Etched in Bone by Adrian Phoenix

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Despite my hating the way this ends, it left me ready for the next book now! Etched in Bone does not disappoint. Dante and Heather do not disappoint. It is great to see them growing as they learn more about each other and their relationship in the middle of chaos. Adrian Phoenix really surpassed the previous books in this series with vivid descriptions of everything without spending too much time on things that tend to drive us crazy. She gets the point across when someone is dressed extremely well or is wearing something humorous. For a while I had trouble keeping up with the many points of view as they all seemed to have the same goal in mind but from all over the world. I thought maybe I should get out a piece of paper and draw a chart of all the people converging on NOLA. Part of that may be because it has been so long since I read the first 3 books. The pace of the book was fast and exciting. The story was interesting as were all the beloved characters. Possibly my favorite character in the book has switched from Von to Lucien though. He was amazing in this story and it was great getting to see more of his story and point of view. I'm hoping that the publishers will release the next one at the end of the year.



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The Breach by Patrick Lee

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This book was recommended to me by a bookseller at Schuler's Eastwood last week. He was really excited for me to read it. He said I really think you will like it. I was in the middle of another book and went to study in the bookstore and Jim said did you start it. I had not and felt awful because I have bought so many he has recommended but they are in my library still. I began the book when I got home Friday and by the time I went to the bookstore on Saturday to work on my dissertation and attend a book launch I was happy to report that I not only started the book but, I was loving the book. I was truly engrossed in The Breach. The hero is an extremely unlikely choice but, his background was totally crazy. The heroine is strong but open to help. I liked her but the ending of the book was a complete shocker so I of course have to read the next one and I am glad it has already been released!



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A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I kept reading this book's synopsis over and over for over a week. I kept thinking this story was going to be a lot of romance and a little urban fantasy and not my thing I was pleasantly surprised! It was a bit of urban fantasy, a bit of romance and actually a bit of high fantasy. It had something for everyone including my favorite, Phineas who was quite funny. Not only did I like it but it had a few twists at the end that will have me looking for the next installment in the series.



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Balefire by Cate Tiernan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars






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Vicious Grace by M.L.N. Hanover

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have a hard time with this review. I wish we could give half stars. It took me a while to decide what my problem with it was and I finally figured it out. I did not like what happened to the characters and the turn the plot took. I did not like the ending. But, then I realized that this does not make it a bad book and therefore it should not affect the rating. The writing was still good. The characters and their individual stories were still well written. I realized that just because what I wanted to happen did not happen does not make it a bad story or even bad writing. It just means I wished for something different for the characters and I did not get what I wanted. The biggest problem for me is I came out of this not liking anyone except Ex. This led me to question what the author's intent was and I thought well that is not a good question. A good question is when the author began writing this part of the story did it and the characters end up where she originally planned or did the story take on a life of its own and end up somewhere she had not necessarily planned but it was a naturally place for it to end up as the story was told. A good question is did she foresee how important Eric was to the readers even in how his story is told? I did not realize until reading this part of the story how important he was and how much I liked him. This means I am still on for the ride because I'm hoping this is all a dream or things will end up differently.



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Faerie Blood by Angela Korra'ti

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Anyone who has read my reviews knows I do not spend a lot of time giving a synopsis of the book because that typically is on Goodreads next to the book cover or on Amazon etc., so, I will move forward. It's great to see another book about the fae that, though it holds to some of what appears to be some traditional terminology in books about this group of supernaturals, it still strikes out on its own. It definitely held me in its grasp, and not only because I could identify with the main character, but also because it felt as authentic as a supernatural urban fantasy could. The book opens with action, which I always love. One of the things that I enjoyed most was the author's ability with words. This book was pretty well edited and obviously well planned by the author. Another thing that comes to mind when I think back is the relationship between Kendis and Christopher. I liked how the friendship developed throughout the book and is still growing. I liked the other characters in this book including Kendis' neighbors, her best friend Jude, her aunt Aggie, and Millicent. They didn't suddenly have powers and just know how to use them. They learned more about themselves and grew. Things that happened were explained. There was plot and character development. It is obviously not paranormal romance though you see romance in its purest form as it is developing. Angela Korra'ti spends a fair amount of time building her vision of a supernatural Seattle and its political relationship with world of the fae. Though I am tolerant, and even enjoy, books with an urban fantasy backdrop that have a heavy dose of the paranormal romance, I tend to prefer less romance and more urban fantasy. I do not interpret fantasy to include paranormal romance and prefer it when the book publishers do not push a book that is more romance than fantasy as an urban fantasy. This book follows my rules in that regard and saved me from the irritation I tend to feel when it comes out the other way around. Angela Korra'ti is another of those authors for whom I knew I stumbled upon something good as soon as I started reading her work. I, of course, had to seek out her website and ensure myself that she had more to come in this series.



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Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Midnight Riot (U.S. title)/Rivers of London (U.K. title) was a great ride. I loved learning more about the history of London in addition to the geography. There were some great tie-ins to famous literary and theatrical works. One of the things I liked most was the character development. Pete was very likable. He has a history with his family that has played a hand in how he has grown as a man and citizen. His friendship with Leslie, another great character whom I cannot wait to learn more about, also tells a lot about who he is as a person. The supernatural story is fresh and different enough to keep my interest. I look forward to Moon over Soho!



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License to Ensorcell by Katharine Kerr




First impressions are that this book has some original ideas. One thing of note is the desire to bring current real-world topics into the story which is okay and I hope it does not feel like reaching. There is discussion about Chaos very early in the book but no explanation about what that entails. Is it an organization or just the general definition of chaos. Later it is capitalized which makes it appear to be an organization. There are references to things that either receive no definition or discussion to clue in the reader about the author's world or take on the topics discussed. I am hoping that definitions from other books will cover it so I do not miss anything. I feel like I am guessing about some of this. I tried so hard. There were so many good things in this book. I liked the characters. I liked the mystery but I just had trouble with the mechanics and have to stop for now. I'll give it another try in the future.



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Bloodshot by Cherie Priest

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Bloodshot is freaking good! I keep re-reading parts toward the end because it is just getting better. Who knew that one liners and old-school noir/detective could be so exciting? I have a new must-read author. I really enjoyed one of Four and Twenty Blackbirds, but, Bloodshot has me hoping that this is a series and not a stand alone novel. Raylene is funny and we have not learned enough about her other than the approximate time she was made. I would love to know her history and more about the vampire dynamics in this world.



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The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Interesting and good story. I am not sure how to review the book. I enjoyed it though it felt like I had seen the story in different places before, possibly not all in one book but in remnants of multiple books. The characters were likable but again, nothing dynamic. I would read the next one but it feels more like the type of book I need in between stories that I consider hard reads because of the material they cover.



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