A Shiver of Light by Laurell K. Hamilton

Merry Gentry and her cadre of men are finally back! It's been five years since the last Merry book, DIVINE MISDEMEANOURS, and so I was quite looking forward to reading A SHIVER OF LIGHT. I'd planned to re-read the series beforehand but my recent move meant that I went into A SHIVER OF LIGHT without my little refresher. Thankfully, Hamilton does a lovely job of filling in the blanks while simultaneously throwing her reader into the thick of things, as she's wont to do.

A SHIVER OF LIGHT gets to the heart of the story very quickly. I thought Hamilton might build up to the birth but we hop right into it and, as the cover copy says, it's not twins -- it's triplets. Each of the babies has a unique appearance and unique powers, which tie them to their fathers and to Faerie. The kids are unusual because they have strong powers from birth (instead of developing them later in life) and it's added an element of uncertainty to Merry's life. The kids are completely unpredictable and no one knows what to expect with them. Their arrival also reveals a new side of Queen Andais. She's still a sadistic, mad, cruel woman but we see a surprisingly gentle side to the queen in this novel. Merry-as-mom also adds a lot to the story since she's suddenly got so many more worries (not that she didn't have tons before). Merry and her main men really take to parenthood and it shows us a lot about each of them. We get some great moments with each of my favourite men in Merry's circle: Doyle, Frost, and especially Sholto. With such a large cast of characters, it's easy to push some characters aside, and I will confess that I'd completely forgotten about some of the less prominent members of Merry's group, but Hamilton has a knack for giving everyone a moment.

In terms of plot, there were definitely surprises. It starts with the number of babies and goes on from there. Merry and company have to deal with some very down-to-earth issues, like making enough money to support their ever-expanding entourage and playing politics. It's a nice touch of reality in a very supernatural world.

Since it's a LKH book, you can probably guess that sex is a major feature in the novel. The book is not for readers who want a more romantic (and less sexual) level of smooching in their books. After all, Merry is descended from several fertility goddesses and has many sexual partners, as she has throughout the series.

Truthfully, I enjoyed A SHIVER OF LIGHT but not as much as I'd hoped. It's been so long since we've had a new Merry book and maybe I've changed but A SHIVER OF LIGHT didn't deliver all of the bang that I've hoped for. It's a nice entry into the series and I'm glad to finally know what's happening with Merry and her men but it wasn't as amazing as I'd hoped.  All the same, it's nice to have them back and I hope it won't ben another five years before the next instalment.

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Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Adult, Fey/Faeries, Laurell K Hamilton, Laurell K. Hamilton, Merry Gentry, Netgalley, Paranormal Romance, Penguin, Review, Urban Fantasy  2 People left their mark

The Faerie Guardian by Rachel Morgan

For some reason, I have a soft spot when it comes to faeries. Probably because when I was younger, I was intrigued by their history, and finding out more about them nearly became an obsession at one point. Now, every time I come across a fiction novel about faeries, and it has an original premise, I jump at the chance to read it. Personally, I think Rachel Morgan has created a wonderful and original faerie world, and THE FAERIE GUARDIAN is a great start to what might be an epic series.

Violet, or Vi to her friends, is training to become a guardian, a sort of police for the faeries. Guarding humans and fae beings alike, a guardian's purpose is to either chase away or kill their mark, although Vi much prefers not to kill anyone. When she is assigned to protect Nate, a young boy, she's surprised he can see past her glamour, something humans are not supposed to be able to do. She breaks the two biggest faerie rules by letting Nate see her, and inadvertently bringing him into Creepy Hollow. The mystery that is Nate, almost becomes an obsession for her, not only because he's good looking, but something curious is unfolding in Nate's life.

What's amazing is how many bad guys we encounter throughout the book. I think it's what's most appealing about THE FAERIE GUARDIAN. You really don't know who the main antagonist is and they keep coming at Vi and Nate for one reason or another. Whether it's a duo kidnapping Nate, a centaur chasing them in faerie Underground,  Nate's supposed mother that attacks Vi for some odd and unknown reason or another duo tracking Nate with a strange eye tattoo on his back, they keep coming at our protagonists, even if they are more or less in the dark about what's really going on. It's the mystery and the intrigue that keeps this book going and the fast pace of the story is definitively an advantage. It's paced so fast, sometime I wish that author might have slowed down a little and described her faerie world, just a little bit more. Sometimes it's those little extra thing that makes a book "exceptional", rather than "very good", and this book lacked a bit of it.

The banter between the characters  is also pretty amazing. Vi is a high-spirited character and when you throw in Nate that is curious about everything and likes to talk, you get some pretty great conversations. I especially liked this one exchange, which came early in the book when Vi and Nate first met.

"You can't be a faerie. You're way too big."

I lower my hands. "Excuse me?" I've been called many things in my seventeen years, but 'big' has never been one of them. Quite the opposite, in fact.

"Aren't faeries supposed to be, like, really tiny? With wings and a wand and faerie dust?"

"I'm not Tinker Bell!"

A character that I'm not sure what to make of is Ryn. As fellow student guardians, Vi and Ryn are competing to be the best of their graduating class and their feud has them squabble throughout the book. Their rivalry is really fun to read, and you keep wondering if there's something more than feud behind their bickering.

For a self-published book, I'm really satisfied with THE FAERIE GUARDIAN. It doesn't read like a self-published book because it's very well written, well edited and the flow of the book is quite perfect. I haven't read the other two books of the trilogy so I can't speak for the whole series, but if the rest of the books are as stunning as this one, I'm anticipating an epic continuation and conclusion. I really enjoyed reading this introduction to Morgan's faerie world, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series. So many things happened in this story that I can't wait to see how it all unfolds.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:51

 Creepy Hollow, Faeries, Fey/Faeries, Magic, Paranormal, Rachel Morgan, Review, Self Published, Xpresso Book Tours, young adult  4 People left their mark

The Falconer by Elizabeth May

I've been anxiously awaiting for this title to release in America since I saw the UK cover back in 2013. The powerful armed girl with the flames in the background really spoke to me and I love historical fantasy, which seems like a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, even though I did enjoy the book, I ended up slightly disappointed. Let me tell you all about it!

The premise is at first very engaging. A young gentlewoman is now of marrying age and assists bals to find a suitable husband. Unfortunately she is victim to a lot of gossips since she was found next to her murdered mother, in a pool of blood, the year before. The whispers peg her guilty of killing her mother, and even though she didn't commit that murder, she's a killer just the same, a faerie killer. I thought the whole proper lady front killing faeries at night was a great idea, and her partner in crime was also very engaging.

I also liked the historical set up and I loved that it was set in Scotland instead of the oh-so-common London. There was also a strong steampunk theme that despite being very important to the story, didn't overwhelm me like I feel so often when it comes to tinkering. I don't enjoy being swamp with technical descriptions of weird contraptions and thankfully, May wasn't overbearing in that department.

Now comes the first element that bothered me. I felt like May didn't pay enough attention to match the dialogues with the time period. Aside from the over-present 'aye' there wasn't much old vocabulary to speak of. Honestly, you could hear most conversations in a contemporary setup and not bat an eyelash. Aileana also possessed a very modern spirit, I didn't feel like she belonged to this time period and that's when I started feeling disconnected. 

Now the relationship between Aileana and Kiaran, despite having strong feeling about it, I don't know how I feel exactly. Sometimes I really felt for Kiaran, other times I wanted to smack him in the head, or even better, shake some sense into Aileana. I really just don't know what to think of that faerie, even after finishing this novel. Also an honorable mention to Derrick, her pixie, which I thought was quirky and cute.

Now the part where I thought I crossed in an alternative universe, or thought that I was missing part of the manuscript (which isn't impossible with an eARC)... the end. Where is the end??? May stops the book in the middle of the final battle. It would deserve caps lock, but I'll try to behave. Really?? Why would any editor let this slide? It's not a cliffhanger, it's an unfinished book and it annoyed me very much. I even went online to make sure the joke wasn't on me, but readers from UK (where it was published September 2013) also complained about it, so it's not an unfortunate mistake. That would be reason enough for me not to read book two, and I honestly don't know if I will.

In conclusion, The Falconer has an interesting premise, with fun and highly detailed lore, but some flaws I couldn't ignore. If you wish to give it a try, I would suggest you wait for the second book to release, that way you won't have to deal with the frustrating ending of this first installment.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:25

 Chronicle Books, Chronicles Books, Edelweiss, Elizabeth May, Fantasy, Fey/Faeries, Historical, historical fiction, Review, The Falconer, young adult  4 People left their mark

Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

Mercy's life is never peaceful but nothing could prepare her for the hateful bitch that invaded her territory - Adam's ex-wife, Christie. Of course, she comes off as sweet as sugar, but she  is very good at manipulating people and making Mercy's life a living hell is on her menu. Her life is threatened by a stalker though, so Mercy has to endure her and for the pack's interest, she also has to pretend the situation doesn't bother her. Little did they know, Christie's stalker is much more than the woman let them believe and their lives will all be at risk.

Patricia Briggs never cease to amazed me and Night Broken was no exception. I truly enjoyed this new installment and the best compliment I can say is that even though it's the eighth book in the series, it feels just as fresh and exciting as the first one.

Briggs always find new ways to torture poor Mercy and bringing in the ex-wife, on top of two paranormal foes, was brilliant - and cruel.  We've heard of Christie before, but it was the first time she had such an exposure and I hated her right along with Mercy. She is the most hypocritical character I have ever encountered and her evil schemes and manipulating would put a check master to shame. I am just glad Mercy found a way - a pretty awesome one too-  to get back at her in the end.

Beauclaire, a fae we met in the Alpha & Omega series, is back and throwing an ultimatum at Mercy. Coyote is also back, for better or for worst. I honestly really like the latter's weird and mysterious behavior though Mercy would prefer straight answers from him. We also get to meet 3 new characters, a submissive wolf that didn't have much of a role this time around (maybe Briggs is setting the table for the next novel?), Gary, another coyote (Mercy's half brother - kind of) and Christie's stalker - a very mysterious foe. I grew very fond of Gary and I do hope we'll see more of him in the future. Maybe he will help healing Honey's wounds.

The plot was intricate as always and I truly enjoyed it, having no idea where Briggs would take us with all the different subplots. I couldn't figure out until Briggs decided to let us in, which threat was the biggest, Beauclaire or the stalker, and what was the link with the murders happening in tri-cities. I was completely hooked and read the entire novel in less than 24 hours, quite a feat for me, especially with a newborn on my hands.

The conclusion was exciting as always and I once more find myself wishing Briggs was a faster writer so I could get my hands on the next installment faster. It doesn't have a title yet, as far as I know, and is due for 2015 though no release date was announced.

If you are one of the lost souls who haven't met Mercy yet, I strongly suggest you pick up this series. It's one of my favorite urban fantasy series and I am convinced you won't be disappointed if you give it a chance.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Ace, Fey/Faeries, Mercy Thompson, Patricia Briggs, Penguin, Publisher, Review, Shifter, Urban Fantasy, werewolf  Leave your mark

The Sharpest Blade by Sandy Williams

THE SHARPEST BLADE is the final book in Sandy Williams' Shadow Reader trilogy. You can find my review of Book 1 here and Book 2 over on I Read Good.

McKenzie Lewis has had quite the ride since the opening chapter of THE SHADOW READER and Williams doesn't give the girl a single break in THE SHARPEST BLADE. Readers who have been following this series will definitely be satisfying by THE SHARPEST BLADE because it is such a strong end to the series. There is danger, heartbreak, and intrigue a-plenty in the final chapter, making it a fitting sendoff for McKenzie, Aren, Kyol, and all the rest.

THE SHARPEST BLADE opens with McKenzie trying to live a regular human life in Las Vegas. She has a job at a library, she hasn't seen Aren or any other fey for weeks, and she is bored. Regular life just doesn't suit her, something anyone else could have told her partway through Book 1! As much as she resents some of the fey intrusions on her life, she wouldn't be the same person if she wasn't a shadow reader, if she wasn't so intimately involved in the politics of the realm, if she wasn't in love with Aren but bonded to Kyol. The hard events of the previous two novels have shaped McKenzie into the woman she is and I'm glad to see her accepting her life over the course of THE SHARPEST BLADE. It's not an easy path -- when does McKenzie ever do anything the easy way? -- but McKenzie fights for her beliefs and her desires and learns a lot about herself in the process.

There are resolutions for both the political and romantic storylines in THE SHARPEST BLADE, which I appreciate. McKenzie does end up with someone and the battle for the throne is settled. It takes the whole book, though, so trust me when I say that these resolutions are hard won and emotionally taxing. We see just how Kyol and McKenzie are affected by their life bond, we see acts of selfishness and selflessness in the name of love, we see sacrifice, and we see the bonds between all of the characters we've been following. Subtle moments from previous books are explored more fully and you really see the physical and psychological costs of the rebellion and its aftermath. Williams kills it with this novel: her writing has never been better and I've never been more invested in McKenzie and the rebels' success.

To sum up, THE SHARPEST BLADE is a fittingly grand conclusion to the Shadow Reader trilogy. Williams has crafted a captivating world inhabited by characters that will put you through an emotional wringer. You'll be on the edge of your seat until the final page of THE SHARPEST BLADE, waiting to see how Williams will wrap up the amazing adventure she put us on in THE SHADOW READER.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:00

 Ace, Adult, Fey/Faeries, Penguin, Publisher, Review, Sandy Williams, Shadow Reader, Urban Fantasy  5 People left their mark

Words Once Spoken by Carly Drake

Evelyn has stood out her whole life. She has an obsession with the outdoors, refuses to eat cooked food (raw greens for her!) and sleep on a pallet made of grass and plants. To her mother's dismay, none of her quirks are worthy of a lady and now that she's about to turn eighteen, she must be presented to court. Evie dreaded this reunion, but she had no idea it would be a life changing experience.

I was enchanted by the cover when I first saw it on Netgalley. I am a big high fantasy fan, and who doesn't like a powerful heroine mastering the bow? I had not realize though that this novel is only 134 pages long when I requested it, and despite having a lot of potential, I think being so short is the main reason this novel didn't meet my expectations.

As far as I know, Carly Drake is a debut author, and I liked her writing, but I think her plotting skills needs some polishing. My main issue is that we dive head first in this world, with no back story or explanations whatsoever until half the novel. I understand the author's desire for mystery, but many of the characters' actions made no sense because of this vagueness. The plots structure also lacked meat around the bones. Because her manuscript is so short, the author went very straight to the point all the time, neglecting those elements important to an enjoyable read.

The characterization had potential, but again, the heroes lacked the liveliness necessary to make them likeable. Evie was exciting and determined, but her interactions with Lord Devon and Prince Liam were simply unbelievable. The love triangle seemed present just to fill this 'love triangle in YA books trend' and was just out of the blue, with no true feelings or passion. She meets both boys on the night of her arrival at the ball, and all of a sudden, they are all over her and she can't keep her minds off of them. I understand the 'love at first sight' often portrayed in novels, but the lack of romance just didn't cut it.

My favorite aspect of the novel was the lore (when it was FINALLY introduced!). [spoiler] The Lore is about Faery royalty and how a past Queen cursed her son and knights for hurting humans. They were respectively turned into vampire and werewolves (thus creating those two races) and were forbidden to enter Tir Na Nog unless invited by a noble Fey. [/spoiler] I thought it was extremely original and I wish it was hinted to sooner (if not outright revealed) and developed a bit more.

The conclusion was action packed and somewhat shocking. I'm under the impression that this novel is the first of a series (even though it's not listed as such on Goodreads) and I'm afraid I won't continue reading it. I am opened to giving Carly another chance though, if she releases a full blown novel that will hopefully help contain the flaws hindering my reading experience this time around.

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Posted by Tynga at 00:16

 Carly Drake, Fey/Faeries, Harlequin, High Fantasy, Magic, Netgalley, Review, young adult  6 People left their mark

Fairies in My Fireplace by R. L. Naquin

FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE is our third novel-length outing with Zoey Donovan, empath, aegis, and wedding planner. Her world has changed a lot since we first met her in MONSTER IN MY CLOSET (my review here) but it's not a bad thing. Her life is much richer now that she's discovered the world of the Hidden. Sure, there have been problems but the Leprachaun Mafia has nothing on the enemies Zoey and her friends face in FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE. In fact, Naquin has a blog post up on the Harlequin site that explains just how much she's ramped things up this time around. But you don't have to leave our lovely site to get the scoop because I am ready to dish!

Monster Haven is a six-book series and you can really see things start to get bigger in FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE. We learn a lot more about the bigger picture in this one since all of the Hiddden are threatened. Goblins, faeries, aegises, they're all disappearing and no one knows why. Zoey's property is overrun with Hidden refugees and she decides to investigate. What she finds was something completely unexpected, for Zoey and for me. Naquin takes the story in a neat direction and I'm curious to see what the longer-term ramifications are. There are some super interesting developments in the last third of the novel -- which I obviously won't discuss here -- that have me eagerly anticipating the fourth novel in the series even though it's not out until next year.

We see some great character development in this book, especially for Maurice. He's always been a lovable character but we see a tougher side of him in FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE. Don't get me wrong -- he's still sweet andnurturing but we also get to see a fairly badass version of our favourite closet monster. He really steps up to the proverbial plate for the good of his friends and the rest of the Hidden. We also get to see new aspects to some of the other characters in the series, like Iris the skunk-ape. We also meet a cool new character, a djinn named Kam. She quickly became one of my favourite Hidden folk. I think you'll find her backstory to be quite interesting.

FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE is another fun read in her Monster Haven series. If you liked the first two books, you should definitely get this one as soon as possible. If my post intrigues you but you're not familiar with Zoey and her merry band then I would suggest going back to the start and picking up MONSTER IN MY CLOSET. I don't think FAIRIES IN MY FIREPLACE would be a good place to start since there are a lot of characters and history to take in.

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Posted by Tynga at 05:00

 Adult, Carina Press, Fey/Faeries, Harlequin, Monster Haven, Netgalley, R. L. Naquin, Review, Urban Fantasy  Leave your mark

Omens by Kelley Armstrong

To tell you the truth, I was kind off afraid to read OMENS, this first book of Kelley Armstrong's new series. At first, when I got it on release day, I was going to jump right in but something made me hesitate. I don't know. Maybe it was a sign that I should read the book leisurely instead of rushing into it? One thing's for sure. As a fan of Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series, I really wanted to love Omens. And you know what? I actually ended up really liking it.

Fans of hers were probably as weary as I was of this series. After ending such an amazing series last year, I just didn't want this new Armstrong book to fail. So what I did is read it with an open mind. I made sure not to compare OMENS to Armstrong's other books, like so many people compared J.K. Rowling's Casual Vacancy with the Harry potter series. (I'm not trying to compare J.K. Rowling and Kelley Armstrong. I'm just using Rowling as an example.) What you have to understand, though, is even if OMENS doesn't contain werewolves and witches, it does still contain a lot of supernatural elements. They might be more subtle but I think that's what makes the book so interesting. You need to keep reading to find out what it's really about (or you can cheat and use the Easter eggs Armstrong embedded in the text as a cheat code, if you're too impatient). What's more, unlike J.K. Rowling, the audience is the same and you're not shifting from a MG/YA book to an adult book. I think what Armstrong did, is simply take a genre that she both loves and appreciates, changed the general themes, and expanded a little by adding suspense/thriller motifs.

It's a suspense/thriller under the guise of a paranormal book. Or vice versa. I'm not exactly sure how to describe the genre. If you're not a fan of either genre however, obviously you won't be compelled to read it, but if you're remotely interested in either, you're in for a treat. Personally, the mish-mash if genres works well for me because I'm a fan or both and to say the least, it makes quite an original novel that might just defy categorization. I think Armstrong is holding back and isn't revealing much at this point, but as the series progresses, I believe more paranormal elements will surface.

Cainsville is a mystery onto itself. As a small town, about an hour's drive away from Chicago, it's home to some peculiar characters. While most of the book is spent away from Cainsville, everything seems to gravitate back to it. There's obviously still a lot to learn about the small town and I can't wait to find out more in the sequel. I think it's the air of mystery that surrounds the town that makes it so attractive.

I wasn't too crazy about the main character, Olivia, at first because her reaction when she learns that she's adopted was little over the top. I'm not exactly sure how I would react if I learnt that my biological parents are actually serial killers, but I know I wouldn't necessarily run away from my life, like Olivia did. In the end, I think moving to Cainsville is actually the best thing she ever did because it allowed to find herself and to stay clear of the Chicago press that might want to take advantage of her. Olivia's true strengths are her intelligence and her ability to conform to different situations. She isn't afraid of the new and that came in handy quite often during the book, especially as she was investigating the murders her parents allegedly committed 22 years before.

My favorite character of the book is probably Gabriel. The no-nonsense lawyer that forces his way into Olivia's investigation becomes an important asset in her quest to find the truth. As a native of Cainsville, he's a mysterious character himself, but as the story progresses, we realize that even if he's just looking out for his best interest, I think he really learns to care for Olivia. The two of them form a strange working relationship, but it works. And the scenes with them together are always more enjoyable.

After the book, you're left with many mysteries and Armstrong is probably holding back on purpose. I can't wait to find out more about Cainsville and what's next in Olivia's quest to clear her biological parent's names from the gruesome killings. I'm also anxious to see if Olivia will always be the main character of the books, or if the narration will switch from book to book like in her Women of the Otherworld series. Although I really enjoyed OMENS, I suspect it's not a book for everyone.

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Posted by Tynga at 02:30

 Adult, Cainsville, Celtic, Fey/Faeries, Kelley Armstrong, omens, Paranormal, Purchased, Random House, Random House Canada, Review, signs, Welsh  4 People left their mark

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

Now that Calaena is the King's Champion she has to face the responsibilities going with her title. He has a never-ending lists of man for her to dispatch, sending her on missions to spread his wrath. It doesn't mean she's ready to trade her soul for her freedom though and she finds original ways to convince the King of her loyalties.

Crown of Midnight was simply amazing and in perfect continuity with the first book, Throne of Glass. Miss Maas created an awesome world and I felt right back home when I launched beside Calaena into her new adventures. Filled with hidden magic, conspiracies and passion in a medieval setting, I had everything I like in a novel to be completely engrossed.

Despite its awesomeness, the world building isn't everything and the characters are definitely the main reason I love this series so much. Each character is so rich, full of life and mysteries, you really have to pay attention to the subtleties if you don't want to miss out on some very important nuances.

Caleana herself is a big secret to unveil. Who is she really? Where does she come from? Why won't she face her past? Why keep everyone at arms length? A lot of answers are provided in this novel and I have to admit I was completely shocked. Yes, I knew there was some big secret, but I never grasped the extend of it and now that I know, I feel this strong urge to re-read the book and see which clues I missed, and I MUST read book three ASAP or I'll go nuts. I want to know what happens next *cries*

Chaol and Dorian are both amazing for their own reasons. Dorian is a bit left behind in this novel mostly because Calaena broke things with him and despite his wanting to move on he is having a hard time and can't help but wanting her from afar. He isn't a groveling mess though and he isn't a fool. He stepped up his game by the end of the novel proving to be a very important element to the plot's progression and I applaud him for that. Go for boys handling their own! Chaol simply broke my heart for so many reasons. First, because he is intentionally blinding himself from his real feelings for Calaena and when he FINALLY decides to give in, because yes he does!!, I had to *awww* in an extremely girly moment. He is such a romantic under his thick armor, it's very endearing. He isn't perfect though and makes mistakes that will hunt him for the rest of his life, hence the third reason he broke my heart.

The plot proved to be everything I desired and then some. Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the romantic aspect, but the conspiracies and the action completely satisfied me. Everytime you think you have everyone figured out, something happens and blurs the cards. Maas never allows you to sit back and be confident in your knowledge of the characters because she drops a game-changing bomb every once in a while and you are forced to reconsider everything.  The plot is so intricate, the possibilities are mind-boggling!

If you haven't read this series yet, I strongly urge you to do so, starting with the 4 e-novellas available (I still need to read the 4th one).  They will give you a great background on Caleana and even though they are not exactly mandatory, she refers to those events a lot in the two actual books so I think you would enjoy your experience more if you did read them.

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Posted by Tynga at 01:36

 Assassin, Bloomsbury, Fey/Faeries, Gifted, High Fantasy, Magic, Review, Sarah J Maas, Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass, young adult  5 People left their mark

The Trouble with Fate by Leigh Evans

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
Mass market paperback: 368 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: St. Martin's
Release date: December 24, 2012

Series: Mystwalker #1

Source: Review copy from publisher

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

My name is Hedi Peacock and I have a secret. I’m not human, and I have the pointy Fae ears and Were inner-bitch to prove it. As fairy tales go, my childhood was damn near perfect, all fur and magic until a werewolf killed my father and the Fae executed my mother. I’ve never forgiven either side. Especially Robson Trowbridge. He was a part-time werewolf, a full-time bastard, and the first and only boy I ever loved. That is, until he became the prime suspect in my father’s death…

Today I’m a half-breed barista working at a fancy coffee house, living with my loopy Aunt Lou and a temperamental amulet named Merry, and wondering where in the world I’m going in life. A pretty normal existence, considering. But when a pack of Weres decides to kidnap my aunt and force me to steal another amulet, the only one who can help me is the last person I ever thought I’d turn to: Robson Trowbridge. And he’s as annoyingly beautiful as I remember. That’s the trouble with fate: Sometimes it barks. Other times it bites. And the rest of the time it just breaks your heart.

Again…

I have seriously mixed feelings about THE TROUBLE WITH FATE. There are things I really admire about Evans' debut and there are things that really bugged me. I don't often have such strong love/hate feelings about books so I'm a little confused about how to react to this book. But any book that sparks strong feelings -- even polarizing ones -- is definitely worth talking about!

Let's start with the good. There is some great worldbuilding in THE TROUBLE WITH FATE. Hedi is half-Were, half-Fae and it makes for some interesting inner turmoil. Hedi pretty much denies her Were heritage and she's not a very strong Fae, except when it comes to mystwalking. She's good at that, though untrained, but it's a dangerous power and she has no one to teach her since her family is pretty much all gone. I really like stories that have the main character(s) discovering things about themselves and Hedi's journey with respect to her powers was quite interesting.

I also appreciated how real the stakes were in THE TROUBLE WITH FATE. Evans doesn't shy away from serious (and sometimes gruesome) consequences and that's another thing I appreciate. Serious stakes suck me in and there are points in THE TROUBLE WITH FATE were folks were in serious peril and taking major damage.

Evans also injects some really humorous moments in the story, which was great. Comedy is always welcome in my world, particularly when there are so many serious scenes in the novel. And Evans strikes a nice balance between action, drama, and comedy, which takes a lot of talent. In fact, her writing style really worked for me and I did really enjoy THE TROUBLE WITH FATE as a whole.

And now for the not so good: There were points in the book where I really, really didn't like Hedi. She kept harping on how she's not the ideal size because she's plump and how she is much in the looks department and I found it really depressing. She hates how she looks, rather than embracing her different body type. I appreciate Evans featuring a character who isn't a statuesque, gorgeous creature but I'd much prefer it if Hedi wasn't always down on herself. There are curvy women in literature who embrace their shape, the most famous example probably being Anita Blake, and I much prefer Laurell K. Hamilton's approach to a curvy heroine, which is to say it's okay. Anita is admittedly not plump but she does have a refreshingly sensible approach to her body. There's enough stuff about bad body image in the media and I don't want a main character who's constantly putting herself down because she's not some sort of glorified ideal.

THE TROUBLE WITH FATE is very much the beginning of Hedi's tale and I'm looking forward to THE THING ABOUT WERES, despite my issues with aspects of Hedi's personality. The writing and overall story of THE TROUBLE WITH FATE is more than enough to have me curious about the next installment in the Mystwalker series, particularly since THE TROUBLE WITH FATE ends with something of a cliffhanger. (Main storylines are resolved but larger ones emerge, much like in a Secret McQueen novel.) I have a review copy of THE TROUBLE WITH WERES downloaded and ready to roll so you can be sure I'm going to dive back in Hedi's world. I can't wait to see what Evans has come up with next.

Read an excerpt (scroll down)

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Posted by jenn at 07:00

 Fey/Faeries, Leigh Evans, Review, St. Martin's, werewolf  1 Person left their mark

The Trouble with Fate by Leigh Evans

I have seriously mixed feelings about THE TROUBLE WITH FATE. There are things I really admire about Evans' debut and there are things that really bugged me. I don't often have such strong love/hate feelings about books so I'm a little confused about how to react to this book. But any book that sparks strong feelings -- even polarizing ones -- is definitely worth talking about!

Let's start with the good. There is some great worldbuilding in THE TROUBLE WITH FATE. Hedi is half-Were, half-Fae and it makes for some interesting inner turmoil. Hedi pretty much denies her Were heritage and she's not a very strong Fae, except when it comes to mystwalking. She's good at that, though untrained, but it's a dangerous power and she has no one to teach her since her family is pretty much all gone. I really like stories that have the main character(s) discovering things about themselves and Hedi's journey with respect to her powers was quite interesting.

I also appreciated how real the stakes were in THE TROUBLE WITH FATE. Evans doesn't shy away from serious (and sometimes gruesome) consequences and that's another thing I appreciate. Serious stakes suck me in and there are points in THE TROUBLE WITH FATE were folks were in serious peril and taking major damage.

Evans also injects some really humorous moments in the story, which was great. Comedy is always welcome in my world, particularly when there are so many serious scenes in the novel. And Evans strikes a nice balance between action, drama, and comedy, which takes a lot of talent. In fact, her writing style really worked for me and I did really enjoy THE TROUBLE WITH FATE as a whole.

And now for the not so good: There were points in the book where I really, really didn't like Hedi. She kept harping on how she's not the ideal size because she's plump and how she is much in the looks department and I found it really depressing. She hates how she looks, rather than embracing her different body type. I appreciate Evans featuring a character who isn't a statuesque, gorgeous creature but I'd much prefer it if Hedi wasn't always down on herself. There are curvy women in literature who embrace their shape, the most famous example probably being Anita Blake, and I much prefer Laurell K. Hamilton's approach to a curvy heroine, which is to say it's okay. Anita is admittedly not plump but she does have a refreshingly sensible approach to her body. There's enough stuff about bad body image in the media and I don't want a main character who's constantly putting herself down because she's not some sort of glorified ideal.

THE TROUBLE WITH FATE is very much the beginning of Hedi's tale and I'm looking forward to THE THING ABOUT WERES, despite my issues with aspects of Hedi's personality. The writing and overall story of THE TROUBLE WITH FATE is more than enough to have me curious about the next installment in the Mystwalker series, particularly since THE TROUBLE WITH FATE ends with something of a cliffhanger. (Main storylines are resolved but larger ones emerge, much like in a Secret McQueen novel.) I have a review copy of THE TROUBLE WITH WERES downloaded and ready to roll so you can be sure I'm going to dive back in Hedi's world. I can't wait to see what Evans has come up with next.

Read an excerpt (scroll down)

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Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Fey/Faeries, Leigh Evans, Mystwalker, Netgalley, Review, St. Martin's, Urban Fantasy, werewolf  4 People left their mark

Daring You To Read...Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

I've enjoyed Seanan McGuire's writing since I first discovered ROSEMARY AND RUE, the first book in her October Daye series. I was immediately drawn into this amazing world populated by some really cool characters and filled with some truly brilliant mythology. Toby is a fae half-breed who's lived a hard life. She's spent time on the street who became a knight-errant from the Duchy of Shadowed Hills. She was turned into a fish but finally got back to her changeling self, only to find that life had gone on without her. She ends up in a self-imposed exile in San Fransisco, stocking shelves in a grocery store, until she's called back to the fae world by the murder of Countess Evening Winterrose, one of the people she knew before her transformation.

Here's the scoop on the October Daye world, in the author's own words (from her website):

Faerie has always been with us. The fairy tales, ballads, and folklore of the mortal world are only shadows of the true, sometimes terrible reality of the fae. They survive in secrecy, keeping their Courts in the places where the light doesn't fall, existing in parallel to the world we know. They aren't human. They don't want to be. But sometimes they take human lovers, and sometimes, those unions are fertile ones. Changelings aren't stolen children; they're the mortal halfbreeds born where the fae and human worlds collide, never able to fully belong to either, outsiders from birth.

October Daye knows too well how cruel Faerie can be to its changeling children. Born in San Francisco and carried to the Summerlands by her pureblood mother when she was just a child, she was raised in a world that never seemed capable of understanding her. She ran away the moment the opportunity presented itself, only to find that the human world wasn't any better.

Things have been going downhill from there.

She describes it way better than I could have so I figured it was far better to borrow her words. :)

Other reasons I adore this book and series? Strong characterization, fantastic world building, genius plots, and brilliant writing. There are all these bits of humour amidst the danger and stress, which I always enjoy. And all of the Toby books are named from lines in Shakespeare plays, which is really cool (and honestly something I didn't realize until I read it on her website because I'm not that fancy). I swear, if I ever get to meet the lovely Ms. McGuire, I'm going to fangirl squee in a most unbecoming way because I adore her work. The Toby Daye series is by far my favourite but I think you could try anything by her and love it.

Want more? I bet you do! Here's the cover copy for ROSEMARY AND RUE:

October “Toby” Daye, a changeling who is half human and half fae, has been an outsider from birth. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the Faerie world, retreating to a “normal” life. Unfortunately for her, the Faerie world has other ideas…

The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening’s dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby must resume her former position as knight errant and renew old alliances. As she steps back into fae society, dealing with a cast of characters not entirely good or evil, she realizes that more than her own life will be forfeited if she cannot find Evening’s killer.

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

And here's the rest of the series. Some of the covers are hotlinked to my posts. :) Note that CHIMES OF MIDNIGHT won't be available until September.

Daring You To Read is a weekly feature here on Tynga’s Reviews where we dare you to read some of our favorite older releases (at least 6 months old). All the books/series we choose to feature are titles we adored and think you should give them a shot! We think it’s a super awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

What do you think? Have you read this series? Are you willing to accept my dare?

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Posted by jenn at 06:07

 Daring You to Read, Fey/Faeries, Penguin, Seanan McGuire  6 People left their mark

Demon's Curse by Alexa Egan

Demon's Curse by Alexa Egan

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
Trade paperback: 400 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: Pocket Books
Release date: December 26, 2012

Series: The Imnada Brotherhood #1

Source: Review copy via Edelweiss

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

A rising star on the Covent Garden stage, Bianca Parrino believes she has everything she wants. Independence. Wealth. And a life finally free of her violent, abusive husband. But when her close friend, Adam, is murdered and Bianca is suspected in his death, she is unwittingly drawn into the search for his killer and soon must question everything she believes—about her friend, about herself, and about a world she never knew existed.

A member of the mysterious race of shape-shifting Imnada and part of an elite military unit, Captain Mac Flannery gathered intelligence during the Napoleonic wars. As a result of a savage massacre, Mac and the men he served with are cursed. Now one of them has been found murdered, and Mac suspects the existence of the Imnada has been discovered at last. His only link to unearthing the truth is the beautiful actress who turns up unexpectedly at Adam’s funeral.

Before long, Mac has more to contend with than Bianca’s overt mistrust, his ill-fated attraction to the haughty and beautiful actress, and his ongoing search for an end to the curse. Because Adam’s killer is back, and Mac is next on his list.

I love a good Regency romance every once in a while and so I couldn't wait to give Alexa Egan's series a try. On the whole, I enjoyed it, though it did have some flaws.

To start with the good stuff, though, I have to say how much I loved the setting and world building. Alexa Egan has created a very cool world and the mythology is nicely explored without overloading the reader. In this world, there are the Imnada, a race of shapechangers decended from aliens, and there are the Others, who are fey (at least as far as I can tell). The Imnada and Others are engaged in an ancient blood feud which have forced the Imnada to live in secret. Mac Flannery and three fellow Imnada and soldiers in the British military are cursed by a dying Other, and are forced to shift every evening, as soon as night falls. As a result, they've been exiled from their people because they're considered tainted. It's a pretty crappy lifestyle and they've all dealt with it in the own ways. They come back together after one of their number, Adam, is murdered, and learn that Adam has found a cure for the curse. Mystery, danger, and romance ensue, in ways that really kept me interested.

There's also a really interesting subplot that revolves around the politics between the Imnada and Others. The Imnada have been in hiding for generations but there are some Imnada who want to reveal themselves and make a truce with the Others. It's a divisive topic and I really got into this plot line. I hope there's more of it in future novels in the series.

In terms of characters, things are less well done. I thought Bianca was an excellent heroine. She's smart, a bit battered by life but still plucky. I instantly empathized with her and really enjoyed how her story was revealed. I also liked Mac, though not as much as Bianca. He's a damaged guy with a ton of baggage, mostly having to do with being exiled. He deals with some of his problems over the course of the novel but some of this resolution felt a bit forced to me. Some of the supporting characters were also quite memorable but others were a bit murky. For example, I had some difficulty separating Mac fellow exiles from one another for a large part of the novel because they felt underdeveloped, though this was generally resolved towards the end as they accrued more page time. There are also some reveals about certain characters (who shall remain unnamed to avoid spoilers) that were big surprises, which I usually love. Except in this case, I felt like I'd missed out on a really good chunk of story, to the point where I started wondering if there was another novel before this one involving these characters. I also found the main baddy to be a bit flat. We're told her motivation, we're shown her bad deeds, but I didn't find her to be a compelling foe.

Despite my issues with some of the characters, I did enjoy DEMON'S CURSE and plan to try AWAKEN THE CURSE, an e-prequel that's available now. If you're looking for a Regency romance with a brave heroine and an interesting supernatural landscape, you should keep DEMON'S CURSE in mind.

P.S. If you'd like more info about the series, you should check out this awesome interview with Alexa Egon on Literary Escapism!

Read an excerpt

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Posted by jenn at 05:54

 Alexa Egan, Fey/Faeries, Review, Shapeshifter, Simon Schuster  2 People left their mark

Embers in a Dark Frost by Kelly Keaton: Review + tour-wide giveaway!

Embers in a Dark Frost by Kelly Keaton

Book stats:
Reading level: New adult
eBook: 825 KB
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Self-published
Release date: November 15, 2012

Series: Fire & Frost #1

Source: Review copy from Good Choice Reading blog tour

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon

The Fire Breathers have come. The Underworld calls. A choice must be made…

With her feared half blood and flame-colored hair, DEIRA D'ANU is a constant reminder of human betrayal and the war that claimed the light from Innis Fail. Now, darkness and frost creep across the land, strengthening the Lord of the Underworld. War is imminent—an allegiance with the Fire Breathers is vital. When their champion, Balen, sees Deira, he believes she is the key to finding the light and stopping the dark frost.

But the Underworld calls to Deira, tempting her to turn her back on a world that never cared and betray the champion willing to sacrifice everything to keep her safe and save his world from darkness.

I have big love for this author when she writes the brilliant Charlie Madigan books as Kelly Gay so I was excited to give her alter ego a try, especially since EMBERS IN A DARK FROST sounded like fantasy magic when I read the blurb. I was a little wary when I found out that it was a New Adult novel because I've never tried anything in this new-ish genre and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but I generally enjoyed EMBERS IN A DARK FROST, though there are some flaws.

My favourite parts of the book are probably the characters. I thought Deira was a great protagonist. She's been an outcast her whole life thanks to the red hair that marks her as having human blood (really not a good thing in this world) and she finally gets a purpose in this book. It's great to see her grow and see the spark of who she is really build as she comes to accept her destiny and explore her abilities. This being the start of a trilogy, she doesn't complete her journey but Deira's definitely an interesting person that you'll be rooting for. Plus, her powers are really cool and I look forward to seeing more of them in subsequent stories. (The New Adult categorization comes from the fact that she's on a journey of self-discovery but she's not a teenager anymore.) Balen, the champion and leader of the Fire Breathers, is also an interesting character, though he's more mysterious since he doesn't narrate. His relationship with the Crow was really neat (and I'm not going to say more than that to avoid spoilers) and the attraction between Balen and Deira is nicely established. Deira and Balen's antagonist is also well developed and I found myself feeling sympathetic towards him, though not so sympathetic I agreed with his approach to his situation. I love it when authors create characters who aren't black and white; the good guys and the bad guys both live in the grey in this book, which I found very satisfying.

I also really liked the setting, though I did find some of the world building unclear. I was instantly immersed in the world but it took me a little while to realize that it was a variation on Celtic mythology and to figure out exactly who Deira's people are. There were hints here and there but I paused a few times wondering who Deira's people are. They were obviously not human but it wasn't laid out well enough for me to understand the origins of the mythology until near the end of the book. I understand not wanting to bog the reader down with a pile of description at the start but I would have appreciated a bit more clarity, especially since I know the author is a fantastic writer. Perhaps this is a side effect of self-publishing?

Although EMBERS IN A DARK FROST is not a perfect novel, I did quite enjoy reading it. It's an engaging beginning for the author's Fire & Frost world and a satisfying foray into a more high fantasy world. I look forward to the next chapter in Deira's story, due out in 2013, and hope you'll give EMBERS IN A DARK FROST a try.

Read an excerpt

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Posted by jenn at 05:54

 Fantasy, Fey/Faeries, giveaway, Kelly Gay, Kelly Keaton, Review  12 People left their mark

Tab Bennett and the Inbetween by Jes Young

Tab Bennett and the Inbetween by Jes Young

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
E-book: 222 KB
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: Self-published
Release date: August 7, 2012

Series: Princess of Twilight & Dawn #1

Source: Review copy via NetGalley

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon

Yesterday Tab Bennett was a bank teller. Today she’s at the center of a centuries old war between Light and Dark. Tomorrow – well let’s just say she’ll be lucky if she lives to see it.

Engaged to her childhood sweetheart, employed at the local bank, and finally living on her own for the first time at twenty-four years-old, Tab Bennett has no interest in a fairy tale life. She’s perfectly happy with the normal one she already has. But when her sister is murdered on a moon-dark night, revealing a world of power and magic she never dreamed existed, a fairy tale is exactly what her life becomes. Figures it would have to be the Grimm kind.

Just like that, the life she had planned is over. Instead of cashing checks and handing out lollipops, Tab is unraveling clandestine assassination plots and learning to wield the magic that is her birthright. And as if fulfilling her destiny isn’t hard enough, she’ll also have to choose between Robbin, a man who’s turned out to be a lot more complicated than the proverbial boy next door, and Alexander, the handsome prince whose smile leaves her weak-kneed and weak-willed.

Now, while Tab struggles to hold on to the human world she’s always known and understand her place in the magical one she’s just discovered, dangerous forces are gathering close to home. If she wants to live to see happily ever after, she’ll have to figure out who she can trust, who wants her dead, and why. The answers will change everything she believes about herself, the people she loves, and the place she calls home.

I first heard about this book a little while ago on another blog (I can't remember which so I can't pass credit where credit is due -- sorry!) and so I was quite happy when I saw TAB BENNETT AND THE INBETWEEN up on NetGalley.

TAB BENNETT AND THE INBETWEEN is an enjoyable read. It has a great cold opening, where Tab experiences her sister River's death. (This isn't a spoiler -- it's the first line of the book.) I was immediately drawn into Tab's life and world, which is what I hope for when I pick up a book. And it seems like this is characteristic of Jes Young's writing since I found myself engrossed in the plot, eager to find out what would happen next, especially since I'm a sucker for stories that involve the main character learning that s/he has a fated destiny that s/he never knew about. Some of the best stories involve this particular trope and I really don't get tired of it. IN TAB BENNETT AND THE INBETWEEN, you get to see Tab go through all of the denial, confusion, and acceptance as some of her past is revealed to be lies. At times, I felt like she took to her fated destiny a bit too quickly but I generally found her reactions and responses authentic.

I also liked a lot of the world building that the author has used. In short, there's an uneasy peace between the Inbetween and the Underneath. Tab's mother was the queen of the Inbetween. While Tab was growing up in our world, the Inbetween has been weakening since it and its people gain strength from their leader. Meanwhile, the Underneath has been getting stronger since their king has been around. As a result, Tab needs to learn to master her gifts (which are different for everyone so no one knows what they are) and get accustomed to the fact that she's a royal and will be sitting on the Inbetween throne just as soon as she gets her fae-legs underneath her, if you will. The mythology isn't exceptionally original but it is well done, and there's definitely something to be said for a well executed if familiar concept. This isn't the only part of the story that feels predictable but I didn't mind since the story moves along at a nice pace and there are some lovely moments between some of the characters.

The one part where the book felt forced was with the romance. Tab's been in love with Robbin, her fiance, for ages but he breaks it off when he's forced to reveal that he's one of her guards and that their romance was contrived at the start. He does have feelings for her now but he's forced to step aside so that Alexander can step in since there's an enchantment that basically makes Tab and Alexander extremely horny for each other. I can get behind all of this but I didn't really like how quickly Tab stopped fighting the enchantment and how much she waffled between the men. It seemed like the enchantment was a convenient way to add some steamy scenes and to create a love triangle without the love part (at least at the start), since Tab and Alexander had never met. Tab's narration suggests that she's experiencing a lot of conflict but I didn't buy into this aspect of the story as much as others.

That being said, I did enjoy reading TAB BENNETT AND THE INBETWEEN and I'm looking forward to TAB BENNETT AND THE UNDERNEATH. I hope that the author has some surprises in store for her readers as we get to see a whole new side of the magical world that Tab's a part of.

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Posted by jenn at 06:40

 Fey/Faeries, Jes Young, Review  4 People left their mark

A Trace of Moonlight blog tour: Guest post by Allison Pang + giveaway!

I'm over the moon (buh duh duh) about today's guest because it's Allison Pang, author of the Abby Sinclair trilogy. Her books are absolutely wonderful and I'm so excited that we're taking part in her blog tour celebrating the release of the third and final book in the trilogy, A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT, which comes out tomorrow.

One of the things I like best about Allison's books is how she manages to straddle the line between urban fantasy and paranormal romance. The Abby Sinclair trilogy has many of the elements associated with both genres and I wanted to see what she had to say on the differences between the two.

Without further ado, here's Allison's take on the subject!

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UF vs PNR

One of the questions I see being asked a lot is what the main differences are between Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance. Sometimes I think this is really more of a marketing issue – where a book is shelved can definitely influence a reader’s expectations. But these days it seems like the lines between the genres are blurring together.

While both genres certainly share a lot of the same elements – otherworldly powers or preternatural creatures, strong-willed heroines and tortured heroes - it can be hard to classify them correctly. The bottom line, though, is going to be the romance. Although UF stories *can* have romance, they don’t have to, whereas in a PNR, the romance *is* the story.

So how do you tell if you’re reading a PNR or a UF with romantic elements? Often the key clue is the HEA (Happily Ever After). Romances are usually required to have one (and I’ve often seen reviewers lamenting the fact that the book they were reading *didn’t* have one – again – it can be hard if books aren’t labeled properly. ) But HEA or no, the main thing is the plot. If the plot centers around a couple and their quest to get together, it’s a romance. If you can take those romantic elements out of a story and the plot can still stand by itself, it’s a UF. Also, note that PNR books in a series will often focus on a different couple in each story – UF books will sometimes have a romantic arc that spans several books.

There are still plenty of books that seem to straddle this line (I’ve seen some reviewers and bloggers talking about labeling some books as UF-Romance to try to make sense of it) – my own included. That’s because when I originally wrote A Brush of Darkness, it was a PNR. Had an HEA and a *lot* more sex. >_< But after I sold it, the publisher asked if I could turn it into a UF – that meant toning down the love scenes and changing the focus of the plot. The secondary characters were beefed up, and the mystery elements fleshed out a bit more. And yes, there was no longer an HEA. I’m not sure how successful it was – I think that maybe there’s still too much romance for the average UF reader…and not enough for the average PNR reader, but overall I’m pretty happy with the mix.

So, what do you prefer to read? Clearly delineated genres, or books that seem to have multiple elements?

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Thanks for visiting us, Allison, and writing such a great post!

Want more Allison? You can find her online at her website or on Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter. Allison also has a graphic novel project site with Irma 'Aimo' Ahmed called Sad Sausage Dogs that features a great story called Fox & Willow.

Click on the banner to see the other stops on Allison's tour:

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More about A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT:

Drinking from the waters of lethe and offering herself up as Faerie’s sacrificial Tithe …these just might be the least of Abby Sinclair’s problems..

Abby’s pact with a demon—whether or not she remembers making it—is binding, so she’d better count herself lucky that (in the words of a daemon who knows better) there’s nearly always a loophole. But her friends’ reckless attempts to free her, well intentioned though they may be, set off a disastrous chain of events. In no time at all, Abby turns her incubus lover mortal and gets herself killed, cursed, and married to an elven prince whose mother wants her dead. She might have even been able to recover from all that had she not lost the Key to the CrossRoads to her mortal enemy, who promptly uses his restored power to wreak havoc on the OtherWorld and put its very existence in jeopardy…

Only one person can make things right again, but to find her, Abby must place her trust in allies of mixed loyalties, and conquer her nightmares once and for all.

Jenn's thoughts

Read an (NSFW) excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

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There is a tour-wide giveaway of 10 copies of A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT!

To enter the giveaway, fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

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Posted by jenn at 06:55

 Allison Pang, Fey/Faeries, giveaway, Guest Post, Simon Schuster  18 People left their mark

A Trace of Moonlight by Allison Pang

A Trace of Moonlight by Allison Pang

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
Mass market paperback: 400 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: Pocket
Release date: October 30, 2012

Series: Abby Sinclair #3

Source: Review copy from Bewitching Blog Tours

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Drinking from the waters of lethe and offering herself up as Faerie’s sacrificial Tithe …these just might be the least of Abby Sinclair’s problems..

Abby’s pact with a demon—whether or not she remembers making it—is binding, so she’d better count herself lucky that (in the words of a daemon who knows better) there’s nearly always a loophole. But her friends’ reckless attempts to free her, well intentioned though they may be, set off a disastrous chain of events. In no time at all, Abby turns her incubus lover mortal and gets herself killed, cursed, and married to an elven prince whose mother wants her dead. She might have even been able to recover from all that had she not lost the Key to the CrossRoads to her mortal enemy, who promptly uses his restored power to wreak havoc on the OtherWorld and put its very existence in jeopardy…

Only one person can make things right again, but to find her, Abby must place her trust in allies of mixed loyalties, and conquer her nightmares once and for all.

Reading A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT was bittersweet for me. I really enjoyed the two previous Abby Sinclair novels and so I was eager to see what Allison Pang was going to do with/to Abby and her band of friends and lovers. The author has created incredibly real and complex relationships in this trilogy and I've been on the edge of my proverbial seat waiting to find out how Abby would get herself out of the pickle she put herself in at the end of A SLIVER OF SHADOW (that whole Tithe thing in the cover copy) and if she'd settle down with Talivar or Ion. The good news? Most of the big questions are answered. The not-quite-as-good-but-definitely-not-bad news? I wasn't as hooked as I've been in previous instalments.

A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT has everything I've come to expect from an Abby Sinclair novel: an unpredictable plot, fantastically fleshed-out characters, magnificent snark, and steamy romance. (In fact, the book opens with some very steamy romance, making the excerpt below NSFW.) The cover copy actually gives away a lot of the plot points, though it doesn't hurt the reading of the story since there's so much going on in A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT. Thankfully, part of this "so much" is also a satisfying amount of resolution for a couple of the big arcs of the series: will Abby choose Ion or Talivar, and will she ever fully control her abilities as a Dreamer?

To address the first big question: I was thrilled with how Allison Pang dealt with this. I loved the way both Ion and Taliver are portrayed in A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT because they both get to shine and you can really understand why Abby has feelings for both guys. I've always been a sucker for Talivar and his tragic story (which we learn more about!!) but Ion makes some incredible gestures in this book and I felt for him in a way that I never had previously. Relationships are such a key feature of this trilogy and the author really knows how to put the reader and the characters through the ringer, not just with Abby and her men but with other folks as well. Melanie and Nobu's relationship exemplifies the word complicated and the Charlie-Robert-Moira-Benjamin situation is enough to break your heart, never mind Abby's unusual relationship with her father (and her father's with the Queen).

For the second question: I also really liked how Abby grows as a Dreamer in A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT. She's been a little afraid of her gifts for a while now but she really steps up her game this time around. It's always fun watching a favourite character come into his or her own and I feel like Abby grows immensely in A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT.

Despite this, I wasn't as invested this time around. I usually enjoy a well-written finale, which A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT definitely is, but I felt a little disconnected from the story and I'm not sure why. Allison Pang's writing remains outstanding and I truly did enjoy reading this book but it's probably my least favourite of the three Abby novels. At first I thought it might be because this book is darker than the rest and Phin is not his usual snarky self throughout but I generally enjoy dark (urban) fantasy so I don't think that this is the case. I think it might be information overload -- there's a lot of story and a ton of Big Events in A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT!

While I didn't love A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT as much as the two previous Abby novels, this book is still an excellent finale for the trilogy. I may not be shouting at the skies but I really did enjoy reading A TRACE OF MOONLIGHT and fully recommend the series to you. This novel offers closure on many of the main questions in the trilogy and leaves open the possibility of exploring the world further since there's definitely not a nice, neat bow for all of the characters. I follow Allison Pang on her blog and Twitter (some might say "stalk", but I'm sticking with "follow") and it looks like she's open to the idea of coming back to this world and telling another character's story, so I've got my fingers crossed. I believe she mentioned Melanie, who I've always been interested in, so here's hoping that passing comment comes true!

Read an (NSFW) excerpt

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Posted by jenn at 06:06

 Allison Pang, Fey/Faeries, Review, Simon Schuster  2 People left their mark

Giveaway: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

Thanks to Harlequin I have a super giveaway for you guys, to celebrate the release of The Lost Prince! It’s the first book in Julie Kagawa’s spin-off series, and bloggers are already raving about it!

About the book:

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he'd dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Giveaway details:

Two (2) winners will each receive a copy of The Lost Prince!

Open to Canada & US

Giveaway ends November 5th, 2012.

To Enter, fill the rafflecopter form below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Posted by Tynga at 07:38

 Fey/Faeries, giveaway, Julie Kagawa  47 People left their mark

"When I'm not writing..." with Sandy Williams + giveaway!

I am beyond excited about this week's guest -- Sandy Williams -- because her debut novel, THE SHADOW READER, blew my mind at the start of this year. I am so very excited about the sequel, THE SHATTERED DARK, which will be on shelves at the end of this month. I can't wait to see what Sandy has in store for McKenzie!

Want to know what Sandy does when she's not writing brilliant books? Keep reading to find out and to enter the giveaway!

What do I do when I’m not writing? The answer to that question is easy, but rather mundane. When I’m not writing, I’m taking care of my twin boys. They were born in July of 2011, just three and a half months before The Shadow Reader hit the shelves. And just three and a half months before the sequel, The Shattered Dark, was due in to my editor. To say that those months were crazy/hectic is a supreme understatement. Fortunately, I was so sleep deprived I don’t remember most of it!

Love those boys to death, but they take up so much time. I’m either feeding them, changing diapers, or praying that they both stay down for at least an hour nap so I can get some words written!

So, I’m going to change the question up a little bit. Let’s make it: What did I used to do when I wasn’t writing?

EUROGAMES!

My husband and I have always enjoyed playing what we call Eurogames. They’re not the typical Monopoly, Life, Trivial Pursuit games most families play. They usually revolve around different methods of collecting victory points, and there are often several different strategies to win.

We used to play games two or three times a month. We even went to the annual Board Game Geek Convention in Dallas one year – and any time we have a few free hours (and a babysitter!) we try to get together for some gaming with our friends. Some of my favorite games include Dominion, Race for the Galaxy, Agricola, and Puerto Rico. If you haven’t played a Eurogame before, I’d recommend starting with Settlers of Catan – it’s the gateway drug to geeky board games.

UFC

Watching. Not participating. :-)

I’m not sure when I first became interested in mixed martial arts, but I love watching the fights. It’s not that I love violence or anything, but the skill these fighters have… It’s amazing. And I’ve found it’s great for book research. Knowing the damage a fist, an elbow, a kick can do and seeing all the different ways a fighter can hold, choke, and submit his opponent helps make the sparring in my books more realistic (I hope!). One of the things I love most about the UFC, though, is the hugging. Yes, the fighters hug at the end of a match. Well, the good I like do. I’m always amazed when a beaten up loser, covered in blood and bruises, gives a respectful hug to the guy who just kicked his butt. I love the respect these fighters have for each other!

Soccer

Disclaimer: I play soccer about as well as my character, McKenzie, wields a sword. Yep, that means I pretty much suck at it, but it’s so much fun. I’ve been lucky enough to play on a few co-ed teams that didn’t mind my poor skills, and ever since the first time I played, I’ve loved it, watching and participating. It’s great exercise! I can’t wait until my boys are old enough to play. I hear there’s a group nearby that starts at 18 months.

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What a great post, Sandy! Thanks for visiting us and sharing your non-writing life!

For more information about Sandy and her books, check out her website or follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Here's the scoop on THE SHATTERED DARK (coming October 30):

McKenzie Lewis has a gift. It allows her access to a world few have seen, and even fewer can comprehend. It’s her secret. And it exists in the shadows…

McKenzie was a normal college student, save for one little twist: she’s a shadow reader, someone who can both see the fae and track their movements between our world and the Realm. It’s a gift for which she has been called insane, one for which she has risked family and friends—and one that has now plunged her into a brutal civil war between the fae.

With the reign of the king and his vicious general at an end, McKenzie hoped to live a more normal life while exploring her new relationship with Aren, the rebel fae who has captured her heart. But when her best friend, Paige, disappears McKenzie knows her wish is, for now, just a dream. McKenzie is the only one who can rescue her friend, but if she’s not careful, her decisions could cost the lives of everyone she’s tried so hard to save.

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

You should also check out THE SHADOW READER, the first book in the series:

Some humans can see the fae. McKenzie Lewis can track them, reading the shadows they leave behind. But somem shadows lead to danger. Others lead to lies.

A Houston college student trying to finish her degree, McKenzie has been working for the fae king for years, tracking vicious rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn’t her only secret. For just as long, she’s been in love with Kyol, the king’s sword-master—and relationships between humans and fae are forbidden.

But any hope for a normal life is shattered when she’s captured by Aren, the fierce and uncompromising rebel leader. He teaches her the forbidden fae language and tells her dark truths about the Court, all to persuade her to turn against the king. Time is running out, and as the fight starts to claim human lives, McKenzie has no choice but to decide once and for all whom to trust and where she ultimately stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.

Jenn's thoughts

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

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Sandy is generously offering one (1) lucky reader his or her choice of THE SHADOW READER or THE SHATTERED DARK!

To enter the giveaway, obey the Rafflecopter!

Open internationally

Ends Monday, October 22, 2012

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Do you guys have suggestions for who you’d like to see featured on the blog? If so, you can make your suggestions on this page. No guarantees that your favorite authors will be able to participate but we’ll try!

Authors, would you like to visit and share with us? Please email me at jennblogs (at) gmail (dot) com and we’ll set it up!

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Posted by jenn at 06:34

 Fey/Faeries, giveaway, Penguin, Sandy Williams, When I'm not writing  63 People left their mark