Gwen’s review of Kiss of Snow (Psy-Changeling Series, Book 10) by Nalini Singh
Paranormal Romance hardcover published by Berkley 31 May 11

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Nalini Singh.  I love to read her books.  The complexity of the worlds Singh creates transports me there every time I read them. Sure, the romances are satisfying, the heroes and heroines complicated and compelling. But the world!  The world is why I read.  It’s immediate, believable, and populated with enough good and bad to be really interesting. So it’s with a heavy heart that I say that I didn’t really love Kiss of Snow.

This tenth book in the Psy-Changeling series is the long-awaited union of the SnowDancer alpha, Hawke, and the young psy, Sienna.  In several earlier novels, you could see this pairing a mile away, and see how much it tormented both characters, so it’s nice to finally see these two together.  I’m not going to recap the characters or the plot – if you’re not reading this series, you do NOT want to start with this novel; you’ll be so far at sea with all the interwoven stories and established details, you may never know what’s going on.  Instead, I’ll just tell you what worked for me and what was not quite what I would have liked.

One of the characteristics of Singh’s writing that usually makes it so evocative is how she weaves several storylines into an overall arc, making for a really rich story.  Peppered throughout the romance are story threads from the bad guys’ perspective, from other good guys’ perspective, from the narrator’s perspective.  All of these bits mesh and normally push the story arc forward.

However, in Kiss of Snow, the weaving is choppy and sometimes difficult to follow.  It seemed to lack the smooth storytelling of Singh’s earlier novels.  While reading, I felt like I was being pulled in too many directions.  There’s the primary romance, a secondary romance, and many of the earlier romances in this book.  There’s the uber bad guys, the other bad guys, another two or three factions of good guys. We have a birth, several severe wounds, and some deaths.   Battles, fights, and more battles. Plotting, scheming, spies, traitors – all in one book. Normally this makes for a rocking good time in a novel.  Unfortunately, in this novel, it made for a bit of a mess.  All these elements seem like they’re just tossed in and shaken.  We jerk from one thing to the next with little to no transition and sometimes very few details to help us understand what we’re reading.

I had the most difficulty with the primary romance between Hawke and Sienna.  Their personal scenes were the most confusing for me – just as it felt like they were starting to know each other, something would happen, or the author would cut to another thread.  As a result, I had a frustrating time getting into this couple’s romance.  For example, at the end of the book for several paragraphs Singh makes what feels like an unnecessary mystery about Hawke’s name.  And then she never really reveals it – we’re left guessing and it’s a little frustrating.

The upshot of my review is that I’m disappointed, but I still read it.  Kiss of Snow is still a “B” book for me, but I expect a lot from Singh – particularly with the Psy-Changeling series.  This book, while good, didn’t quite meet my expectations and former experience with this author.

Grade: B-

Read other reviews and information on this series here.

Summary:

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would’ve been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other’s secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight…

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna’s darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home…and the alpha who is its heartbeat…

Read an excerpt here (scroll down).

Other books in this series (in strict chronological order):

			“The Cannibal Princess” - free short story
	“A Gift for Kit” - free short story

Gwen’s review of Shadowfever (Fever Series, Book 5) by Karen Marie Moning
Urban fantasy hardcover released by Delacorte Press 18 Jan 2011

Well, well, well.  Here we are.  Finally at the end of this innovative and addictive series.  I started reading it because I love Moning’s historical/time-traveling romances.  I thought I’d see how one of my favorite authors fared in a completely new genre – not always a successful venture for some authors.  I should have had more faith in Moning’s skill.  I have never been disappointed in this series – frustrated, yes, anxious for the next release, definitely, but never, ever disappointed.

Mac Lane is a unique heroine. She is immediately identifiable to those of us raised in the South – pretty, pampered, and generally spoiled by an easy life.  Then tragedy sends her life in an altogether different direction. She is dragged, sometimes kicking and screaming, into the world of fae, druidry, and hot men who do all they can to manipulate her.

Mac’s “hero”, Jericho Z. Barrons, is a contrary, perversely closedmouthed hunk of a man that she is never able to figure out.  She also lusts after him with a sometimes inexplicable fervor.  JZB also has an agenda that Mac isn’t sure is on the side of the angels, so to speak.

The development of the story arc throughout the series is one of the more intricate bits of writing I’ve experienced.  There’s a push/pull between the main characters, the secondary characters, the story elements, and all the other bits that keep the reader from knowing what to expect from anyone or anything.  This leads to one surprise after another and makes for some very entertaining books.

In Shadowfever, we see the culmination of all these elements and characters.  It’s definitely not the end of the story – no sir-ee -  but it is the end of this initial arc.  These books have developed a new world that is lavish in details, and full of characters that are fun to love, fun to hate, and everything jumbled up in between.  We see whole new sides to some of the main characters and all is revealed.  Well, almost all.  We still don’t know what the heck one of the main characters is (stepping lightly here to avoid spoilers).

For the romance readers out there, you’re given a very tender peek into the Mac & JZB dynamic.  Shadowfever begins in the most gut-wrenching scene I’ve read in some time.  This leads to a crystallization of Mackayla into the powerful being she must be to live through all the events of this book and some of them are wowzers.

I highly recommend this series to anyone looking for a good urban fantasy that takes us down a very different, very entertaining road. I do not recommend reading this on its own – each book builds on the story and the tension into this first-rate finale.  If you haven’t started the series, please run, don’t walk, to your closest bookstore.

Grade: A

Read other reviews and info for this series here.

Summary:

MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.

Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister’s murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.

What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh—a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds.

In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves. Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac herself and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?

From the luxury of the Lord Master’s penthouse to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac’s journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and to make a choice that will either save the world . . . or destroy it.

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series (links to the mass-market paperbacks where available):

Gwen’s review of Blood Challenge (World of the Lupi, Book 7) by Eileen Wilks
Urban fantasy published by Berkley 4 Jan 11

I’ve been an Eileen Wilks fan for several years now.  I’ve enjoyed everything of hers I’ve read and have eagerly anticipated her next novels.  Her writing is always taut, interesting, and full of emotion. Blood Challenge keeps up its end of the bargain.

The thing I love about the World of the Lupi series is its believability.  Part of that is this many books into the series, I feel like I’m visiting old friends and I’m nowhere near tired of reading about them. The rest of that feeling is a result of the depth of Wilks’s storytelling. She fully populates her world with good, bad, and all the in-between. The richness of detail and fullness of characters paints vivid pictures in my mind. I don’t so much “read” her books as I “fall into” them. Really a wonderful experience for a reader.

In this entry into Lily and Rule’s world, we find our intrepid protagonists embattled on many fronts – personal, professional, clan, and mystical.  Most of which are traced back to the Lupi’s ultimate enemy.  All of this action leads to some very tender scenes with the previous books’ couples.  It also introduces us to a new couple: Benedict and Arjenie.

Yes, you read that right. Rule’s normally taciturn and lethal brother gets a woman. THAT, in itself, is reason enough to read this book. But add to it some marvelous action, really good storytelling, mixed with excellent romance, and you have a bang-up novel.

I missed reading scenes with Lily’s grandmother and dragon-friend, Sam, but that was all offset with a nicely multi-faceted tale that kept me busy.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of the series.  If you haven’t read any of the previous novels, you may be a bit at sea.  Even I had to go back to previous books and reacquaint myself with some of the characters and what happened to them.

Even so, if you’re a fan of urban fantasy or of shapeshifter novels, you really shouldn’t miss this series.  Start at the beginning – you won’t regret it.

Grade: A

Read more about this series by following its tag here.

Summary:

Lily Yu and Rule Turner’s engagement announcement is stirring up ugly passions in the Humans First camp. There’s hate mail. Death threats. Lily’s car is vandalized. But professionally, things are going smoothly . . . until a lupus in Tennessee goes on a killing spree.

Then Rule’s brother, Benedict, catches a lovely intruder–twice. The first time she’s sneaking around the home of the leader of Humans First. The second time, she sneaks into Nokolai Clanhome with a mysterious potion.

It may not be possible to deal with the rapidly escalating situation the way Lily always has: through the law. Especially when she’s pulled off the case due to an alleged conflict of interest. Lily’s loyalties will be stretched to the breaking point when she discovers that the deaths in Tennessee were only the opening skirmish in an all-out war.

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

		Death Magic, coming Nov 2011

Gwen’s review of Archangel’s Consort (Guild Hunters, Book 3) by Nalini Singh
Urban Fantasy released by Berkley 25 Jan 11

Let me just start by saying that Nalini Singh is a goddess. I adore her writing and am always entertained by her books.  Her heroes are hot, tender, and yummy. Her heroines women I can see myself befriending. However, whomever designed this cover knows NOTHING about the heroine Singh created in Elena – she’d never care about wearing this much make-up.  Just sayin’…  But I’m here to talk about the inside of the book, so let’s carry on, shall we?

I’m a huge fan of this series. LOVE the otherworldly-ness of Raphael. Love that he loves and can’t imagine his existence without Elena. Their relationship gets bigger and better with each book.

Elena’s safe place with Raphael is helping her slowly heal from the brutal loss of her sisters and her mother’s suicide.  Elena is even beginning to feel more about, and acknowledge those feelings, her severely dysfunctional relationship with her bastard of a father (and can I just say that I wish Raphael would just end that useless dad already?).  Her character development is by turns joyful, cathartic, and utterly devastating. I cried a few times for her.

I’m not entirely sure what the overall series’ story arc is building to, but it’s going somewhere – you can feel an underlying thread of some impending “big bad”. The characters’ abilities are developing and evolving for some greater purpose.

This entry deals with old enemies and a new threat. It is this part of the plot is a little slow moving in Archangel’s Consort.  It seemed to take forever for things to happen, and yet there’s lots of action. A conundrum for me that I couldn’t identify fully.

The Archangel world is full of profoundly interesting characters – possible heroes, heroines, wonderfully evil villains, and funny sidekicks. I wouldn’t mind seeing a whole host of 0ther characters getting their own books.  Fill out this world so that we can see it from more than just Raphael and Elena’s point of view.

This series is for anyone looking for an “alternate Earth” story full of supremely powerful beings and their enemies. The romance is there but we get lots of deeper character development that is often missing from more traditional romances.  If you’re new to the world, I think you’ll enjoy this entry, but I’d read the previous books to get the full impact of all Singh’s imaginative prose.

If you’re a fan of these books already, I get the feeling that this book is setting up some future actions, so don’t miss it.

Grade: A

Read more reviews for this series by following its tag here.

Summary:

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux and her lover, the lethally beautiful archangel Raphael, have returned home to New York only to face an uncompromising new evil…

A vampire has attacked a girls’ school—the assault one of sheer, vicious madness—and it is only the first act. Rampant bloodlust takes vampire after vampire, threatening to make the streets run with blood. Then Raphael himself begins to show signs of an uncontrolled rage, as inexplicable storms darken the city skyline and the earth itself shudders.

The omens are suddenly terrifyingly clear.

An ancient and malevolent immortal is rising. The violent winds whisper her name: Caliane. She has returned to reclaim her son, Raphael. Only one thing stands in her way: Elena, the consort who must be destroyed…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Once Upon a Time I was one of those kids who was always reading books until the wee hours, under the covers, with a flashlight. I always thought my mom didn’t know how much I sneaked my reading, but have since learned she knew alllll about it and just didn’t mind – she was just glad I loved books. All that anxiety about being caught for nuthin’.

I’m still a voracious reader of fiction, normally going thru two or three novels a week. I’ve been thru a fantasy phase (Tolkien’s Middle Earth were my first “adult” novels), a sci-fi kick (couldn’t get enough Heinlein and Bradbury when I was in college), deluged myself in suspense (Kay Scarpetta was a hero/antihero of mine), and I’ve dabbled in Allende (my daughter’s name is Isabel).

All thru each of these fiction phases was the constant thread of romance. I seem to gravitate back to it no matter what writing genres I’ve visited. It can be contemporary romance, historical romance, suspense, paranormal, sci-fi, urban fantasy, you name it. I think I’ve read them all and enjoyed each and every one.

However, if I had to say I had a favorite, it would be sci-fi and futuristic romances. I LOVE Jess Granger, Gena Showalter, and, while John Scalzi isn’t technically a romance writer, he still pens romantic sci-fi stories.

And there’s so many more.  I can’t even begin to name all the terrific writers.  I love Moning‘s paranormals, Singh‘s shapeshifters and angels, Briggs‘s and Wilks‘s wolves,  Kleypas and O’Shea of all flavors. If I find a writer who knows how to write a steamy love scene, a good action scene, and still make me cry, I’m their bitch forever.

I confess to being a picky reader.  Good editing and careful proof-reading mean a lot to me. I get too distracted by simple errors. I remember one particularly poorly proofed novel when “brooch” was used when it was obvious the author meant “broach” — it totally threw me out of the book.  I kept going back re-reading that sentence to make sure I saw it correctly. Occasional simple errors are unavoidable when talking about the printed word.  However, my skin starts crawling when the sheer quantity of errors jumps up and slaps me – I just want to throw that book at a wall (a desire that is thwarted by e-books, by the way).

As a reviewer I have authors I love but I’m not afraid to tell them if their book disappointed and why. I’ll also gush a little when an author gets it right, but only a little. I can be cynical, but I’m always polite – there’s no room in reviews for personal attacks.  It’s all about the writing.

And huge thanks to Sybil for providing such a terrific forum for sharing ideas and our passion for good writing! I love swimming in this pond.

Gwen’s review of Black Magic Sanction (Rachel Morgan and The Hollows, Book 8 ) by Kim Harrison
Urban fantasy hardcover released by Eos 23 Feb 10, mass market paperback release 28 Dec 10

The Hollows series is a guilty pleasure for me.  Rachel Morgan’s life is such a hot mess, it never fails to make me feel better about mine. Plus, it’s entertaining as hell to read about Rachel pissing everyone off and still managing to make them like her. 

In this entry, Rachel is fighting the war for her life on so many fronts it’s a little difficult to keep track of all the players.  The coven is trying to kill her for what she knows. Trent Kalamack is trying to kill her for what she’s done to him. Her almost boyfriend Pierce appears to not be on her side. And Al, the demon, is just having fun with Rachel by threatening her and all the people she loves, while at the same time, teaching her about demon magic.  It’s a trip reading about Rachel’s world and wondering how embattled one witch can be and still survive.

This entry in the Rachel Morgan world is a very entertaining one. In earlier novels, the story would drag  at times – like when Rachel would have the never ending navel lint inspection regarding her relationship with Ivy (I always say “Get over it already!” – nobody listened). We’re carried along as Rachel is gutted emotionally by her own paranormal community and then finds out they weren’t really serious about it after all.

If you’re a fan of this series, I highly recommend reading this book.  It sets up some fun action in the next entry and is really very entertaining.  If you haven’t read the previous books, you may not want to start with this one – the story is pretty involved and understanding Rachel is not a simple thing.

But for you fans out there? Read it.  The mass market paperback of this hardcover is releasing in a few days.

Grade: A

Read other information on this series by following its tag here.

Summary:

In New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison’s most complex and nuanced adventure yet, bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan fights a deadly battle—mind, body, and soul

Rachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter—and lived to tell the tale. But she’s never faced off against her own kind . . . until now.

Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment—at worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom, but trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and an ex-boyfriend turned thief.

It takes a witch to catch a witch, but survival bears a heavy price.

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series, in reading order (all links for mass market paperback where available):

Gwen’s review of Blood Magic (World of the Lupi, Book 6) by Eileen Wilks
Urban fantasy released by Berkley 2 Feb 10

This series just keeps getting better and better.  Wilks’s storytelling is also getting better, and it started out excellent.

This entry in the series has us back with Rule and Lily – and boy am I happy about that.  I love those two characters.  The plot is classic urban fantasy and is told with excellent tension and just the right touch of sex and drama.

It’s not that I’ve disliked the separate storylines with the other characters.  Those are fun to read and have served to keep the world fresh.  But Rule and Lily are just so bloody appealing.  I’d love to know these people, have them over for dinner, and just get to know them.  They’re that cool and approachable.

In this entry into the world of the Lupi, Rule and Lily are confronted with an enemy that looks like anything BUT an enemy.  Wolf senses can’t even detect him/her.  This creates some very tense moments while they try to figure out how to find the enemy and then how to get rid of them.

Add to this even more complications from both families surrounding their upcoming wedding.  The whole thing is just chock full of potential problems and misunderstandings.  All the while, Rule and Lily have to work on keeping from taking it out on each other.

I highly recommend this for anyone following the series. If you’re new to the series, this may not be the best book to start with. If you love urban fantasy and romance, you definitely want to read this series.  Wilks’s writing is taut, entertaining, and interesting enough to please even the most demanding reader.

Grade: A

Read more about this series by following its tag here.

Summary:

As they plan their wedding, Lily Yu and Rule Turner, a prince of the lupi, are facing a great deal of tension from both their families. Not everyone can accept their mixed marriage: she’s Chinese; he’s a werewolf. Even Lily’s grandmother is acting strangely distant, though Lily and Rule are about to discover that her behavior has nothing to do with their upcoming nuptials.

A powerful, undying nemesis has come to San Diego to exact vengeance on Lily’s family – and turn the city into a feeding ground. It’s up to Lily and Rule to stop her, in spite of ancient treaties and an inheritance passed down through the blood. Otherwise San Diego could go up in flames, and they won’t live to make it to the altar…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of Ecstasy in Darkness (Alien Huntress, Book 5) by Gena Showalter
Sci-fi Romance released by Pocket Star 26 Oct 10

For the first chapter or two (or three) of this book, I was convinced I would hate the hero.  The heroine I loved – great dynamic between her and her BFF, and I was getting a kick out of how she treated the hero.  She’s someone I’d love to go to lunch with.  He was someone I wanted to pummel with a rotten fish. But then I kept reading…

Showalter’s Alien Huntress’ world always surprises me.  The stories are fun, the characters engaging, the dialogue a blast to read, and the romance hot and believable. Don’t let me forget to tell you that there’s almost always a twist to the story that makes it a boatload of fun to read. Ecstasy in Darkness is no exception to all these “rules”.

The hero, MKell, is introduced in earlier novels.  He’s is downright surly and nasty for the first few…  well, for the whole book. BUT! But he grows on you.  I actually got to like him and, more importantly, I got to sympathize with him and loved his romance with the “mere human” heroine, Ava.

I found myself many times cheering Ava on when she would yank a knot in McKell’s tail (Texas saying – let me know if you’re not sure what I mean here).  I also love – LOVE I tell you – how McKell would stop time so that he could punch the smarmy face of some dickhead that insulted Ava, then start time again whereupon said dickhead would try to figure out how come his face hurt. HA!  I mean, how many of us have wished we could do THAT?!

The great thing about Showalter’s Alien Huntress books is that she takes characters who would not typically get HEA’s in “typical” romance novels, and gives them the full treatment.  Her heroes and heroines aren’t always noble, upstanding citizens, but they’re still people (mostly) and, according to Gena, they still deserve that one, special love. And we deserve to read about them – thank goodness.  I have derived many hours of contented entertainment reading Showalter’s books. I don’t think I’ve been disappointed by her yet, and I’m a very unsentimental reader.

The pace of Ecstasy in Darkness is quick and fun, though the reader is never left in the dust.  It can be read on its own, but you’ll have a lot of fun reading the other books in the series and will understand more of the hero’s backstory.  The ending is a little abrupt, but I think there must be more to this story in the next few of the series (I can’t wait!).

I highly recommend this book to anyone following the series, fans of sci-fi romance, or just fans of quirky, action-packed romances. It’s a great story about a surprising couple set in a memorable world.  Loved it.

Grade: A

Read more information on this series by following its tag here.

Summary:

Growing up poor on New Chicago’s meanest streets, Ava Sans had two options: be the predator, or be the prey. No contest. Now, working for Alien Investigation and Removal, she’s been ordered to capture the biggest, baddest warrior of all—a vampire too beautiful to be real, with the ability to manipulate time. Once the leader of the entire vampire army, McKell has been deemed savage and unstable, spurned even by his own kind.

To McKell, humans should be nothing more than sustenance. Yet the petite, golden-skinned Ava is a fascinating contradiction—vicious yet witty, strong yet vulnerable, lethal but fiercely loyal. Against his better judgment, McKell craves that loyalty, and much more. When the chase leads to seduction, McKell and Ava will race to discover the truth about his past. But the answers will come at a price, even for a woman who thought she had nothing left to lose. . . .

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of Indulgence in Death by  J.D. Robb
Futuristic thriller hardcover released by Putnam Adult 2 Nov 10

By now, more than 20 books into the series, fans are pretty familiar with the characters. So it’s time to explore new territory in this modern New York City and its favorite cop.  Well, no.  Actually this book explores no new territory.  Read on to see what I thought…

Robb/Roberts is undoubtedly an excellent writer. This is a terrific book – a very good thriller with some very tense moments.  I think it gives a more in depth look into Eve Dallas as an investigator than any of the previous books.  As per usual Roarke plays a hot, Irish second fiddle to his wife, Eve. All is well with the world and Eve gets her man.

And. Well.  That’s all I could think of to say.  No new ground is broken in this book.  It’s just good reading.

If you’re an Eve Dallas fan, you’ll like it.  If you’ve not read any of the In Death books before this one it may not give you much insight into the characters, but it is a good thriller and you don’t need to have read any of the previous to enjoy the writing.

I really don’t mean to damn with faint praise. I do so very much enjoy the In Death books and want to have Roarke’s babies (though I think Eve and Roarke are getting closer to doing that themselves). It’s just that that’s all there really is to say about the book.

Grade: A

Read other reviews and information for this series here.

Summary:

First it was a limo driver shot through the neck with a crossbow. Then it was a high-priced escort found stabbed through the heart with a bayonet.

Random hits, thrill kills, murderers with a taste for the finer things in life-and death-are making NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas angry. And an angry Eve can be just as an efficient and dangerous predator as the killer.

As time runs out on another innocent victim’s life, Eve’s investigation will take her into the rarefied circle that her husband, Roarke, travels in-and into the perverted heart of madness…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Naked in Death, Jul 1995
Glory in Death, Dec 1995
Immortal in Death, Jul 1996
Rapture in Death, Oct 1996
Ceremony in Death, May 1997
Vengeance in Death, Oct 1997
Holiday in Death, Jun 1998
“Midnight in Death,” Silent Night, Nov 1998 (anthology)
Conspiracy in Death, Apr 1999
Loyalty in Death, Oct 1999
Witness in Death, Mar 2000
Judgment in Death, Sep 2000
Betrayal in Death, Mar 2001
“Interlude in Death,” Out of This World, Aug 2001 (anthology)
Seduction in Death, Sep 2001
Reunion in Death, Mar 2002
Purity in Death, Sep 2002
Portrait in Death, Mar 2003
Imitation in Death, Sep 2003
Divided in Death, Jan 2004
Remember When, May 2004 (novella)
Visions in Death, Aug 2004
Survivor in Death, Feb 2005
Origin in Death, Jul 2005
Memory in Death, Jan 2006
“Haunted in Death,” Bump in the Night, Apr 2006 (anthology)
Born in Death, Nov 2006
Innocent in Death, Feb 2007
Creation in Death, Nov 2007
“Eternity in Death,” Dead of Night, Nov 2007 (anthology)
Strangers in Death, Feb 2008
Salvation in Death, Nov 2008
“Ritual in Death,” Suite 606, Nov 2008 (anthology)
Promises in Death, Feb 2009
Kindred in Death, Nov 2009
“Missing in Death,” The Lost, Dec 2009 (anthology)
Fantasy in Death, Feb 2010
Big Jack, Mar 2010 (novella)

Involuntary idleness leaves one with a LOT of time to think.  You know what they say:

“In works of labour, or of skill,
I would be busy too;
For Satan finds some mischief still
For idle hands to do.”
Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

Here’s what’s been on my mind lately…

Now THIS is an alien.

Ancient aliens?  Really?! Puhleez.  And why is that show ALWAYS on television??  It’s always the same discussion and the same pictures and the same theories. Over and over and over again. Hey – get a clue – THE PYRAMIDS ARE JUST REALLY BIG BUILDINGS!

State education systems and school boards. In Texas, or perhaps just our school district, when calculating the ratio of teachers to students, they include in the teacher metric bus drivers and support staff (janitors, cafeteria, office, etc.). HOW is that supposed to be an accurate average measure of how many kids are in actual classrooms and under the supervision of one teacher?? Magically, 25+ kids becomes 17 in all their reported metrics. There are no classes with just 17 except for the special ed classes. FALSE numbers to make everyone look better. Irritates me and makes it nearly impossible to address the problem – it’s HIDDEN from us.

Psychic teens/kids??  Do NOT get me started.  Exploitation much?

Job hunting.  I must be shooting blanks, because I haven’t bagged one yet.

Old movies.  LOVE them.

Autumn. Love the cooler weather, but I’m sick, sick, sick of cleaning the leaves out of the pool.

Cooking.  Love doing it, but if it’s a big, multicourse meal,  I’m so tired afterward, I don’t enjoy the food.

Emily Procter. What is wrong with aging? I mean, can all that Botox, collagen, and Restylane be good for you? Have you seen her lately on CSI: Miami?

My child. She’s growing like a weed. She’s already 5’1″ and she’s only 11 years old. And she’s smart as a whip – already blows me out of the water in math.  She’s the MOST fun kid I’ve met (mom talking here).

Dog hair.  Why the f#$@ is it so bloody difficult to get out of rugs?  Just when I think I’ve vacuumed it all up, I see more! I’ve tried most brands of vacuums, and I keep going back to an old one that sounds like an airplane engine, but sucks great. But danggit – still see more.

Ignorant judges.  I can’t tell you how much it bothers me and how much I think it damages our system when a judge awards money to people because fast food made them fat, or because hot coffee burned them, or because a a band saw cut off their finger.  I mean, c’mon! Let evolution sort it out! Don’t award people for being stupid!  It just perpetuates the problem.

Dumb criminals. I mean, in a certain aspect, I’m glad they’re dumb – it makes them easier to catch.  However, it still makes me shake my head when I see a crook get caught in the car they stole, with the gun they used, and still wearing the clothes with the victim’s blood on it.  D’oh!

What makes you scratch your head?

Gwen’s review of Bayou Moon (The Edge, Book 2) by Ilona Andrews
Fantasy romance released by Ace 28 Sep 10

Ever wonder where the term “redneck” comes from?  In Texas, it has a very different meaning than in other parts of the country. No matter where you live, though, being called a redneck is not usually a compliment.

The authors of this book call it “redneck romance” – I call it a unique and captivating story.  No hint of redneckery involved.  Read on to see why…

“Ilona Andrews” is the husband/wife writing team of Ilona and Andrew Gordon.  I’d like to think that this combination of male and female perspectives is what makes the characters so rich and complex.  No matter the reason, the result is a book full of people you know, believe in, and want to spend time with.

The “redneck” or rustic overtone is not buck teeth, “aw shucks” type.  It’s used as an important story element, lending a sense of impoverishment and an edge of desperation to the characters and their actions.  It helps explain a lot of what happens in this very dense story.

And a lot happens in Bayou Moon – lots of very well thought out fight scenes, lots of fun dialogue, and good quality time spent in the heads of the hero and heroine.  It’s a well told story of some very interesting characters in a very believable alternate reality.  It was easy to read it and forget where I was for a while (literally startled out of the “book trance” a couple of times).

I can’t say enough good things about the way the hero was written.  William is a damaged, lonely man yearning for some softness in his life.  Then he meets a woman who is anything but soft – they don’t even like each other for much of the beginning of the book.  But the heroine, Cerise,  manages to bring to William that sense of family and belonging he craves.  You will have more fun being in his head than any other character in the book.

The world and the plot is delightfully complex.  It’s been a while since I’ve read such a believable alternate reality.  It’s easy to think “this could really be true” when reading it – nothing dragged me out of the story with a “wtf?” feeling.  I stayed fully engaged in the book until something or someone startled me out of it.  LOVE that.

The romance is believable and so wonderful when it finally happens.  I was really cheering for the couple by the time they got together.  However, I would have a difficult time classifying this strictly as a “romance” – there’s so much more to the story than the simple “boy meets girl” plot line.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good paranormal/fantasy book.  I didn’t read the first book and didn’t feel lost in this one.  You will enjoy the time spent in William and Cerise’s world. You may even feel like you should wash the swamp mud off your feet as you read it.

Grade: A+

Summary:

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Walmart and magic is a fairytale–and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny…

Cerise Mar and her unruly clan are cash poor but land rich, claiming a large swathe of the Mire, the Edge swamplands between the state of Louisiana and the Weird. When her parents vanish, her clan’s long-time rivals are suspect number one.

But all is not as it seems. Two nations of the Weird are waging a cold war fought by feint and espionage, and their conflict is about to spill over into the Edge—and Cerise’s life . William, a changeling soldier who left behind the politics of the Weird, has been forced back into service to track down a rival nation’s spymaster.

When William’s and Cerise’s missions lead them to cross paths, sparks fly—but they’ll have to work together if they want to succeed…and survive.

Read an excerpt here (scroll down).

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of One Touch of Scandal by Liz Carlyle
Historical romance released by Avon 28 Sep 10

Sybil and I were trying to figure out if this book was historical or paranormal.  We landed on “historical with important paranormal elements.”  How’s that for decision making?  Solidly in the middle.

In spite of our collective irresolute tendencies, I have decided that this could best be described as a good historical romance that uses the paranormal to help tell the story and move the plot forward.  Ahh, decisiveness. 

In One Touch of Scandal, Liz Carlyle has written a mid-Victorian era historical that has a hero with ESP and a heroine in a very serious pickle.  Hero, Adrian, belongs to an ancient organization that supports  and protects women and children with the Gift or those who are descended from people with the Gift. Heroine, Grace, is a governess who is suspected of murdering her fiancee/employer.

Adrian and Grace come together in a very believable and interesting manner that I won’t spoil for you.  In fact, that statement of believable and interesting could be said about the book.  The ending is a little sugary for my taste, but I still enjoyed it.

I am happy that both Adrian and Grace are flawed people who are sincerely trying their best to live with the hands dealt them.  I also like that they don’t have prideful TSTL moments.  It’s nice to read about a couple that I can identify with, not that I want to shake and say, “Get out of your own way, you idjit!”

The murder and suspense elements in the book are quite good.  There is a plot twist that is a ton of fun to read and downright scary good.  Loved it.

The only reason I’m giving this a B+, and not an A, is the ending.  It was good – just a bit saccharin for me.

If you’re a Liz Carlyle fan, you need this book.  If you like a little paranormal spicing up your historical, you’ll love this book.  It’s the start of a new series that I think will be tremendous fun to read.

Grade: B+

Summary:

Desperation drove her into the arms of a devil…

Grace Gauthier had taken a position as governess hoping to find security and peace in a life that had very little of either. She’s always yearned for a good marriage, a family, and a home, but it was not to be. And when the brutal murder of her employer leaves her unprotected and alone—as Scotland Yard’s prime suspect—she has no one to turn to except the mysterious and reclusive Lord Ruthveyn.

A dark-eyed Lucifer, Ruthveyn guards his secrets carefully. His shadowed past as the Queen’s most trusted agent in India is the stuff of whispered rumor, as is his mixed ancestry. Deeply moved by her plight—and haunted by her beauty—Ruthveyn is determined to save Grace by unmasking a killer. But his growing passion for her soon places his own heart at risk and threatens to expose his dark gifts—and his dark society—to the world…

Read an excerpt here.

You ever have a really good time one day, then wake up the next morning and feel like a truck hit you?

Yeah? 

Well, that’s where I was about a year ago.  Had a really great job, making really good money, then, BAM! a truck called “Unemployment” hit me.  When I woke up the next day, I was laid off and my body hurt all over.

I don’t remember much of the next several months.  It’s all a blur of depression, job hunting, and more depression.  I can’t say I am surprised the hunting was unsuccessful – I mean, who doesn’t want a depressed, expensive employee? Gack!

What I do remember is I sat on my sofa, researched Scottish castle ruins (I know, weird, right?), shuttled my kid to and from various kid activities, and moped.

I slowly realized that I’ve had a full-time job since I was 18, with the few exceptions of college semesters and one previous lay-off from a different company.  That’s almost 30 years of working all the time.  Does this look familiar to anyone?

Well crap. Here I am. Unemployed, single, kid to raise.  Now what do I do? I started to get mad, then I moped a bit more, and slowly realized it was time to re-think my life.  Helluva time to have the “what do I want to be when I grow up” conversation with myself, isn’t it?  But I did.

I decided to quit lallygagging around and get my law degree. There.  Decision made.  How do I make it happen, I ask myself.  Slowly, and with patience, I answered.

That done, I moved my daughter out of the three bedroom/two bath house and into a studio apartment over the garage at my mom and dad’s house.  Got rid of all the “excess” bells and whistles (just have the cell phone for telephone, etc.) and put a ton of furniture in storage.  I am now stripped down and ready to take anything on.

So. This is where I am today, over a year later, still looking for work, digging around for school grants and other ways to help pay for this new direction I’m taking.  I’m trying to stay local, so I’ll be able to be a mom in addition to all the rest – but at least I have a plan.  And that’s all I need right now – a way forward.

Where are you in your life? Are you doing what you want to do? Where you want to be? Is life turning out the way you thought it would?  How has the economic climate affected you?

Gwen’s review of The Iron Duke (A Novel of the Iron Seas) by Meljean Brook
Steampunk romance released by Berkley Trade 5 Oct 10

Well, hello there.  Miss me?  That’s correct.  I haven’t fallen off the face of the planet, and, contrary to popular rumor (Sybil), neither have I been committed to the local booby-hatchery.  I’ve just been keeping a low profile, trying to reassemble my life after some pretty significant changes (more on that later).  Now on to the reason I’m here – to tell you about Meljean’s latest fantasy romance set in a cool steampunk world, The Iron Duke.

Meljean Brook started this world in a story called “Here There Be Monsters” in the Burning Up anthology.  If you haven’t read the story first, you’ll be okay and shouldn’t get too lost in the details.  But I’d read it – it’s a good story that I’ll review another time.

For those of you who are saying “what the hell is steampunk?”, here’s a quick definition from Wikipedia:

Steampunk is a sub-genre of…  speculative fiction that… involves an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century and often Victorian era Britain—that incorporates prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy. Works of steampunk often feature anachronistic technology or futuristic innovations as Victorians may have envisioned them…  Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of “the path not taken” for such technology as dirigibles, analog computers, or such digital mechanical computers as Charles Babbage’s Analytical engine.

Brook’s world is not so much steampunk dystopia as it is alternative and slightly grungy and full of wicked cool machines and automatons. Oh, don’t forget hawt hawt hawt men and the beautiful, capable women who love them.  If you’re not a huge steampunk fan, I think you’ll be okay with this book.  Steampunk is used as a tool to expand the possibilities, creating surprising situations and solutions, not as a character in itself (thank goodness).

As per usual, I won’t spend time summarizing the plot because the book’s blurb does a dandy job of that.  Instead, I’ll focus on the author’s craft and the flow and feel of the book.

Whenever I read one of Meljean Brook’s novels, I bring my big girl panties.  She doesn’t coddle her readers. You need to keep up – the pace is quick, and she frequently leaves emotions and motivations unsaid.  The reader is often left to draw their own conclusions and to interpret why a character is doing what he/she is doing. We aren’t hammered over and over again with the why or how.  This can be refreshing but it can also be frustrating if the you aren’t tuned into the characters, or have skimmed more than a paragraph or two.

No matter the challenges, this is a very satisfying story. Brook develops a heroine in Mina who is truly heroic and very human.  The love story between Mina and the hero, Rhys, is touching because of all the challenges these two overcome.  We’re left really cheering for them when the plot resolves itself.

The secondary characters are all a lot of fun and add quite a bit of satisfying roundness to the story.  There is an oblique mention of the main characters from the first short story but lots of the secondary are major parts of this new book.  The worldbuilding is incredibly detailed but not unwieldy – just enough to make it fun.

If you’re ready for a change of pace and want to visit an alternative universe that is by turns familiar and bizarre, and want a good dose of romance and sensuality, then this is the book for you.  If you’re a Meljean fan, you really gotta read this.

Grade: A

Summary:

After the Iron Duke freed England from Horde control, he instantly became a national hero. Now Rhys Trahaearn has built a merchant empire on the power — and fear — of his name. And when a dead body is dropped from an airship onto his doorstep, bringing Detective Inspector Mina Wentworth into his dangerous world, he intends to make her his next possession.

Mina can’t afford his interest, however. Horde blood runs through her veins, and despite the nanotech enhancing her body, she barely scratches out a living in London society. Becoming Rhys’s lover would destroy both her career and her family, yet the investigation prevents her from avoiding him…and the Iron Duke’s ruthless pursuit makes him difficult to resist.

But when Mina uncovers the victim’s identity, she stumbles upon a conspiracy that threatens the lives of everyone in England. To save them, Mina and Rhys must race across zombie-infested wastelands and treacherous oceans — and Mina discovers the danger is not only to her countrymen as she finds herself tempted to give up everything to the Iron Duke.

Read an excerpt here (scroll down).

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of The Lost by J.D. Robb, Patricia Gaffney, Mary Blayney, and Ruth Ryan Langan
Anthology released by Jove 24 Nov 09

This anthology came to me by way of Sybil and her bottomless bag o’  books.  It’s an interesting mix of all sorts of stories, some romance, some not. A nice way to while away some time waiting in line at your kid’s school at dismissal time.

I suppose there’s a common theme in the stories, though it’s tenuous.  As I write these reviews I’ll try to point out the things holding them together.  Meanwhile, on with the reviews…

Missing In Death by J.D. Robb
Futuristic Suspense (93-pages)

This is a very good entry in the Eve Dallas world.  It revolves around the mysterious disappearance of a woman on a ferry and an apparent murder with no body.

The story is delightfully twisty and turny, with lots of sleuthing by Eve and Peabody.  The story talks to old hurts and long-held revenge.  It’s a good In Death story – not the best, but still quite good.

Now to the anth title: I suppose the “lost” things in this story would be the body, the woman on the ferry, and the villain’s family.

Grade: B

Summary:

Wile investigating a woman’s disappearance on a New York City ferry, Detective Eve Dallas wonders… if she didn’t jump, and she’s not on board, then where in the world is she?

Read an excerpt here.

The Dog Days of Laurie Summer by Patricia Gaffney
Chick-lit (90-pages)

This was an odd little story.  A tad too long, and not really a romance.  However, it does describe the heroine’s love for her family, and how she falls back in love with them

I classified this as “chick lit” because it’s a nice little tale about how a woman rediscovers the love she has for her life, her family, and her self.  Prior to a literal life-changing event, our heroine, Laurie, was a pretty typical type-A personality.  She worked too much and thought too little about what was really important in her life.  The event shocks her out of this rut and spins her out into a truly odd road of discovery.

I enjoyed this story, though this kind of writing is not really my bag.

The anth title: I’m guessing the “lost” things in this story would be the heroine’s awareness of her family.

Grade: C

Summary:

After recovering from a severe accident, a woman awakens to a world as familiar as it is strange and unsettling.

Read an excerpt here.

Lost In Paradise by Mary Blayney
Paranormal/Inspirational Romance (87-pages)

This was an unusual little story.  It reads quick and has a nice pace, though I found the genre, and thus the book, a little tough to pin down.  It’s a definite “slash” book.

The romance between the main characters is a little convenient and quick.  I know that short stories and anthology entries force an author to truncate some things, but this romance felt even too quick for that.

I called this a “paranormal/inspirational” because it is the heroine’s strong faith in God and her purity that helps break a curse.  Though, in true romance novel fashion, she doesn’t remain a virgin for long with the hero’s manliness on the scene.  And this was part of my personal confusion with the book.  I didn’t know where to stand on it – figuratively speaking.

Good, but not great story.

The anth title: I suppose the “lost” things in this story is the hero and his hope.

Grade: C

Summary:

A man cursed to stay behind the walls of an island fortress finds hope in a nuirse who’s shipwrecked and in possession of the one thing that could set him free.

No excerpt available.

Legacy by Ruth Ryan Langan
Contemporary Romance (88-pages)

This was the only true “romance” of all the stories in the book. And it’s quite good.

I like the heroine, though she is a bit milquetoast for me.  The hero is extremely yummy.  Their romance develops quickly, but is believable.  The plot twists involving her family are a bit silly in their complexity and seeming secrecy, but nonetheless lend a decent amount of suspense to the story.

This is a fun romance to read.

The anth title: the “lost” things in this story are the heroine and her family.

Grade: B

Summary:

In the wake of her mother’s death, a young woman’s travels unearth a family secret buried on the grounds of a magnificent but imposing Irish estate.

No excerpt available.

I liked this anthology. The Robb and Ryan Langan stories make it worth the purchase.  The other two stories are good, but forgettable.  If you’re following the In Death stories, you shouldn’t miss this one.

Overall Grade: B-

Blurb:

Four bestselling authors venture into a world where the rules of love, of time, and of place can be forever lost…

Gwen’s review of Pride Mates (Shifters Unbound, Book 1) by Jennifer Ashley
Paranormal romance released by Dorchester/ Leisure 26 Jan 10

This is the first of  a new paranormal romance series from the ever-busy Jennifer Ashley. We are given a new world where Shifters are “out”, learning to live in a world where humans know what they are and treat them as second-class citizens.  It’s a very promising start to what should be a fresh take on a well-worn idea.  Plus, the book is based in Austin, so how bad can it be? 

Turns out, not bad at all.  I really enjoyed this book.  It seemed like a short, category length book, though it’s over 300 pages.  I think the book’s pacing and terrific dialogue (internal and external) made it seem shorter.

The heroine, Kim, is funny, smart, and righteous.  She stands by those she believes in and this makes her the Shifter leader’s worst nightmare.  The leader and the book’s villain, Fergus, has his own selfish reasons for Kim to fail in her defense of one of his clan.

The hero, Liam, is sexy, smart, loving, and oh-so-alpha.  He’s a very complex hero and I loved that.  Ashley has drawn him as a complicated mix of all that is admirable in a man and some of the things women bemoan.  I loved his easygoing nature and how he supported his community.  His love for Kim caught him by surprise and this makes him endearing.  One of the better heroes I’ve read lately.

The book sets a lot of groundwork for this new series.  We’re introduced to a new world where Shifters will have to fight for their rights.  The degree to which Shifters are treated as second-class citizens seems a bit extreme in our PC, ACLU afflicted world (not permitted new cars or cable television? huh?).  I’m ready to roll with it if Ashley is careful not to take it to too much of an extreme and use it for plot devices, and not to beat us over the head with it.

The paranormal elements of this world are very interestingly different from what I have come to expect.  The origin of the Shifters as playthings of the fae is one that should introduce some very good plot elements in the future.  The story in The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance, out 9 Feb, tells much of this history, as well as the origin of the Guardian’s sword (read Pride Mates for this detail).

This book is worth reading simply for the fun of the relationship between the hero and heroine.  I was left smiling several times, and sometimes laughing out loud at some of the things they said.  It is a clever, quick book with some interesting twists that has whetted my appetite for more.

I recommend this to anyone who is a fan of shapeshifter romances or Jennifer Ashley books.  If you like clever dialogue, then you’ll love this book.

Grade: A

Summary:

Twenty years ago, shape shifters of all kinds banded together and announced themselves to the world, only to be shunted to areas no human wanted (“Shiftertowns”). They are forced to wear Collars that control their hunting and fighting instincts (referred to by Shifters as “Taking the Collar”).

Liam Morrissey is currently liaison between the Shifters of Austin, TX, and the humans of the city. Kim Fraser, attorney, finds herself in the unique position of having to defend a Shifter on a murder charge.

She ventures to Shiftertown to seek out Liam’s help, and there stumbles across too many secrets the Shifters want kept secret. The un-mated Liam is forced to protect Kim against the wrath of his clan leader and his own father, and to his surprise he discovers a powerful attraction to the sassy, sexy lady.

Read an excerpt here.  Go here for the series’ site.

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of Flirt (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter, Book 18) by Laurell K. Hamilton
Urban fantasy hardcover released by Berkley 2 Feb 10

Fans of Hamilton’s Anita Blake novels will love this short side entry.  This is a novel-length short story in the very sexy, very violent world of Anita Blake.  If you’re following this series and are getting (have gotten) tired of the crazily complicated storyline, you’ll enjoy this story.  It has almost none of the “bigger” picture and just tells us a good yarn.

The action in Flirt is almost solely centered on Anita’s necromancer ability. There is quite a bit of overlap in the plot to her newly developed shifter abilities.  This adds quite a bit of spice and is not complicated to follow if you just roll with it.  A new character or two is introduced who may become players in a later novel.

I liked Flirt because it had a beginning, middle, and end.  It’s a short novel, or a novel-length short story that deals with loss and love.  There is some redemption in the story, though it’s a darker redemption as is appropriate for the setting.

In Flirt Anita is kidnapped by a grieving spouse and forced to use her necromancer abilities.  This all has Anita in a decided snit and has separated mentally and physically her from her “sweeties”.  However, in true Anita fashion, she gets herself out of her pickle with the help of a lion shifter that Anita has bound to herself.

I love it when Hamilton focuses on a story and the storytelling is excellent in Flirt. I sucked it down in a day.  I highly recommend this book to anyone following the series and to anyone new to it who wants to see if they’d like it.  This entry stands alone well enough and would actually serve to tell a new reader if they like the author or story.

Grade: A

Read more reviews and information on this series here.

Summary:

When Anita Blake meets with prospective client Tony Bennington, who is desperate to have her reanimate his recently deceased wife, she is full of sympathy for his loss. Anita knows something about love, and she knows everything there is to know about loss. But what she also knows, though Tony Bennington seems unwilling to be convinced, is that the thing she can do as a necromancer isn’t the miracle he thinks he needs. The creature that Anita could coerce to step out of the late Mrs. Bennington’s grave would not be the lovely Mrs. Bennington. Not really. And not for long.

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of Archangel’s Kiss (Guild Hunters, Book 2) by Nalini Singh
Paranormal/fantasy romance released by Berkley 2 Feb 10

This is the second book in the Guild Hunters saga and the third story.  (Singh released a standalone novella in the Must Love Hellhounds anthology.) This entry deals with Elena’s new condition, her relationship with the archangel, Raphael, and the politics of his (now her) world.  It’s a ripsnorting story that is passionate and action-packed, and a helluva good tale.

There are spoilers in this review, so if you haven’t read the first book and care about that sort of thing, you don’t want to read further.

If you read the first book, you know that to save Elena’s life Raphael Made her an angel near the end.  In Kiss, Elena begins learning what that means – how to fly, what can still kill her, how to fit into her new society, and what her role is as Raphael’s mate.  This is all pretty fascinating stuff and, like Singh’s Psy-Changeling novels, is an incredibly well thought out world.  You are actually living it with the characters.  Singh is second to none in her complex and believable world building.

Kiss has a very nice pace to it.  You’re never left yawning, wondering when something was going to happen.  We’re given a mystery, some romance and passion, friendships, and loads of very cool action.  We’re carried along the story like a kayaker down a Class 5 rapids.

I just adore Singh’s characters.  Her heroines are terrific – strong, smart, and vulnerable.  I never have an eye-rolling “OMG she’s too stupid to live” moment.   Elena is all woman and all warrior.  She’s still a Guild Hunter at heart and it shows – I love the descriptions of the clothes and weapons she wears in Beijing.

Singh’s heroes are in a class of their own – masculine, alpha, and tender to their loved ones.  they’re always men I sigh over.  In this book, Raphael is enough “other” to be a fascinating character.  I think the first book showcased his personality better than this entry, but we get excellent insight into Elena in Kiss.

The villains in Kiss are suitably villain-like.  There is also some ambiguity in some of the evil.  In Singh’s world, as an angel ages, they develop more powers and the abilities they have become stronger.  Since some of the angel’s are thousands of years old, this leads to interesting ethical questions – how much power is too much, what can be done with power without morality, and how do you control amoral beings so powerful they can destroy whole cities or even planets?  All of this comes up in this book and we’re led to the conclusion that relationships like what is between Elena and Raphael are one of the very few things that can help such powerful beings retain some of their humanity – which is normally a good thing.

If you’re a fan of Singh, or simply of “angel books” you do not want to miss this one.   If you’re not sure about whether you’ll like this series, don’t start with this one.  The first book, Angel’s Blood, will take you by surprise and bring you to love the series as much as I do.  This book just takes the story to the next level.

I can’t wait for the next entry.

Grade: A

Read other reviews and information on this series here.

Summary:

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed—an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn—but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control—even when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority…

They’ve barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing—and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series:

I’ve been incognito of late.  I haven’t talked to you good folks in a while so I crawled out of my hole to have a whine and whinge, and to see how many of you are in the same situation. It’s the start of a new year – a year I know will have a lot of changes for me and my family.  I’m just waiting to see what will be the next shoe dropped… 

The holidays were joyous mayhem – a whirlwind of family, cooking, cleaning, visiting, more cooking, more cleaning, more family.  Just insane fun.  Now January is painfully slow in comparison.  So as I take stock, it  occurs to me that the Grateful Dead had it right in their song “Truckin’” (video provided below for your enjoyment)…

Sometimes the lights all shining on me
Other times I can barely see
Lately it occurs to me
What a long strange trip it’s been

My life of late has certainly been a long, strange trip.  Despite my perennially creative counting, I’m still getting older.  Of course, this means my daughter and my parents are also getting older.  Relentless aging has introduced so many complications into what was once such a simple life that my mind is regularly boggled.  Not that it takes a lot to boggle this old girl, but, still, consider me boggled.

For example, I have a regular sense of outrage that my body is rebelling.  I used to prize my “cast iron stomach” that is now made of easily dented tin, metaphorically speaking.  And my eyes! Oh my goodness, my eyes.  I’m convinced signs and menus are being made in smaller type than before.

My daughter is a different story.  I made the mistake the other day of watching a video of her when she was a baby.  I could just eat her up.  She was so small, and sweet, and so very pink.  She was like a strawberry confection – red hair, ivory skin, and always, always dressed in pink.

Today? Today she’s a pre-teen who has begun to notice boys and frequently thinks her mom is weird.  She has occasional flashes of her younger self – I cherish those times when she seems like “my little pink girl” again.  She also has regular bouts of some other entity that just makes me want to shake my mom and say “how did you put up with me?!?”  Because, as you could guess and to my horror, my daughter is JUST LIKE ME.  Argh!

Then there’s my parents.  My folks have been married for 50 years.  After college, I left and did my own thing, occasionally living at home, but mostly on my own.  I moved close to home about 8 years ago and have gotten to know my parents.  I have come to realize that they’re not only the people who sired me, but they’re my friends as well.  And they’re aging.

My dad has lived with a significant illness since March 2000.  The doctors told us to prepare to lose him in two to five years, or less.  As you can tell, he’s lasted much longer than that mostly due to the tremendous care of my mom.  She nurses and cares for my dad, oversees his meds, argues with doctors for the best care, and generally holds him together.  She’s become an expert on all aspects of his care.

Now Dad is getting more frail.  He’s not bouncing back from mild illness as he once did. His mind is starting to falter much like his mom did just scant months before she died.

I also noticed the other day how much my mom has aged in the last ten years, and especially in the last month.  This has  taken such a toll on her.  She was once the very pampered wife of a hale and hardy man who did very nearly anything she asked. The overnight adjustment to a diametrically opposed role has been hard on her.  Now that Dad is getting worse, I’m equally worried about Mom.

This all came on the heels of my being laid off last September from a job I’d had for 13 years.  Admittedly it was a job that I had come to hate, but still…  I want to use a less polemic word than “hate” but I really had come to dread each day for so many reasons.

Keep in mind I’ve done nothing but work full time for almost 30 years.  I’ve never been more than a week out of a job in my life.  Not working – not going to work each day – has been very odd.  I have some severance that will last me another few weeks and I really will start seriously looking for a job.  Soon. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to get to know myself.  I’m even going to go back to school.  We’ll see what the future brings.

So all this to say aging sucks.  It has its high spots – watching my daughter grow into a wonderful young woman – and its low spots – watching my parents age.  But as Jim Morrison said, no one here gets out alive.  It’s up to us to make the best of it we can.  I think it was Chuck Swindoll or Lou Holtz who said something to the effect that our attitude in life is 10% what happens and 90% how we react to it.  Words to live by.

Gwen’s review of Bound to Shadows (Riley Jensen, Book 8 ) by Keri Arthur
Urban Fantasy released by Dell 27 Oct 09

It’s been a while since I read and reviewed one of the Riley Jensen books.  Have I told you lately how much I love this series?  Well, I love this series.  Of all the Urban Fantasy, first person POV series out there, this is one of the best.  I’m always amazed at how totally immersed into Riley’s  stories I become.  And since Arthur is one of the more prolific writers out there, there’s plenty to jump into.

In this entry to the Riley-verse, our heroine is relishing her role as a Guardian – one of the enforcement types who keep the paranormals from consuming humans and each other.  Until recently in the series, Riley resisted this role.  She’s also firmly in love with Quinn – an ancient vamp who is the love of her life.  She’s also in reluctant lust/hate with her soul-mate, Kye.  As per normal, Riley’s personal life and libido is wild and crazy, and very eventful.  Arthur is in fine form in the sensual scenes with this entry.  If you enjoy Riley’s lovelife, don’t miss this book.

As usual, Riley is also doing a kick-ass job kicking bad guy butts all over Melbourne.  There’s a very good suspense element to this entry that is actually rooted in somewhat normal, human motivations.  Sure some otherworldly (and very creepy) things happen, but Shadows has a very good suspense element.

If you’ve never read a Riley Jensen novel, this might be a passable standalone. You may be at bit at sea with some of the details and history, but if you just roll with the story, you’ll be entertained.  Nevertheless, I highly recommend trying to read as much of the series as possible.

The only reason I’m giving Shadows a B instead of an A is because of the first person POV.  Even though Arthur is one of the absolute best authors out there with this POV, it’s still a pet peeve of mine when a story is told using it.  This POV is too limiting to the story and I’m left guessing too much.  I have a very difficult time giving them A’s unless something about the book just blows my socks off.

I recommend this book to any UF fans and anyone following the Riley Jensen series.  Good storytelling, good romance, good action… good book.

Grade: B+

Read other reviews and information on this series by following its tag here.

Summary:

In the darkness, demons come out to play… and someone must bring their sins to light.

Part vampire, part werewolf, Riley Jenson knows what can happen when vamps don’t play well with others. But she’s never seen anything like this: a series of brutal murders surrounding the latest hot spot for vampire-human hookups—and the victims aren’t just killed, they’re beheaded. Now Riley is launching into action, toying with a seductive—and highly suspicious—club owner, and finding herself in the middle of another mystery: women being killed one by one, without a trace of violence.

For Riley, solving multiple cases—in a world going mad with human and vampire passions—would have been tough enough. Instead she has two jealous lovers on her hands: Kye Murphy, the amber-eyed werewolf who makes Riley’s wolf blood howl—and Quinn, the cool, elegant vamp who has over a thousand years’ experience at fulfilling women’s desires. While she’s busy juggling these two sexy beasts, Riley’s detective work takes a stunningly violent turn. Finding a murderer is now a matter of life and death. Especially since the killer has long since found her…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of Never Romance a Rake (Neville Family Trilogy, Book 3) by Liz Carlyle
Historical romance released by Pocket 22 Jul 08

I enjoy breaking up my urban fantasy and contemporary reading with a nice, refreshing historical.  I tend to the “heavier” historicals and try to avoid “teh funny” as much as possible.  This book delivered on all levels – it cleared my palate mid-pile o’ UF, and is a weighty tale that distracted and entertained me. 

I realize I’m late to this series – the last book was released a year ago last July – but at least I came along for the ride.  I’m glad I read this book before the other two.  Though it would be entertaining to read them all in order, I don’t believe it’s necessary – this book stands alone fine.

The hero is Kieran, Lord Rothewell, and the heroine a young French woman named Camille.  Through some rather tried but true authorial maneuvers, the hero “wins” the heroine in a card game (he cheats, by the way). The two are thrust together mostly by choice and somewhat by circumstance.

Kieran is a rake of the worst sort – dissolute and depressed.  He is convinced that he’s an awful person and punishes himself suitably by totally abusing his body.  Camille has been raised by two of what must be the most selfish people on the planet.  As a result her self-image is not the best.  Nevertheless, Camille is determined to have a child so that she can have someone in her life she can truly love.

What I found surprising about both of these damaged people was how much I liked them.  I’m not a fan of the “oh woe is me” type of character.  You know the kind – Kenyon’s heroes are almost all a bunch of whiney babies.  Camille and Kieran doubt themselves, and Kieran wallows a bit, but neither of them whines.  They eventually talk to each other about what has damaged them and then overcome it together.  They act like, gasp, adults!

There’s a few other things that happen in the book that made me think for a few pages that I was reading a Dynasty script.  Regardless, the book remained entertaining and didn’t fall into the “no way!” realm.  Near as I can gather, this is the only book of the trilogy that doesn’t rely on a political suspense element to carry the story.  It’s all about the couple – another thing I really liked.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a meatier romance that is truly centered on the couple.  If you’re a fan of historicals, you’ll also like it though there’s actually not much about the period in this entry.

Grade: B+

Read more reviews and information by following the series tag here.

Summary:

Baron Rothewell lives a dark, shuttered existence by day, and a life of reckless abandon by night. Scarred by a childhood filled with torment and deprivation, Rothewell cares very little anyone or anything. His life on the edge of ruin suits him—until he meets a man who just might be his nemesis. The Comte de Valigny likes to play deeply and dangerously, but Rothewell’s recklessness is undeterred. Until one night when de Valigny wagers something just a little more valuable than gold.

Mademoiselle Marchand is a desperate woman in a strange land, and her pleading eyes seem to swallow Lord Rothewell body and soul—assuming he still has one. Now the baron must play his hand with the utmost care, for at last something meaningful is at stake…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series (I adore these covers – such pretty colors):

Gwen’s review of Divine Misdemeanors (Meredith Gentry, Book 8 ) by Laurell K. Hamilton
Urban fantasy hardcover released by Ballantine 8 Dec 09

Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry novels typically revolve around the politics of the Unseelie Court.  A couple of the early books were more about Merry’s Men and her day job working for a private detective agency.  There are many LKH fans who, after the last few Merry books that were all about sidhe politics, were begging for a return to the private investigation roots.  With DM those beggars get their wish. 

I’m not sure what side of that fence I sit on – politics or private life.  I enjoy reading about Merry’s problems juggling all those men.  I also enjoy reading about the utterly foreign and Machiavellian sidhe courts.  With both, there is a significant sex element.  Merry has TONS of mystically enhanced sex with all sorts of creatures big and small.  It all normally combines to be a rather wild tale that is fun to read.

DM is certainly a return to Hamilton’s roots.  Merry and her men meander their way around a serial murder mystery involving the fey.  The PI agency that Merry works for is brought in for expert advice.  Things happen, sex is had, and the mystery solved.  End of book.

What I think LKH is trying to do with this entry in the series is show how Merry is growing into her role as leader of the sidhe.  In spite of her rejection of the crown(s) in the previous book and frequent verbal rejections of the title in this book, it becomes apparent that Merry still subconsciously feels she will have to be queen.  Her actions, decisions, and general behaviour in DM all point to Merry eventually accepting the crown(s).

If feels like DM is one of those “bridge” books that transitions the Merry Gentry story into the next big phase.  If I had a crystal ball, I’d say that the next book will have Merry giving birth to her twins – no doubt in some crazily mystical method – and something significant will happen on the throne(s) front.

I enjoyed this book, but felt the sex scenes were a little forced and not as hot as previous books.  And let’s be honest, we read Merry Gentry partially for the rampant sex.  Also, the “mystery” is a bit obvious.  It’s resolution is a little confused and facile.

Even with the flaws, this is a very readable book and an interesting entry in the Merry Gentry world.  I do not recommend the book if you haven’t read any of the other entries – it’s not a standalone book.  However, if you’re a fan of Merry, you should read it to see how she continues her evolution into the queen of the sidhe.

Grade: B-

Read more reviews and information on this series here.

Summary:

You may know me best as Meredith Nic Essus, princess of faerie. Or perhaps as Merry Gentry, Los Angeles private eye. In the fey and mortal realms alike, my life is the stuff of royal intrigue and celebrity drama. Among my own, I have confronted horrendous enemies, endured my noble kin’s treachery and malevolence, and honored my duty to conceive a royal heir—all for the right to claim the throne. But I turned my back on court and crown, choosing exile in the human world—and in the arms of my beloved Frost and Darkness.

While I may have rejected the monarchy, I cannot abandon my people. Someone is killing the fey, which has left the LAPD baffled and my guardsmen and me deeply disturbed. My kind are not easily captured or killed. At least not by mortals. I must get to the bottom of these horrendous murders, even if that means going up against Gilda, the Fairy Godmother, my rival for fey loyalties in Los Angeles.

But even stranger things are happening. Mortals I once healed with magic are suddenly performing miracles, a shocking phenomenon wreaking havoc on human/faerie relations. Though I am innocent, dark suspicions of banned magical activities swirl around me.

I thought I’d left the blood and politics behind in my own turbulent realm. I had dreamed of an idyllic life in sunny L.A. with my beloved ones beside me. But it becomes time to wake up and realize that evil knows no borders, and that nobody lives forever—even if they’re magical.

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of Vampire Sunrise (Delilah Street, Book 3) by Carole Nelson Douglas
Urban fantasy released by Pocket 24 Nov 09

I’m a huge fan of urban fantasy.  I love it when authors cut loose and create a whole new reality that’s only loosely based on the “real” reality.  It’s an opportunity to really explore the “hey, what would  happen in our world if…”.  They’re almost always set in a slightly futuristic world, too — which I find even more fun. 

This series is based on the adventures of our heroine Delilah, who has some unusual abilities that make her valuable in this world’s alternate Las Vegas.  Delilah threatens the existing were and vampire power structures, while at the same time she seems to tantalize them into keeping her around.

Naturally, she has an ex-FBI boyfriend – otherwise, she would have a tough time doing what she does.  Delilah also has one of my favorite heroine accessories – a really big, really loyal dog. Lots happens with and around that dog in this book, so if that’s one of your favorite things too, you’ll like this book.

This is the first book in this series I’ve read.  I found it stood alone fine and there was little I struggled with understanding.  The author does a fine job giving the reader details without info dumping.

Douglas’s writing and storytelling rhythm is quite good in Sunrise. I immediately enjoyed reading the heroine’s thought process and internal dialogue.  The book is told in first person POV, so it’s important to like the pace.

However, there is one element of her writing that almost ruined the book for me – scene transitions.  These segues are very often clumsy, with the characters deciding – out of the blue and apparently with little to no reason – to do something or go somewhere.  The reader is jerked along for a rather bumpy ride with a “whoa – wait, why are we here again?” kind of feeling.  Sometimes very jolting.

I found this a very interesting quandary for a book told in first person POV.  It’s downright difficult to not give the reader the full skinny in this voice – almost impossible, really.  It made me think that perhaps quite a bit of this transition text didn’t make it through one of the edits.  I can’t imagine a writer not writing about why a heroine goes to a place or does an important thing.  It makes the heroine appear a bit aimless and that she’s just dithering along through life.

I also think this author hates commas.  That made some of the sentences difficult to read, but d0-able.

Nevertheless, I was entertained by the book.  I like the heroine and the story enough that I’ll probably read the next in the series.

I gave this book a C+ because it was good, but not so good that I could recommend it without reservations.  If you’re a fan of urban fantasy, books set in a future Vegas, or wry humor, you’ll like it.   But it’s a narrow recommendation.

Grade: C+

Summary:

Werewolf mobsters and vampires run Vegas, but that’s yesterday’s news for Delilah Street, paranormal investigator. What’s truly fearsome is her bloody discovery of an undead evil rooted in ancient Egypt. Now, with her lover Ric fighting for life after a grim battle, the chips are down.

But Delilah is a born winner who has never let a little danger throw off her game, and she’s been learning fast since she came to Sin City. Her affinity for silver is making mirror-walking a real breeze, and being forced to accept the albino rock star sorcerer Snow’s Brimstone Kiss has ramped up her powers to a startling new level. With the help of her trusty uber-wolfhound Quicksilver, not to mention the orange demon parking valet Manny, Delilah is determined to solve even more paranormal secrets, and hopefully save the few innocents left in town. But can Delilah win her high-stakes gamble for life and love against ancient gods and lethal supernatural odds?

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of Born of Night (The League, Book 1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Sci-fi romance released by St. Martin’s 29 Sep 09

This is one of the first books written by Kenyon, early in her career and pre-Dark Hunters.  You can see quite a bit of her later books in this one, except this one is set in the future with aliens, spaceships, and blasters.  I don’t think Einstein would have liked the Ichidian Universe – the normal laws of physics don’t seem to mean much, but in a sci-fi, they often don’t. 

In this book, we have a heroine, Kiara, who is a very famous professional dancer, who, truth be told, is bored with her life and dancing.  She’s called “princess” but I couldn’t figure out what she was princess of, since her father wasn’t a “king” or some similar rank.  Regardless, she’s made a pawn in a planetary pissing match between her dad and a neighboring world, and, as a result, a contract is taken out on her life.  A very lucrative contract for the right assassin.

Enter our hero, Nykyrian, professional assassin – trained since childhood to be the ultimate killer.  He’s the “most deadly being in the universe” and he’s tired of being hunted because of who he is.  There’s also a very lucrative contract out on his head as a result of him abandoning his assassin brotherhood when he got tired of killing.

Through a variety of rather obscure moves, Nyk and his compatriots come to protect Kiara from the killers who are hunting her for the contract payoff.  Nyk and Kiara grate against each other, but naturally fall in lurve as they are forced to spend time together. Nyk, you see, is a fan of Kiara’s dancing.

As with most Kenyon heroes, Nyk has had the most horrendous life imaginable prior to meeting the heroine.  At the end of the book, many of the awful things are explained.  Some eye-rolling ensues, but, it’s Kenyon so you expect a bit. There are also a few times when either Kiara or Nyk do some really stupid thing (let her go to the bathroom by herself in a public place when there are bad guys after her?  really?).

Even with the quibbling little things that made me crazy (going from one planet to another seems to take as much time as running down the street to the store), it was still a fun book to read.  I just had to let myself roll with it a few times.

And, yes, I’m going to read the next book in the series.  It’s a fun universe and I’m addicted to Kenyon like a crack whore.  If you’re thinking about waiting for the next book, you definitely do NOT want to read these books out of order.  There are gigantic spoilers at the end of this first book that will ruin it for you if you read Book 2 first.

I recommend Born of Night to anyone who is a fan of Kenyon, or a fan of sci-fi romances where you don’t have to think too hard about the science.

Grade: B-

Summary:

In the Ichidian Universe, The League and their ruthless assassins rule all. Expertly trained and highly valued, the League Assassins are the backbone of the government. But not even the League is immune to corruption . . .

Command Assassin Nykyrian Quikiades once turned his back on the League—and has been hunted by them ever since. Though many have tried, none can kill him or stop him from completing his current mission: to protect Kiara Zamir, a woman whose father’s political alliance has made her a target.

As her world becomes even deadlier, Kiara must entrust her life to the same kind of beast who once killed her mother and left her for dead. Old enemies and new threaten them both and the only way they can survive is to overcome their suspicions and learn to trust in the very ones who threaten them the most: each other.

Read an excerpt here (click on “Read More” in the Excerpt area).

Other books in the series:

Gwen’s review of Blaze of Memory (Psy-Changeling Series, Book 7) by Nalini Singh
Futuristic paranormal romance released by Berkley 3 Nov 09

At this point, I’ll sound like a broken record I’ve said this so much.  Nevertheless, I’ll say it again.  Singh is one of the best storytellers out there today, and the best paranormal romance author.  Her stories are set in an interesting, complete world, have luscious heroes and heroines, good plot lines, full and logical story arcs, excellent villains, and really dreamy romances. 

Blaze is no exception to these rules.  We get a full, rich romance with lots of great details and a really fun story.

Singh tells us a story about the head of the Shine Foundation, Dev, and a psy named Katya.  They meet under unusual circumstances.  Katya initially suffers from complete amnesia. (I know, I know, it’s a familiar tune, but it works here.  Honest.)

Over the course of the book, Dev and Katya, with other psy and changelings, solve the mystery of Katya and her condition.  They fall in love, have some awesome sex, and thwart a seriously nasty plot set in action by the villains.

I won’t give away any other details except to say that if you’re following this series, you definitely want to read this book.  If you’re new to the series, you might be a little at sea with Blaze - by this book, there’s so much backstory that you might miss quite a lot jumping in here.

Blaze is a romping good time with a new group of characters in this rich, interesting series.

Grade: A

Read other reviews of this series by clicking on its tag here.

Summary:

Nalini Singh returns to the Psy/Changeling world and its “breathtaking blend of passion, adventure, and the paranormal”* as a woman without a past becomes the pawn of a man who controls her future…

Dev Santos discovers her unconscious and battered, with no memory of who she is. All she knows is that she’s dangerous. Charged with protecting his people’s most vulnerable secrets, Dev is duty-bound to eliminate all threats. It’s a task he’s never hesitated to complete…until he finds himself drawn to a woman who might yet prove the enemy’s most insidious weapon.

Stripped of her memories by a shadowy oppressor, and programmed to carry out cold-blooded murder, Katya Haas is fighting desperately for her sanity itself. Her only hope is Dev. But how can she expect to gain the trust of a man who could very well be her next target? For in this game, one must die…

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

		The Cannibal Princess
A Gift For Kit

So here’s the deal with all this review blog stuff.  The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has decided that blogs and other similar opinion websites should disclose when a reviewed item has been supplied by the manufacturer/vendor/seller/etc., or when a manufacturer/vendor/etc. has paid for said review.  A “full disclosure” kind of thing. 

If you want the full story and more opinions on all of this, go to Dear Author.  Jane has done extensive analysis, including actually talking to a guy at the FTC, and has arrived at what seems to be reasonable conclusions about the possible impacts to big and small review sites.

Personally, I don’t think the FTC’s ruling is such a bad thing.  If someone publishes a review, I want to know if it’s an honest opinion or simply blather from a shill.  It allows me to appropriately weigh the opinion and make up my own mind whether that opinion is honest.

We here at TGTBTU (a.k.a. the Pond) blog, review, and comment here because we love to read.  (By the way, we’re Ducks because Sybil – the blog’s owner/maven/priestess – loves dicks er, ducks.)  TGTBTU is our hobby and definitely NOT a money-making venture.  We support the site from our own pockets, defraying some of the cost with what you’ll read below.

On the negative side of our little hobby, not including the cost of the books we read or the postage to send those books back and forth to each other, is the cost of the site and its Internet domains.  Sure we could run the site for free by using a blog host like Blogspot, but have instead elected to upgrade to a specific domain and server space – making us both easier to find and faster to load, which is a good thing.

On the plus side and helping to defray some of the cost, are Associate Programs.  We primarily use Amazon’s because it’s dead simple to create their product URL’s  – those little deelywhoppers inserted in reviews with the product’s thumbnail.  None of these Programs pay much – something like 3% per item purchased using the ID, or about $0.20 for a paperback.   There are other Associate Programs (Harlequin, etc.), but their links are so bloody complicated to craft that we generally don’t bother with them.

In fact, if you like it here at the Pond you can help support us by by adding our Amazon Associates ID, preceded by a slash (/thgothbaanthu-20), to the end of a product’s Amazon hyperlink before moving the item into your shopping cart. It’s not a lot of money, but every little bit helps.

With regard to a provider influencing our reviews, keep in mind that Amazon is not a publisher – they just sell the stuff, good or bad, new or used, in print or out. This means there isn’t an opportunity for an Associates Program provider to influence a reviewer’s opinion before the review is published. The money comes to us AFTER a review is published if the book review uses the ID-containing links, if you click on those links, AND if you put the book in your shopping cart right then and complete the purchase. A lot of ifs.

Also plus side for TGTBTU is that for the last year or so Harlequin provides TGTBTU with coupons for books bought on their site.  Syb will have to say how much it is, but I know it’s not a lot.  The understanding is that we’ll review a few of them every month.  They don’t push specific books – we can buy and review anything we want.  As you can see from our many C and D grades of Harlequin imprint books (even an F here and there), this allowance definitely does not guarantee a positive review of said books.

Again on the plus side is the normal book marketing done by the larger publishers, editors, and authors.  Publisher send a few advance reading copies (ARC’s), and sometimes final published copies, to an author and/or editor, who can then send those ARC’s/finals to reviewers in the hopes that the reviewer will do what reviewers do.  By the way, every year this ARC’ing seems to become more controversial as publishers spend less money on book marketing, pushing more of that responsibility on author’s shoulders.  So who knows how long they’ll do this and how picky they’ll get selecting recipients.

Now let’s consider the other negative side of the review blogging equation – the cost of the books and the postage to send a book to another reviewer.  I read an average of about one book per week.  This can lead to significant costs that are alleviated somewhat by the above mentioned book marketing practices:  roughly one-third of what I read is in the form of ARCs or finals from an editor or author.  From what I can gather, the other Ducks have similar habits to my own.  This means our book habit cost is defrayed somewhat, but not entirely.

Nevertheless, as with most book review sites, you should assume we have received for free all of the books we review.  That isn’t always the case, but considering the size of each of our TBR piles, to try to detail which book was a freebie or which book we bought would be nearly impossible.

Back over to the plus side is that we can, if we wish (most of us don’t), sell the final book copies we buy or receive.  (ARCs are never sold by the Ducks – in fact, since we take ARC responsibility seriously, we spend considerable effort to ensure we always know who has which ARC at any given time.)  If we do sell finals, it’s normally at a used book store like Half-Price Books where we can make a few pennies per book.  Yeah – we’re still not getting rich and we don’t even really cover costs, but it helps.

Here’s what all this plus-ing and minus-ing does: it allows us to nominally afford our hobby, and, if we feel strongly enough, share it in a public forum like this site. Otherwise, with the cost of books rising at an ever increasing rate, our little reading habit er, hobby would cripple our personal budgets and we wouldn’t be able to talk about the books with all of you lovely folks.

So what does this all mean to you, our readers? Not much more than just informing you that none of us are getting rich here.  We don’t sell reviews and don’t sell advertising on the site. We don’t really break even with the cost of the site, but we’re okay with that.

I liken TGTBTU to a very large book club that includes readers from all over the world.  It costs each of us a little to participate.  But it’s worth it because of the enjoyment we derive from sharing our collective hobby with all of you.  It’s definitely a labor of love.

Gwen’s review of Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole and Gena Showalter
Paranormal romance duology hardcover released by Pocket 13 Oct 09

Two of my favorite paranormal authors in ONE BOOK?  Dang.  How could I NOT read this?!  This book has one long story set in Cole’s Immortals After Dark world and another set in Showalter’s Alien Huntress world.  A terrific combination and way, way fun to read. 

Untouchable (Immortals After Dark, Book 7) by Kresley Cole (256 pages)

This story/book (long for a story) takes place roughly the same time as several of the other Immortals After Dark entries.  This one tells the story of the “man-whore” brother of the Wroth Brothers – Murdoch – and his downfall to the Queen of the Icere fae, Daniela.

The heroine and her world are so very different from anything I know.  Ice, snow, skin that burns from other’s body heat, etc., that it was difficult for me to relate.  Remember, though, that I moved to central Texas because I hate, abhor, and generally detest cold weather.  She is a good heroine, but I would have liked to see her kick a little more butt (personal preference, not a criticism).

The hero is the rake brother of the Wroth brothers.  Murdoch is used to women falling all over him and to being able to dispose of them like a used tissue.  He doesn’t want to do that with Danii and this completely perplexes him.  His normally smooth moves have all the grace of a pig on roller-skates, so you can imagine how this goes over with Danii.

The romance between these two is intense and believable.  The action is a little less than we’re used to in Cole’s other books, though it’s still fun.  Untouchable introduces a new species into the Lore – the Icere, or the ice fae.  Their world is a little “out there,” but I suppose there’s not a lot in this series that isn’t.

I enjoyed this story, though perhaps not as much as the other IAD entries.  Nevertheless, I highly recommend reading it if you’re following Cole’s saga.  I suppose this story could standalone, but I’m not sure if I’d recommend it.  You’ll get a lot more out of it if you’ve read at least one of the other Wroth brother books.

Grade: B

Summary:

KRESLEY COLE delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time…and a Valkyrie aching to be touched.

Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden — the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can’t be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together, can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?

Read an excerpt here.

Tempt Me Eternally (Alien Huntress Series) by Gena Showalter (169 pages)

I have got to read more of this series.  This is the second book I’ve read so far and I really like this world.  From what I can gather, the first one I read, Seduce the Darkness, takes place just after this story.

The hero, Breean, is a Rakan – a gorgeous male who smells like honey and cinnamon when aroused.  His blood is golden and tastes like sugar.  He’s also practically unkillable because of special abilities.  He’s puzzled by the heroine because he feels that he wants her and no other – apparently something unusual for his kind.

The heroine, Aleaha, is of unknown extraction and is a shapeshifter.  Out of desperation, she’s impersonating a member of AIR (Alien Investigation and Removal) named Macy, and is hiding from unknown bad guys her mother warned her about but didn’t specify.

The romance evolves well, but feels a bit convenient.  I enjoyed the story but felt like very little outside of the plot moves forward.  This may be because I haven’t yet read the other books in the series – contrary to my vow in my review of StD and for which I feel eternally remorseful.  I think I’d get a lot more out of the story if I did.

I recommend this story if you’re following the Alien Huntress series.  It stands alone, but I think a reader will get more out of it if they’re reading the series.

Grade: B

Summary:

GENA SHOWALTER puts a daring spin on a tale of huntress and hunted…and concocts a sensual chemistry that is positively explosive.

Aleaha Love can be anyone — literally. With only skin-to-skin contact, she can change her appearance, assume any identity. Her newest identity switch has made her an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent and sends her on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only she becomes the captured. Breean, a golden-skinned commander known for his iron will who is at once dangerous and soul-shatteringly seductive, threatens her new life. Because for the first time, Aleaha only wants to be herself….

Read an excerpt here.

I enjoyed this duology quite a bit.  I like reading anthologies and the stories in this one are particularly nice because of their length.  If you’re following these series, you do not want to miss it, though you may want to wait for it to come out in paperback.

Overall Grade: B

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Immortals After Dark Series:

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Related YA books in the “Teen Alien Huntress” series:

It should come as no surprise to any of you that I am a fan of science-fiction.  I love it in all mediums – books, movies, television, manga, graphic novels, and good ol’ comic books.  It’s all good to me. Love Heinlein, Bradbury, LeGuin, Asimov, Herbert, Zelazny, etc.  And lately, I am finding sci-fi romances to be particularly fun.

But, no. WAIT! I’m a GIRL! That must mean I’m “ruining” sci-fi for all the Spanky and Alfalfas out there.  Let me explain… 

I ran across a post over on Karen Scott’s blog where she picks out the best quotes found on the web that week.  She was sharing a quote from a post written by author John Scalzi.  John was commenting on yet a different post written by an unmitigated jackass about how women (and gays, apparently) were ruining science-fiction.  Still with me here?

I’m not going to link to the original simpleton’s post because they don’t deserve it.  However, you can find it if you do a Google search for asswipes er, “The War on Science Fiction and Marvin Minsky”.  “War”?  Really? Hyperbole much?

Now.  I know and you know that statements like the following are merely misogynistic twaddle and deserve less than our attention.  Nevertheless, I was a bit outraged (like the sun is a bit hot) that this fool could be so misinformed (I’m guessing it’s been a while since his last blowjob):

“As we know, science fiction has inspired boys to pursue careers in science, engineering, and technology as grown men.  With women killing science fiction on television, the current generation of boys won’t have this opportunity to be inspired to work in these fields.  There is still a great deal of written science fiction that is real science fiction, so all is not lost.  However, many boys who would have gone on to make scientific discoveries and invent new technologies will not do so since they will never be inspired by science fiction as boys.”

Statements like that imply women aren’t inspired by science-fiction (news to me and my women friends who are engineers), and that women in science-fiction aren’t inspiring to others.  Guess I shouldn’t have read any of that nasty old Ursula K. LeGuin, Mary Shelley, or Anne McCaffrey.  Ruined me, apparently.  ::eyes rolling::

By the by, who else thinks this guy still lives in his mom’s basement, eating cheese from a can and drinking Mountain Dew while typing his blog posts in a bathrobe?  I agree with John Scalzi when he says that this jackass needs to…

“… STFU and take his ignorant ass back to his snug little wank hole…”

I’ll close while doing as John has suggested – just point and laugh my ever lovin’ ass off.

Gwen’s review of The Warlord’s Daughter (The Borderlands, Book 2) by Susan Grant
Sci-fi romance released by HQN 1 Feb 09

I really love a good sci-fi romance.  The last couple of months I’ve been lucky enough to read a couple of really good ones.  This is definitely one of them, so much so I’m going to have to glom all of Grant’s backlist. And I admit, I have heretofore been unwise to underestimate Grant’s books simply based on the rather, well, “lighthearted” titles.  I mean, How to Lose An Extraterrestrial In 10 Days? Seriously?  My unwarranted prejudice is understandable, right?

This is another of Grant’s books set in the same world/universe as I think all of her other sci-fi’s, allowing her to expand on the details, history, and characters.  This gives these books a very “real” feel because of the impression of visiting someplace that has real substance.  I think this all adds to the reader’s  enjoyment because you can just cut loose the disbelief and dive into the story without fear.  There won’t be some little  detail will jerk you out of the story’s “zone”.

I love when that happens.

This is the first book of this world/series I have read. Regardless, I had no trouble following it and yet I didn’t feel like there was any info-dumping.  The details are woven into the story in a very natural manner.  As a result, Daughter stands alone very well, though I am definitely going to read the related books.

From what I gather, Daughter‘s hero and heroine are royal members of what has largely been, until this book, the bad guys – the Drakken Horde (I know, cool name, innit?).  When they were early adolescents, they met eyes across a crowded room and from then on, they thought of nobody else.  In fact, the hero connived, maneuvered, and basically sold his soul to make sure he was able to claim the heroine as his wife.  It’s tremendously romantic.

I very much enjoyed the “quest” aspect of the story.  We’re brought along with the heroine, Wren, as she makes some heartbreaking discoveries about herself and her family. I frequently got teary-eyed as she struggled with yet more devastating news. There’s quite a bit in this book about prophecy fulfilling and the goddess aspects of this society, but it’s all fun and adds to the story.

There’s so much happening in the plot that it’s tough to pick out just one detail that really sells it.  I suppose that’s why it all worked so well for me.  I really felt like I was reading about something that happened.  Even the secondary characters have a full and interesting life.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a departure from the normal fare.  While it is definitely a wonderful romance, it’s got so much more – it’s got intrigue, politics, human interest, and just a rocking good sci-fi story.  Go get it.  Now.  I’ll wait here for you to comment with your own kudos.

Grade: A

Summary:

The war is finally over. But Wren’s life is in tatters. The only living offspring of the notorious Drakken Warlord, her genes could very well start a new dynasty of terror. And the Coalition can’t have that.

She alone holds the key to finding a legendary treasure. Having seen enough bloodshed, shy, petite Wren vows to destroy it before anyone, Drakken, Coalition or Earth, can get their hands on it – but she’ll need help.

The Drakken’s ruthless evil turned Aral toward the Coalition years ago. War is all he knows, until he finds passion and love in the most unlikely of women – the Warlord’s Daughter. But will trusting each other with their secrets risk not only their hearts, but their lives?

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in the series:

and Sureblood (Book 3), scheduled for Aug 2010

Gwen’s review of Heart of Gold by Jessica Bird
Contemporary romance released by Ivy Books 3 Jun 03

Every now and again, I dig through my stacks and pull one out that I have held onto forever but haven’t read.  You know what I mean – walk up to your TBR stack, cover your eyes, and point at a random book, hoping for the best.  That’s how I picked this oldie but goodie to read.

Jessica Bird, a.k.a. J.R. Ward, has written some very nice contemporary romances for the Harlequin imprints.  There are also a couple of her early books out there, like this one.  Her contemps almost always have a seriously alpha male (I know, go figure).  But until this book I’ve almost universally disliked her female characters.

Carter Wessex, our heroine, is unique in Bird/Ward books.  She’s actually a believably strong heroine who acts in a consistent manner for, gasp, THE WHOLE BOOK.  I know.  I was a little surprised, too.

At the beginning of the book, Carter knows our hero, Nick, by reputation and she isn’t at all impressed.  Nick slowly discovers more about Carter as he agrees to let her perform an archeological dig on his land.  What he learns impresses and intrigues him.  Over the course of the book, these two strong people come to know and trust each other – slowly.

There’s some excellent action, lots of fun dialogue, and interesting characters in this book.  The story follows some rather predictable lines, but it’s still entertaining.  The passion sizzles between Carter and Nick – some very nice love scenes, as is common with Bird/Ward.

I recommend this book if you want to read a nice, easy romance with good characters, a bit of action, and some very tender moments.  If you’re a Ward/BDB fan, you’ll like this book.*

Grade: B+

Summary:

She has a chance to find something more precious than gold, if she’s brave enough to trust her heart. . . .

Her intense passion for unlocking the secrets of the past is what made Carter Wessex an archeologist. Now she’s been given a chance to dig on Farrell Mountain where a doomed party of minutemen lost their lives—as well as the gold they were carrying during the Revolutionary War. Carter refuses to let the mountain’s owner, Nick Farrell, rattle her, even though she’s all too aware of his sexy yet sardonic presence. Her work on the mountain could be the most significant find of her career . . . if she can pull herself away from the smoldering attraction that is undeniably growing between them.

Beneath the steely façade Nick Farrell wears like a well-cut suit, he is a man of hidden tenderness. From his first meeting with Carter, there’s an immediate flare—hotter than he has ever experienced before. But no one is more surprised than Nick when his desire for her deepens into something enduring. Now Nick must find a way to convince Carter that the real treasure to be found on Farrell Mountain is a true and lasting love. . . .

Read an excerpt here.

* And, hey, there are no brand names or pseudo-rap slang.