Death's Rival by Faith Hunter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have to admit that all of the books in this series elicit a ton of emotion from me. I'm not sure how I feel about that because I tend to stay away from books/movies etc. that make me cry. I have to admit that towards the end there I was quite tied into Jane's emotions when she went to water. Of all the hurt that Jane has experienced the hurt she feels at the very prospect that God will turn away from her. She lives her life at a crossroads of sorts where she has a Christian faith, Tribal faith, and the soul of beast all weighing on her. The fact that she has lived as long as she has without breaking is a testament to her strength.

Jane Yellowrock lost a lot in Raven's Curse. She involved was caught up in a lot of vamp politics, part of which, tend to be situations of her own making due to not having enough knowledge, and the other part comes from following her nature to protect and right wrongs. That was one of the great things about Death's Rival, Jane learns so much about herself through going to water with Aggie and just her friendships with Aggie and her mother. She also learns more through knowledge made available to her by Sabina, with whom she has developed an interesting kinship.

What can I say, too many men in the pool for me. I wouldn't call it a love triangle because Jane is not exactly going back and forth between anyone. She has interest in all of them and now there is a new log in the fire, so to speak, or maybe with the ending, two more logs in the fire if beast has any say. I don't know how I feel about that ending. But, I do know that my dislike of Leo still grows. He is a vampire that I just do not like. I'm not a fan of Katie either. I do like Grégoires and Callan and I'm on the fence about George. I do however really like Alex and Eli and like that she is giving her partnership with them a try. They work well together and have a good rhythm working together. I also like seeing more of Derek Lee and all the Vodka and Martini guys. There was so much betrayal in this book but, I like how she handled it without involving the vamps in the policing of Derek Lee's men. Eli also seemed to fit in nicely with them despite being Army instead of Marine. I like that she has found more people to trust and build friendships with in the future. I did miss Angie-baby in this one and was quite surprised that she did not sneak and call Aunt Jane like she had in previous books.

I hate having to wait for Blood Trade, but there is nothing to be done but wait. Review can also be seen at LadyTechie's Book Musings http://LadyTechiesBookMusings.blogspo...

Daughter of the Sword by Steve Bein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Daughter of the Sword is this conglomeration of historical Japanese lore, true Japanese history and urban fantasy. I received a copy with a really great cover from Literal Addiction which received the copy from the publisher for review purposes. I have to admit this was already on my to-be-read list already so when I had the opportunity to review it for L.A. I jumped at it and though there were times I was lost in the Japanese terminology, I enjoyed learning them. Steve Bein did such a good job with character development that there were times I had to put the book down or scream at the bigotry and misogynistic treatment that Mariko received from her co-workers, especially her new lieutenant.
Mariko is a worldly, intelligent, butt-kicker. She is a great cop, much to the dismay of both her family and her fellow police officers. She has the great honor of being the first female detective and the only one of her rank. She has a family that she is at odds with because of some problems her sister has that has put a wedge between them. They were so close that most in their community can tell the difference in their relationship and are watching and gossiping like the Oshiros are a soap opera to be monitored by all. Their mom is caught in the middle and it is quite interesting to see the dichotomy between the three of them as they juggle the past with the present.

Daughter of the Sword tells the history of several of the swords created by a great master named Inazuma. One of the swords has a terrible history and is the focus of a lot of the backdrop told in the book. There are multiple periods covered that tell the story of the sword and all who have owned it along with a lot of information about samurai. We also learn the history of a Professor Yamada who is very renowned for his knowledge of swords and martial arts. He also has a very deep history and some of his actions possibly reverberate throughout the history of his homeland. There are some aspects of World War II discussed and it allows the reader to see things from Yamada's and his friend's points-of-view.

Another interesting aspect of this story is the relationship between the police and Yakuza. I was a little lost with some of the Japanese terms for the different legs of the organized crime in Japan but, it made for another aspect of this story which is that it is also a Japanese police procedural with tons of action and a fair bit of gore which is to be expected when swords are involved. The sword play was described beautifully and it was interesting to see Mariko’s initiation into her version of a samurai’s way of life. If you love reading about far-away places, historical fiction and fantasy this book should definitely be on your list.

This review can also be seen at LadyTechies Book Musings http://LadyTechiesBookMusings.blogspo....

Fury's Kiss by Karen Chance
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a great addition to the Midnight's Daughter series. I was a bit lost with some of the jargon regarding the portals and gateways. I had this feeling like I should go back and read the last couple of books, but, eventually I found my place and the story picked up for me. It was never that the story was not good. It was that there is a big gap in time between releases so I forget a lot by the time the next book comes out. But, I love this series and it always stays interesting. This series tends to be my favorite by Karen Chance so I'm guessing it might be another 1 1/2 to 2 years before we see what happens next in the war.

Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received an e-Arc of Dark Frost and could not wait to inhale the words. I have to say that despite how much I wish things go a certain way Jennifer Estep is very adept and turning everything on its head. I find myself loving this book despite not always getting my way. One of the things I loved so much about this series is getting a great view of the different champions of the Greek mythology greats. Gwen Frost as Nike's champion she feels a lot of responsibility for protecting the world from Loki and his champions.

In Dark Frost everyone is trying to find the Helheim Dagger because it is one of the artifacts that can help free Loki. Gwen has friends but she still spends a lot of time keeping her own counsel. Is it to her detriment, maybe? But, part of her issue is that some of the adults that she should be able to trust treat her in a manner that makes it harder for her to be more forthcoming with them. It seems that whenever she feels she has her feet firmly on the ground someone or something snatches the rug out from under her. Gwen comes back to school thinking that she and Logan are going to be in a certain place and even her relationship with him has her questioning things.

Dark Frost really is a page turner and it is a great addition to the Mythos Academy series. The action and the fight scenes are great as usual. Fight scenes and weapons are seriously one of Jennifer Estep's strengths. The ending is huge and Gwen learns a lot about her relationships and trust. I am really looking forward to Crimson Frost.

Review can also be seen at LadyTechies Book Musings at http://LadyTechiesBookMusings.Blogspo...

Incarnation by Emma Cornwall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was able to receive a Netgalley e-Arc of Incarnation. One of the things that drew me to this book is the cover. The colors are great. I also like the slightly different terms for vampire lore. This story especially is an old one and takes on the Bram Stroker tale of vampires focusing on the incarnation of Lucy Weston who was turned by Dracula. In this story Lucy Weston or Westenra seek's out Bram Stroker to determine why he wrote lies about her life and she finds out more than she anticipated. When she approaches him he has more information about vampires then she does and Bram Stroker tells her some things that are the catalyst for the rest of the story.

I like the focus of Incarnation and how it puts the bulk of the vampire tale in London instead of what we normally expect with Dracula and having the story focused in Eastern Europe or the Carpathian Mountains. I am an avid fan of urban fantasy and historical fantasy in London, England settings which also makes me a huge fan of Steampunk which typically is focused in London, England. Since I just returned from London some of the streets and locations resonated with me especially the areas described as what is probably the Hyde Park area now where there is are several wonderful dedications to Prince Albert.

It was great reading about Victoria's devotion to him though sad that she mourned him for so long to the point where she withdrew from society. This book demonstrates her strength and love for "the realm" as well as the dedication of Bram Stoker and even some of the vampires to London. I also liked the divergence from the "traditional" Dracula story that Bram Stoker wrote and the tie in to medieval England and some of its powerful characters.

I tried to find an author website for Emma Cornwall because it felt like there would be a continuation to this story and I'm interested see where this goes.

Review can also be seen at LadyTechies Book Musing http://LadyTechiesBookMusings.blogspo...

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There is always something so good about a Kate Daniels book, even when she is not the full focus of the story. This one focused on Andrea and continued a novella that was released a few months ago where Andrea and Raphael see each other for the first time after the huge fight with Kate's aunt Era. Things were on the outs for them at that time and they did not fare much better in the novella, Magic Mourns. We get the resolution to that story in Gunmetal Magic. Most of the story focuses on Andrea and Raphael, but, the mystery they are working to solve brings the entire pack into the frame. I love pack politics and Curran never disappoints. He is the ultimate of ultimate leaders and shifters. Regardless to how many books I read with male leads he almost always comes out on top. I have to preface that because when I am in the thick of a book I might be totally enamored of a great male character while reading that book.

I loved the similarities between how Ascanio imitates Raphael to how Derek used to imitate Curran, though Derek has come into his own after his ordeal in Magic Strikes. Julie has a small role in this story though I am curious about what happens to her after Magic Bleeds, which was a pivotal book in the series. Roman, why can’t I remember Roman in a previous book? I loved him. He is this dark character, well from 9 to 5, then he has this light, funny personality that draws everyone to him, well everyone but Raphael. There are some great youth characters in this series and they really add to the stories. Another great thing was to learn more about the boudas, the hilarious giggling they do is classic. One thing I love is the cool clan names. For some reason my favorite clan name is Clan Nimble.

This book really adds to the series. Ilona Andrews does a great job of relating all the books to each other and delving into the characters and their backgrounds. It is great that they collaborate to write the stories and seeing how the stories are still so seamlessly written. I really look forward to the next Kate Daniels book! What’s this about a Roman Novella? Yes!

Fathom by Merrie Destefano
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an early release copy of Fathom as an e-Arc this week. The synopsis on Goodreads really drew my attention. I will have to admit that when I began reading the book it had a bit of a dark feel to it and I wondered if I would like it. It was a book about two teens, but, it was also a story about a family struggling to overcome a tragedy and not just how it affected them emotionally, but, also how it affected their relationships with their peers. Kira turns 16 at the beginning of the book and we see how she is affected in school and in her small ocean side community. Kira's dad and her grandmother have more information about the past than Kira is privy too and it wreaks havoc on upcoming events.

Caleb is the other side of the coin. I was having trouble understanding where he and his family and friends lived but, the contrast between his journey and Kira's journey is one of the things that make this story so interesting. It felt like they were in the past or right out of a fairytale. That is one of the impressions I had while reading Fathom. It read like a dark fairytale. Caleb and his friends also suffered tragedies throughout their travels but, you don't get a feel for who and what everyone is until later in the book and that might be a great tie-in to the title. Nothing is at it seems. There are surprises and twists everywhere. This book fits right in with Merrie Destefano's past books that tend to swim in their own lane. She has a great imagination and does a wonderful job with imagery and characterization.

Review can also be seen at LadyTechie's Book Musings: http://LadyTechiesBookmusings.blogspo...