for so long...

But I'm not week. Maybe I'm broken, maybe I can never be "fixed," at least not enough to please everyone, but I am not fragile. I am not powerless. I am strong, no "despite" or "except for" or any other conditionals. I am enough exactly as I am.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Skin Deep by Mark Del Franco

Skin Deep
Author: Mark Del Franco
Series: Laura Blackstone (Book 1)
Publication: Ace; Ace Mass-Market edition (July 28, 2009)

Description: A THRILLING NEW URBAN FANTASY SERIES FROM THE AUTHOR OF UNFALLEN DEAD AND UNQUIET DREAMS.

Being an undercover agent has its occupational hazards, but Laura Blackstone makes it look easy. As a spy for a fey intelligence agency, she uses her magical abilities to create disguises that are skin deep glamours that must never be compromised. But when Laura's worlds collide she'll have more to worry about than retiring an identity; she may just lose her life.

My Thoughts: The first Laura Blackstone urban fantasy title introduces a new world where the fey have come out and are playing politics. 

Laura Blackstone has a number of identities. She's a PR person for the Guild. She's an undercover agent for the fey intelligence agency. And she's undercover on a human SWAT team as the fey representative. 

Keeping all of her personas straight has made her concerned that she might be losing her real self. But she doesn't have time to worry about that because it looks like some disaffected fey want to start a war between fey and humans and Laura in all her personas has to find a way to keep that from happening.

I enjoyed the worldbuilding in this story. It was also filled with action. There was even the possibility of romance with one of the other characters.

It was an engaging story.

Favorite Quote:

Everything was complicated enough. She was lonely and tired and frustrated. He was handsome and smart and different. The wrong combination for her at the moment. He startled her by dangling a beer bottle in her face. Between her weak sensing fiele and the medallion dampening his fey nature, she didn't know he had returned. Even that lock of warning intrigued her. She literally couldn't see him coming. 

I bought this one July 30, 2009. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Magic Tides by Ilona Andrews

Magic Tides
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years (Book 1)
Publication: NYLA (January 17, 2023)

Description: Ilona Andrews invites you back to the #1 New York Times bestselling Kate Daniels series in this exciting new long novella featuring Kate, Curran and Conlan, some familiar faces, some new friends, and all the special brand of chaos they create!

Kate, Curran and their son, Conlan have left Atlanta, vowing to keep a low profile, and are settling into a new city and new house…but some things never change! Magical mayhem is about to erupt when Kate undertakes the rescue of a kidnapped youth, while Curran guards the homefront.

It should be a simple retrieval, but with monsters on land and sea, Kate’s got her work cut out for her. Still, she's never let her blade dull or her purpose falter. And that low profile? It’s about to wash away with the raging tides!

My Thoughts: Kate, Curran, and their son Conlan have moved to Wilmington for a new start in a new city and new house. Kate would like them to keep a low profile but when the nephew of their contractor is kidnapped, Kate decides to go to his rescue leaving Curran and Conlan to guard their new house.

It isn't as easy as Kate had hoped since first she runs into traffickers and then she has to deal with the People and finally has to deal with an ancient god. But Kate's knowledge and skills are enough to face all the odds and triumph.

Meanwhile back at home, Curran and Conlan along with some allies deal with their own share of troubles. 

This was a fun story with lots of magical action. I enjoy the worldbuilding which is based on myths from a wide assortment of traditions. It is good to catch up with Kate, Curran and Conlan. 

Favorite Quote:

Hi, honey, I accidentally exploded some kind of baby kraken in the Cape Fear River in broad daylight in front of a dozen witnesses. Yes, I do remember that I was the one who originally insisted on the lying low thing. Yes, I do recall that you said it would never work. No, it isn't funny...

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Magic Tides by Ilona Andrews

 Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is 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.

Beginning:

Ms. Vigue adjusted her bright red glasses and peered at me from her perch on the sofa of our second living room. We were in the middle of renovations, and the second living room was one of the four functional rooms in the entire place.

Friday 56:

The People were the answer to all those needs. Their bases performed community outreach, operated entertainment venues, apprehended loose vampires at no charge, and provided an opportunity for the terminally ill to sell their bodies to be infected with the Immortuus pathogen, which would turn them into vampires after death, for a substantial payout to their family.

This week I am spotlighting Magic Tides by Ilona Andrews. This spinoff from the Kate Daniels Urban Fantasy series is a recent arrival on TBR mountain. Here is the description from Amazon:

Ilona Andrews invites you back to the #1 New York Times bestselling Kate Daniels series in this exciting new long novella featuring Kate, Curran and Conlan, some familiar faces, some new friends, and all the special brand of chaos they create!

Kate, Curran and their son, Conlan have left Atlanta, vowing to keep a low profile, and are settling into a new city and new house…but some things never change! Magical mayhem is about to erupt when Kate undertakes the rescue of a kidnapped youth, while Curran guards the homefront.

It should be a simple retrieval, but with monsters on land and sea, Kate’s got her work cut out for her. Still, she's never let her blade dull or her purpose falter. And that low profile? It’s about to wash away with the raging tides!