Tag Archives: #Urbanfantasy

Monk, Devon: Magic at the Gate (Allie Beckstrom) (2010)

2013-04-16 humanitysdarkerside 4 Comments

Magic on the Storm left us hanging there – a real cliff-hanger ending. And that is fine. Not that I have a say in the matter. I might have wanted to knock Devon Monk on the head with hammer for a moment, but that is my problem. Authors can be sooooooo ??

To say that The Authority is in trouble at this point would be an understatement. It became clear during Magic on the Storm that there were two factions (at least) within The Authority. Obviously Allie belongs to the “good guys” (and Jingo-Jingo to the bad).

Sadly, Zayvion is not there to aid her through most of Magic at the Gate. For obvious reasons he is out cold and Allie is not at all certain he will wake up back to his old form. Fortunately Allie is strong enough to handle that. I think she would probably be a good role-model for girls today. She just does what she has to do realising that life doesn’t play favorites.

Her dad’s old games with forcing magic to do his will is coming to bite them all in the behind. Allie tries to clean his mess up but has to fight trust-issues when it comes to good ol’ dad who just happens to be co-habitating with her. Annoying geezer and stubborn daughter.

Shame and Terric are at odds. Just because other people believe them to be soul-complements does not mean that they have to accept that. I mean, come on, we are talking about Shaymus Flynn – the king of stubbornness. I think he even tops Allie in this area.

The entertainment value of the Allie Beckstrom series is high. Devon has managed to create characters that grow and has a storyline that draws toward some kind of inevitable conclusion. While I as a reader might not know where Monk is going with the series, it is clear that she does. I am definitely going to be along for the ride.

Reviews for books 1 (Magic to the Bone), 2 (Magic in the Blood), 3 (Magic in the Shadows) and 4 (Magic on the Storm).

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Magic on the Storm (Allie Beckstrom) (2010)

2013-04-16 humanitysdarkerside 3 Comments

One of the things I like about Devon Monk’s Portland is the kind of magic she uses (well, her character anyways). In a place where magic has become something so ordered and available that everyone can use it for just about anything, what would happen if that magic got messed up?

When Allie discovers that a storm of apocalyptic force is bearing down on Portland, she and Zayvion have their work cut out for them in trying to convince the Authority to act. How to deal with a storm that threatens to take out the entire city while at the same time turning magic unstable and destructive, is something that has to be solved. But the Authority is divided in its approach to the problem.

Having to keep any knowledge of the Authority from non-Authority friends/acquaintances is another challenge Allie has to deal with. Fortunately Zay and Shame are also members of that “elite” society and get to play with people’s lives. For that is what the Authority does. It controls magic and how much people know about it. If some person gets too much knowledge the Authority messes with their heads. Allie hates this part of the Authority but has little choice in the matter.

Imagine you had your dad living in your head. That would be enough to drive me insane. Insanity is something Allie has to keep from happening all the while trying to be the one in charge of herself. Both she and her father are incredibly stubborn people and Daniel Beckstrom is used to people doing what he wants. But Allie is no push-over and seems to be handling her co-habitation.

Another thing Allie seems to be coming to terms (more or less) with is the acceptance of the responsibilities that have been thrown her way. Trouble still has a tendency to find her, and it seems Allie has recognised that this is her lot in life. As a “leader” of the Hounds her charges adds to the pot of trouble. But there is plenty of good that comes with all of Allie’s challenges. Her relationship with various people gives her life a dimension that had been missing.

Shame is still Mr. Naughty. His character is a gem. He and Zayvion are like two brothers (lots of love and lots of annoyance). Time and again we see Zay falling for Shame’s na-na-na-na behavior. Monk does an excellent job in portraying the balm that these relationships are to Allie’s loneliness. It is fun to follow an author that shows growth.

Reviews for books 1 (Magic to the Bone), 2 (Magic in the Blood) and 3 (Magic in the Shadows).

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Magic in the Shadows (Allie Beckstrom) (2009)

2013-04-16 humanitysdarkerside 5 Comments

There is especially one character in Magic in the Shadows that I want to point out. In Magic in the Blood Allie managed to bring alive a gargoyle. Stone, the gargoyle, is a wonderful “pet”/”friend” for Allie. Our block-building dude. I love him.

Another one is Shame (Shamus Flynn), our self-destructive but ever so loyal friend. I don’t know why, but characters that get into “trouble” are incredibly fun. Shame is the prankster of our trio/quartet.

Zayvion has a larger part than the other two – naturally. He is Allie’s second half (so to speak). A lot of the Allie Beckstrom series describes the growth that these two characters go through (well the rest of them as well). Monk manages to give us characters that grow and she explores human nature in all its glory and horror.

Allie’s problems are not over. The voice in her head is not helping her at all. As the series is told in 1st person, we get to view all of Allie’s incredibly dense moments, but also those moments when she gets to show what she is good for.

The Authority is very interested in getting Allie to deal with the voice in her head. They feel threatened by it. But it comes in useful when Allie has to fight with a magically created “demon”. Allie’s ability to store magic in her bones is a phenomenon no-one quite understands. Her lack of ability in controlling her magic makes it necessary for her to get help – through the Authority.

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Magic in the Blood (Allie Beckstrom) (2009)

2013-04-16 humanitysdarkerside 4 Comments

In Magic in the Blood Devon Monk continues to provide us with excellent entertainment. Devon Monk manages to show us a three-dimensional Allie Beckstrom. But Allie is not alone in her three-dimensionality. Her side-kicks also have a feeling of life to to them. This is quite a talent for an author.

As we saw in Magic to the Bone, one of the consequences of using magic in this version of Portland is memory loss. Allie has forgotten the previous couple of weeks – including who Zayvion is. This book deals with what happens when you forget important events in your life, having to get to know friends all over again. I guess that is what it must be like to be senile.

Someone has gone missing. Allie is asked by the police’s magic enforcement division to help on the case. It seems their own investigators are turning up dead while investigating the case.

Along with all of this Allie is beginning to see and hear things that cannot be explained. She wonders if she is going crazy.

Fantasy, Romance, Thriller, Young Adult

Bryan, J.L.: Jenny Pox (The Paranormals) (2010)

2013-03-02 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

Cover artist Phatpuppy Art

It is difficult enough being a teen-ager as it is. Add in a curse and life gets even rougher. What if that curse happens to be that anything that touches your bare skin or that you touch dies? Well, I would say a person could get mighty depressed.

Children sense when something is different about you. If there is anything to pounce upon, they will. Life is a jungle when you are little. Even if there is nothing strange about you, you will be picked on if the top dog is bored.

Jenny’s difference has made her the favorite kicking ball of her school. “Jenny Pox” has evolved into “Jenny Mittens” (due to the gloves she has to wear). All Jenny wants for herself is to get through her senior year and be finished with her fellow students. But her main bullyer is determined to make Jenny’s last year miserable. Ashley is Miss Popularity at their high school and she HATES Jenny with a passion.

I enjoyed Bryan’s characterisation of Jenny. He caught the desperation brought on by years of bullying. Very good job there. The Paranormals concept was interesting as well. As it would be a spoiler to tell, well, you will just have read Jenny Pox yourself.

Science Fiction, Thriller

Bernstein, David: Tears of No Return (2012)

2013-02-26 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

I have read loads of novels in this genre written by my gender, but none by the “aliens” (I think). So I kind of had to see if there was a difference in perspective. There could have been, you know. They are supposed to be different from us “normals”. After having read it, I had to check if David Bernstein was a pseudonym for some lady wanting to hide her gender. But it was not. David Bernstein is really a guy writing a book that is very similar in style to many gals.

What does this tell me? Hell if I know. I just found it incredibly interesting that David Bernstein as a guy might possibly write the same way as a gal. Those who know me will not be surprised at all that I would get hung up in something like this or even read a book for this reason – as if I would need an excuse to read. Hah.

Karen Lakemire is having a terrible day. First she gets kidnapped by someone who seems like a homeless, who turns out to be a mafia-seeming guy, who then turns out to be infected by an alien, who then infects Karen and finally kills himself. Woohoo! Just my kind of day. Of course the US government is involved, through a secret corporation called the Murphy Unit – a unit consisting of some very bad people out to further the US military power by any means possible.

Karen later meets up with another unfortunate victim of the Murphy Unit, Morgan Hughes. He has been turned into a vampire-vampire. That just means that he has to have vampire blood to survive and that he can handle sunlight and garlic and religious symbols. Together they fight the evil overlords.

I found the vampire cliches, well, cliches. The garlic was a bit over-kill.

Other than that Tears of No Return was a fairly good action/thriller/scifi/urban fantasy novel.

Adventure, Fantasy, Humour

Parkhurst, Bodie: Redeeming Stanley (2009)

2013-02-21 humanitysdarkerside 2 Comments

Cover art by Sherry Wachter

Redeeming Stanley is a treat of a novel. It is lighthearted, raunchy and adventurous. Most of all Redeeming Stanley is well written and thought out.

Meet Weldon Frame, self-diagnosed shrewd businessman, babe magnet, and mail room clerk extraordinaire. Meet Annie, Weldon’s ex-girlfriend, mother of his unexpected child, and recently-identified gold-digging stone-cold bitch. Meet Stan and Babe, Prince of Demons and Whore of Babylon. Meet Angela, born-again Christian with a jones for Stan. Meet Grandma, a ghost who liked the family dog a little too well. Meet the Freak…well, maybe not. Meet the Coppess, a gum-snapping state trooper who has Weldon’s sterling piece of American automotive engineering towed, leaving him afoot and furious in the middle of the Southern California desert night.

Clearly, Payback is in order. The rest is inevitable.

You can tell Redeeming Stanley is meant to be humorous. But there is a serious side to it – kind of. There are plenty of guys out there like Weldon and plenty of gals like Annie. Sometimes accepting responsibility for our choices can be difficult. We can’t do anything about what has gone but our choices for the future can be different from the ones we have gotten into the habit of making. Redeeming Stanley illustrates how difficult that is, but it also shows us that it is doable.

I loved it. There were enough crazy moments in Redeeming Stanley to make me happy for having read it. I left it with a smile on my face.

First-place winner, Best of the Best E-books Award, 2009

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Bevill, C.L.: Veiled Eyes (Lake People) (2010)

2013-02-21 humanitysdarkerside 2 Comments

Cover art by C.L. Bevill

C.L. Bevill describes Veiled Eyes as a paranormal romance/suspense novel. This time I agree completely with the label.

Veiled Eyes is the first novel in the Lake People series. It is a stand-alone novel.

In Veiled Eyes we get to meet Anna St. Thais hitchhiking her way to her friend in New Orleans. You know the advice not to hitchhike? Well, Anna should have listened.

So, Anna gets kidnapped by a man with sadistic intentions and Anna is desperate to get away. Mr. Bad keeps Anna sedated in his semi. When she starts hearing someone calling her name she figures it is the result of the sedative she has been given.

Since this is a paranormal romance/suspense story, you know Anna is going to live. But her way from her kidnapper to there is a bit more uncertain seeing she ends up with a really closed group that does not like outsiders.

It is in this closed group that Anne meets Mr. Right. Of course, her relationship with Gabriel (mr right) is going to be rocky to begin with. Meeting Mr. Right does not mean that Anna’s mystery is solved/over. Weird things come her way adding to the suspense.

Bevill writes a really good mystery with plenty of crazy and questions that need answering. A good light read.

Adventure, Fantasy, Short story/novella

Bateman, Sonya: The Getaway (2010)

2013-02-07 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

getaway_cover_sized — Cover designed by Andrew Bateman

I see The Getaway is listed as a paranormal romance story, but I feel that is kind of misleading. It seemed more like a thrillerish kind of story (kind of a thriller, but not quite).

Gavyn Donatti and his wife, Jazz, are going away for the week-end. On the way to their remote cabin, they end up getting lost and crash their car.

Jazz wakes up in a strange place where a guy called Seth tries to take care of her. Something seems really off about the whole situation, and something is.

The Getaway is a fun short-story about encountering craziness in unexpected places and how to deal with the nuts.

Fantasy, Romance, Thriller

Bonilla, Amanda: Shaedes of Gray (2011)

2012-12-13 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

Shaedes of Gray seems to be Amanda Bonilla’s first novel and is a pretty good debut. There are places where the text doesn’t work completely, but Bonilla manages to hit the flow quite often.

Another plus point for the cover. Choosing Cliff Nielsen as her artist was well done. He has illustrated quite a few authors I really like and, of course, some I’ve never heard of. The way he manages to catch the mood of Shaedes of Gray is awesome.

This Seattle is a Seattle that apparently only has one supernatural living there. Darian was told this by her “maker” and has believed it for the past 100 years or so. By my “apparently” I am certain you know that supernaturals are going to be popping out of the wood-work as the novel progresses.

Let’s see. What makes Shaedes of Gray different from the rest of urban fantasy. Hmmm. For one thing, Darian is a Shaede. This means that she can travel through the shadows, yet she appears as human when she is in her corporeal form. She doesn’t know how she was made into a Shaede. Shaedes don’t really appear to be bad/good. Instead they are a kind of distilled in-between gray creature.

Not so unusual, is Darian being an assassin. She makes her living taking on hits to people of dubious morals. When she is asked to kill the resident of a certain address, Darian discovers that she was lied to by her maker. There are indeed other supernaturals living in Seattle. When she discovers just how duped she has been and who one of the dupers is, Darian feels stupid.

So. A good beginning. If what I’ve seen in this novel continues, Amanda certainly has the makings of one of the better authors out there.

Fantasy, Romance, Thriller

Carlson, Amanda: Full Blooded (2012)

2012-12-13 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

Hmmm. Full Blooded falls within the paranormal romance category (I think). As such, I’m not the best person to say something about it. Having read it, I am going to anyways.

I don’t know why this category is having such a difficult time getting into my heart. With Full Blooded it had a lot to do with the fact that the text kind of hiccupped. When I get the feeling of “hang on-need some more editing here”, I feel like someone is hurting the text. I know I’ll never write a book. For one thing, my writing is simply not interesting enough for that. So I really admire the people out there who actually do write.

As a reader, though, I am top-notch. Full Blooded was average. It picked up after the first half. Some of the weeds got pulled out more and Carlson was a whole lot closer to getting her text to flow. The story itself wasn’t especially original either.

But remember my motto – just because I might not like a novel doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It just means that it needs another reader.

Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction

Duane, Diane: Stealing the Elf-King’s Roses (2002)

2012-12-01 humanitysdarkerside Leave a comment

Aaaargh. I’ve had to begin wearing reading glasses. Getting old.

A better cover than the original one.

Diane Duane has been in the writing business for ages. Stealing the Elf-King’s Roses is the only book of hers that I have although I have also read “So You Want to be a Wizard“.

Stealing the Elf-King’s Roses was relaunched in new clothes in 2011. Diane had felt the need to fix some issues that she had noticed over the years. My book is the original version.

Who among us is able to state honestly that we have no prejudices? I know I cannot. I try not to let those prejudices interfere with the way I treat people I encounter, but I know that at times I have let my feelings shine through. This is the great thing about fantasy and science fiction. The differences between species become blindingly obvious. In this manner the author has the chance to either preach or teach through their writing. Preaching bores me. I expect to be treated as though I am intelligent enough to catch on to the underlying message without having it spelled out for me.

Diane Duane manages to teach us about prejudice without getting on her high horse or behind a pulpit. This is quite difficult to manage I have noticed in the all-too many books I have read. Authors with this ability really need all the acknowledgement they so richly deserve.

Lee Einfeld and Gelert Reh’Mechren are Lanthomancers at Law in a parallel world where psychic abilities are more common that here. The team seeks out psychospoors at crime scenes. The evidence recorded from that is presented in court and through a sort of ceremony Justice comes into the court-room and the defendant is judged.

An Alfen murder comes their way and that murder brings the Lanthomancer team into inter-universe politics. This is a mystery mixed with techno-jargon mixed with political ploys.

Stealing the Elf-King’s Roses was a fun read. There were some hiccups along the way, but nothing major (might be because I have the older version).

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Allie Beckstrom – Magic for a Price (2012)

2012-11-25 humanitysdarkerside 1 Comment

Devon Monk does it again. She has created another read-through book about the world of Allie Beckstrom. That woman simply has the gift. I do not often get to read two novels in a row where the author so clearly has the ability to bring me into the story. Lucky is what I am.

In this final novel of the Allie Beckstrom series Monk gives us a conclusion that makes sense and draws any loose threads together that might be out there. Perhaps it is Beckstrom’s willingness to pay the price for her actions that makes her so appealing. Or it could be her side-kicks Zay and Shame (and in later books Terric). These there are a wonderful complement to Allie’s character.

Leander and Isabelle are coming to Portland to close the whole magical community down. Along, she is bringing Authority from several other cities. To put it mildly, Portland is in need to a plan that might give them a chance against the Overseer. That is Allie’s job, figuring something out that will keep as many as possible alive and well.

This is where Monk shows her gift. She brings out the desperation and hope in novel in a manner that brings me as a reader into the stream of her words. I go willingly and joyfully into this tale of adventure wondering where the author is going to take me. As usual, I cheat by reading the last few pages early on. I know, annoying habit. For me, this is something that whets my appetite.

I hope you enjoy this final installment in the Allie Beckstrom adventure as much as I have.

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance

McLeod, Suzanne: The Sweet Scent of Blood (2008)

2012-10-02 humanitysdarkerside 3 Comments

The Sweet Scent of Blood - Suzanne McLeod

Sometimes I wonder if power is THE most basic of our needs. The power to control our own lives, the power to control our environment and the power to control others.

Take the power to control our own lives. Genvieve Taylor never had power over her life. Her creation was a genetic experiment between two incompatible races. Once that succeeded she was promised to someone extremely powerful and extremely deranged. And finally, at the age of 14 she was injected with a poison (V3) that made her vulnerable to vampires.

Our main character never seriously thinks about giving up the fight for the right to decide what to do with herself and her own life. The Sweet Scent of Blood is for the most part about that battle. And battle it is.

At the beginning of The Sweet Scent of Blood Genny imagines she has achieved a modicum of control over her life, in fact about as much power as most of us can expect to have. She has a job, protection against the vampires, a place to live and friends. Yet power over our own lives is often an illusion. Illusions are easily snatched away by someone more powerful or someone willing to engage the help of the powerful.

Being one of the sidhe fae, a bean sidhe, would normally make Genvieve one of the more powerful people of the world of Suzanne McLeod. But her mixed heritage is unhelpful and Genny’s inability to accept who and what she is acts as a barrier in reaching her potential. In McLeod’s London she also happens to be the only sidhe fae. Sadly, this only makes her more attractive to both those who wish to use her and those who wish to destroy her.

In my mind the only person in The Sweet Scent of Blood who is wholly on Genvieve’s side is Hugh Monroe. Hugh has an intense need to protect those who are in need of help. Genny came into his life when she was infected with V3 and has remained there ever since. His protectiveness made it natural for him to wish to enter the police force. He works as a DI at The New Scotland Yard and happens to be one of the straight cops at that facility. We soon discover that not all who work for the police do so for the same need to protect and serve the public.

The Sweet Scent of Blood starts out as a mystery and ends up as a battle amongst the mighty of Genny’s London. Genvieve seeks the answer to who killed Melissa. Was is Roberto, her boyfriend, or was it another character? Through the story we see that sometimes Genny is aided in her search for answers but for the most part barriers are thrown up, one after the other.

The Sweet Scent of Blood - Suzanne McLeod

In their scrabble to stay on top, the powers that be have decided that the faery are to remain without civil rights. Civil rights is something a great many of us take for granted. I find it comforting to imagine that if something terrible happened to me then I would be safe because Justice would have its day. Sure, it’s just an illusion but one that is legislated for the likes of me. One hundred years ago women did not have the right to vote nor did they have many of the other rights that men did. Disabled could still be sterilized in Norway a long time after that. Many people have sacrificed a great deal to make it possible for me to have the power over my life that I do.

Faery do not. Vampires do, but faery do not. Witches have civil rights, but faery do not. Regular humans have civil rights, but faery do not. Do I have to look far to find people without written legislation to protect them even today? Sadly, no. In The Sweet Scent of Blood the reason for this lack of power lies for the main part in looks. Some of the faery can be frightening looking and some of them are extremely dangerous. Their ethics are unfamiliar to humans. All of these factors have been utilized by the masters of power games in making the faery less powerful.

The Sweet Scent of Blood is one of my re-readables. I know it is supposed to be Suzanne McLeod’s first published novel, but it holds none of the earmarks of a first novel. Indeed she manages to stay on-key throughout the whole story. Definitely recommended.

————————————————-

Reviews:

————————————————-

Amazon.co.uk / The Book Depository / Waterstones.com / Play.com / Borders.co.uk / Forbidden Planet

EBook: Waterstones.com / Kindle Edition

Adventure, Fantasy, Humour

Pratchett, Terry and Gaiman, Neil: Good Omens (1990)

2012-09-01 humanitysdarkerside 1 Comment

First off, I have to say that there is so much incredible artwork out there dealing with Pratchett and Gaiman. I wish I could include all of it. For most other authors I end up with the cover art, but with these two guys I’m in heaven. I recommend that you google “Good Omens”, go to images and sit back and enjoy yourselves. Below are three examples of what you’ll find.

“Good Omens – Armageddon” by himlayan

Good Omens starts off with a prologue placed in the Garden of Eden. You see, there was this serpent, Crawly, who was sent there to do his best to make trouble. He did. In the meantime the angel with the flaming sword, Aziraphale, gave his sword to the humans as protection because he felt sorry for them.

6000 years later Crowley meets up with fellow demons and gets handed a basket with a baby in it. This is the baby presaging the End Of The World. He is told to deliver it at a certain hospital making certain that it gets exchanged with the chosen baby. Something goes wrong, and the baby ends up with the wrong family – unbeknownst to the minions of Hell.

“Good Omens: Humans” by Julie Dillon

In Lower Tadfield, young Adam and his gang run around being the kind of nuisance only a gang of 11 year olds can manage to be. They are happy in their lack of knowledge about the future and the imminence of the end of the world.

Crowley and Aziraphale discover that something is wrong with the child they thought was the son of the Devil when a promised delivery from Hell does not arrive at its appointed place. Ooops.

“Apocalyptic quartette” by Aviv Or

The four horsemen are gathering to fulfill their destiny, but no one knows quite where to go. Where is the promised son of the Devil?

You just know that when you pick up a book by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman that you are not going to get anything even remotely resembling normality. Good Omens is filled with interesting characters and a strange sense of logic. Whenever I read their books, I get into this weird thought-mode where I go – yeah, that could happen. I did it this time as well. Maybe that’s what I like best about both of them, their ability to fool me into believing them. Kind of cool, that ability.

My favorite characters were Crowley and Aziraphale, both rebels in their own right. After 6000 years neither is wholly good or wholly evil. They are still stuck in the mold they were created for, but little bits of them are able to crack that mold just a little.

———————————-