Vengeance of the Vampire Bride (Vampire Bride #2)- Revenge may be a dish best served cold…
But when it comes to this novel, the story suffers for it. I wasn’t too surprised that Rhiannon Frater’s Vengeance of the Vampire Bride was really slow compared to its predecessor, The Tale of the Vampire Bride, but I was hoping that some of the momentum would carry over; that just didn’t happen unfortunately.
Glynis is adjusting to her new undead life as Countess Dracula, plotting and planning revenge against those who literally led her family to slaughter, all the while trying to find her way back to her true love. But the presence of her vampire maker and husband Dracula isn’t making things so simple. Though she’s got superhuman powers of the undead, it’s going to take more brain than brawn to exact her revenge exactly how she sees fit.
While it had its moments, the book was an overall let down for me. It started out fairly promising, but then it hit a brick wall of boring and it took a while to climb over it. To be quite honest, I didn’t crack open these books to read about how she plans to kill these people as opposed to actually doing the deed. Instead we’re forced to suffer through countless dinner parties she attends involving uninteresting human side characters that receive significant screen time. There’s not enough development of Glynis’s actual powers steadily throughout the book. There’s more whining about how she wishes Dracula could have taught her something as opposed to her actually doing something.
It’s just impossible to go from an imposing, horrifying, complex, and enigmatic character such as Dracula to the mere humans he’s manipulated and threatened, while still producing a book that’s remotely as compelling, pulse-pounding, and unpredictable—everything that encompasses the first novel.
In the end it was all bark, and not a lot of bite. In a vampire story, bite is practically mandatory. By the end of the novel I felt as if the next installment should be an improvement. I do hope the series continues because it has potential to become a favorite of mine. I just hope it’s not too little too late.
Into the Woods: Tales from the Hollows and Beyond - A little bit of old, a little bit of new
Even being the Hollows snob that I am, I admit a couple of stories have slipped through the cracks for me over the years. That’s why I was quite pleased to hear that the stories would finally be included in an anthology! I’ll be honest and say that when I opened it I immediately skipped to “Million Dollar Baby”, the story centering on Trent and Jenks’s elf quest in Pale Demon, and it didn’t disappoint! Everything else for me was a bonus, but it was all worthwhile. Here’s a breakdown of the stories and my general feelings:
“Million Dollar Baby”- this was easily the premiere story for this publication. It was essentially priceless getting into Trent’s head and learning quite a few things that we never knew before. It makes him so much more “human” this way. Trent and Rachel fans eager for anything to support development of these two may be disappointed a smidgen (though not entirely), but I think it’s important to remember when this story took place and what it’s about. While I loved reading about Trent, I admit that I missed Rachel. I’m really attached to the itchy witch and they play off one another so well. No worries though because the bromance that blooms between Trent and Jenks is plenty entertaining. We see why pixies and elves get along so well. Overall, I thought this was a well done story and I wish we could get more stories from Trent, though I know that won’t be happening much.
As for the reprinted Hollows short stories:
“The Bespelled” - a short story focusing on Al and how he ensnared Ceri of 1,000 years ago. I always enjoyed this read. But it has Al so that makes it pretty easy…
“Two Ghosts for Sister Rachel”- a Robbie/Rachel/Pierce novella going back in time to when Rachel was 18 and struggling with her decision to join the I.S. This story was new to me. I was not the biggest fan of Pierce in the main novels, but I must admit that he is a little better here.
“Undead in The Garden of Good and Evil”- a novella focusing on Ivy in her earlier I.S. days. Another entertaining novel with excellent doses of Kisten. If you thought he and Rachel were hott together, you should read this to see vamp on vamp action. I read this some time ago, but I forgot how hott he and Ivy can be together.
“Dirty Magic”- short story about Mia, the banshee from Book 7. While not my favorite I found it interesting to read about her and her complex thought processes.
“The Bridges of Eden Park”- a Kisten and Rachel short that no doubt makes you miss him all over again.
“Ley Line Drifter” - a novella focusing on Bis and Jenks. It introduces the character Daryl who we meet again in the later Hollows novels. I will say it’s sort of weird to read A Perfect Blood and then go back to reading this. My favorite parts were the moments between Jenks and Matalina since we never get to see that first hand.
Stories beyond The Hollows:
“Pet Shop Boys” - I admit that every time I see this title I just want to sing “West End Girls”. Though I promise that the story is completely unrelated. It’s actually about vampires, but they are completely different from our Hollows vamps. I think she could have had something going, but The Hollows vamps are better and more developed, not surprisingly. They have an unfair advantage of having novel after novel of development. I would like to see this become a full novel or two to even the playing field. This was my favorite entry of the non-Hollows stories.
“Temson Estates” and “Spider Web”-a short story and novella focusing on dryads. I don’t think they are my favorite supernatural creature, but I would have liked to have seen a little more regarding the Spider Web story.
“Grace” - novella introducing new powers relating to people who hold special energy capable of destroying electronics. Their powers can be intense enough that, if left unharnessed, they can be a danger to society. This one is more borderline Urban Fantasy to me. It could be categorized as something else.
Overall, I enjoyed this book but normally I don’t enjoy anthologies very much simply because I prefer to read a whole novel as opposed to several novellas (just a personal preference). I found myself putting the book down more often for this reason, but I was definitely engaged enough to read the old stuff all over again along with the new stuff.
I follow Kim Harrison’s work more closely under the Rachel Morgan series than anything else, but the non-Hollows stories give the reader a taste of her skills as an author. It’s a good way to test yourself as a fan, determining whether you plan to follow Rachel Morgan or Kim Harrison in general. The beginnings of the stories were sometimes a little hard to get into because I didn’t always want to switch gears from story to story, especially going from Rachel Morgan to something totally different. But if you stay the course, each read is quite rewarding and interesting, even with such a short window of opportunity to tell the story. I see myself following Harrison throughout The Hollows and beyond.
Freebie Watch! Primal (Vengeance) by Raven and Lain Bower
It’s free for today and tomorrow! Click here to download.
Creepy cover but it looks pretty cool!
Synopsis: Pursued by a ruthless crime lord after witnessing the murder of an FBI agent, Wrey must rebuild the life they stole from her. When she meets mysterious Arvon Night, her precious new life unravels as she’s thrust into a web of betrayal, lust and violence.
Arvon knows he must slay Wrey to keep his secret safe from those who hunt him. Each hour his enemies stalk closer, ready to kill.
Can Wrey’s powers of nature and spirit help her survive the yearning and dangerous Arvon and the tide of peril he brings with him? Or will an opportunistic hitman take advantage of them both?
Giveaway Winner Announced!
Hi everyone! As usual, I want to thank all of you for participating, but now we have a winner. If you posted in the comment section of the announcement thread, you were entered for a chance (or multiple chances for those following the blog multiple ways) to win. And the winner is:
Elizabeth Haney
Please check your email, Elizabeth! Hope you enjoy! Thank you everyone for the continued support and I look forward to the next giveaway! There are a lot of awesome books coming out this fall so I guess that means there will be a lot more giveaways!
Tale of the Vampire Bride (Vampire Bride #1) - A different take on Dracula lore
Simply put, this is another one of those novels that you will either love or hate. As for me, my goodness I loved it!
Lady Glynis Wright is Dracula’s love interest of choice in Rhiannon Frater’s dark and gothic novel. She aspires for a carefree life where she can seek out her own opportunities, however her aristocratic parents have other plans in mind. They want their daughter married to a man of high status and means. Unfortunately, their ambition leads to nothing but trouble as they wind up in Dracula’s home and ultimately his evil clutches. It’s going to be a hell of a battle to get him to let go.
Overall I was very impressed. By the 20% into the story I had no idea where things would go next. This book at 20% would be another book at 100%, I guarantee it. This really built anticipation and excitement for me. Though Frater introduces her own take on this age old tale, it successfully incorporates Braham stoker’s fictional world in a manner that provides endless possibilities while still feeling familiar. While it feels long at times, I honestly never wanted to put the novel down because I was so immersed.
Your mental approach to this book will mean everything. If you want to enjoy it, I highly recommend that you envision Dracula as the villain. This book is NOT, I repeat, NOT a love story and if you keep that in mind you may be more willing to stay on this roller coaster ride to see how it all plays out. Dracula gets so much focus that you want him to seem like an anti-hero, but honestly he is Glynis’s nemesis who she must overcome. I loved how this dynamic broke the usual formulaic mold of a brooding guy who may be an ass to the heroine; however he hasn’t yet crossed that moral event horizon-therefore he’s redeemable.
Some of the themes are very disturbing, especially the sexual themes. While this is fiction, it really pushed the limits for me and I feel that it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s brutal and downright ugly at its most intense and lowest moments. Then games are even more psychological and political than physical and I felt true horror as I read a number of the scenes.
I didn’t really know what to expect when I read this book, but I LOVED getting this kind of surprise.
Into the Woods (The Hollows Anthology) Excerpt is Available
I gotta say I’m loving all of the new Hollows updates these days. While the pull of the upcoming anthology’s release has motivated me to finally finish the ARC of this novel (I’ve had it since June, I’m a terrible Hollows snob, I know), I figured you guys would love to get a taste of the premiere story, Million Dollar Baby, that showcases what happens during Pale Demon as Trent and Jenks go on their bromance-filled quest. To read it, just click here.
I’m finishing up the whole thing myself (I’m about 70% done now, made good progress today), but I made sure to read Million Dollar Baby the second I got my paws on it. Priorities are priorities. Either way, I can guarantee Hollows fans are in for a rare treat and some pretty interesting insights.
So, how are you liking the excerpt so far?
Cover Reveal - Ever After (The Hollows #11) by Kim Harrison
Can’t really find a larger graphic quite yet, but there it is! It reminds me a bit of the cover for The Outlaw Demon Wails (the last Ever After focused novel). This one is cool, but I think I like the previous one better because it seemed a little more mysterious. And if you want a synopsis:
The ever after, the demonic realm that parallels the human world, is shrinking. If it disappears completely, so does all magic. It’s up to witch-turned-daywalking-demon Rachel Morgan to avert catastrophe and keep life from changing… for the worse.
While saving the world is important, it isn’t Rachel’s only motivation. There’s also the small fact that she caused the ley line to rip in the first place, setting off a chain reaction of unfortunate events. That little mistake has made her life forfeit unless she can fix it. It’s also made her more than a few enemies, including the most powerful demon in the ever after—a terrifying entity who eats souls and now has an insatiable appetite for her. He’s already kidnapped her friend and goddaughter to lure her out, and if Rachel doesn’t give herself up soon, they’ll die.
But Rachel has more than a few impressive and frighening skillls of her own, and she isn’t going to hand over her soul and her life without one hell of a fight. She’s also got a surpise: elven tycoon Trent Kalamack. With this unlikely ally beside her—a prospect both thrilling and unnerving—she’s going to return to the ever after, kick some demon butt, rescue her loved ones… and prevent an apocalypse before it’s too late. Or, at least that’s the plan…
I want it now! I want it now! I WANT IT NOOOOOOW!!!
So who do you suspect gets kidnapped? Ceri and Rae or Lucy? Maybe it’s Quinn this time? I am SO curious. I know I’m not the only one super relieved that the novel is out one month early this time! I guess it’s time to update my side panel! Maybe I’ll hold out…at least until I hopefully get my paws on an arc.
Kingmakers (Vampire Empire #3) - Powerful, Perfection
Epic doesn’t even begin to describe Kingmakers, the final novel of the Vampire Empire trilogy. Each installment is better than the last; Susan and Clay Griffith have done an amazing job at building momentum to this moment and it really doesn’t disappoint.
Adele leads the war against vampires to the north and Gareth is getting first hand experience with the it, fighting for Adele in the front lines of battle. But the vampires are formidable opponents and have gained the upper hand, quickly bringing the humans to their knees. Something must be done and Adele’s geomancy powers may be the ace in the hole that the human race needs to win once and for all.
The last novel is jam packed with story, but there’s a lot of action so it gets going much faster than its predecessors. Politics, betrayal, and new revelations are key to Adele and Gareth’s development. They are the heart of this saga after all. But with their seemingly impossible love, can the heart still beat?
Adele has matured wonderfully over the novels and she’s become really admirable. I liked seeing her in a major position of power, strategizing and making difficult decisions that challenge morality. It’s a nice departure from other urban fantasy novels where the heroines start at the bottom and have to work their way up. She’s on a slippery slope as she tries to control her geomancy powers, which may be dangerous to more than solely vampires.
Gareth is as wonderful as always with his selflessness. He’s even adorable at times as he still tries to fully understand human customs and history. His light moments with Adele really gave me the case of the warm fuzzies, if only because it feels so fleeting as the pull of his vampire heritage requires that he finally face his brother once and for all. That, and her powers seriously conflict with his entire being on a biological level beyond their control.
This book has pretty much everything you could ask for and you’ll experience practically every emotion while reading it. The ending is very powerful, enough that you may want to have kleenex on hand, but I won’t spoil it any further. My only complaint is that I want more. I love this world and I’m sad to see it end; though unfortunately that must happen to all good things…
Well done to the Griffiths on their fantastic work! This is definitely one of my favorite trilogies ever.
*ARC provided by the publisher
Giveaway! Spellbound by Kelley Armstrong
I have already reviewed this novel, but I figured I’d spread the wealth. I don’t really recommend this as a first foray into this world, but if you plan to read the series, this is just one book of the baker’s dozen to cross off your list!
I am collecting entries through Monday, August 27th. I will announce the winner the next day.
How to Enter (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY): My giveaways are only open to followers of Your Urban Fantasy who are 18 years of age or older. In order to enter YOU MUST COMMENT ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT POST! If you’re a new member, sign up on the right panel to follow my blog via email and/or Twitter. (Make sure you check your email to confirm your subscription. You should receive a notification immediately, so check your spam folder if you don’t see it right away). Current followers can just say so in their post and your entry will be added. Overall, there are up to 3 chances to win:
- Follow this blog via email (THIS IS REQUIRED)
- Follow me on Twitter (bonus entry)
- “Like” Your Urban Fantasy on Facebook (bonus entry)
While I do appreciate RSS subscribers, I cannot confirm your status as a follower so your entry will not count (sorry!); however, you are welcome to sign up by email and Twitter or Facebook. Good luck!
Freebie Watch! Adelaide Confused (Emotional Graves) by Penny Greenhorn
Synposis: To Adelaide Graves, being empathic isn’t a gift, it’s a curse. To her nothing could be worse than the barrage of emotions that are constantly seeping in, that is, until she started seeing ghosts. Such gifts don’t go unnoticed by Reed Wallace, the island’s richest celebrity, who is quick to use his own gift to strong-arm Adelaide. Luckily, she’s half-immune to his unnatural charm, though not to his blackmail. Now his scheming has got her neck-deep in a dangerous race, desperate to find a demon diary, the key to unlocking another realm.
http://www.amazon.com/Adelaide-Confused-Emotional-Graves-ebook/dp/B0069X1K60/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345351809&sr=8-1&keywords=adelaide+confused
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/adelaide-confused-penny-greenhorn/1107395029?ean=2940032835776
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/99865
http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/adelaide-confused/id480364102?mt=11
Giveaway Winner Announced - Gunmetal Magic
Hi everyone! As usual, I want to thank all of you for participating, but now we have a winner. If you posted in the comment section of the announcement thread, you were entered for a chance (or multiple chances for those following the blog multiple ways) to win. And the winner is:
Crystal Watson-Andresakis
Please check your email, Crystal! Hope you enjoy! Thank you everyone for the continued support and I look forward to the next giveaway, which I plan to announce…TOMORROW! Yes, I’m in a very giving mood. Stay tuned!
Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2) - No Down Time Back in Time
It’s funny. I recently wrote a review about a series that didn’t mind changing the time period from novel to novel. While that book went from past to present, this book goes from present to past.
On their ever-enduring quest to locate and unlock the secrets of Ashmole 782, Matthew and Diana are forced to travel back in time with hopes that the book will become more accessible. Picking up directly where A Discovery of Witches left off, the two find themselves in Elizabethan London where the danger is just beginning and Matthew must use every resource to his advantage to keep them safe; even though it rouses old painful memories. The world is no more tolerable of their love there, and the clock is ticking for Diana to find the right witch to help her hone her own skills.
I’m really not surprised that Deborah Harkness took her characters back in time. Her elegant writing style actually works best there and even throughout the first novel I had to remind myself that the book was taking place in present day.
Once again, fans are in for a fairly lengthy read. Thankfully I got through this book faster than its prequel. The first half of the book is fantastic and I loved that Matthew’s father was introduced to the story. It adds a whole other dimension to see the character as opposed to merely hearing about him. He’s quite enigmatic, intimidating, and unpredictable. Yet he is really likable. I found myself wishing that we could get a book (or at least a novella) dedicated to him and Ysabeau.
There are more revelations about Matthew’s past as well as how he interacts with the people around him. Because he has changed, that influences some of his decisions as well as the decisions of his friends and colleagues. Of course, tampering with the past, however slight, can have adverse affects on the future. That’s a common thread that we’re not allowed to forget throughout the entire book.
Though well done, I do have a couple of gripes about the novel. I still can’t visualize her vampire scars very well. Vampires with no fangs just doesn’t compute to me no matter what. And believe me, I’ve been trying. I also found myself miffed with the amount of new characters introduced. I just didn’t feel like the majority of them were necessary to keep the story going and I felt as if the plot suffered for it in certain sections.
To the novel’s credit, for a trilogy I don’t think it suffers from a second book slump that often happens as authors try to leave enough loose ends to build momentum for the final novel. I do look forward to the final novel, but I’m happy to patiently wait for it as well.
Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels World #1) - All About Awesome Andrea
No Kate Daniels review of mine is complete without a quote, so let’s kick it off with my favorite:
“We’re engaged to be engaged,” Rebecca said. “We’re waiting until the end of the physical year to officially announce.”
“You mean fiscal year?” Dear God, she was a moron.
“Yes, that’s what I meant.”
The Andrews clan has yet to let me down. I really enjoyed Andrea’s short story, Magic Mourns, in the Must Love Hellhounds anthology. So I was really looking forward to her solo novel. As an added bonus, they even throw in the final version of the Magic Gifts novella. This book was a gift that kept on giving.
Andrea is down and out after being ousted by her old job. To make matters worse she goes through a nasty breakup with Raphael, and just for good measure she’s still being pressured to join the Bouda clan. This threatens her lone hyena status which she likes just fine. She’s trying to keep herself occupied by running her and Kate’s start up investigation firm, Cutting Edge. Keeping her distance to avoid Raphael and his new main squeeze was initially going well, but unfortunately (or is it?) that becomes impossible as a string of murders ties his business into the thick of things. No, he’s not the culprit, but the two must work together to solve the grisly crime. And sparks will fly…
This book offers everything you want in a Kate Daniels read. I laughed quite a bit, I cringed at some of the action and crime scenes, and I even found myself frustrated at times with the complicated relationship of Andrea and Raphael. Their banter is extremely entertaining, but I definitely found myself wanting to smack sense into both of them. So many of their issues could be solved easily through real communication, but hard heads make for soft bottoms.
I liked the addition of Ascanio, though it may have been a little formulaic. He felt like Andrea’s Julie or Derek, but I like how the youth are incorporated and have interesting story lines. I find that I genuinely care about these characters because they are forced to grow up really fast, but they still possess threads of innocence and naivete.
The villains have interesting powers, but I wasn’t quite as enthralled with the characters themselves. I was more interested in the lasting effects their powers could potentially have throughout the rest of the series. This felt more contained, but do hope it carries over to other novels.
Overall I thought it was a necessary novel to explore Andrea’s character and her journey of self-acceptance while she puts her life on the line for the ones she loves. Though frustrating, Andrea is a fantastically layered character which can sometimes be a challenge for writers (which is why the most interesting characters are side characters), but the Andrews handled giving her the spotlight very well.
If you love Kate Daniels novels, I can’t imagine you’ll want to miss this. Kate and Curran do make cameo appearances here and there as well. It is worth the read.
*Copy provided by publisher
Giveaway Tyme! Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels World #1) by Ilona Andrews
Though I’m not quite finished reading it yet, I felt like that shouldn’t delay me from sharing the wealth with you guys! It’s a bloody fantastic book and I’m super excited to be giving this away. Many of you know the drill, but in case you don’t:
I am collecting entries through Saturday, August 18th. I will announce the winners the next day.
How to Enter (PLEASE READ CAREFULLY): My giveaways are only open to followers of Your Urban Fantasy who are 18 years of age or older. In order to enter YOU MUST COMMENT ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT POST! If you’re a new member, sign up on the right panel to follow my blog via email and/or Twitter. (Make sure you check your email to confirm your subscription. You should receive a notification immediately, so check your spam folder if you don’t see it right away). Current followers can just say so in their post and your entry will be added. Overall, there are up to 3 chances to win:
- Follow this blog via email (THIS IS REQUIRED)
- Follow me on Twitter (bonus entry)
- “Like” Your Urban Fantasy on Facebook (bonus entry)
While I do appreciate RSS subscribers, I cannot confirm your status as a follower so your entry will not count (sorry!); however, you are welcome to sign up by email and Twitter or Facebook. Good luck!
A Discovery of Witches - Vampires without fangs should simply be fae instead!
Debut author, Deborah Harkness, throws her name into the Urban Fantasy hat with A Discovery of Witches, book 1 of the All Souls Trilogy. We meet scholar Diana Bishop, a witch who has spent her entire life denying her powers, who in the course of her research accidentally finds a bewitched alchemical manuscript which may hold the deepest secrets of supernaturals. This sends a beacon to practically every species from demons to witches to vampires, putting a big target on her back as they all want to possess this coveted book and only she has the power to unlock its secrets.
Perhaps no one is more curious than Matthew Clairmont, a vampire geneticist who has been searching endlessly for this book to further his own research. Crossing paths with Diana leads down a road neither one expected, and it’s certainly not a road their respective species will tolerate. This leads to Diana being forced to tap into her inner sorceress, but how much power is too much?
I’m sure I’m not the first to comment on the length of this novel. Though to its credit, I have read a number of books that are much shorter and yet they’ve felt even longer. So that is one plus about this series. That said, I think it could have been a shorter book by 50 to 100 pages and the beginning and end suffer for it. It has a slow start and then by the end it feels like a chore to finish.
The story offers shades of originality, blending storytelling, world-building, romance, and suspense. Fans of the lead pair may have to be patient, but I don’t mind the wait at all. Everything is a process. I actually wasn’t expecting to read this novel and get a fairly substantial love story with good characterization.
While it’s a respectable literary effort, I felt there were a few flaws: the length, the length, and FANGLESS VAMPIRES!! I don’t like it and I’m never gonna like it. In the novel, once it finally explains their feeding habits it’s hard to picture what is actually going on. Fangs are a completely efficient tool so I’m not understanding why that important characteristic is starting to be omitted in novels. Allergies to the sun? I can be flexible on that. Hott sex symbol vs. crazed ugly monster? I can be flexible there too if it’s masterfully handled. I could even be flexible on their lifespans (prolonged vs. immortal), but I don’t budge on fangs and this book didn’t change that sentiment. You might as well create werewolves that don’t transform. Vampires without fangs should simply be fae instead.
I am looking forward to reading the second novel; however, normally I am motivated to read a series back to back. For this one, I decided to pick up another book to get a break from this world.
Caressed by Night (Rulers of Darkness #2) - Starts off well, but it loses steam
One benefit for most vampires is that they usually live pretty darn long. Amanda Greene’s Caressed by Moonlight, Book 1 of the Rulers of Darkness series, was a delightful period novel focusing on vampire Dorian Vlakhos and his human love, Victoria Kingston. Fast-forward a good couple of centuries and though those two are alive and well, Dmitri Arsov and Kerstyn Ingmar are the central characters in this novel.
Dmitri, a pure vampire who faked his death hundreds of years ago, has reemerged to take care of unfinished business. Focused on exacting revenge that’s been brewing for centuries against his attempted murderer, things get a little more complicated when he meets Kerstyn, his destined mate. To keep her safe would mean to stay away from her. But that’s impossible, so they have to fight against impending doom.
I thought the novel started off strong. Being set in modern times didn’t make it feel quite as dry as its predecessor. I don’t read a lot of series where there’s such a huge time gap, so that was a nice change. I enjoyed Dmitri’s character. He was confident without being too cocky, brutish or annoying. And even with his age he exudes a certain vulnerability, and not just when it comes to Kerstyn. Emo? Maybe a smidge, but it certainly isn’t intolerable.
I liked him better than Kerstyn who honestly felt like your typical cookie-cutter heroine in these types of books. She grew up privileged but struggles because her parents didn’t get her any real love. I feel like Greene could have written something a little more dramatic because I didn’t find myself very sympathetic to her situation.
The storyline could have been a bit tighter. I was really drawn in towards the beginning, but then they whine about the same issues over and over and I found myself pretty tired of it by the end. It’s not a very long read, but it felt that way after a while.
To be honest, the title between these books are way too close. If you read the first one, after hearing the title of the second one you’d probably think you already read the novel, even though the stories are like night and day…or past and present I should say.
So all in all it was entertaining, but there wasn’t a whole lot to set it apart from similar novels.
Spellbound (Women of the Otherworld #12) - Building to a climax
Book 12 in Kelley Armstrong’s successful series is shaping the plot for a big finale. Like book 11, Waking the Witch, the focus is still on Savannah Levine, a witch (not surprisingly) with unique powers. Her powers led to catastrophic events in the prior novel; they were so terrible that she decided to give up her powers for good. Unfortunately she did it at the wrong time. The enemies are more formidable than ever, threatening her and the whole Otherworld as they know it. To prevail she will have to call upon a number of old friends, and even then it may not be enough.
While I felt as if book 11 stood on its own pretty well, this particular novel practically requires having read the prior novels. While I wasn’t completely lost, I felt as if there was a lot I missed out on. Because of this I don’t think I can give a concise review, but I will try anyway.
There are a number of cameo appearances from what I assume are past characters. Not being quite attached to their back stories made it a little more difficult to connect to the characters. I love characters with a lot of personality, and while I think the other ones had some, I didn’t get to see it develop over the course of their respective novel, so it’s a little lost on me at this point. It’s not very good either because their plot lines appear to be converging in this book.
For what I can relate to, it’s pretty apparent that Savannah and Adam love-interest angle is not going to be a walk in the park. This book isn’t really the place where it flourishes best. I have a feeling that Armstrong will save any kind of pay off for the last book. It is just a matter of patience on the reader’s part.
Savannah experiences her own personal growing pains as she deals with being powerless. One questions her decision to want to give them up knowing that there are dangers out there and no matter the tragedy, it’s always best to protect oneself,.
There are a lot of loose ends, so brace yourself for a cliffhanger. But on the plus side, the final book is now available so there’s no need to wait. Hopefully by next year I can start this series from the top. I may read this one again to see if it gives me a different impression.
*Review copy provided by publisher
Review: Lightbringer Carries Dark Themes
Young Adult paranormal fans, specifically those who love ghosts, may want to consider checking out K.D. McEntire’s debut effort, Lightbringer. Wendy is a not-so-everyday teen with a peculiar six sense; she can see ghosts-ghosts of the Never to be exact-which consist of children who’ve died too young. Not only can she see them, but they know she can and so they seek her out routinely for help. Only she can bring them to the other side, setting their souls free. However, evil is universal and her efforts put a target on her back from darker forces, so she may have to watch out to make sure she doesn’t end up in the Never herself, or worse…
Overall I thought the idea of the book was pretty solid. There are many mythological references which were actually quite nice to read about. McEntire appears to have done some homework. It definitely encompasses the YA coming of age element, but it’s not too focused on high school drama which just doesn’t interest me whatsoever and often turns me off from picking up YA titles these days. While it was a solid read, I think I was expecting a little more tension than I felt as I actually read the book. It starts off really well, but I think it becomes more character driven as opposed to action packed. It sort of slowed down for me toward the middle and then picks up again towards the end.
I love great villains and I must say that this villain, the White Lady, kept me fairly enthralled. It’s not quite as easy to predict what her plans and motives are, so I found myself looking most forward to those scenes.
This is the start of the series, so there are a number of roads the subsequent books can take as Wendy realizes her heritage and her destiny. Though YA, this series has a darker air about it, so tragedy could become a mainstay. Death is pretty much the center of this story after all.
*Review copy provided by the publisher
Follow YOUR URBAN FANTASY
ErikaT on 
kittybelle103108 on 
slcurwin on 
