ARC Review: Carousel Sun by Sharon Lee

Carousel Sun
Author: Sharon Lee
Publication: Baen (February 4, 2014)

Description: The long-awaited sequel to Carousel Tides, enchanting contemporary fantasy by Sharon Lee, award-winning co-creator of the popular Liaden Universe® saga. When magic meets mundane, sparks fly: these are exciting times in Archers Beach, Maine! A unprecedented Early Season has united townies and carnies in an effort to expand into a twelve-month resort, recapturing the town's former glory.

Kate Archer, owner-operator of the vintage wooden carousel, is caught up in the excitement—and is quite possibly the cause of it. Because Kate leads a double life, as carny, and as Guardian of the land. Her recent return to the home she had forsaken has changed the town's luck—for the better—and energized the trenvay—earth and water spirits who are as much citizens of the Beach as their mundane counterparts.

But the town's new energy isn't the only change afoot. Joe Nemeier, the local drug lord, whose previous magical consultant was vanquished by Kate, has acquired a new ally—and this one plays with fire.

My Thoughts: Kate Archer is back home in Archer's Beach, Maine, and running the family carousel. She is also the guardian of the land and the carousel acts as a prison for being sent their by the Wise. As a guardian of the land her presence can lead to prosperity for the area. In fact, those others who are involved in the local amusement park are eager to expand their season from twelve weeks to year round. Kate gets involved some committee work to encourage that to happen.

Of course, she is also still trying to defeat the local drug lord Joe Nemeier who hasn't hesitated to import wizards from elsewhere in the Six Worlds to help him succeed in his enterprises. Kate temporarily defeated him in the first book in this series but the problem of Joe and his henchmen still weighs on Kate. He wants to take over the forest that is the safe place for her grandmother and mother who need the land for survival and healing.

Kate is also dealing with her relationship with Borgan who is the guardian of the sea around Archer's Beach. He was hurt at the end of the first book but Kate manages to rescue him from those who hoped to take over for him while he was weak. They spend a lot of this story figuring out what their new relationship was going to be.

I loved the way Lee wove the world we know with a fantasy world filled with magic and magical characters. I also loved the language of this story and Kate's very Maine-ish powers of understatement. Kate is a very engaging main character.

I recommend this story for lovers of contemporary fantasy. You won't want to miss the first book in this series - Carousel Tides - either.

Favorite Quote:

Spellcraft lessons aren't easy for me. I'm not one of those crime-fighting, half-fey princesses found in urban fantasy novels, who revel in their powers, and need no lessons in their use, or in control.

By contrast, I'm only one-quarter-fey, my power will turn on and eat me if I'm not constantly vigilant, and I'm much better at hacking than spellcraft.

All that said, I'm not a mundane person, either; I was born with the ability, however small, to hold jikinap and bend it to my will, and I'm not, despite what you might think by looking at the evidence, a complete idiot.

I got this eARC from Baen Books via Edelweiss. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: River Road by Suzanne Johnson

River Road

Author: Suzanne Johnson

Publication: Tor Books; Reprint edition (June 25, 2013)

Description: Hurricane Katrina is long gone, but the preternatural storm rages on in New Orleans. New species from the Beyond moved into Louisiana after the hurricane destroyed the borders between worlds, and it falls to wizard sentinel Drusilla Jaco and her partner, Alex Warin, to keep the preternaturals peaceful and the humans unaware. But a war is brewing between two clans of Cajun merpeople in Plaquemines Parish, and down in the swamp, DJ learns, there’s more stirring than angry mermen and the threat of a were-gator. 

Wizards are dying, and someone—or something—from the Beyond is poisoning the waters of the mighty Mississippi, threatening the humans who live and work along the river. DJ and Alex must figure out what unearthly source is contaminating the water and who—or what—is killing the wizards. Is it a malcontented merman, the naughty nymph, or some other critter altogether? After all, DJ’s undead suitor, the pirate Jean Lafitte, knows his way around a body or two. 

It’s anything but smooth sailing on the bayou as the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series continues.

My Thoughts: Suzanne Johnson adds to the ambiance of New Orleans—already having a touch of the paranormal—by adding wizards, the historical dead, and other preternatural creatures. Drusilla Jaco—better known as DJ—is the sentinel in charge of keeping control of all the new pretes. Her partner is shapeshifter Alex Warin who provides the muscles (and violence) that aren't part of the repertoire of Green Congress wizards like DJ.

Their cases this time have to do with feuding mer people, dead wizards, and polluted river water. More and more preternaturals are finding a home in New Orleans and the surrounding area since the magical barriers fell with the flooding that Katrina brought. Now two clans of mer need DJ to settle where each can live (and keep them from killing each other.) She and Alex are also called in to determine if the dead body found nearby is human or supernatural. If it's human, the case will be turned over to the human police. If is is supernatural, the crime lands on Alex and DJ. They discover that the mutilated corpse belonged to a wizard who had put magic aside and was teaching biology at Tulane. His widow raises questions for DJ because, as an empath, she ought to be able to read her emotions but she can't. The final thread has to do with polluted river water that is making the mer sick and needs to be corrected before it starts involving humans.

Beyond the mystery, a lot of the story deals with DJ's relationships to a number of men in her life. She has conflicted feelings about her partner Alex. They have decided to be friends without benefits but she is getting different messages from Alex now. Then there is Jake, Alex's cousin, who has turned into a loup-garou. There was a possibility of a romance before that happened but now they need to decide if they can make the relationship go given that loup-garou have a tendency to lose control and go on killing sprees. Last on DJ's dance card is Jean Lafitte who is one of the historic dead. I like the way DJ is torn between relationships with each of them for different reasons and how each one fits into her life. 

The world building in this story is well-done and the setting is perfect for a paranormal. DJ is not a typical urban fantasy kick-ass heroine but she has her own strengths and talents and is a great character. All of her men are also hot in their own varied ways. I look forward to reading more adventures in DJ's future.

This book is the sequel to Royal Street but stands alone well. A third book in this series—Elysian Fields—will be released on August 13.

Favorite Quote:

People jog at dawn for a reason. If they wait, their brains will wake up ad convince them there are things they'd rather do. Like have oral surgery.

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

Teaser Tuesday: River Road by Suzanne Johnson

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!

This week my teaser comes from River Road by Suzanne Johnson. This urban fantasy story has been sitting on my TBR mountain since January 7 but the reprint edition is being released today. Here is the description:

Hurricane Katrina is long gone, but the preternatural storm rages on in New Orleans. New species from the Beyond moved into Louisiana after the hurricane destroyed the borders between worlds, and it falls to wizard sentinel Drusilla Jaco and her partner, Alex Warin, to keep the preternaturals peaceful and the humans unaware. But a war is brewing between two clans of Cajun merpeople in Plaquemines Parish, and down in the swamp, DJ learns, there’s more stirring than angry mermen and the threat of a were-gator.

Wizards are dying, and someone—or something—from the Beyond is poisoning the waters of the mighty Mississippi, threatening the humans who live and work along the river. DJ and Alex must figure out what unearthly source is contaminating the water and who—or what—is killing the wizards. Is it a malcontented merman, the naughty nymph, or some other critter altogether? After all, DJ’s undead suitor, the pirate Jean Lafitte, knows his way around a body or two.

It’s anything but smooth sailing on the bayou as the Sentinels of New Orleans urban fantasy series continues.

This book is the sequel to Royal Street which I read and enjoyed.

Teaser:

One pair of pants, a single shirt, one pair of shoes, one dead guy—and two wallets belonging to Green Congress wizards who both taught biology at Tulane. Add them all up, and my headache got a whole lot worse.

Book Review: Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

Heart of Obsidian

Author: Nalini Singh

Publication: Berkley Hardcover (June 4, 2013)

Description: Step into New York Times bestseller Nalini Singh's explosive and shockingly passionate Psy-Changeling world...

A dangerous, volatile rebel, hands stained bloodred.

A woman whose very existence has been erased.

A love story so dark, it may shatter the world itself.

A deadly price that must be paid.

The day of reckoning is here.

From "the alpha author of paranormal romance" (Booklist) comes the most highly anticipated novel of her career--one that blurs the line between madness and genius, between subjugation and liberation, between the living and the dead.

My Thoughts: What an amazing story! It takes an author as talented as Nalini Singh to turn a character we have seen as frightening and immensely dangerous into a romantic hero, but she manages it ably. Kaleb Krychek has been searching for Sahara for seven years. She was kidnapped at the instigation of his "mentor" Santano Enrique and used as a lever to keep Kaleb subservient to Enrique. When the story begins, he has found her and found her badly damaged.

Sahara Kyriakus had been tortured over and over again in an attempt to get her to use her very unique and powerful telepathic gift. She managed to escape by creating a labyrinth in her own mind to protect herself. She is a person of great strength and great integrity. She is also in love with Kaleb. They have known each other since she was seven and he was 13. She makes herself into his only friend and his lifeline to his humanity. The flashbacks to their childhoods helps convert the Kaleb we've seen into a sympathetic character.

As the two get to know each other again, the outside world isn't taking a backseat. Pure Psy is stepping up its efforts to "purify" the Psy no matter how many acts of terrorism it will take. The Council has disintegrated and fallen apart and Kaleb is getting ready to take control of the PsyNet before Pure Psy or the flaws within the net manage to destroy it.

The climactic battle with Pure Psy sees a coalition of humans, changelings and Psy and reunite many of our favorite characters from earlier books in the series as all factions need to work together to keep Pure Psy's chaos from coming to pass.

The story is filled with intense emotion and great action scenes. The emotional intensity between Kaleb and Sahara was breath-taking and heart-breaking. I strongly recommend this episode in the Psy-Changeling series.

Favorite Quote:

The only way to reverse the ruinous effects of her own creation was for her to be put into an environment her subconscious recognized as "safe."

It was impossible that this situation fit those parameters—the male with hair of jet-black who smelled of ice and pine in a way that made her want to rub her face against his skin, and who eyes never moved off her, was clearly not safe in any way, shape, or form.

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

Teaser Tuesday: Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

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!

This week my teaser comes from Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh. This is the twelfth book in her Psy-Changeling series. Here is the description:

Step into New York Times bestseller Nalini Singh’s explosive and shockingly passionate Psy-Changeling world…

A dangerous, volatile rebel, hands stained bloodred.

A woman whose very existence has been erased.

A love story so dark, it may shatter the world itself.

A deadly price that must be paid.

The day of reckoning is here.

From “the alpha author of paranormal romance” (Booklist) comes the most highly anticipated novel of her career—one that blurs the line between madness and genius, between subjugation and liberation, between the living and the dead.

Teaser:

He had never tasted the sweet liquid himself, but he'd done his research on sensations and tastes that were considered to offer "comfort" in the emotional races. Given the current state of mind and physical health of the woman who sat in the sunshine, such items might be effective in breaching the wall of her distrust.

Book Review: Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris

Dead Ever After

Author: Charlaine Harris

Publication: Ace Hardcover; First Edition edition (May 7, 2013)

Description: THE FINAL SOOKIE STACKHOUSE NOVEL 

There are secrets in the town of Bon Temps, ones that threaten those closest to Sookie—and could destroy her heart....

Sookie Stackhouse  finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough…

My Thoughts: I don't have much to say about this story except that I was satisfied with the conclusion. Even though I have been avoiding other reviews for fear of spoilers, I have heard enough to know that there are a variety of opinions about the way Charlaine Harris chose to end her series. I thought that she kept the story true to Sookie's character.

I liked seeing some favorite characters and some villains make a reappearance in this story. I felt satisfied with where those characters were. I was glad to see Mr. Cataliades and Diantha play a major role in this story. I really liked getting a chance to catch up with Quinn too. A brief appearance by Alcide let us catch up on his life too. 

I thought that the part of the story that dealt with Sookie's relationship with Eric ended up the only way it could given both Sookie's and Eric's characters. It gave Sookie a good chance to demonstrate her resilience and show that, despite all that happened to her through the series, she was still a good Southern girl. "Steel magnolia" wouldn't be a bad description for her. 

Throughout the series Sookie lost a lot of the innocence that she began the series with. Each new type of supernatural and each new thing she learned about her own heritage rubbed off some of the innocence but left a much stronger person. 

Read it and then go back and savor the whole series again. That is what I plan to do.

Favorite Quote:

"Karin is called the Slaughterer."

"Well, that's silly. The Slaughterer's just...cumbersome. 'Karin the Killer' would be way better."

If Bill had been prone to such gestures, he would have rolled his eyes. "Sookie..."

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

Friday Memes: Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris

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 indulging myself by choosing a book from my TBR mountain that I have been really eager to read. I chose Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris which is the final book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I have been reading Sookie's story from the beginning and have mixed feelings about the series coming to a close. Here is the description:

THE FINAL SOOKIE STACKHOUSE NOVEL 

There are secrets in the town of Bon Temps, ones that threaten those closest to Sookie—and could destroy her heart....

Sookie Stackhouse  finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough…

Beginning:

The New Orleans businessman, whose gray hair put him in his fifties, was accompanied by his much younger and taller bodyguard/chauffeur on the night he met the devil in the French Quarter. The meeting was by prearrangement.

Friday 56:

"I was talking to my honey. I didn't hear you come in," she said chidingly. "What have you been up to? You over 'the flu'? I started to bring you a can of Campbell's Chicken Noodle."

Book Review: Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Frost Burned

Author: Patricia Briggs

Publication: Ace Hardcover; First Edition edition (March 5, 2013)

Description: Mercy Thompson returns in the seventh novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Mercy Thompson’s life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Adam Hauptman—the charismatic Alpha of the local werewolf pack—has made her a stepmother to his daughter Jesse, a relationship that brings moments of blissful normalcy to Mercy’s life. But on the edges of humanity, what passes for a minor mishap on an ordinary day can turn into so much more…

After an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can’t reach Adam—or anyone else in the pack for that matter. They’ve all been abducted.

Through their mating bond, all Mercy knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam’s disappearance may be related—and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely.

My Thoughts: This seventh story about Mercy Thompson, coyote shifter, is filled will the action, adventure, and excitement that is a trademark of this series. Mercy and her step-daughter Jesse are out catching the early Black Friday deals when someone manages to capture Adam and the rest of the pack. Mercy doesn't know about it until a car accident that causes her to call home for a ride doesn't get answered. Nor can she contact anyone else from the Pack.

Ben is the only werewolf from the Pack that manages to get away, though he was shot with the silver solution invented by a villain in one of the earlier books in the series, and is in bad shape. Together they contact Jesse's boyfriend Gabriel and make their way to Mercy's shop. Mercy's mate bond lets her know that Adam is still alive but that he and the rest of the Pack have all been poisoned with silver and are in great danger. 

After attempting and failing to contact Samuel, Mercy stashes Jesse and Gabriel with Gabriel's estranged family and then sets about checking on the few pack members who were not captured. One of the first she checks on is Kyle who is the human mate of third in command Warren. She learns that he is being held captive by the some members of the same group who got the Pack in the hopes of luring her in to try for a rescue.

Mercy is quite short of allies with Samuel away and with Zee back on the hidden reservations of the Fae. She contacts her vampire friend Stefan, and after managing to call Zee and get some hints, Zee's son Tad.  And Bran has sent Asil, also known as the Moor, the assist. All werewolves are scary but old werewolves who have gotten the taste for killing are the scariest. Asil is a very old werewolf. All of her allies are scary dudes and Mercy is just the one to lead them. 

This story has Mercy developing new talents that even scare her and doing all sorts of risky things because they are the right thing to do. It includes conflicts with government agents, rogue government agents, mercenaries, and vampires with agendas.

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

Favorite Quote:

"'Obstreperous,' huh," said Tad. "I see you've been using that Big Word of the Day calendar I got you last Christmas."

"That is irrefragable," I told him solemnly.

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

Book Review: Redoubt by Mercedes Lackey

Redoubt: The Collegium Chronicles Book Four

Author: Mercedes Lackey

Publication: DAW Hardcover; 1 edition (October 2, 2012)

Description: Mags, a young Herald trainee in Haven, the capital city of the kingdom of Valdemar, has talents not commonly found in Herald trainees. Recognizing this, the King's Own Herald decides to train Mags as a spy in order to uncover the secrets of a mysterious new enemy who has taken an interest in Mags himself. Why is the even deeper mystery. The answers can only be found in the most unexpected corners of Mags' past...assuming he can live long enough to find them.

My Thoughts: This fourth book of the Collegium Chronicles starts out as one sort of book and then turns into something else. When the story begins, Mags and the rest of Haven are preparing for the wedding of Crown Prince Sedric and his bride Lydia. So the story begins with a romance that turns other characters' thoughts to romance too. Mags questions the consequences of his feelings for his mentor's daughter Amily and Bear and Lena run off to get married which solves some major problems for both of them that were begun in earlier books in this series. It was a good story about growing up and forming adult relationships. But there was more...

We also get to see Mags playing his beloved game of Kirball and learning in every situation not excluding watching rope walkers entertain at the wedding. Mags is constantly observing everything which is a large part of why he is being trained by the King's Own to be a spy. But the one thing that he is willing to overlook is the mystery of his own beginnings. He has done some research and learned that his parents where well-dressed foreigners who died when he was two or three. He has come to a dead end in his search to learn more.

It looks like they mystery is coming to him when he is kidnapped, drugged and dragged into Karse by the same assassins who have been attempting to kill or kidnap other Valdemarans and who have attempted to kidnap him before. 

The sections of the story where he is experiencing drugged hallucinations about the terrible time he spent as a small child in the mines were very moving. (As was the description of his life there that he was finally able to share with his mentor Nikolas and a Healer.) Gradually, he gains control of his mind and manages to escape his captors in a raging thunderstorm. 

Then we have a survival story of a young man who isn't trained in wilderness survival and has few assets but who has a strong will and desire to survive and return home. After being attacked by demons, Mags is rescued by a hermit Karsite priest and his suncat. He learns that life isn't good for anyone is Karse because of the abuse of the black robed priests who control the demons. He is recaptured, drugged again by the assassins, and gets some information about his past that he will still need to sort out since it came as a series of drug-induced visions. 

Beginning with romance and ending with heart-pounding danger, REDOUBT moves the story of Mags along. I look forward to more volumes so that more of the mysteries will be solved. 

Favorite Quote:

But when he asked Dallen to help him out with Amily, Dallen would only chuckle and say, :That sort of thing is best left for you to discover for yourself.:

Definitely nothing like fair. I don't want to work it out fer myself, he thought with irritation. I want instructions, like! I want...maps! Guidebooks! All this discoverin' for yourself stuff is overrated!

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

Book Review: Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks

Mortal Ties

Author: Eileen Wilks

Publication: Berkley; Original edition (October 2, 2012)

Description: “Eileen Wilks is a truly gifted writer,” (Romance Junkies) and her Novels of the Lupi have drawn readers into a seductive world of action, suspense, and passion. Now, FBI agent Lily Yu tracks a traitor into the darkest shadows yet…

FBI agent Lily Yu is living at Nokolai Clanhome with her fiancé, lupi Rule Turner, when an intruder penetrates their territory, stealing the prototpye of a magical device the clan hopes will be worth a fortune--if a few bugs can be worked out . . .

But the protoytpe can be dangerously erratic, discharging a bizarre form of mind magic—and it looks like the thief wants it for that very side effect. Worse, whoever stole the device didn’t learn about it by accident. There’s a Nokolai traitor in their midst.

Lily and Rule have to find the traitor, the thief, and the prototype. One job proves easy when the thief calls them--and his identity rocks Rule’s world. 

As they race to recover their missing property, they find Robert Friar’s sticky footprints all over the place. Robert Friar--killer, madman, and acolyte of the Old One the lupi are at war with--an Old One whose power is almost as vast as her ambition to rock the entire world . . .

My Thoughts: This was another action-packed entry into the Lupi series beginning shortly after the events of DEATH MAGIC. Lily learns more about her mate Rule. Rule learns more about himself and his family. And they have to battle Robert Friar again. What makes this series so entertaining for me is the quality world-building and the strong characters. While Lily and Rule are my favorites, I also adore Cullen, Cynna, and Grandmother. 

This episode concerns the theft of a device that Cullen is inventing which has some bugs. It causes normal, ungifted human beings to see very vivid hallucinations. However, that doesn't explain why Robert Friar and a couple of rival groups of elves want it.

I like that Lily and Rule are both adults and both know that they have to work at their relationship even though they have this spiritual bond given to them by the Lady who is the goddess of the Lupi. Watching them negotiate and compromise for each other adds depth to the story.

Rule also comes to terms with his dual role as Lu Nuncio to Nikolai and Rho to Leidolf. He has been balancing these two conflicting roles for a couple of books but in this one he has to make and accept some choices. It doesn't help that he has to do this while dealing with the emotional upset of learning that he has a human half-brother who happens to be the thief who stole Cullen's magical widget. 

Lily is also still dealing with the ghost of Al Drummond - an FBI agent that went bad, was killed, and now is somehow linked to her. She doesn't know if she can trust him or if he is still playing for the wrong team. I liked that we had multiple viewpoints in this book and that Drummond's was one of them. 

The preview to the next book in the back of this one has me very eager to find out what happens next for these characters. I think readers of urban fantasy will very much enjoy this series. But, don't start with this one, pick up TEMPTING DANGER and join the fun at the beginning.

Favorite Quote:

"I would very much like to handle the questioning. Thank you." Not that he was doing it to please her. No, he had something else in mind, and maybe she'd guessed what that was. One of his goals, anyway. Isen wasn't a two birds with one stone kind of guy. More like one stone, two birds, a rabbit, a fox, and maybe that deer will trip over the fox and we can get him, too. 

I am a big fan of this series and bought this book. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks

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 a book from my TBR mountain - Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks. This one has only been on the mountain since Oct. 2, 2012 but it was one of my most anticipated books of the year. It is the ninth book in the World of the Lupi series.

Here is the description:

“Eileen Wilks is a truly gifted writer,” (Romance Junkies) and her Novels of the Lupi have drawn readers into a seductive world of action, suspense, and passion. Now, FBI agent Lily Yu tracks a traitor into the darkest shadows yet… 

FBI agent Lily Yu is living at Nokolai Clanhome with her fiancé, lupi Rule Turner, when an intruder penetrates their territory, stealing the prototpye of a magical device the clan hopes will be worth a fortune--if a few bugs can be worked out . . . 

But the protoytpe can be dangerously erratic, discharging a bizarre form of mind magic—and it looks like the thief wants it for that very side effect. Worse, whoever stole the device didn’t learn about it by accident. There’s a Nokolai traitor in their midst. 

Lily and Rule have to find the traitor, the thief, and the prototype. One job proves easy when the thief calls them--and his identity rocks Rule’s world.  

As they race to recover their missing property, they find Robert Friar’s sticky footprints all over the place. Robert Friar--killer, madman, and acolyte of the Old One the lupi are at war with--an Old One whose power is almost as vast as her ambition to rock the entire world . . .

Beginning:

Lily Yu hadn't planned to visit the graveyard at sunset. It just worked out that way.

Friday 56:

Either David had caught on or he was truly appalled. "You want me to physically restrain a Chosen? Rule's Chosen?"

"She's not going to shoot you," Cullen called back. "I don't care what she says, she won't shoot."

That made Lily grin as she picked her way down the path. "I don't threaten what I won't do."

Book Review: Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison

Black Magic Sanction

Author: Kim Harrison

Publication: Harper Voyager; 1 edition (February 23, 2010)

Description: Rachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter—and lived to tell the tale. But she's never faced off against her own kind . . . until now. Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment—at worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom, but trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and an ex-boyfriend turned thief.

It takes a witch to catch a witch, but survival bears a heavy price.

My Thoughts: Rachel seems to go from one crisis to another is this the eighth book in the Rachel Morgan series. We begin the book with Rachel shunned by the Coven - an association of white witches - for using demon magic. They want her dead or, if not dead, at least sterilized and lobotomized (which probably isn't a word even though it doesn't raise a spelling flag). Naturally, Rachel is not in favor of this action. 

She is also busy learning more about her demon heritage, discovering new talents, and frantically pretending to be "normal." Al, the demon who has taken Rachel as his student, assigns Pierce to be her bodyguard. Pierce is also a black witch and Al's familiar. He is way to eager to use black magic for Rachel's tastes but she likes him. She doesn't want to get close to him because of her previous bad experiences. The men she loves either die or betray her. 

Rachel is cautious in choosing those she can trust. Ivy and Jenks are the inner circle. This book kept Ivy as very much a side character but Jenks got a larger role. This is the story when his beloved Matalina dies. But unlike most pixies, Jenks doesn't follow her into death. Rachel isn't willing to let him leave her and uses extraordinary measures to convince him that she needs him.

The story was exciting and twisty. It both resolves some old issues and sees Rachel learning and accepting her new powers. Fans of the series won't want to miss this one. 

Favorite Quote:

Together Ivy and I looked at the innocuous-seeming thing. The knots were hard under my fingertips, the hari they were made from silver and black  It tingled as if the power was leaking out. Elven magic. Wild. Unpredictable. God, I hoped I wasn't making a mistake. Trent had mad it, and I didn't know how good--or evil-- he was. Knowledge is power. Frowning, I fingered the first knot. Ignorance is bliss.

But curiosity--even if it had killed the cat--was king, and heart pounding, I moved the box from the bed and sat down. "You won't leave?"

I bought an copy and had it autographed at a book signing a couple of years ago. You can buy the book here. 

Teaser Tuesday: Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison

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.

My teaser is from a book that has been on my TBR mountain since Feb. 25, 2010. I chose Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison. This is the eighth book in the Rachel Morgan series. I also happen to have an autographed copy of the book since a friend and I took a road trip to the Twin Cities to attend her author signing.
Here is the description:

Rachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter—and lived to tell the tale. But she's never faced off against her own kind . . . until now. Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment—at worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom, but trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and an ex-boyfriend turned thief.

It takes a witch to catch a witch, but survival bears a heavy price.

Teaser:

Sentencing? Fear slid through me, and at my alarmed expression, Brooke smiled. They were railroading me into custody because a trial would bring it out into the open that witches ere an offshoot of demons  Humans would massacre us in our sleep like thy once had vampires.

Book Review: The Perfect Hope by Nora Roberts

The Perfect Hope
Author: Nora Roberts
Publication: Berkley Trade (November 6, 2012)

Description: A new novel of starting over and star-crossed love.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts introduces you to the Montgomery brothers—Beckett, Ryder, and Owen—as they bring an intimate bed-and-breakfast to life in their hometown.

Ryder is the hardest Montgomery brother to figure out—with a tough-as-nails outside and possibly nothing too soft underneath. He’s surly and unsociable, but when he straps on a tool belt, no woman can resist his sexy swagger. Except apparently Hope Beaumont, the innkeeper of his own Inn BoonsBoro…

As the former manager of a D.C. hotel, Hope is used to excitement and glamour, but that doesn’t mean she can’t appreciate the joys of small-town living. She’s where she wants to be—except for in her love life. Her only interaction with the opposite sex has been sparring with the infuriating Ryder, who always seems to get under her skin. Still, no one can deny the electricity that crackles between them…a spark that ignited with a New Year’s Eve kiss.

While the Inn is running smoothly, thanks to Hope’s experience and unerring instincts, her big-city past is about to make an unwelcome—and embarrassing—appearance. Seeing Hope vulnerable stirs up Ryder’s emotions and makes him realize that while Hope may not be perfect, she just might be perfect for him…

My Thoughts: THE PERFECT HOPE was a wonderful conclusion to the Inn Boonsboro Trilogy. This is Hope and Ryder's romance. It is also the conclusion to Lizzy and Billy's story. 

We have been watching Hope and Ryder spar and interact since the first book of the series - when they are not avoiding each other. They seem a very mismatched couple. Ryder is not a talker or fan of social interaction. He is abrupt and brutally frank. Of course, he is also handsome, loyal, hard-working and surprisingly perceptive. Hope is an innkeeper. She is beautiful, smart, socially adept, hard-working and loyal to her friends. Hope seems to Ryder to be a sophisticated city girl. Ryder prefers spending time at his house in the woods with his dog Dumbass as his only companion. 

It was fun to watch Hope and Ryder's relationship grow and see it transition from a strictly sexual, no-strings-attached relationship to a deep loving one. Of course everyone around them could see where the relationship was headed but both Hope and Ryder were stubbornly refusing to see.

Hope's former boyfriend - the jerk who was stringing her along while pursuing a relationship with a woman in his social class - shows up. Jonathan tries to lure her back into her old job at the family hotel and into a new, formal relationship as his mistress. Hope is angry and insulted and turns to Ryder to show Jonathan that she has moved on and chosen someone better. Ryder is willing to play along since he has been reluctantly attracted to Hope since she first came to Boonsboro.

The relationship escalates when Jonathan's new wife comes to town and accuses Hope of having a continuing relationship with Jonathan. She throws a fit and actually slaps Hope. Since she chose to have this fight in the parking lot of the inn, she has quite an audience including Ryder who is rehabbing the building next door and Ryder's mother who is Hope's boss at the inn. Ryder takes it upon himself, without consulting with Hope, to deal with the problem of Jonathan and his new wife. This creates the biggest conflict in Hope and Ryder's relationship because Hope is angry that he didn't talk to her before taking action.

The resolution of the on-going plot of the ghost who haunts the inn and who is searching for her lost love is also resolved in this story. I will have to say that the resolution brought me to tears. Roberts has a way of writing emotional scenes that always works for me.

The strengths of this story for me were the the strong relationships among the characters. Hope and her best friends Clare and Avery, Ryder and his brothers Beckett and Owen, the brothers relationship with their mother, the women's with their men, and especially the relationship the brothers had with Clare and Beckett's three young sons all added to the story. This whole trilogy was about building the bonds of love and family.

Fans of contemporary romance and fans of Nora Roberts will not be disappointed in this final book in the Inn Boonsboro series. I loved it and look forward to reading the whole series - THE NEXT ALWAYS, THE LAST BOYFRIEND, and THE PERFECT HOPE - again when I need some feel-good romance.

Favorite Quote:

"I would. I'd never do to anyone what Jonathan did to me. I do think about him. I'm just not sure what it means. Maybe I worry about what it could mean. I don't know. I thought it would all be simple."

"It's never simple." Avery slid an arm around Hope's waist. "It shouldn't be. Because being with someone should matter enough to be at least a little bit complicated. Are you going to the movies?"

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

WoW: Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This is where we can post our links and see what books others are waiting for. It spotlights upcoming releases.

I am waiting for a chance to read Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks. The book was released on Oct. 2 but my "must read" list for October is still sky high. I really enjoy this urban fantasy series. Here is the description:

“Eileen Wilks is a truly gifted writer,” (Romance Junkies) and her Novels of the Lupi have drawn readers into a seductive world of action, suspense, and passion. Now, FBI agent Lily Yu tracks a traitor into the darkest shadows yet… FBI agent Lily Yu is living at Nokolai Clanhome with her fiancé, lupi Rule Turner, when an intruder penetrates their territory, stealing the prototpye of a magical device the clan hopes will be worth a fortune--if a few bugs can be worked out . . . But the protoytpe can be dangerously erratic, discharging a bizarre form of mind magic—and it looks like the thief wants it for that very side effect. Worse, whoever stole the device didn’t learn about it by accident. There’s a Nokolai traitor in their midst. Lily and Rule have to find the traitor, the thief, and the prototype. One job proves easy when the thief calls them--and his identity rocks Rule’s world.  As they race to recover their missing property, they find Robert Friar’s sticky footprints all over the place. Robert Friar--killer, madman, and acolyte of the Old One the lupi are at war with--an Old One whose power is almost as vast as her ambition to rock the entire world . . .

This one is at the top of my "read as soon as I can" stack.

WoW: Redoubt by Mercedes Lackey

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This is where we can post our links and see what books others are waiting for. It spotlights upcoming releases.

I am waiting for Redoubt: Book Four of the Collegium Chronicles by Mercedes Lackey. I have been reading Lackey's Valdemar books for many years now and am always excited when a new one comes out. This one is set for an Oct. 2 release. Here is the description:

Mags, a young Herald trainee in Haven, the capital city of Valdemar, has very rare talents. Recognizing this, the King's Own Herald trains Mags as a spy, tasking him with uncovering the secrets of a mysterious new enemy who has taken an interest in Mags himself. Why is an even deeper mystery. The answers can only be found in the depths of Mags' past, if he survives long enough to find them.

I have read the first three books in this series and have enjoyed them very much. Can't wait to read this one too.

ARC Review: Line of Fire by Stephen White

Line of Fire
Author: Stephen White
Publication: Dutton Adult (August 7, 2012)

Description: New York Times bestselling author Stephen White returns with a gripping thriller about the one devastating secret that could cost Alan Gregory everything—the first of the dramatic two-part conclusion to his acclaimed bestselling series.

Clinical psychologist and Boulder resident Alan Gregory is finally beginning to feel settled, hopeful that a long period of upheaval in his private life is behind him. He refocuses his energy on his clinical psychology practice, where a beguiling new patient is challenging his values. The interlude of calm doesn’t last, of course: Alan’s dear friend Diane is showing signs of a long-simmering emotional collapse, and Alan’s greatest fear—the exposure of his most dangerous secret—has become something he can’t ignore.

A new witness has surfaced, causing authorities to reopen their investigation into the suicide death of a woman named J. Winter Brown. When Alan and his equally culpable friend Sam Purdy inadvertently disclose details of their involvement in her death to a desperate drug dealer, any confidence they felt about riding out the new investigation evaporates. The trail that leads back to Alan and Sam, once cold, has turned white-hot.

With his vulnerability mounting daily, Alan begins to fear that his mesmerizing new patient may be the catalyst that can cause everything he treasures—his marriage, family, friendship, and future—to implode. As the authorities close in, the story hurtles toward a conclusion that will set the stage for the most unexpected of outcomes: the final act of the Alan Gregory saga.

My Thoughts: Coming into a series at the nineteenth book is not a good idea! This story was filled with allusions to earlier books in the series that would have evoked memories and emotions for fans of the series but I just found them vague and incomprehensible. The protagonist of this story is Dr. Alan Gregory who is a psychotherapist in Boulder, Colorado. He is married to an Assistant District Attorney. He is good friends with a Boulder police officer named Sam. 

Apparently, some time about three years in the past, Sam murdered an ex-girlfriend who was threatening his child and Alan's child and made it look like suicide. Alan knew about the murder after the fact but didn't tell anyone. Now, a new witness has come forward and it looks like their carefully constructed tissue of lies is about to be exposed.

Meanwhile, Alan's partner Diane is falling apart from a combination of traumas that occurred in earlier books, marital troubles with her venture capitalist husband, and hatred for her home outside of Boulder. All during the book, Boulder is under threat from various wildfires raging through the area. 

Alan also has a couple of new patients. One is the young man who was in a coma in the room where Sam and Alan discussed the new investigation of Sam's murder. The young man - that Sam and Alan call Coma Doe - intends to blackmail Alan into helping him find Sam in order to get some leverage for his own potential drug conviction. Alan's other new patient is a woman who is having a relationship with Diane's husband and who seems to be using Alan for her own purposes.

The story was complex and the different plot threads were entwined in many ways. I will have to say that I didn't like Alan or Sam very much at all. I couldn't understand their decision to force someone to commit suicide and then cover it up. I also thought that Alan was over-analytical. He never seemed to turn off his role as a psychotherapist. He also seemed to skate around his ethics fairly often. Sam was also an ambiguous character. 

Some of the vocabulary in the story also sent me to my online dictionary. I am assuming that the word choices were specific vocabulary to psychotherapy. I know there were two or three words that I had never heard of or had never encountered in anything else I had read. This almost never happens to me as a reader and slowed down the flow of the story for me.

This story may well work better for those who have read previous volumes and who have an emotional connection to the main characters. While I thought the story was interesting, I didn't make an emotional connection to it. This one is only recommended to those who have read other books in the series. I didn't find it a good entry point.

Favorite Quote:

I tried to clear my head, forcing myself not to perseverate on the mistakes I might have made on my visit to Frederick, or on any review of the mistakes I might have made in my initial, abbreviated meeting with Coma Doe.

I got this ARC from a publicist at Dutton in exchange for an honest review. You can buy your copy here. 

Book Review and Giveaway: Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong

Thirteen
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publication: Dutton Adult; First Edition edition (July 24, 2012)


Description: The #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong delivers the novel her fans have been clamoring for: Thirteen, the epic finale of the Otherworld series.


It’s been more than ten years, a dozen installments, and hundreds of thousands of copies since Kelley Armstrong introduced readers to the all-too-real denizens of the Otherworld: witches, werewolves, necromancers, vampires, and half-demons, among others. And it’s all been leading to Thirteen, the final installment, the novel that brings all of these stories to a stunning conclusion.


A war is brewing—the first battle has been waged and Savannah Levine is left standing, albeit battered and bruised. She has rescued her half brother from supernatural medical testing, but he’s fighting to stay alive. The Supernatural Liberation Movement took him hostage, and they have a maniacal plan to expose the supernatural world to the unknowing.


Savannah has called upon her inner energy to summon spells with frightening strength, a strength she never knew she had, as she fights to keep her world from shattering. But it’s more than a matter of supernaturals against one another—both heaven and hell have entered the war; hellhounds, genetically modified werewolves, and all forces of good and evil have joined the fray.


Uniting Savannah with Adam, Paige, Lucas, Jaime, Hope, and other lost-but-notforgotten characters in one epic battle, Thirteen is a grand, crowd-pleasing closer for Armstrong’s legions of fans.


My Thoughts: This was a lovely, satisfying conclusion to one of my favorite series. It had all the danger, excitement, and wonderful characters of the novels that came before it. I was also really glad to see that most of the characters from the earlier novels had a role in this one. 

I don't want to provide spoilers for anyone who might be sensitive to those. But I can say that the battle to defeat Giles De Rais was hard and took all the courage and intelligence that the characters have developed over the course of this long series. This story also saw Savannah come into her own as a full-fledged and grown up Woman of the Otherworld.

I liked the way that the story began with and ended with Elena so that we could see how far she had come through a number of hard fought battles. We could also see where she was now and breathe a sigh of relief for the way things turned out for her. 

The final note from Kelley also gives us some hope that we might someday see more from the Otherworld. I liked that the story didn't really end. We can feel confident that there is still more love and more adventure in store for the characters we have come to love which is their version of "and they lived happily ever after."

I recommend this one highly to lovers of urban fantasy. But don't start with this one. Start with Bitten and get to know all the men and women of the Otherworld.


Favorite Quote:

"All right then," Mom said. "You and I can take showers, and then we'll hit the road. Jamie? You just keep on resting. You don't need to wash that blood out of your hair. It's red anyway. And I'm pretty sure that isn't puke--

Jamie was in the bathroom, slamming the door, before she finished.

The lovely folks at Dutton sent me a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I had already pre-ordered (and received) my own copy. This means that I will be giving away my second copy to one of my followers who lives in the United States. Fill out the form below for your chance to get a copy for yourself.

Win Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong

This contest will end at midnight August 21 and the winner will be chosen using Random.org on Aug. 22.