Liviania’s Quick Quack Reviews of one science fiction romance and three urban fantasy novels by Cameron Haley, Ilona Andrews, Katherine Allred, and Phaedra Weldon.
Mob Rules (Underworld Cycle, Book 1) by Cameron Haley
Urban fantasy published by Luna 1 Sep 10
I love the world Cameron Haley sets up in Mob Rules. Her sorcerers are LA gang members who get power boosts from graffiti. Domino Riley, an enforcer for Shanar Rashan, is investigating a murder. Riley soon realizes that there’s something odd about Jamal’s murder when she has trouble summoning his spirit. It also means that her outfit is going to war with Papa Danwe’s outfit.
There’s a strong cast of background characters, especially the piskie Honey. The romance with Adan is nice, but ultimately a non-starter. I’m excited for the next Underworld Cycle novel. Riley’s smart and tough and Haley’s worldbuilding is off to a good start.
Grade: B+
Summary:
As LA plunges into an occult gang war, mob sorceress Domino Riley must unravel a conspiracy that reaches beyond the magic-soaked mean streets into a world of myth and legend.
Domino investigates the ritual execution of a mob associate, a graffiti magician named Jamal. The kid isn’t just dead, he’s been squeezed — the killer stole his magical power or “juice.” Domino summons Jamal’s shade, and the ghost points to Adan Rashan as his killer. This is tricky, because Adan is the favored son of Domino’s boss, Shanar Rashan, a six-thousand-year-old Sumerian wizard. It’s even trickier because only a mobbed-up sorcerer could have squeezed Jamal and Adan isn’t a sorcerer.
As the corpses pile up, Domino must confront the killer and unmask an otherworldly kingpin with designs on her gang’s magic-rich turf.
MOB RULES is an urban fantasy novel of murder and magic, betrayal and redemption set in the supernatural underworld of Los Angeles.
Read an excerpt here.
Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, Book 4) by Ilona Andrews
Urban fantasy published by Ace 25 May 10
I am extremely happy I finally read Ilona Andrews’ works. I read Magic Burns, Magic Strikes, and Magic Bleeds in quick succession. Thus, my memories are somewhat blended together. (I may also spoil parts of the previous novels.) Even with that handicap, I am convinced that Magic Bleeds is a highlight. Quite a bit is revealed about Kate’s mysterious past due to her adversary. Kate’s confrontation with her father is probably going to come soon, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.
In addition, Curran and Kate’s relationship is progressing nicely. In fact, Kate’s willing to fight to stay with him. Kate’s becoming more connected to her community in a variety of ways and it makes her a stronger person. I can see why this series is so hyped, and I must say that it’s living up to all the nice things people say.
Grade: A
Summary:
Kate Daniels cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to deal with-especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community.And now there’s a new player in town-a foe that may be too much for even Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family.
Read an excerpt here.
Other books in this series:
Close Contact (Alien Affairs, Book 2) by Katherine Allred
Science fiction romance published by Harper Voyager 8 Jun 10
Science fiction romances aren’t that common, so I was somewhat excited by this one. Echo Adams is a Genetically Engineered Person with psi abilities. Now, instead of planning parties, she’s attempting to steal back a stolen crystal on a far-off planet and falling in love with the commander of the king’s army. But there’s something strange about Reynard and his fellow Madreans.
I found this one a little disappointing. I prefer hard SF to soft SF, and all the psi abilities being used might as well be magic. Echo and Reynard’s romance worked fine, but wasn’t overly memorable. The book is, however, better than the cover would lead you to believe.
Grade: B-
Summary:
GEPs just want to have fun . . .
A Genetically Engineered Person and self-proclaimed “party girl,” Echo Adams loves her diplomatic job entertaining alien bigwigs for the Galactic Federation. But the Bureau of Alien Affairs has discovered she’s much more than she thinks—that a rogue scientist endowed her with skills and psi abilities dwarfing those of common GEPs. And suddenly Echo’s luxury life is over, replaced with a far more dangerous one: a special agent expected to not only chase bad guys but eliminate them.
Echo hates being stuck on Madrea—a planet of technophobes off limits to Federation visitors—hunting for a stolen quartz crystal with a powerful alien life form embedded inside. She despises the Bureau’s restrictive rules—especially the one warning her away from the dangerously seductive commander of the king’s army. And if she doesn’t learn how to use her alleged super-psi powers soon, her partying days—in fact all of her days—will be over for good.
Read an excerpt here.
Other books in this series:
Revenant (Zoë Martinique Investigations, Book 4) by Phaedra Weldon
Urban fantasy published by Ace 1 Jun 10
Revenant is the fourth Zoë Martinique Investigation novel and an excellent example of why I like to start series from the beginning. The novel begins with a brief explanation of Zoë’s past. By the third page I was completely lost. She used a number of abbreviations and the timeline was quite confusing, plus it’s a totally made up system of magic. I may give Revenant another change if I can first read one of the earlier books. I’m not sure about the prose, however. It had a strong rhythm, with lots of staccato sentences. It seems like it would be jarring to read a full work written in Zoë’s voice.
Grade: DNF
Summary:
The smart, sassy, single, and “highly original” (#1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs) Zoë Martinique is back- and she’s seeking clues on the other side…
Zoë Martinique’s life hasn’t been ordinary for quite awhile. First she developed the ability to travel outside her body at will-where she encountered some seriously weird things. Things that left her with powers that she didn’t really want or need. Still, a person can get used to almost anything- even being a Wraith. Though more often than not, it plays serious havoc with her love life.
But for once, Zoë is glad of her abilities. Bodies are showing up all over Atlanta, drained of blood. They’re beings from another astral plane, called Revenants-and they’re being stalked by her old enemy, the Phantasm. The Revenants are hardly the nicest of creatures-but to preserve the cosmic balance, Zoë will need to put everything on the line to save them…
Read an excerpt here.
Other books in this series:
