Tag Archives: genre: urban fantasy

Blog Tour Book Review: Influential Magic by Deanna Chase

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Today I am the stop for the INFLUENTIAL MAGIC blog tour. The tour is hosted by Bewitching Book Tours and you can find the rest of the stops here. Check below my review for an interview with the author, Deanna Chase.

influential magicInfo:
Title: Influential Magic
Author: Deanna Chase
Release Date: March 6, 2013
Publisher: Bayou Moon Press
Source: Author for blog tour
Series? Crescent City Fae #1
Genre: New Adult, Urban Fantasy
Page Count: 310
Rating: [4/5 stars]

Summary:

It’s tough being a faery in New Orleans, a city fraught with vampires… especially when their very existence drains your life-force.

Willow Rhoswen, owner of The Fated Cupcake and part-time vampire hunter for the Void is having a rough week. Four years after her twin brother’s mysterious death, Willow’s life is threatened and the director saddles her with a new partner—her ex-boyfriend, David. To her horror, he’s turned vamp, which causes her physical pain whenever she touches him… and any other specimen of the undead.

In order to save Willow’s life, David agrees to turn double agent against the most powerful vampire organization in New Orleans. Or so he says. And she’s convinced they know something about her brother’s death. Unsure where David’s loyalties lie, she turns to Talisen, her childhood crush, to help her solve the mystery.

Caught between two gorgeous men and a director who’ll stop at nothing to control Willow’s gifts, she’ll have to follow her instincts and learn who to trust. Otherwise, she risks losing more than just her life. (summary from goodreads)

My Review:
INFLUENTIAL MAGIC is a new adult, urban fantasy, a combination I’ve been trying to find for a while. Most new adult books are contemporary, which isn’t my cup of tea. I’m happy to say INFLUENTIAL MAGIC was worth the search!

Right from the start, the worldbuilding begins. Willow, the protagonist, is a faery, complete with wings that let her fly and an extreme sensitivity to metal. For her, spending several hours on a plane is more than just an annoyance: metal sucks away her energy. Which is not a good thing, because minutes after getting off the plane to New Orleans, she’s in a cemetery hunting a vampire. Cemeteries and vampires are two more deadly things to faeries like Willow.

I appreciated that the author didn’t do information dumps about the world, but gave information as it was needed. And what a world! In INFLUENTIAL MAGIC, faeries, vampires, and witches live amongst humans without hiding who they are. Willow runs a mega successful bake shop, selling magically enhanced goodies. I would love to get my hands on a Molten Muse cupcake, which sparks inspiration.

Aside from her bakery, Willow is also an agent for the Void, a government branch for supernatural dealings. So is her best friend and witch, Phoebe, as well as her aunt, Maude. It’s a big tangled deal, one Willow isn’t thrilled about being a part of. But she has a unique ability that is extremely helpful: she can track vampires.

There’s a LOT going on in INFLUENTIAL MAGIC. A lot in a good way. The action is fast, with barely a dull or down moment. There are tons of twists, and I really didn’t know how everything was going to tie together at the end. As someone who can usually figure out a book early on, I always like when a story is unpredictable. But at the same time, I had a small problem with so much action: I had trouble keeping track of the passage of time. Thinking back, it’s almost as if the whole story took place over the course of a very long day.

I also had some trouble with both of the men in Willow’s life. David, her ex-boyfriend, comes back into the picture as a vampire. He ended their relationship with a real jerk move — he sent her a text message. Willow has to deal with the feelings from that while trying to keep ahead of someone who wants to use her abilities. There’s also Talisen, the best friend of Willow’s deceased twin and a fellow fae. Talisen has become a sort of replacement brother for Willow, but she won’t go into boyfriend/girlfriend territory with him because he’s a playboy (play faery?). Though romance isn’t really a big focus, I didn’t know why Willow had dated David in the first place, since their relationship took place prior to the book. So their reconciliation or lack of one wasn’t important to me. And with Talisen, yeah he’s cute and cares for Willow, but I never felt the attraction between them.

Considering the entire book, though, those are two minor complaints. The writing in INFLUENTIAL MAGIC is strong, and the author easily drew me into the world, characters, and story. The main mysteries in this book are tied up at its end, but there are some open storylines leaving plenty of room for a sequel. I’d say the book is a steal at $3.99 for the Kindle version.

Oh goddess! I almost forgot to mention Link, Willow’s shapeshifter protector. If you like good animals characters, you’ll love Link. Sometimes he’s a Shih Tzu and sometimes he’s a wolf. He transforms with Willow’s moods and the situation, although there are some hilarious images of him in Shih Tzu form hanging from a bad dude’s butt by his teeth.

Interview:
1. I read on your blog that you feel the stigma of self-publishing even though you’ve been successful. Why did you decide to self-publish? 

I’ve been writing for about six years now and when I started, self-publishing was known as the kiss of death for writers wanting any type of career. The only way to be taken seriously was to submit to agents and publishers and pray someone, anywhere would like what you write and give you a chance. I did my time on the query merry-go-round with not much success.

Then one day I read an article on Amanda Hocking. Up until that point, I had no idea Kindle Direct Publishing, Pubit (now NOOKpress), or Smashwords even existed. I spent the next forty-eight hours scouring the internet to find out as much as I could about the viability of self-publishing. After my eyes were glazed over and my head was spinning, I got that nervous anticipation feeling in my gut and I knew what I was going to do.

I’d been running the glass business I share with my husband for six years by then. Since I’m used to being my own boss, self-publishing seemed like a no-brainer. I like being in charge of my business and holding my professional fate in my own hands. And I was right. Self-publishing turned out to be the best decision I ever made. I now have a writing career that I’m proud of.

As far as the stigma of self-publishing, I wrote that blog post back in September of last year. I was (and am still) very proud of my accomplishments, but there was a bit of self-doubt about how other writers might see my choices. But attitudes and the market are changing so fast these days, I no longer feel the way I did then. I’m very proud and comfortable with my decisions. I wouldn’t change them and really, I’m no longer bothered by what anyone else may think.

Bead-DeannaChase2. I checked out your glass beads (which are awesome!). How did you get into lampworking, and do you find yourself working on beads when you’re stuck with writing? 

Thank you!

In 1999 my husband and I were at a street fair and we saw a woman selling handmade glass beads and marbles that she made using a technique called lampworking (also known as flameworking). It’s called lampworking because in the past people used to melt glass over oil lamps. My husband (who at the time was a stained glass artist) decided he was going to learn to be a lampworker. He went home, bought a book and all the equipment, and three months later he was selling his work on eBay.

He did that as a hobby for three years. Then in 2003 my husband and I sold our house and moved into an RV to travel the country fulltime while working at campgrounds. It was a grand adventure that we both loved. Along the way, I started lampworking as well and in 2005 we started selling our glass beads and marbles fulltime. In 2007, when we decided we needed more studio space than our RV could handle, we settled into a house in southeast Louisiana. I started writing that year.

As far as lampworking when I get stuck writing, yes it helps. It helps a lot actually. The studio is a great place to work out plot issues.

Duncan-DeannaChase3. Where did the idea for INFLUENTIAL MAGIC come from? 
Hmm, tough question.  To tell you the truth, I don’t even know. I started writing Influential Magic back in early 2011 after I decided Haunted on Bourbon Street, my previous novel, wasn’t going to find a home with a publisher. But then I learned about self-publishing and went full speed ahead on publishing the Bourbon Street novels. I came back to Influential Magic late last year to finish it because that story was always in the back of my mind.

I will tell you that Link, Willow’s shih tzu is inspired my dog Duncan (full name Duncan Donut). He’s positive he’s a wolf and quite pleased he has a starring role in Influential Magic.

4. I’m thrilled there’s finally a new adult novel that *isn’t* contemporary. Did you decide consciously to write new adult, or did Willow just pop into your head? 

As I said earlier, I started writing this back in early 2011. I’m not even sure New Adult existed as a genre back then. So no, I didn’t consciously decide to write New Adult, but I think it does fit squarely in the genre given Willow’s age of twenty-four, the fact that she’s dealing with her childhood crush, and that she’s just now coming into her powers and what they mean for her life path.

5. When reading yourself, do you prefer e-books or physical books? 
Both. And audio books. Audio books are great for when I’m in the studio.

6. Favorite book or series you reread? If you reread.
JK Rowling’s Harry Potter, of course.
The Hollows series by Kim Harrison.
And let’s not forget the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.

7. Any tips for aspiring writers? 
To just write. If you have a story in you, get it out. Then worry about editing and story structure and all that good stuff. It’s wonderful to take workshops, find critique partners, and read books on how to write books. But until you have words down, you don’t have anything to work with. So if you want to write, then write.

Also, write from the heart. Don’t worry too much about what you think people want to read. Write what you want to read. If it means something to you, it’s likely the story will resonate with readers.

Giveaway:
Tour Wide Giveaway:
–One tote bag with a notebook, keychain and signed copy of Influential Magic
–One notebook, keychain and signed copy of Influential Magic
–3 keychains and signed copies of Influential Magic
–5 signed print copies of Influential Magic
–10 ebook copies of Influential Magic

Physical prizes open to US Shipping

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author:
Deanna is a native Californian, transplanted to the slower paced lifestyle of southeastern Louisiana.

When she isn’t writing, she is often goofing off with her husband in New Orleans, playing with her two shih tzu dogs, making glass beads, or out hocking her wares at various bead shows across the country.

Website
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Twitter

– leeanna

Blog Tour Book Review: Rogue Oracle (Delphic Oracle #2) by Alayna Williams

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Today I have two posts for you as part of the blog tour for the Delphic Oracle Series. by Alayna Williams. This is the second, a review of ROGUE ORACLE and a guest post by the author. The first post, a review of DARK ORACLE, is here. This tour is hosted by Bewitching Book Tours. You can check out the rest of the stops here.

rogue oracleInfo:
Title: Rogue Oracle
Author: Alayna Williams
Release Date: February 22, 2011
Publisher: Pocket Books
Source: Blog Tour
Series? Delphic Oracle #2
Series Reviews:
Delphic Oracle #1: Dark Oracle
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery
Page Count: 360
Rating: [3/5 stars]

Summary:

THE MORE YOU KNOW ABOUT THE FUTURE, THE MORE THERE MAY BE TO FEAR.

Tara Sheridan is the best criminal profiler around—and the most unconventional. Trained as a forensic psychologist, Tara also specializes in Tarot card reading. But she doesn’t need her divination skills to realize that the new assignment from her friend and sometime lover, Agent Harry Li, is a dangerous proposition in every way.

Former Cold War operatives, all linked to a top-secret operation tracking the disposal of nuclear weapons in Russia, are disappearing. There are no bodies, and no clues to their whereabouts. Harry suspects a conspiracy to sell arms to the highest bidder. The cards—and Tara’s increasingly ominous dreams—suggest something darker. Even as Tara sorts through her feelings for Harry and her fractured relationship with the mysterious order known as Delphi’s Daughters, a killer is growing more ruthless by the day. And a nightmare that began decades ago in Chernobyl will reach a terrifying endgame that not even Tara could have foreseen. . . (summary from goodreads)

My Review:

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BOOK ONE, DARK ORACLE.

ROGUE ORACLE is the second book in the Delphic Oracle Series by Alayna Williams. It picks up a couple of months after the conclusion of DARK ORACLE. Mostly healed from the emotional wounds she suffered before the first book, Tara has returned to work as a profiler. She and Harry haven’t made much progress on their burgeoning relationship, and Tara’s main priority these days is protecting Cassie from the Pythia.

Tara is plunged right back into working for the government when Harry asks for help with a case. Tara’s not thrilled about being part of “The Little Shop of Horrors” again, but she is happy that she can try to do something for Harry. The case itself is intriguing — several ex Cold War intelligence operatives have gone missing. Their knowledge of uranium stockpiles is being sold, and there’s enough to lead to another Chernobyl.

There’s an interesting fusion of science and urban fantasy in ROGUE ORACLE. After reading it, I feel like I learned a lot about Chernobyl, and I liked that the author didn’t rely just on magic to flesh out her story. The bad guy in ROGUE ORACLE is a result of that blend of science and urban fantasy, and elements from both are used to catch him.

ROGUE ORACLE smooths out some of the rough spots I had with DARK ORACLE. The writing has matured. There’s not as many extraneous descriptions, and there’s less of a focus on the tarot card readings. As Tara relies on tarot cards to interpret events, they are a vital part. However, in the first book of the series, I felt like there was a lot of space devoted to describing each card and its significance. There isn’t as much of that in ROGUE ORACLE, yet the tarot cards remain just as important.

There are some scenes from Cassie’s viewpoint, which I really enjoyed. The scenes with Cassie and the Pythia expose more of the secret world of Delphi’s Daughters, and it’s a world I’d like to see even more of. There’s a moment near the end where I went, “Ohhh. That would be a big burden to handle.” Having characters that can see the future lets the reader consider if that future is set in stone, or if it can be changed. And if it can, should it be changed.

Yet again, there are some great characters in ROGUE ORACLE. My favorites this book were the Steves, a pair of federal marshals. They are quite the colorful duo, nicknamed the Kahuna and the Cowboy by Tara. They provide some comic relief, but they also shine in serious moments, and they help Cassie recover from a traumatic experience.

The main story of ROGUE ORACLE is tied up neatly at the end of the book. Currently, there isn’t a third book in the series, but I would like to read another.

Guest Post:
Writing Destiny and Free Will
By Alayna Williams

There’s something odd about writing about free will and destiny. When I’m building a story, I’m conscious that my characters really shouldn’t have much free will. After all, I’m the gal behind the curtain, directing a story and pulling the strings of my characters. They do what I want them to do…most of the time.

Sometimes, they surprise me. I think I know where I want to take them, and they rebel. They deliberately ignore the destiny I’ve scribbled down for them in my outline and decide to go on a road trip without me. Sometimes those scenes work, and sometimes they don’t. Trying to keep my characters harnessed to complete their mission is somewhat like herding cats. If I can get them from point A in chapter one to point Z in the final chapter, I feel like I’ve got things under control.

Weird things happen when I’m writing about characters who are grappling with destiny and free will in the plot line. It’s as if my internal processes become part of the external product. I have the sense that my characters are critters on an ant farm who have just become aware of a human tapping on the glass, and they’re not happy about being trapped and manipulated.

Tara Sheridan is the heroine of my ORACLE books. She’s a criminal profiler who uses Tarot cards to solve crimes, and also a former member of a secret society of mystics, Delphi’s Daughters. Delphi’s Daughters work behind the scenes to nudge world events, for good or ill, and Tara wants out of the game. When she’s teamed with her skeptical partner, federal agent Harry Li, Tara is forced to figure out where destiny ends in her world and free will begins.

It was an exciting concept to play with. Do Tara’s cards tell of possibilities, or a fixed destiny that can’t be changed? Is free will an illusion, and Tara and Harry are simply pawns in a larger pattern? Can they break free and restore order to their world?

These are questions my characters ask each other. Some of the answers are not what they want to hear. But they are questions the characters have muttered to me as I’m shoving them along their adventures with pen and paper…and it was a lot of fun to show the readers that process.

Socialize with the author:
Alayna Williams:
Website
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– leeanna

Blog Tour Book Review: Dark Oracle (Delphic Oracle #1) by Alayna Williams

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Today I have two posts for you as part of the blog tour for the Delphic Oracle Series. by Alayna Williams. This, the first, is a review of DARK ORACLE. The second will be a review of ROGUE ORACLE and a guest post by the author. This tour is hosted by Bewitching Book Tours. You can check out the rest of the stops here.

dark oracleInfo:
Title: Dark Oracle
Author: Alayna Williams
Release Date: May 25, 2010
Publisher: Pocket Books
Source: Blog tour
Series? Delphic Oracle #1
Series Reviews:
Delphic Oracle #2: Rogue Oracle
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery
Page Count: 336
Rating: [3/5 stars]

Summary:

TARA SHERIDAN HAS A GIFT . . . AND IT ALMOST KILLED HER.

As a criminal profiler, Tara used science and her intuitive skill at Tarot card divination to track down the dangerous and depraved, including the serial killer who left her scarred from head to toe. Since that savage attack, Tara has been a recluse. But now an ancient secret society known as Delphi’s Daughters has asked for her help in locating missing scientist Lowell Magnusson. And Tara, armed with her Tarot deck, her .38, and a stack of misgivings, agrees to try.

Tara immediately senses there is far more at stake than one man’s life. At his government lab in the New Mexico desert, Magnusson had developed groundbreaking technology with terrifying potential. Working alongside the brusque but charismatic agent Harry Li, Tara discovers that Magnusson’s daughter, Cassie, has knowledge that makes her a target too. The more Tara sees into the future, the more there is to fear. She knows she has to protect Cassie. But there may be no way to protect herself—from the enemies circling around her, or from the long-buried powers stirring to life within. . . . (summary from goodreads)

My Review:
DARK ORACLE is the start to an intriguing urban fantasy series. Instead of the usual vampires, werewolves, or fae, author Alayna Williams brings in a new inspiration: the oracles of Delphi. In modern day, they are known as Delphi’s Daughters and led by the Pythia. They’re a secret society of women who can read the future, but they’re not all powerful. They’re soccer moms and bikers.

Tara is the only woman to leave Delphi’s Daughters. Skilled in the art of cartomancy (using tarot cards to read the future), she used to work for the government as a profiler. After she got chewed up and spit out by a bad case, she left the Feds and the Daughters behind, wanting solitude and to live her own life. But when a scientist working on a deadly project disappears, Tara gets dragged back into the worlds she left.

Clues to Tara’s past are sprinkled throughout the book, and build her character. She’s not the usual up-in-your-face, brash, kick-butt type of urban fantasy heroine. Tara is cautious. Well, more cautious than most, but she does charge headfirst into some situations. I liked Tara’s cautiousness and hesitance to get involved. The clues of her past hint at something dark and horrible, so I found it believable that it took her time to get over that. She goes from almost having a claustrophobia-induced panic attack at a crime scene to charging into danger to save her man.

DARK ORACLE doesn’t read like your typical urban fantasy. It has more of a mystery or detective story feel. The everyday crime story combined with some hints of magic. I liked that the paranormal world in this series isn’t always upfront. You know it’s there, and that the oracles have some influence over the events of the world, but there’s still the possibility that choice and free will can change the forecasted future. There’s also quite a bit of focus on science, which isn’t usually something you find in urban fantasy.

The writing in DARK ORACLE does get bogged down at times by the extensive descriptions of tarot reading. I both liked and disliked the use of tarot cards. I thought it was a neat way to foreshadow, but I could have done without the extended descriptions of each card and its significance. I’ll admit, I ended up skimming some of those passages. But if tarot reading is something you have an interest in, you’ll probably find those parts more interesting than I did.

Aside from Tara, the rest of the characters are pretty well done. The author makes an effort to give even the animals personality. Maggie the dog and Oscar the cat were actually some of my favorite characters, along with Cassie, the daughter of the missing scientist. The one rub for me was Harry, Tara’s love interest. I would have liked to see more development of their relationship.

The main story of this novel concludes at the end of DARK ORACLE, which is nice. No frustrating cliffhanger, but there is room for more, and I’ll be reading the sequel, ROGUE ORACLE, to see what happens to Tara, Harry, and Cassie. And the animals!

Socialize with the author:
Alayna Williams:
Website
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– leeanna

Book Review: Trickster (Ustari Cycle #1) by Jeff Somers

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tricksterInfo:
Title: Trickster
Author: Jeff Somers
Release Date: February 26, 2013
Publisher: Pocket Books
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Series? Ustari Cycle #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Adult
Page Count: 384
Rating:

Summary:

Magic uses blood—a lot of it. The more that’s used, the more powerful the effect, so mages find “volunteers” to fuel their spells. Lem, however, is different. Long ago he set up a rule that lets him sleep at night: never use anyone’s blood but your own. He’s grifting through life as a Trickster, performing only small Glamours like turning one-dollar bills into twenties. He and his sidekick, Mags, aren’t doing well, but they’re getting by.

That is, until they find young Claire Mannice— bound and gagged, imprisoned in a car’s trunk, and covered with invisible rune tattoos. Lem turns to his estranged mentor for help, but what they’ve uncovered is more terrifying than anybody could have imagined. Mika Renar, the most dangerous Archmage in the world, is preparing to use an ocean of blood to cast her dreams into reality— and Lem just got in her way. (summary from goodreads)

My Review:
Lem and Mags are not your usual all powerful, masters of the universe type of magicians. They’re Tricksters, grifters, the lowest of the low. They scrape by, gasing up dollar bills to look like twenties, and spending those twenties on booze and cheap hotel rooms. In the world Jeff Somers created, blood is the currency for magic, and unlike others, Lem made a vow to use only his own blood.

“We were fucking incompetent. In all things, we’d failed. We were wallowing in a nice, comfy pit of fucking spectacular failure, deep black and hermetically sealed, me and Mags bound together forever and ever with deep fishhooked ties of ruin (p. 4, ARC).”

I can’t think of many characters that would willingly describe themselves like that! I’d also describe Lem as an anti-hero. As he says throughout the book, Tricksters aren’t good people. “We all preyed on regular people, people who didn’t believe in magic (p. 20, ARC).” But Lem does have one rule: he refuses to use the blood of others to power his spells, which makes him weak, but also lets him sleep at night. Most mages have no trouble bleeding others, and the most powerful ones take Bleeders with them everywhere, like living batteries.

The most powerful mage in the world, Mika Renar, is prepared to sacrifice thousands of women to power a spell. And that’s where Lem and Mags come in. After stumbling over a dead girl in a bathtub, and then finding a live girl in the trunk of a car, they get mixed up in Renar’s business. Notice I didn’t say rescue — Claire, the girl in the car, is a spitfire. Whenever she gets a chance, she’s on the run or beating someone up. She’s not a damsel in distress that waits for the prince to rescue her, which is good, because Lem and Mags aren’t princes, or even very good magicians.

TRICKSTER is a dark and gritty urban fantasy. I think guys will like it, as the main characters are male, and it read like a guy’s book to me. I can’t pinpoint exactly why I’m saying that, because I can’t say for sure what a guy would like or not, but I just had that feeling. I didn’t mind, though, because it was quite nice to have a supernatural book where romance wasn’t the focus!

The world of TRICKSTER is easy to understand, and I thought the concept of blood magic was neat. I like when there’s a cost for magic, and with blood magic, that cost is immediate and has consequences. If you use so much blood that you’re ready to faint, what are you going to do when another fight comes hard on hard on the heels of the first?

The ending did disappoint me, because after all the buildup, I expected … more. However, the author did capture my attention with the story and conflict, so I will be continuing the Ustari Cycle when the next book comes out.

Socialize with the author:
Jeff Somers:
Website

– leeanna

Book Review: Incarnation by Emma Cornwall

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incarnationInfo:
Title: Incarnation
Author: Emma Cornwall
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Publisher: Gallery Books
Source: Gallery Books via Edelweiss
Series? No
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Alternate History, Steampunk, Adult
Page Count: 352
Rating:

Summary:

In the steampunk world of Victorian London, a beautiful vampire seeks out the author of Dracula–to set the record straight . . . If one is to believe Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire tale, Lucy Weston is Dracula’s most wanton creation, a sexual creature of the night who preys on innocent boys. But the real-life Lucy is nothing like her fictional counterpart—and she demands to know why the Victorian author deliberately lied. With Stoker’s reluctant help, she’s determined to track down the very fiend who transformed her—from the sensual underworld where humans vie to become vampires, to a hidden cell beneath a temple to madness, and finally into the glittering Crystal Palace where death reigns supreme.

Haunted by fragmentary memories of her lost life and love, Lucy must battle her thirst for blood as she struggles to stop a catastrophic war that will doom vampires and humans alike. Ultimately, she must make a choice that illuminates for her—and for us—what it means to be human. (summary from goodreads)

My Review:
What if Dracula, Bram Stoker’s famous book, was a gigantic cover up? What if vampires, werewolves, and other fantastical beasts roamed the world? What if the British monarchy knew about it, and was in on it?

Incarnation is wildly inventive, and a great read. It took me a while to get to it, and now that I’ve finished it, I wish I would have read it sooner. It’s not your typical vampire book, so even if you’re sick of those, I’d still encourage you to give it a try. It’s also not young adult, though the cover gives the impression it might be. I’d recommend Incarnation for readers of any age, teen and up. It’s a mix of alternate history, steampunk, paranormal, urban fantasy, and even some romance — there should be something for everyone.

I really liked Lucy Weston, the main character. Does the name sound familiar? It should, although in Dracula, she was known as Lucy Westenra. Lucy is spunky, sensitive, and real. There’s even a hint of Lucy Westenra’s sensuality in her, yet they are two very different characters. I loved that Lucy wanted to do more with her life than marry and have children, especially in a time when that’s all women were supposed to do. Lucy grew over the course of the book, and I really hope her story isn’t finished yet. I would be excited to read a sequel to Incarnation.

Incarnation has a pretty cool twist on vampires. I don’t think I’ve read anything combining Arthurian legends and vampires before! Lady Blanche was an interesting villain, and I would have liked to know more about her. Actually — I wanted to know more about every character, even Cornwall’s Queen Victoria. Each character is richly imagined, and distinct. I have to give special mention to Mordred, who managed to steal most of the scenes he was in, as well as Marco, who was sort of Lucy’s love interest. Happily for me, the romance doesn’t overpower what is a brilliant story.

The writing in Incarnation is very atmospheric. If I had a complaint, it’s that I wish the book moved along a bit faster. The rich descriptions and scene settings slowed the pace down, but I tend to like that sort of thing, so I wasn’t too bothered. It’s just not the kind of writing you can gobble up in one night.

All in all, Incarnation is a great book, and I hope there’s a sequel in the future.

Socialize with the author:
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– leeanna

Book Review: God Save the Queen by Kate Locke

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god save the queenInfo:
Title: God Save the Queen
Author: Kate Locke
Release Date: July 3, 2012
Publisher: Orbit
Source: NetGalley
Series? The Immortal Empire #1
Genre: Steampunk, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Alternate History
Page Count: 354

Summary:

Queen Victoria rules with an immortal fist.

The undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath), Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day, and leeches are considered a delicacy. And a world where technology lives side by side with magic. The year is 2012 and Pax Britannia still reigns.

Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it is her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But when her sister goes missing, Xandra will set out on a path that undermines everything she believed in and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire. And she is the key-the prize in a very dangerous struggle. (summary from goodreads)

My Review:
God Save the Queen was marketed as steampunk, but it’s not. I’d call it urban fantasy. There are a few steampunkish touches, but mostly, the author gives modern technology old names and a few twists. There’s even a glossary so you can figure out what’s what, and the author explains the world she’s created before the book starts.

The author has some great ideas; I envy her creativity. Taking a popular historical period — Victorian England — and tossing in supernatural creatures, alternate history, and a ton of other stuff should have been a recipe for greatness. It almost was, with some hiccups. The book was packed full of information dumps, because there was so much stuff. I almost felt as though the book should have been split into two, because there was so much going on. The writing came across as juvenile at times, with reminding the reader of things we already knew. Example: the intense focus on food. Yeah, halvies are hungry, I get that. But I don’t want to read countless scenes of them having meals.

Xandra is a great character. She’s a kick butt, take no names kind of girl — my favorite. I liked her loyalty to her sister, and her determination to find out the truth of what really happened. Plus, I just liked her personality — let’s call it colorful.

The relationship between Xandra and Ven, leader of the werewolves, happens super fast. It’s almost insta-love of the YA variety. That’s something that usually bugs me, but for once, I was okay with it. Ven is a great guy, protective of Xandra, and he can cook. I was happy to have one person looking out for Xandra with the world-shattering events she went through.

God Save the Queen had its flaws, but overall, I enjoyed reading it. I’ll be back for more. Who could resist Queen Victoria as a vampire? Not me!

I do have to comment on the cover — it’s fantastic! It’s not often that the girl on the cover matches the main character, and kudos to the publisher for making that happen.

Rating: 3 owls

Socialize with the author:
Kate Locke:
Website
Twitter

– leeanna

Book Review: The Shadow Society by Marie Rutkoski

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the shadow societyInfo:
Title: The Shadow Society
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Release Date: October 16, 2012
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Source: Amazon Vine and Publisher via NetGalley
Series? No
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance, Urban Fantasy
Page Count: 416

Summary:

Darcy Jones doesn’t remember anything before the day she was abandoned as a child outside a Chicago firehouse. She has never really belonged anywhere—but she couldn’t have guessed that she comes from an alternate world where the Great Chicago Fire didn’t happen and deadly creatures called Shades terrorize the human population.

Memories begin to haunt Darcy when a new boy arrives at her high school, and he makes her feel both desire and desired in a way she hadn’t thought possible. But Conn’s interest in her is confusing. It doesn’t line up with the way he first looked at her.

As if she were his enemy.

When Conn betrays Darcy, she realizes that she can’t rely on anything—not herself, not the laws of nature, and certainly not him. Darcy decides to infiltrate the Shadow Society and uncover the Shades’ latest terrorist plot. What she finds out will change her world forever . . .

In this smart, compulsively readable novel, master storyteller Marie Rutkoski has crafted an utterly original world, characters you won’t soon forget, and a tale full of intrigue and suspense. (summary from goodreads)

My Review:
The best part about The Shadow Society is the shadows, or Shades, as they call themselves. Shades are beings that can “ghost” — in other words, become invisible and fly around. When in their shade forms, they do not get hungry or age, and they’re invisible except for shadows that few people can see.

Shades live in a different dimension, a version of Chicago that was created after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. The only problem? The humans of that dimension *hate* Shades, and try to kill them. The feeling is mutual — Shades enjoy killing humans.

So that sounds pretty interesting, right? The Shadow Society has a different premise and beasties than other paranormal books, which is a plus right off the bat. However, it wasn’t a book I enjoyed. Well, scratch that — I liked the middle, but it was bookended by a boring beginning and an anticlimactic ending.

The tagline on the cover is great. “How can you find your place in the world if you don’t know what world you’re from?” It adequately sums up the dilemma of our main character, Darcy Jones, and identifies with the reader. I know I’ve sometimes wished I was from a different world, and I can’t be the only one.

Darcy is an orphan, abandoned outside of a Chicago firehouse as a five-year-old. She’s never felt like she really fits in, and there’s a good reason for that. Darcy is a Shade living in the Alter — the real Chicago. But Darcy doesn’t learn that until about a hundred pages into the book, which makes for a slow beginning. I almost put the book down a few times, because I didn’t feel like it was going anywhere.

In that beginning, Darcy’s foster mother, friends, and the love interest are introduced. The relationship between Darcy and Conn isn’t quite insta-love, and it was nice to see a relationship actually develop, instead of them instantly declaring their undying love for each other. But it was a slog to get through.

After an action-filled middle, which almost redeemed The Shadow Society for me, the ending disappointed me. Although I appreciated the nod to friendship, I found it impossible to believe that Darcy’s friends would have been able to find her in the alternate dimension. The climax is a snooze. It promises to be full of action, with humans and Shades in conflict, but it’s not. I was left wanting a lot more.

I believe The Shadow Society is a standalone book, which is awesome in a sea of trilogies. But I wish that some of the beginning had been edited out, and more attention paid to the last third of the book, to keep from everything wrapping up way too neatly at the end.

In conclusion, I will say that The Shadow Society just wasn’t the book for me. I’d recommend checking out an excerpt if you’re thinking about reading it.

Rating: 2 owls

Socialize with the author:
Marie Rutkoski:
Website
Facebook
Twitter

– leeanna

Book 171: Blood Song

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Blood SongBlood Song, by Cat Adams

“Blood Song,” featuring tough bodyguard Celia Graves, is the first in a new urban fantasy/paranormal series. Celia is at first a “vanilla” human – no magical abilities – but quickly becomes an abomination when a bodyguard gig goes horribly wrong.

Celia has to quickly learn to deal with her new existence as a cross between a vampire (bat) and a human; she has supernatural abilities such as quicker healing, but also weaknesses such as craving blood. If that wasn’t enough, she’s in danger from her sire, the vampire who turned her into an abom, and also under fire from a deadly demon. While Celia’s willing to accept some help from her friends, she’s also immensely stubborn and determined to do all she can on her own, especially when one of her friends supposedly commits suicide. Add in a world full of magic, vampires, werewolves, clairvoyants, militant priests, and an ex boyfriend, and you’ve got quite a mix.

I didn’t quite like “Blood Song.” The story was good enough, but I never fully identified with or liked Celia. She reminded me of plenty of other urban fantasy female main characters, with the same sort of wit and attitude. Maybe it was the first person narration that bothered me – I’m not sure. Or it could’ve been the large cast of characters; by the end of the book I’d forgotten a few names, and had to look them up to remember who everyone was. Or it could’ve been the plot itself – I thought “Blood Song” dragged on a little too long. I don’t regret reading the book, I just think it could’ve been a little better.

3/5.

Book 127: Frost Moon

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Frost MoonDakota Frost #1: Frost Moon, by Anthony Francis

WOW! “Frost Moon” is THE urban fantasy novel I’ve been waiting for. I hesitate on writing this review, because I just can’t put into words my love for this book. But I’ll try.

Dakota is a skindancer, a tattooist who can imbue magic powers into her ink. She lives in an edgeworld Atlanta that welcomes werewolves, vampires, witches and more; Dakota herself is a magician thanks to her tattoos. The “Edgeworld” is the world the author has created, a sort of border or barrier where normal and magic meet.

Bluntly put, Dakota is one kick-ass chick. She’s sarcastic and tough, yet compassionate and loyal, and sometimes even vulnerable. I was honestly a little surprised to find out the author was male – Dakota is a such believable female main character. I loved her instantly. In fact the beginning of “Frost Moon” reminds me a bit of Jacqueline Carey’s novels, in that Dakota introduces herself to the reader, in a “this is me, here I am, love me or hate me” approach. Throughout the course of “Frost Moon,” she befriends a were-cat orphan, feels sorry for a were-wolf, falls for an FBI/DEI agent, deals with her ex-girlfriend, and more. But Dakota’s characterization doesn’t falter in any of those situations, and the reader’s image of her stays constant from the start of the book.

The plot of “Frost Moon” is best left a secret – you’ll want to discover all the twists and turns of the plot yourself as you navigate through Dakota’s world. But to tantalize you: the Department of Extraordinary Investigations is hunting a serial killer who takes the tattooed skin of his victims. The DEI originally calls Dakota in as a consultant, due to her expertise in magical tattooing. But she’s quickly in the thick of things as events move at warp-speed around her. The ending shocked me, because I’d never been able to guess just who the killer was – I liked the unpredictability.

Dakota is an amazing character. But so is literally every other single supporting character Francis created. I wanted to know more about every single person introduced, from Spleen the Rat to Cinnamon, to Lady Saffron, and on and on. Each character has some hook that grabs at the reader; the cast of “Frost Moon” will stick with me for quite a while.

I enjoy the author’s style; sometimes he is a little heavy-handed with descriptions, but personally I like that. I like having lots of information about a new world, and Dakota’s world is one of the fresher urban fantasy ones I’ve read in a while. Some of his prose is beautiful, especially when painting images of tattoos; I *wish* it were possible to get something like what he’s invented! Glittering, moving, magical tattoos? Pretttty.

I do have a complaint or two with “Frost Moon,” but they’re such minor issues that they didn’t detract at all from my enjoyment of the book. One is that the timing is very condensed, very fast, but then that also fits into the plot. The other is the deluge of pop culture references, which could make references to the Matrix and X-Files outdated in a few years, but the references slow down after the first part of the novel. But like I said, just a few minor issues. Nothing big or super distracting.

Overall, as I think is obvious by how much I’ve written, I was blown away by this book. There was just the perfect mix of mystery, urban fantasy, wit, sarcasm, technology talk, stick-in-your-mind characters, interesting plot, and the slightest hint of romance.

Disclaimer: I did receive an ebook copy of “Frost Moon” to review through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program. But on my next Amazon order I’ll be picking up a physical copy of “Frost Moon” as an early birthday present; I can’t wait to get the book in my hands and read it again, so I can revisit Dakota’s world.

Book two, “Blood Rock,” is due later this year I believe. I can’t wait!

5/5.

Review: Mercy Thompson 4: Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

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Bone CrossedMercy Thompson #4: Bone Crossed, by Patricia Briggs

Mercy’s back, and it’s time for her to sort through the jumble of trouble she’s gotten into in the first 3 books. She’s trying to deal with the sexual assault she endured in “Iron Kissed;” getting ready to mate with Adam, the Alpha of the Tri-Cities werewolf pack; hiding from the local vampire seethe after killing one of their vampires; and more. Mercy made some enemies in her previous adventures, and they aren’t the kind to forget about it easily.

The start of the book feels a little too much to me – while she and Adam are making out, Mercy’s mother shows up suddenly, brought to town by the nationwide publicity of her daughter’s rape. About ten minutes later, a tortured Stefan lands in her living room. Next, an old friend from college shows up, to ask Mercy if she can help her with a ghost in her house. There’s a lot of action in too short of a time, even for the mischievous coyote.

Briggs settles down soon though, and launches the reader into yet another excellent installment in the Mercy Thompson series. Mercy heads off to Spokane to help her college friend while Adam tries to make a truce with the vampire seethe to prevent any more attacks on Mercy’s life. But of course, Mercy has the amazing luck of meeting the one and only vampire in Spokane, which at first seems like a coincidence…but quickly turns out to be the start of yet another very dangerous adventure for the trouble-prone mechanic. The action is a little rushed sometimes, but it usually works.

In “Bone Crossed,” we get an in-depth look at vampire politics – and they’re just as nasty as you’d expect. The leader of the Tri-Cities vampire seethe is not very happy with Mercy for killing one of her vampires…and she’ll go to great lengths to get back at Mercy. Then the vampire in Spokane is especially a nasty piece of work; he’s someone that no supernatural being wants to cross. He has the whole city to himself.

Mercy and Adam are finally ready to embark on a relationship together, but will all of the wolves in Adam’s pack welcome a coyote as their Alpha’s mate? The two also have to deal with intimacy issues left from Mercy’s rape; and then there’s a bump when Stefan claims Mercy as his own via blood.

I was pretty glued to this book, putting it down only to finish homework. Briggs is good with expanding on concepts she’s introduced previously and building on them; for example, Mercy’s ability to talk to ghosts. If you enjoyed the previous books in this series, or are looking for a good paranormal series, give the Mercy Thompson books a try. She’s not your typical heroine – she’s gutsy, impulsive, and not one to shake in her shoes when the action starts. And although she’s struggling with the panic attacks her rape brings on, she’s able to fight through those feelings to do what she needs to do. As I often say with Briggs, her characters feel real, and Mercy feels like flesh-and-blood to me after reading the series.

4/5.