Tag Archives: #Urbanfantasy

Fantasy, Mystery, Young Adult

McLeod, Suzanne: The Bitter Seed of Magic (Spellcrackers III) (2011)

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http://worldoffroud.smugmug.com/Books
“Bean Sidhe” by Alessandro Cristiano at elfwood.com
http://gatherer.wizards.com
Danu: http://www.thesilverbranch.org/goddess/power/danu.html
Morrigan: https://journeyingtothegoddess.files.wordpress.com

Detective Inspector Helen Crane of the Metropolitan Police’s Magic and Murder Squad embodies the law of unintended consequences to me. As we saw in The Sweet Scent of Blood and The Cold Kiss of Death DI Crane is out to get Genvieve Taylor. Helen is a Witch. Genvieve a Sidhe. Crane’s hatred is not due to their two races, or rather not directly. In her youth Helen Crane went through a traumatic experience that has caused her hatred for both the Sidhe fae and for Vampires. Poor Genny hasn’t a clue why DI Crane is out to destroy her, but Genvieve Taylor is the one who has to live with the consequences of that long-ago experience.

Spellcrackers.com is both serial and series. If you want to understand the overarching story of the whys and whereofs of the search for a solution to the fae sterility problem you will need to read the preceding novels. But if all you want is a fun mystery then you can read The Bitter Seed of Magic on its own. That also goes for The Sweet Scent of Blood and for The Cold Kiss of Death.

Our mystery in The Bitter Seed of Magic has to do with the strange circumstances around the deaths of fae women. They turn up glamoured to look like human girls. At the very least all magic should have been washed away by the River Thames from which they were pulled. But this is not the case. Obviously magic is involved and because of its nature Genvieve becomes involved. At first only to remove the spells on their bodies. Then it becomes personal – due to the matter of the feud DI Crane has instigated.

Genny’s own past comes to haunt her. She meets long-lost relatives. Her nickname for one of them is Mad Max (no irony intended) and that should tell you what you need to know about him. Others of her relatives also make an appearance in Genvieve’s life, but I will leave you to find out just who they are on your own. Lets just say that Mad Max is not the only crazy family Genny has. Perhaps crazy is the wrong word for their personalities. Amoral might be a better one or maybe just ethically different seeing as none of them are human.

One thing our experiences with Genvieve Taylor shows is that curses are a whole lot simpler to cast than to undo. In fact that goes for all of our experiences in life. In general it seems to be easier to prevent than to fix. Poor Genny. Left having to fix the idiocy and thoughtlessness of others. She is not on her own though and that could help. Having friends does seem to make my troubles easier to bear. New friends turn up in Genny’s life making her troubles a little less complicated as well. She will need those friends considering just who is pushing Genvieve around. Phew. I am so glad I am not her. Boring is good is my motto when it comes to my own life.

But excitement in the form of stories and excellent authors is another matter. Suzanne McLeod not only makes Genvieve Nataliya Zakharinova Taylor  come alive for me but also very much makes me care what happens to her and her life and her friends.

Reviews:

The Bitter Seed of Magic on:  Amazon.co.uk,  Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Books.A.Million, Chapters.ca, IndieBound, Penguin.com, Powell’s, The Book Depository

Read Chapter 1

My review of:

  1. The Sweet Scent of Blood
  2. The Cold Kiss of Death

Fae dictionary

Fantasy, Mystery

McLeod, Suzanne: The Cold Kiss of Death (Spellcrackers II) (2009)

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The Cold Kiss of Death - all three countries

Authors who are able to lift serious issues into the light without leaving me with a sense of having been preached to are gems. Suzanne McLeod is one of those.

The child stood barefoot and ignored in the cold, sheeting rain; her long dark hair was tossed by the fractious wind and her ragged clothes hung off her undernourished body. She was no more than eight or nine years old. She waited, staring at me from dark angry eyes. My heart beat faster at the sight of her, fingers of fear scraping down my spine and setting my teeth on edge.

As you see, not much of a sense of having been preached to in those introductory sentences. Suzanne McLeod knows how to build her tension. From the outset I understand that I am not meant to have a laid-back read with The Cold Kiss of Death. McLeod’s writing is even tighter in The Cold Kiss of Death than it was in The Sweet Scent of Blood making her succeed immensely in keeping me away from my chores.

During the story in The Cold Kiss of Death Genvieve Taylor discovers that to the fae (even those she thought were friends) she is a sexual object. At one point history is about to repeat itself when dryads attack her in the stairwell of her home. It has to be difficult not knowing if the people you are with are staying with you because of friendship or because you have become a means to an end.

When Tomas is killed at the beginning of the story DI Helen Crane’s hate is fully unleashed and the law of unintended consequences steps into play. Not only Genny is chased. Other fae are killed and hurt because they are fae and humans have fallen into mob mentality. Vampires see it as their chance to play with their food, food that is especially delicious. Their ultimate snack would be Genvieve because of her sidhe blood. Genny is the kind of person that automatically steps in to help the weaker. Now it has become essential for their survival that Genny solves the murder because DI Crane has made up her mind as to who is going to get executed. Genvieve isn’t really a detective, but she  certainly fills that function in The Cold Kiss of Death.

This is another arena where McLeod’s story shows its excellence. Mysteries that keep me guessing are fun. The Cold Kiss of Death is like this for me. Even having read this previously did not ruin my good time. Now I was better able to see what traps McLeod had thrown my way to keep my mind from jumping to the right conclusion.

I have a couple of favorite scenes in this story. One is at Tavish’s place.  The imagery of Genny’s anger mounting while struggling to get out of the water and then having her unleash that frustration at the two idiots on shore was satisfying.

The other one was the above fight in the stairwell of her home and its conclusion. Both are gruesome but in different ways. I guess the contrast between two scenes clearly show why I enjoy McLeod so much. She manages to portray humor, suspense and kindness in a manner that makes me believe that her characters are real.

Genvieve Taylor
Troll by Brian Froud
By Rebecca Sinz, 2006; on deviantart.com
Kelpie by Maly Traktorek on deviantart.com
Aidan Turner as vampire
Faun by aryundomie on deviantart.coml

Reviews:

The Cold Kiss of Death on Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com, The Book Depository, Waterstones.com, Play.com, Borders.co.uk, Forbidden Planet

EBook: Waterstones.com, Kindle Edition

Chapter one

My review of The Sweet Scent of Blood

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

Page, Jessica: The Agency (Agency Hunger I) (2014)

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The Agency - Jessica Page

The Agency by Jessica Page is a paranormal romance with a mystery twist. The Agency is Ms. Page’s first published novel and is part of a series called Agency Hunger. Ms. Page provided me with a copy of her novel in return for a review.

We all know that I am a terrible romance reviewer but I will comment of the stuff that I understand about the concept.

Our male main character’s name is Reid. He falls into the cognitive trap of telling himself to “not think about thinking about a subject”. You know what happens then. The more you fight it, the more you think about it. Sure enough. The more Reid thought about not thinking about liking Harper the more she stuck out in his mind. Silly old vampire. Should know better by now. Especially since he discovers early one that Harper is able to read minds. I thought this was hilarious which is what romance is to me.

The other romance bit that I am able to understand is the sex part. For those of you who do not know yet, I am Norwegian. When Ms. Page told me that her novel had adult content I admit that made me curious as to whether this Viking would think so as well. Personally I think older young adults could read Ms. Page’s novel so they could learn about consensual sex. Because that was what it was. Nice, consensual sex that made me a bit horny. Well done Ms. Page – both on making me horny with your writing and for writing about kind sex. Nor was the violence especially violent.

Both Reid and Harper are extremely sexy and good-looking and that seems to be some sort of rule with romances.

We first meet Harper as she is on her way to and arrives on the subway platform. She has her first encounter with the supernatural world when a person sneaks up behind her wanting to “taste her”. Harper knows this because of what she thinks is a one-of-a-kind ability. To say that she is freaked out is putting it mildly. She turns around, sees sharp incisors and red eyes and thinks what any regular person would

“a fucking vampire standing right in front of me ready to kill me? That is not possible.”

Immediately she has her second encounter when the first vampire is pulled off her by another one – Reid.

Harper is dragged into the supernatural world disbelieving herself and who/what she meets yet finally feeling as though she fits in. Her mind-reading ability caused her adoptive parents to turn her over to a private research facility for testing and Harper had lived 8 years of her life in a laboratory being examined in all sorts of ways. Growing up is difficult enough to do under normal circumstances. Adding non-optional electric shocks and other invasive procedures has made her wary of other people’s reactions to her abilities. Discovering that she is a normal supernatural with an irregular ability must have been relaxing. Finally there is a place in this world where she belongs.

The supernatural members of Harper’s new world are werewolves, vampires and mages (Harper is a mage). You are either born or made a vampire or werewolf. Mages have to be born but do not begin manifesting their abilities until they are ten years old. Werewolves have controlled, painless transitions and they remain in charge of themselves after the change. Vampires are alive but depend on blood to feed the virus that gives them extra abilities. Both werewolves and vampires need to be coached while they are newbies so they do not allow their predatory sides to take over.

Reid is old enough that he has seen the consequences of letting his predatory side rule. His choice was to join up with the group of supernaturals that wanted to keep the community and themselves under control. He belongs to the Agency as one of their best trainers and agents. His responsibility will be to train Harper. Their job will be to help figure out why all the illegal turnings and the deaths that follow the unsuccessful ones are happening.

I liked Jessica Page’s first attempt at a novel. Sure, there is something that needs work. That is a tightening of the story. Sometimes her story falls out of the flow and she has to find her way back into the stream again. But she manages to make her text flow and that is a feat in and of itself. Her English is Canadian English.

The Agency on Smashwords

Fantasy, Humour

Moore, Christopher: Bloodsucking Fiends (Love Story I) (1995)

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Christopher Moore has writer’s magic. Reading Bloodsucking Fiends was a joy. Words flowed in and around my brain engaging me in his version of San Fransisco.

There are very few things I know about San Fransisco. I have seen its Golden Gate Bridge in movies, Alcatraz is somewhere nearby and it was one of the first places where you could openly hold hands with one of your own gender without getting beaten or killed within the first few minutes. Oh, and the gold rush. Must not forget the gold rush and a couple of tinee tiny fires.

Actually, now that I think about it San Fransisco has been part of several books that I have read, but not until Bloodsucking Fiends did San Fransisco settle in my mind. There were two contributing factors to San Fransisco becoming part of my repertoire. One was The Emperor. The Emperor was the most loveable character of the whole story and I don’t really know why that is. The other factor was Tommy moving from Incontinence, Indiana to San Fransisco. That combination was one of the funniest moments in the story for me. The US being the US I actually wondered if there was a place called Incontinence in Indiana, but looking it up left me empty-handed.

Then we have Jody’s mother. Jody had forgotten to phone her mother the month she became a vampire because Jody had not gotten her period. She would combine the two most unpleasant things in her life to get the unpleasantness over with. Not getting my period ever again is certainly one advantage to becoming a vampire that would appeal to me.

Details like this are some of the many things that made Bloodsucking Fiends as fun as it was. That moment when Tommy walked into the store the first time and owned the Animals. Or the time when Jody decides she has had enough questions and asks Tommy one of her own.

“Men are pigs: Fact or fiction?”

“Fact!” Tommy shouted.

“Correct! You win.” She leaped into his arms and kissed him.

Finally I got to read a story with the kind of romance that I understand. Christopher Moore’s irreverent take on homelessness, gender, stratification, relationships and stalking will probably end up being a repeat read for me.

Reviews:

Bloodsucking Fiends on Little Brown

Emperor Norton

If Asian People Said the Stuff White People Say (Video)

Children, Fantasy

Crook, Mackenzie: The Windvale Sprites (2011)

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The Windvale Sprites - MacKenzie Crook

Mackenzie Crook has illustrated the story of The Windvale Sprites along with the cover illustration. His illustrations go perfectly with his story.

I picked this copy of The Windvale Sprites up at my library. Ragnhild, the fantasy-buff librarian, makes certain she keeps the fantasy/science fiction section well-stocked with books for all age groups. She seems to have a pretty good eye for what will appeal to people. Once again, she was correct where I was concerned.

Librarians are such wonderful and diverse creatures. We get to meet two of them in our story: Mrs. Fields and Mr. Trap. Both names are somehow appropriate (probably intentional). Mrs. Fields is an elderly, sweet, somewhat deaf woman who is willing to aid a boy with his odd queries. Mr. Trap, on the other hand, loves to trap people with his words and is quite sarcastic. He is the kind of person I would have very much liked to stick my tongue out at when I was Asa’s age. Asa definitely finds himself not at all fond of Mr. Trap.

Young Asa is the way I think children should be. You know, just a bit naughty, extremely curious and kind at heart.

(Asa) “scribbled a feeble lie on a piece of paper explaining to his parents where he hadn’t gone”

At this point I knew I would love the story about Asa, our young hunter of sprites. And I did. There is something magical about an author who knows just how much he can get away with when it comes to playing around with words.

Another thing I really liked about The Windvale Sprites was the sprites themselves. Like ravens and crows they love shiny things, they do not thrive in captivity and there is nothing sweet-looking about them (except perhaps their gossamer wings).

The Windvale Sprites left me with a happy feeling inside and a smile on my face.

If you listen to the sample below read by the author, you will get a sense of the story of The Windvale Sprites.

Reviews:

The Windvale Sprites on Faber & Faber Ltd.

Mackenzie Crook reading from The Windvale Sprites

Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller

Cornell, Paul: London Falling (James Quill I) (2012)

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London Falling

I think the novel actually has a few things in common with Mary’s Glamour books, that, while not realising it at the time, I’d been influenced by her in the writing of it. The force our heroes encounter is ‘the paramilitary wing of feng shui’, something similar to the Psychogeography of the Situationist movement, the power of buildings and landscape (in this case, London) to ‘remember’ beings and events. In other words, it looks and feels like magic, but my inclination (and the police instinct of my leads) is to pick that concept apart, to ask what that means. So, actually, rather as becomes clear of Mary’s series in Glamour in Glass, London Falling is an SF novel wearing another genre’s clothes. It’s actually a ‘clever people solve a problem’ book, in the tradition established by SF editor John W. Campbell. (Paul Cornell)

There is a section in London Falling where Sefton explains the whole concept of “remembering”. You should read it. The concept is rather thought-provoking and essential to the character of Mara Losley and her cat.

Mara Losley is a person whose road was paved with the best of intentions. Then the rule of unintended consequences stepped in, and Mara was drawn onto a much darker path than she had started out on. We meet her at her darkest. As with all good gruesome characters, Mara lets nothing stand in the way of her goals and her beloved team West Ham United F.C.

I feel the need to get this off my chest right away, however small that chest might be. Football fans are insane. Each and every one of them. Completely and utterly bonkers. Seriously. Insane. It doesn’t matter if we are talking US sissy football or European proper football. ALL football fans are deranged. Mara Losley just takes her fandom to another level. She shines in her madness. There is no doubt in her mind that WHUFC is the bestest team in the universe and any player daring enough to challenge that belief is in for a rough time. The player and the sacrifices needed for his punishment.

Paul Cornell has written a wonderfully gruesome antagonist. Mara Losley has spent years upon years honing her creepiness and people’s forgetting and remembering when it comes to who she is. Now all of that work is in danger. And all because of the Smiling Man and his shenanigans.

I loved DS Quill. He heads his team of four and the four of them have to solve the riddle of what happened to Rob Toshack, the crime lord supreme of London. All of a sudden the guy exploded in a shower of blood. Blood everywhere in the interrogation room. On the officers, Mr. Toshack’s brief and the furniture. Four liters can cover a lot of space. Mr. Cornell’s goriness is perfect in its gooey, disgusting and awful description. I’m guessing some of the readers out there will find it too much.

Back to DS Quill. Why him and not one of the others? At the beginning Quill seems like an utter piss-pot. Then Cornell begins opening the cover of Quill’s head. Suddenly I find myself slowly but surely driven to accepting that my suspicions about him are about to come true. Shudder. What a fate! He isn’t the only one to have a terrible shadow hanging over him but he is the one whose remembering/forgetting I understand best. And poor Harry. What a father to have.

Second Sight is something a lot of people think they want to have. As London Falling demonstrates, the reality of Sight is not the blessing some might believe it to be. When the foursome of Quill, Ross, Costain and Sefton receive their curse all at the same time, they will have to dig deep into themselves to manage the trauma that follows. That trauma is intense and it takes a while for each of the four to realize that they are not going mad.

A thanks to Paul Cornell for writing London Falling and another thanks to Suzanne McLeod for recommending this series.

Reviews:

London Falling

  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0230763219
  • ISBN-13: 978-0230763210
  • ASIN: B00AER81ZU
Fantasy, Horror, Science Fiction, Short story/novella

Stross, Charles: The Atrocity Archives (Laundry Files I)

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Cover art by Steve Montiglio
Cover art by Steve Montiglio

The Atrocity Archives consists of two stories: The Atrocity Archive and The Concrete Jungle.

“Saving the world is Bob Howard’s job. There are a surprising number of meetings involved.” (The Atrocity Archives)

I have an admission to make. I do not believe I have ever read any Lovecraft but the Chtuluverse reaches far and wide and has many incarnations. Another admission. I am beginning to see that I do not understand what horror literature is. My placing it in this category relies solely upon what Charles Stross himself has said about his novellas.

The Atrocity Archive has to be a math/computer lover’s dream. It mixes real and imagined theories with abandon and we end up with things like “The Church-Turing Theorem”. Even I have heard of Alan Turing. The theorem itself is, of course, fantasy – or is it? Perhaps there really is an organization out there trying to protect us from reaching into the unknown and dragging out brain-eating monsters from parallel universes.

Artwork by Leighton Johns
Artwork by Leighton Johns

In the case of The Atrocity Archive this parallel universe is illustrated perfectly by Leighton Johns on Deviantart. As you can see, the worship of Adolph Hitler reached new heights over there. But the lovely monster who has taken over the Nazi-universe wants in to ours, and we really do not want that to happen. Unless you belong to the Order of Null.

As a first field assignment I have to say that Bob Howard has his work cut out for him. Although Angleton (boss-man) did not KNOW what kind of mess he was putting Bob into, he had to at least have an inkling of the extent of the problem. Exactly who or what Angleton is remains a mystery. I find myself curious enough about the man to want to get more of the Laundry series so I can find out more about him.

And that is just Angleton.

I have to say that Charles Stross has a wonderful way with the names of his characters. Scary Spice for one. I just about died when Scary was introduced. Then we have Bob’s flat-mates, Pinky and Brain. Pinky and Brain are uber-intelligent guys whose creative genius (and idiocy) are on par with Leonard of Quirm.

Perhaps this is the main reason I really like Charles Stross. His writing has the exact zing it needs to be both funny and painful. Stross excels at the astoundingly difficult art of satire and I love the way his intelligence radiates his writing dragging me along for the ride.

The Concrete Jungle is of the same quality. In these surveillance times it makes perfect sense to read about CCTV security cameras being taken over to wreak havoc in an area. All in the name of politics. Who cares if a a few people die along the way? You know, proper politics. Oh, the bite.

Once again, Bob Howard is called upon to save the day. Along the way he manages to show me my own “Laundry”. And so I conclude with the words of the master himself:

“The Laundry squats at the heart of a dark web, a collision between paranoia and secrecy on one hand, and the urge to knowledge on the other. Guardians of the dark secrets that threaten to drown us in nightmare, their lips sealed as tightly as their archives. To get even the vaguest outline of their activities takes a privileged takes a trickster-fool hacker like Bob, nosy enough to worm his way in where he isn’t supposed to be and smart enough to explain his way out of trouble. Some day Bob will grow up, fully understand the ghastly responsibilities that go with his job, shut the hell up, and stop digging. But until then, let us by all means use him as our unquiet guide to the corridors of the Fear Factory.” (The Atrocity Archives)

Reviews:

  • ISBN: 9780441013654
  • Author: Stross, Charles
  • Publisher: Ace Books
  • Introduction by: MacLeod, Hen
  • Copyright: 2004
  • Series: A Laundry Files Novel
  • Publication Date: 2006 01 31
  • Language: English
  • Pages: 368

2005: The Concrete Jungle won the Hugo award for novella of the year

Just for fun: Check out Mathematical Fiction: The Atrocity Files

Adventure, Fantasy

Bateman, Sonya: Master of None (Gavin Donatti I) (2010)

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masterofnonefinal2
Designed by Jaquelynne Hudson Illustration by Gordon Crabb Cover design by Lisa Litwack

Master of None is Sonya Bateman’s debut novel and she does a good job with it. Her characters are fun and loony. My favorite one is Trevor, the VP-baddie.

Trevor is the kind of nut that I thoroughly enjoy. He is completely unpredictable. If one of his goons displeases him at all, Trevor will shoot them on the spot. He he has put the fear of himself into both criminals and the police in the area. Even the locals know not to get Trevor’s ire up. Remember – one must not displease Trevor:

“I don’t believe in trust. I believe in control.” Frigid green eyes settled on me for a moment and then languidly scanned the rest of the group. “Conner. Come here please.”

The cop approached Trevor, his expression neutral. “What’s up?”

“Where is our friend in the trench coat?”

“Still in the van. He’s dead.”

Trevor stared at him. “You must be mistaken.”

“Uh …” A flicker of unease penetrated Conner’s features. “No, he’s gone. I shot him a few times, just to make sure.”

“Did I tell you to shoot him?”

Those flat words were Conner’s death sentence. I knew it. Conner did too.

“Wait.” Conner stumbled back. “Trevor, I-”

Trevor’s arm jackknifed up to press the gun against Conner’s forehead. He fired without hesitation. The silencer allowed a whining snap, no louder than a breaking branch. Trevor didn’t even blink when the cop’s blood spattered his face and pristine linen shirt. The body dropped to the floor. Trevor released a short sigh and shook his head.

That kind of bad. Completely amoral. Anything goes as long as Trevor gets his way. Not the kind of bad that I would like to meet. Not at all!

Gavin Donatti has the great misfortune of having botched his latest job for Trevor and Gavin has the sense to be frightened shitless. When we meet him, Gavin is doing his best to stay ahead of Trevor and his goons. Sadly, he is not doing a very good job of it. However, as usual his unlucky streak seems to run out at an essential moment, the moment when the Djinn/genie Ian steps into his life. These two guys are the main characters of the story. Gavin needs Ian and Ian needs Gavin to become more real.

In the beginning, I guess you could sum their relationship up with these words:

Being this surly bastard’s master was about as useful as ordering the weather around. And if achieving my life’s purpose depended upon coaxing a flesh-bound hurricane to cooperate with me, I’d take eternal bad luck.

Of course, things do not remain like this between the two of them throughout the novel, but they are never easy around each other. Gavin seems to have that talent, the talent to make people wary of being around him. Perhaps that has something to do with his luck and their misfortune whenever Gavin takes on a project. For the unluckiest thief on the earth, Gavin is awfully lucky. It isn’t that Gavin does anything to create the disasters that other people who work with him experience. In fact, he feels terrible about his spread of unhappiness all the while having Ms. Bateman show us Gavin’s reluctance to own what he has done. A reviewer called him yellow-bellied. I do not know the color of his belly, but I agree with the premise while all the time remembering that Gavin’s cowardice is interspersed with a great deal of courage (when needs must).

I liked “Master of None“.

Reviews:

  • ISBN: 9781439160848
  • Author: Bateman, Sonya
  • Publisher: Pocket Books
  • Subject: Fantasy – Contemporary
  • Subject: Science Fiction and Fantasy-Fantasy-Contemporary
  • Copyright: 2010
  • Edition Description: Mass market paperback
  • Publication Date: 20100331
  • Binding: MASS MARKET
  • Language: English
  • Pages: 384
Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction

Barant, D.D.: Dying Bites (The Bloodhound Files) (2009)

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Dying_Bites
Cover artist: ??? (help!)

“Don DeBrandt is a Canadian author who also writes under the pen-names Donn Cortez and DD Barant.”

The Bloodhound Files was created by Mr. Barant as a social satire. I had no idea of that when I bought the novel. In fact it was not until creating this review that I discovered that fact. However, the feeling of social criticism was there throughout Dying Bites.

No doubt about it, Dying Bites is an action-filled mystery with a whole lot of dark fantasy/science fiction to it. We are talking about a parallel world with an alternate history and lots of paranormal creatures and magic.

Jace Valchek fits into the gung-ho main protagonist mold without all of the gooey romance that some fantasy/science fiction novels glory in – the kind that I never seem to understand. The closest we get to romance would be a couple of thoughts about Cassius and Dr. Pete and some action with Tanaka.

DD Barant uses vampires, werewolves, golems and humans to create a world where racism is based on races rather than silly things like color. In my head it becomes easier to understand the concept of racism. Several of the scenes where Mr. Barant shows us the less pleasant sides of our world become incredibly clear. Two of those scenes are the post-sex scene with Tanaka and the nazi-camp. I found that dialogue well-done.

Other dialogue that I enjoyed greatly was between Jace and Charlie, her partner, and any conversation including Eisfanger. Eisfanger is a wonderfully nerdy person whose greatest assistant is a rat skull called Wittgenstein. I found myself wanting to sit down with Eisfanger and have a chat. Being a nerd myself along with being married to one and having two sons who are nerds makes me predisposed toward nerdy characters – if they are well-written.

Dying Bites was great entertainment with a serious undertone and lots of humour.

Reviews:

Adventure, Fantasy, Romance

Harrison, Kim: The Undead Pool (The Hollows XII) (2014)

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“That’s because pixies think with their hearts,” Quen said, ignoring Trent’s peeved expression. “This decision is already causing problems.”

“Most warriors think with their hearts,” I said, telling the mystics to back off and that I wasn’t angry with anything they could crush or explode. “It’s what keeps them alive through the crap they have to deal with to keep the rest of you safe.”

…

Quen smiled, deep and full. “Rachel,” he amended, then headed into the hall. “Jenks, a word?”

“What the hell is it with you people?” Jenks griped as he followed him out. “Can’t you make a decision without talking to the pixy?”

“Warriors build empires around the kernel of truth that others overlook,” came Quen’s soft voice …

Who are the warriors? Well, in the world of The Undead Pool the warriors are pretty much all of Rachel’s friends. They save the world from the chaos caused by others and sometimes themselves (unintentionally). Some of them crave the adrenalin that comes from the fight while others fight for what they believe even though they are frightened half to bits.

When you take away the trappings of fantasy, you quickly see that Rachel Morgan is like many of us.

She grew up a sickly child. Her father died while she was young and her mother lost it for a while after that. Rachel was an outsider and bullied for being different. As she grew up Rachel learned to keep to herself and was afraid of bonding with others. But her personality was of one that stands up for what she believes in and one that fights for the weak in society. In time the force of her personality drew people to her and because of Rachel’s willingness to sacrifice for others those bonds became strong. Due to her fear of intimate relationships, Rachel had a tendency to choose lovers who spoke to her self-destructive side. But eventually her choices and the choices of others opened her eyes to the fact that it is OK to choose a partner who will be just that – a partner.

What Rachel has learned is that life is about so much more than surviving our pasts. In letting people into her life and taking the chance of being hurt further, Rachel has opened up for possibilities that would not have been there otherwise. In her fight for the protection of the weak, Rachel now has support that enables her to do what has become her “job”. She is still an outsider, but no longer is she alone.

Then we add the trappings of fantasy and we have a rip-roaring yarn told by one of my favorite authors.

  • Series: Hollows
  • Hardcover: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Harper Voyager; First Edition edition (February 25, 2014)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061957933
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061957932
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.4 x 1.6 inches

My review of Ever After

Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller

Harrison, Kim: Ever After (The Hollows XI) (2013)

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Ever After - 3 covers

Ever since I read the first novel in this now 11 book long series about Rachel Morgan I have been hooked. How Ms. Harrison manages to keep up the quality of her writing is beyond me.

In Ever After the story is mainly about Rachel, quite a bit about Trent and Jenks with some Quen and Al thrown in. The rest of the players have minor parts this time and some of them are only mentioned in passing.

I have been wondering if I would be able to make decisions based on “the greater good”. Could I harm an individual I knew/liked/loved to save the many? Rachel faces this choice in Ever After. She faces this same choice in just about every single one of Kim Harrison’s stories about her.

Rachel is an interesting person. She is an outsider among outsiders, the peg having to accept that she will never fit into any of the holes. If I was going to choose a main theme for the series it might be how to figure out how to accept your inability to fit in. I felt Rachel managed to do that in The Undead Pool. Like all people who get to that point, the Rachel we now meet is safer in her knowledge that she is who she is. That helps when trouble keeps on following her around.

In many ways Rachel’s life stinks royally. Yes, she is an adrenaline junkie. As with all other addictions, I am assuming that your fixes need to be larger over time. If there is one thing Rachel cannot complain about in Ever After, it is the dose of trouble Ms. Harrison feeds her. Ka-boom, ka-boom, ka-boom. From one fire to the next Rachel tries to keep up dragging along her leaking bucket. Ms. Harrison loves doing that to her Rachel.

Another thing Rachel has discovered she needs in these past few years is friendship. Being friends with Rachel is difficult but rewarding. Once you have her for a friend it takes an awful lot to lose her. All you have to do is ask Nick. He has done his utmost to turn her against him (although he does not see it that way). Nick is one of those persons who is never at fault – never. He and Ku’Sox are alike in that regard and as such make a pretty good team (or maybe not).

What must it be like to think that you are never to blame for anything? I get that most things in life are plain luck of the draw while others are a direct result of what we have done. From what people say to me, the majority seems to find it incredibly easy to see its own flaws. I’m finding myself completely mystified at how a person is able to accept absolutely no blame but be glad to take credit for good things happening. Narcissism is one of the weirder disorders out there and Nick fits the bill in so many ways.

As usual, you get no synopsis from me. There is as always with Rachel Morgan action, character growth, justice, unfairness, tragedy, mystery, love and closure. You can read Ever After without reading the other novels in the series, but why deprive yourself of that much fun?

                             

Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller

Rowland, Diana: Fury of the Demon (Kara Gillian VI) (2014)

2 Comments
Fury of the Demon
Cover art by Daniel Dos Santos
Cover design by G-Force Design

I’ve thought somewhat about a paragraph in Fury of the Demon:

It was a story as old as time, and Rasha had played the role of disapproving elder with fervor. And even though her intent had been noble – to protect her granddaughter from an untrustworthy man – she paid the price with crushing loneliness so deep that she’d risked death or injury to …

To what lengths will we go to avoid feeling lonely?

The first five novels in the Kara Gillian series shows how far she has been willing to go to avoid that feeling. Now she experiences a sense of belonging she had never thought possible.

Loneliness is a concept I have spent much time contemplating. I’m kind of a misfit with most people. We can talk a bit, but when it comes to wanting to spend more time with me or me wanting to adjust to their expectations of “proper female behavior” – well, it just ain’t happening. In the past I have done stupid things to stop feeling lonely. I genuinely like being in my own company and sometimes find the presence of others intrusive. Even my dog and my husband. But it has been lonely growing up being a person like me. Thankfully, loneliness is no longer a factor in my life.

The other side of the loneliness coin that some people choose is that they would rather be alone than risk facing their own inner demons. Mzatal used to be like that. Then Kara and Idris came along and opened up the cracks of his emotional armor. This I really understand.

Emotions are confusing and illogical. They follow no rhyme or reason and appear when most inconvenient. I used to hide mine in a large chest that only I held the key to. Then patience and acceptance came my way through my husband and tiny emotion-elves started picking that lock.

Sometimes we all have need of a person in our life that sets off our tiny emotion-elves. Kara found several of them in her posse, and Mzatal found his through his protegés. Now both of them just have to figure out how to want to keep those positive influences in their lives.

As a compliment to Ms. Rowland’s writing, I found myself stupidly reading, and reading and reading through the freaking night. Her writing becomes better with each production. I love it when I can follow an author in their progression as a writer.

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Reviews:

  • Series: Kara Gillian (Book 6)
  • Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
  • Publisher: DAW; 1 edition (January 7, 2014)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 075640830X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0756408305

My review of: Touch of the Demon

Quotes about loneliness

Fantasy, LGBTQ+/GRSM, Romance, Thriller

Cane, Laken: Strange Trouble (Rune Alexander III) (2014)

4 Comments

Strange trouble

Bloody hell. Give the poor girl a break. Laken Cane drives her main character, Rune Alexander, hard. And can she write! All of that exquisitely described pain and anguish. Holy horror of a cow! What a life our heroine leads.

Rune Alexander fills me with compassion. I want to crawl into Strange Trouble and somehow comfort her, to let her know that she is OK as she is. My own ghost pain is awakened, and I want to tell her that things will get better. But I would be lying by saying that because Ms. Cane is a cruel mistress for the Shiv Crew.

The Rune Alexander series is a bleak and dark series. There aren’t a great deal of happy moments. Well, there are plenty of happy moments, but that is what they are. Moments. Then Rune and the gang is ripped back into the terror and ache of having to be the “good guys” in spite of all of the persecution and loss. Yet Ms. Cane’s writing makes it all endurable.

The vampires, zombies and werewolves of the Rune Alexander series are not the fluffy ones that we sometimes see in literature today. These are the good, old-fashioned kind. The ones that were told stories about around the fires while night turned into darkest dark and became all the more frightening because we could no see the world.

As usual, I have a couple of favorite moments. Rune’s gift to Ellie – perfect. That put a huge smile on my face. Rune advising Raze about relationships – pot/kettle much? The two episodes with the obsidian sword. Shad and Fie at the hospital – incredibly cute. The monster’s comment: What will you do? … Hurt me? And finally Ms. Cane’s description of Damascus – whew that lady needs to work on her charm.

Laken Cane has kept the promise of Shiv Crew. Her writing has been riveting, tense and tight through all three novels.

  • File Size: 2202 KB
  • Print Length: 296 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Laken Cane (February 4, 2014)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B00I8ZGNY6

My review of:

  1. Shiv Crew
  2. Blood and Bite

Strange Trouble was given to me as a reviewer’s copy.

Adventure, Fantasy

Wolfe, Anna: Ensnared by Magic (The One Rises) (2013)

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Ensnared by Magic - Anna Wolfe
I love this cover art by Jonathan Burkhardt

Anna Wolfe is a bleeding good writer. She, once again, engaged me immediately in Ensnared by Magic. Perhaps ensnared would be a better word to use for what she did to me. The title is appropriate in describing the effect an excellent author can have on their readers. Excellent authors certainly ensnare me in what seems to be a magical manner.

At the beginning of the novel Wolfe lets us know that there will be “sexually explicit scenes and adult language that is not appropriate for children.” This is the case. While the sex is explicit it is kind, generous, sad and fun. Anna Wolfe’s excellent writing shows in these parts as well.

Mark Little lets us see a side of himself that had not been apparent in the previous novels. In Ensnared by Magic we get to see Mark’s generous personality and more of his fun-loving side. His demon-bitten side likes to provoke anger and has Mark feeding on pain (his own and others). Thus far, we have gotten to see quite a bit Mark’s demon-bitten side. Now other traits get to come out and play. Too bad the witches have plans for using him in defiance of the Seer. The High Priestess seems to be hungry for what she cannot have – Seer’s power.

Silas is demonborn. That means that he is that product of a demonridden and a witch. “Boss-man” is old and more powerful than the demon-bitten. His strength makes it possible for him to control those demon-bitten who hail to him. Sadly, Silas is the only one left of the demonborn (I think). He is lonely without others of his kind. The Seer seems to have some kind of power over him. Exactly how free he is to live his life is difficult to say at this point. I’m glad I’m not in his position.

Edie, Callie and Hatter are all demon-bitten like Mark is. Callie is a mystery to those around her. Well, maybe not to the Seer. Exactly how strong she is or what her powers will turn out to be is not clear. Her resistance to Silas’ power is stronger than the other demon-bitten he has encountered thus far, and Silas fears that he might have to kill her in the end. Callie would prefer that to causing the kind of damage she is potentially capable of. I’m not sure her ability to resist Silas’ power is solely due to her own powers. Instead I’m kind of wondering if it has something to do with her resilience and another “mysterious” factor. We shall see (I hope).

Why I prefer Silas and Callie to the others is a good question. Perhaps it has to do with the mysteries that surround them. Or it could have something to do with the way they both refuse to let the other have control of them. Both of these factors make them interesting, but there has to be more to it than that. I know that with Callie some of her attraction has to do with all of the questions she raises in my head. People who make me ask questions fascinate me.

I know I like the fact that Wolfe’s writing does not point out an obvious “bad/good person”. Adult literature is supposed to be like that to my thinking. I thoroughly enjoy the obviousness in young adult and children’s literature. There is, however, no getting away from the fact that all the grey zones of adult literature are a lot more fun.

So, perhaps you might have noticed that I enjoyed Wolfe’s writing and recommend it to one and all.

 

Adventure, Fantasy, Humour, Short story/novella, Young Adult

Jackson, Ros: The Secret Eater (2013)

3 Comments
Ros Jackson
Cover art by Rick Parsons
Editing by Anna Genoese

I was given a reviewer’s copy of The Secret Eater. I promise that I have not included either “bomb-making instructions” or “the directions to” Ros’ house in this review. When contacted by Ros Jackson I went to her website to check out the background info on the novella and was sold when the words “Nigella Express” appeared.  I did the elegant snort laugh that I do sometimes and said I would love to review it.

Kenssie, the demon (of the secret-eating variety), is an insecure girl with a tendency toward denial. She loves what she is in a world of demons, hybrids and humans. As usual, we humans are oblivious to the “others” around us, something that makes us perfect prey. But we aren’t the only prey around it seems. Denial is a wonderful tool of survival in a world where a poor girl wants to believe herself more included than she really is.

The way Ros Jackson has portrayed the demons and hybrids of her world makes them seem a perfect complement to our fears, insecurities, greed and anger. Using humour and satire as a tool to comment on the world is done in the way only Brits are able to.

I liked this first novella of Ros Jackson.

Reviews: