Banishing the Dark by Jenn Bennett

One of the best books of the year, hands down! Jenn Bennett has knocked it out of the park with BANISHING THE DARK, creating a strong, emotional finale for Cady's journey.

I had high expectations for BANISHING THE DARK because Bennett has given us such an amazing journey so far. I couldn't wait to see how Cady would react to the news of her pregnancy, especially on the heels of the foundation-shattering revelations  about her Moonchild abilities. (You may remember  my OMG reaction to BINDING THE SHADOWS.) BANISHING THE DARK picks up shortly after the end of the previous novel and all of the questions that I had  at the end of Book 3 are answered in the newest novel, and then some. I've always said that Bennett is a talented and daring writer and Cady's final book is truly a dazzling finish to Cady, Lon, and  Jupe's  journey.

The main focus BANISHING THE DARK is Cady and Lon's need to master Cady's abilities and keep Cady's mom from taking over Cady's body. She'd be a supercharged villainess with amazing powers and that wouldn't be good for the world, let alone Cady, who would be a prisoner in her own body. They also need to conceal Cady's pregnancy from her mother, in case Mommy Dearest decides to inhabit their unborn child. A complicated scenario, especially when they're missing a lot of the pieces needed to succeed. As always, Bennett has crafted an immensely satisfying plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat, wondering how Cady and Lon will get themselves out of this mess.

One of the neat things about BANISHING THE DARK is that Bennett has added chapters from Jupe's point of view. I adore Jupe and this was a real treat. He's such a charming young man and the chapters about him really added to the overall narrative. I don't know about you but I would definitely  read a story told from Jupe's point of view!

BANISHING THE DARK is the final instalment in the Arcadia Belll's story and it's a humdinger! I'm sorry to say goodbye to Cady and her friends but I'm thoroughly satisfied with the emotional journey that Bennett has given us. You can be sure I'll be re-reading this series on a very regular basis.

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Posted by Tynga at 03:00

 Adult, Arcadia Bell, Edelweiss, Jenn Bennett, Pocket, Review, Simon and Schuster, Simon Schuster, Urban Fantasy  5 People left their mark

"When I'm not writing" with Jenn Bennett + giveaway!

Today the wonderful Jenn Bennett is stopping by to tell us what she does when she's not writing her amazing Arcadia Bell stories, or her upcoming Roaring 20s paranormal romance series (which I'm so excited to try!). Jenn's one of my favourite authors, and not just because we share a name, so I truly hope you'll enjoy this peek into her life. She's been gracious enough to give us a peek into her life, complete with never-before-seen-online artwork and the evilest of pugs. =)

Jenn has also been gracious enough to offer up a giveaway of a signed copy of one of her Arcadia Bell books, so make sure you stick around to enter that. It's a prize I'd love to get!

I wasn't always a writer, but most of my interests have been creative. When I was in college, I was certain I'd be making a living in the art world. Little did my starry-eyed 20-year-old self know that my super-cool degree in Fine Arts would later be virtually useless. But at the time, I didn't care about things like Jobs and Money and Adult Responsibilities, and painted almost every day—mostly in oils, and usually figures (like the one in the photo here). Over the years, I've made stained glass, mosaics, metal jewelry, screen-prints, and pottery. I still draw on occasion, and I've taught myself how to paint in photoshop. Some of the character sketches I've done are up on my website.

Later, when I began working real-world jobs, I channeled all that creative angst into my living space. My kitchen is rainforest-frog green, and my living room is decorated with flea-market finds and oddities my husband and I have picked up on our travels. I have a lot of unique collections, including vintage ouija boards (see photo), Fiestaware, early 20th century postcards of redwood trees (weird, I know), and small statues of toadstools (weirder, I know).

Now that I'm writing, most of downtime is spent unwinding. I have two Evil Pugs (see photo of the most malevolent one), who basically hold me hostage in my own home. I like to play video games—mostly survival horror or adventure, like Bioshock and Uncharted. I watch a lot of old movies (1920s-1950s is my sweet spot), and I love to cook. Usually. When I'm not on a horrible writing deadline. But the thing I probably enjoy doing most when I'm not writing is: reading. Funny how life circles back around, isn't it?

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Thanks for stopping by, Jenn, and sharing your collections and artwork with us! =)

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

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Here's the scoop on BINDING THE SHADOWS:

Renegade mage and bartender Arcadia Bell has had a rough year, but now the door to her already unstable world is unhinging. When a citywide crime wave erupts, Cady’s demon-friendly tiki bar is robbed by Earthbounds wielding surreal demonic abilities that just flat-out shouldn’t exist. With the help of her devilishly delicious boyfriend, Lon Butler, Cady sets out to find the people who wronged her—but her targets aren’t the only ones experiencing unnatural metamorphoses. Can Cady track down the monsters responsible before the monster inside her destroys everything—and everyone—she loves? If she survives this adventure, one thing is certain: it’s last call for life as she knows it.

Jenn (from the blog)'s thoughts

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Here are the earlier books in the series. Click on the cover to see Jenn (from the blog)'s thoughts:

---------------------------------

Jenn is offering one (1) lucky reader a signed Arcadia Bell book!

To enter the giveaway, listen to the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

---------------------------------

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 07:00

 giveaway, Jenn Bennett, Simon Schuster, When I'm not writing  29 People left their mark

"When I'm not writing" with Jenn Bennett + giveaway!

Today the wonderful Jenn Bennett is stopping by to tell us what she does when she's not writing her amazing Arcadia Bell stories, or her upcoming Roaring 20s paranormal romance series (which I'm so excited to try!). Jenn's one of my favourite authors, and not just because we share a name, so I truly hope you'll enjoy this peek into her life. She's been gracious enough to give us a peek into her life, complete with never-before-seen-online artwork and the evilest of pugs. =)

Jenn has also been gracious enough to offer up a giveaway of a signed copy of one of her Arcadia Bell books, so make sure you stick around to enter that. It's a prize I'd love to get!

I wasn't always a writer, but most of my interests have been creative. When I was in college, I was certain I'd be making a living in the art world. Little did my starry-eyed 20-year-old self know that my super-cool degree in Fine Arts would later be virtually useless. But at the time, I didn't care about things like Jobs and Money and Adult Responsibilities, and painted almost every day—mostly in oils, and usually figures (like the one in the photo here). Over the years, I've made stained glass, mosaics, metal jewelry, screen-prints, and pottery. I still draw on occasion, and I've taught myself how to paint in photoshop. Some of the character sketches I've done are up on my website.

Later, when I began working real-world jobs, I channeled all that creative angst into my living space. My kitchen is rainforest-frog green, and my living room is decorated with flea-market finds and oddities my husband and I have picked up on our travels. I have a lot of unique collections, including vintage ouija boards (see photo), Fiestaware, early 20th century postcards of redwood trees (weird, I know), and small statues of toadstools (weirder, I know).

Now that I'm writing, most of downtime is spent unwinding. I have two Evil Pugs (see photo of the most malevolent one), who basically hold me hostage in my own home. I like to play video games—mostly survival horror or adventure, like Bioshock and Uncharted. I watch a lot of old movies (1920s-1950s is my sweet spot), and I love to cook. Usually. When I'm not on a horrible writing deadline. But the thing I probably enjoy doing most when I'm not writing is: reading. Funny how life circles back around, isn't it?

---------------------------------

Thanks for stopping by, Jenn, and sharing your collections and artwork with us! =)

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

---------------------------------

Here's the scoop on BINDING THE SHADOWS:

Renegade mage and bartender Arcadia Bell has had a rough year, but now the door to her already unstable world is unhinging. When a citywide crime wave erupts, Cady’s demon-friendly tiki bar is robbed by Earthbounds wielding surreal demonic abilities that just flat-out shouldn’t exist. With the help of her devilishly delicious boyfriend, Lon Butler, Cady sets out to find the people who wronged her—but her targets aren’t the only ones experiencing unnatural metamorphoses. Can Cady track down the monsters responsible before the monster inside her destroys everything—and everyone—she loves? If she survives this adventure, one thing is certain: it’s last call for life as she knows it.

Jenn (from the blog)'s thoughts

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Here are the earlier books in the series. Click on the cover to see Jenn (from the blog)'s thoughts:

---------------------------------

Jenn is offering one (1) lucky reader a signed Arcadia Bell book!

To enter the giveaway, listen to the Rafflecopter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

---------------------------------

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 Tynga at 03:00

 giveaway, Jenn Bennett, Simon Schuster, When I'm not writing  29 People left their mark

Binding the Shadows by Jenn Bennett

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
Trade paperback: 384 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: Pocket
Release date: May 28, 2013

Series: Arcadia Bell #3

Source: eARC from author

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Renegade mage and bartender Arcadia Bell has had a rough year, but now the door to her already unstable world is unhinging. When a citywide crime wave erupts, Cady’s demon-friendly tiki bar is robbed by Earthbounds wielding surreal demonic abilities that just flat-out shouldn’t exist. With the help of her devilishly delicious boyfriend, Lon Butler, Cady sets out to find the people who wronged her—but her targets aren’t the only ones experiencing unnatural metamorphoses. Can Cady track down the monsters responsible before the monster inside her destroys everything—and everyone—she loves? If she survives this adventure, one thing is certain: it’s last call for life as she knows it.

In BINDING THE SHADOWS, the third novel in the Arcadia Bell series, Jenn Bennett tackles some big ideas: Cady's Moonchild abilities develop, her relationships with Lon and Jupe are tested, and her friendship with Kar Yee faces new challenges. As a result, this is probably the most emotional book in the series thus far. Bennett's characteristic ribald humour is still present but there are some seriously heavy moments in BINDING THE SHADOWS. I wasn't expecting the book to be so emotional, or to be so very wrapped up in the emotion myself. Bennett excels at writing great characters and inspired plots but she's never gotten my heart so involved in one of her stories before. I think it's a testament to the strength of her writing and also a very bold move for the author since BINDING THE SHADOWS has a different and somewhat darker tone from previous stories in the series.

Relationships are a big part of BINDING THE SHADOWS and some of my favourite scenes in BINDING THE SHADOWS are the interactions between Kar Yee and Cady. I've been a Kar Yee fan for quite some time and it's great to see her get more page time, even if she and Cady are having difficult conversations. As much as I adore Cady, Kar Yee makes some excellent points in their harsh heart-to-heart and I'm very invested in seeing what happens between them on a personal and professional level in CROSSING THE ÆTHYR. BINDING THE SHADOWS also introduces some of Jupe's family on his mom's side. I've long wondered what kind of family Yvonne came from and it's nice to see that they're warm and wonderful people. Their presence really add to the story and gets Cady to reflect on her relationships with Lon and Jupe.

Bennett really dives into Cady's Moonchild abilities in BINDING THE SHADOWS and there are some revelations that I can only describing as startling and troubling. I don't want to spoil it for you since the book isn't out yet but Cady learns a lot more about what her powers can do and where they come from. It's going to make her life a lot more interesting and scary and I have no idea how she's going to get out of the trouble she's in with her growing powers. But the real OMFG part of BINDING THE SHADOWS is definitely the ending. I actually punched a pillow because I was so shocked and kept trying to flick through the pages on my e-reader to find the rest even though I knew i wasn't there because I couldn't believe how Bennett has ended BINDING THE SHADOWS. It's not a cliffhanger in the sense that the main storyline gets wrapped up but it is a cliffhanger in the sense that I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO CADY RIGHT NOW AND I DON'T THINK I CAN WAIT A WHOLE YEAR TO FIND OUT WHAT COMES NEXT. I love me some Jenn Bennett but right now I'm too busy feeling tortured by that edge-of-the-seat ending and the fact that we have to wait until next May to get some resolution. In fact, I'm getting agitated just writing this post and it's been a few days since I finished the novel. Damn you, Jenn Bennett, and your crazy brain!! (I say this with respect and adoration.)

Bennett's writing has hit an emotional peak with BINDING THE SHADOWS and the way she's ended this latest instalment will leave readers panting for more. This third novel in her Arcadia Bell series really raises the bar in terms of emotion, danger, and magical possibilities and I'm in awe of Jenn Bennett's talent and moxy. If you've been on the fence about this series, BINDING THE SHADOWS is sure to win you over!

Read an excerpt

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Posted by jenn at 07:00

 Demon, Jenn Bennett, Review, Simon Schuster  3 People left their mark

Leashing the Tempest by Jenn Bennett

Leashing the Tempest by Jenn Bennett

Book stats:
Reading level: Adult
e-book: 60 pages
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: Pocket Star
Release date: December 17, 2012

Series: Arcadia Bell #2.5

Source: Review copy from author

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Dating a demon, defeating evil, running a tiki bar: Arcadia Bell is a great occult mage in many respects. But then there’s the challenge of her boyfriend’s precocious teenage son…

Arcadia “Cady” Bell may have saved the Hellfire Club’s children from a local bogeyman, but she and her Earthbound demon boyfriend, Lon Butler, now face a more disturbing problem: his teenage son’s new demonic abilities. Jupe Butler can persuade you to do anything—or so he thinks.

To test the limits of his newfound power, Cady invites the co-owner of Tambuku Tiki Lounge to be the teen’s guinea pig during an afternoon boat cruise. But when an angry storm whips the Pacific into a frenzy and Jupe puts them all in serious danger, will Cady’s magick trump a teenager’s excess confidence?

Jenn Bennett leapt onto my radar in 2012 with KINDLING THE MOON, the first book in the Cady Bell series and also her debut novel. It's a wonderful series, filled with awesome world building, ribald humour, not-so-ribald-but-equally-entertaining humour, strong relationships, and one very dashing moustache, which is nicely referenced in this mini-novella.

When I first heard about the premise of LEASHING THE TEMPEST, my brain immediately starting singing The Lonely Island's "I'm On A Boat". And then I started picturing Jupe and Cady singing it...It's a slippery tangential slope so I'm going to get back to the matter at hand: the awesomeness that is Jenn Bennett and the world and characters she's created! And then I saw this after writing my post and realized that I wasn't the only one. :D

But back to the matter at hand. LEASHING THE TEMPEST has everything I love in a Cady Bell story in a very nice 60-page package. It's the perfect read to tide you over until May, when BINDING THE SHADOWS is released. And even though LEASHING THE TEMPEST is only 60 pages long, it's a very satisfying story. I sometimes have length complaints with novellas because they feel unfinished but LEASHING A TEMPEST is like a cake pop: small but extremely delicious. And it's suitable for existing fans and new readers because Jenn Bennett does an excellent job of explaining the world Cady and co. live in, and because the characters come alive and you can see their bonds quite clearly.

The story itself is a lot of fun, too. Cady, Lon, Jupe, and Kar Yee are going on a private boat ride so that Lon can take pictures and Jupe can test his demonic knack on Kar Yee is a safe environment. Of course, these guys can't go anywhere without something unfortunate happening so they quickly find themselves threatened by an unnatural storm, thanks to some bad decisions made by certain characters who will remain unnamed to keep things interesting for those of you who haven't tried this novella yet. There are some shocking moments and I loved the way the story ended.

For me, the best part of the novella was getting more Kar Yee time. She's one of my favourite characters in the series and her interactions with Jupe, who is completely infatuated, are absolutely hysterical. I would totally read a spin-off story featuring the two of them on some sort of madcap adventure. It would be like Batman and Robin, if Batman had a sense of humour and a sense of entitlement, and if Robin upped his slavish devotion just a touch.

If you're looking for a last-minute present that's a definite winner (and quite affordable for you at only $0.99 US), gift your loved one (or passing acquaintance) a copy of LEASHING THE TEMPEST. It has moustaches and romance and yachts, oh my!

P.S. I love how the cover of LEASHING THE TEMPEST echoes the colours in the first Cady novel.

P.P.S. In case you didn't get my earlier reference, here is the very NWFW version of The Lonely Island's "I'm On A Boat":

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Posted by jenn at 05:38

 Demon, Jenn Bennett, Review, Simon Schuster  6 People left their mark

PAF: Guest post by Jenn Bennett + giveaway!

I’m so excited that Jenn Bennett is visiting the blog today. Her Arcadia Bell books are absolutely delicious: they have witty characters, interesting magic, and great plots, plus they feature the only moustached hero in the genre (at least as far as I can figure).

Jenn's offering up something really exciting in her guest post and I'm sure you'll enjoy it. And remember to stick around to learn all about SUMMONING THE NIGHT, her upcoming release, and have three chances to win a copy of your very own!

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Jupiter Butler's April Fools' Sketches

Jupiter, aka Jupe, is a 13-year-old Earthbound demon, the teenage son of my hero, Lon. Now, if you're familiar with Jupe, you can probably imagine that he takes pranking veeeerrrry seriously. And his father is so tight-lipped and grunty, he's the perfect target. But there's an art to pulling a good prank without getting grounded. So Jupe needs your help choosing the perfect April Fools' Day gag. Take a look at Jupe's three sketches below and include your pick for the best prank in the comments for a chance to win one of three copies of book 2 in the Arcadia Bell series, SUMMONING THE NIGHT.

(Note from (blogger) Jenn: Click to embiggen!)

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Want more Jupe? Then you should check out SUMMONING THE NIGHT, which hits bookshelves on April 24:

Magick. Murder. Mayhem. It’s all in a night’s work...

After narrowly escaping her fate as a sacrificial scapegoat, Arcadia Bell is back to normal. Or at least as ordinary as life can be for a renegade magician and owner of a tiki bar that caters to Earthbound demons. She’s gearing up for the busiest day of the year—Halloween—when a vengeful kidnapper paralyzes the community. The influential head of the local Hellfire Club taps Cady to track down the fiendish bogeyman, and now that she’s dating red-hot Lon Butler, the Club’s wayward son, she can hardly say no.

Cady and Lon untangle a gruesome thirty-year trail of clues that points to danger for the club members’ children. But locating the person behind the terror will require some metaphysical help from Cady’s loyal bar patrons as well as her potent new Moonchild powers—and she’d better figure it out before the final victim disappears and her own darkest secret becomes her biggest enemy.

Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository

Click on the cover to read my thoughts on KINDLING THE MOON:

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Jenn is graciously offering three (3) copies of SUMMONING THE NIGHT and Simon & Schuster are also offering three (3) copies of SUMMONING THE NIGHT so we have six (6) copies to give away in total!

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

3 copies - US/Canada only

3 copies - US only (no PO boxes)

Ends Sunday, April 15, 2012
(like all of our Paranormal April Fools’ giveaways)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Jenn Bennett is an award-winning visual artist and author of the Arcadia Bell urban fantasy series from Pocket Books. Born in Germany, she’s lived and traveled extensively throughout Europe, the U.S., and the Far East. She believes rebellion is an under-appreciated art form, has conjured more demons than you’ve had hot lunches, and likes her fairy tales like she likes her coffee: dark. She currently lives near Atlanta with her film-geek husband and two very bad pugs.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

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Posted by jenn at 06:30

 Demon, giveaway, Guest Post, Jenn Bennett, mage, Paranormal April Fools', Simon Schuster  61 People left their mark

Summoning the Night by Jenn Bennett

Summoning the Night by Jenn Bennett

Book Stats:
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban fantasy
Trade paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Pocket
Release date: April 24, 2012

Series: Arcadia Bell #2

Source: Review copy from Pocket

Reviewed by: Jenn

Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository

Magick. Murder. Mayhem. It’s all in a night’s work...

After narrowly escaping her fate as a sacrificial scapegoat, Arcadia Bell is back to normal. Or at least as ordinary as life can be for a renegade magician and owner of a tiki bar that caters to Earthbound demons. She’s gearing up for the busiest day of the year—Halloween—when a vengeful kidnapper paralyzes the community. The influential head of the local Hellfire Club taps Cady to track down the fiendish bogeyman, and now that she’s dating red-hot Lon Butler, the Club’s wayward son, she can hardly say no.

Cady and Lon untangle a gruesome thirty-year trail of clues that points to danger for the club members’ children. But locating the person behind the terror will require some metaphysical help from Cady’s loyal bar patrons as well as her potent new Moonchild powers—and she’d better figure it out before the final victim disappears and her own darkest secret becomes her biggest enemy.

I was absolutely thrilled when Jenn Bennett agreed to participate in Paranormal April Fools' because I think she's an extremely talented writer. (And I love her hat in her author photo.) I was even more excited when my review copy of SUMMONING THE NIGHT appeared in the mail because it meant I got to spend time with Cady, Lon, and Jupe. I thought Cady's first adventure, KINDLING THE MOON, was a masterful debut (my full post here) and I was dying to find out what was going to happen next. I'm pleased to report that SUMMONING THE NIGHT exceeded my (perhaps too high) expectations! Jenn Bennett has created another amazing novel filled with strong characters, magical surprises, and quirky humour.

The central plot of SUMMONING THE NIGHT revolves around the return of the Snatcher, someone who was kidnapping teenagers 30 years ago and who's back for more of them just in time for Halloween. Cady and Lon get roped in because the kids that are getting taken are from Hellfire Club families; neither one of them particularly want to associate with the Hellfire Club but they do end up investigating the old crime to try to stop the current one. It's a great story with lots of twists and turns and I couldn't predict what was going to happen as the novel progressed. In the process of their investigation, we get to learn more about Cady's Moonchild powers and about the magics that exist in Cady's world.

On the relationship front, Lon and Cady's romance is going strong. It's not quite old hat but they're definitely comfortable with each other. There are some great sexy moments but I really enjoyed seeing them a little more (but not entirely) settled. I also enjoyed the occasional comments other characters made about their age gap. :) Plus, the family dynamic with Lon's teenage Jupe is adorable. Cady and Jupe's relationship is a lot of fun because they're closer in age than she and Lon and because Jupe is just such a rascal. He's absolutely irresistible and I love it when he's on the page. There are some particularly awesome Jupe moments in SUMMONING THE NIGHT so you'll need to pick this book up if you liked him in KINDLING THE MOON.

We also get to see some new faces and learn more about some of the characters introduced in Cady's debut. There are some wonderful scenes with Kar Yee, Cady's business partner and best friend. Kar Yee's one of my favourite characters in the book because she's so sharp and alive and I was pleased to get to know her better. We also get to know some of the darker folks, particularly Ambrose Dare from the Hellfire Club. I don't like him. You won't either. But he's good for the story and I appreciate him for that reason, and that reason alone.

All in all, SUMMONING THE NIGHT is a fabulous entry into the urban fantasy genre and I can't wait to see what happens with Cady, Lon, and Jupe next. Make sure you pick up your copy on April 24!

To help you remember, check out the best book trailer EVA:

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Posted by jenn at 05:45

 Demon, Jenn Bennett, mage, Review, Simon Schuster  4 People left their mark

Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett

Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett

Book Stats:
Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban fantasy
Mass market paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket
Release date: June 28, 2011

Series: Arcadia Bell #1

Source: Personal shelf

Reviewed by: Jenn

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

Meet Arcadia Bell: bartender, renegade magician, fugitive from the law. . . .

Being the spawn of two infamous occultists (and alleged murderers) isn’t easy, but freewheeling magician Arcadia “Cady” Bell knows how to make the best of a crummy situation. After hiding out for seven years, she’s carved an incognito niche for herself slinging drinks at the demon-friendly Tambuku Tiki Lounge.

But she receives an ultimatum when unexpected surveillance footage of her notorious parents surfaces: either prove their innocence or surrender herself. Unfortunately, the only witness to the crimes was an elusive Æthyric demon, and Cady has no idea how to find it. She teams up with Lon Butler, an enigmatic demonologist with a special talent for sexual spells and an arcane library of priceless stolen grimoires. Their research soon escalates into a storm of conflict involving missing police evidence, the decadent Hellfire Club, a ruthless bounty hunter, and a powerful occult society that operates way outside the law. If Cady can’t clear her family name soon, she’ll be forced to sacrifice her own life . . . and no amount of running will save her this time.

Having just finished Kindling the Moon, I'm hard pressed to remember why I waited so long to read it. It’s one of the most delightful debuts I’ve read. I’m so happy that I finally read it because it was absolutely delightful.

Arcadia Bell is a woman with a past. A talented though somewhat untrained magic user, she’s on the run from the law since her parents faked all of their deaths to avoid being arrested for serial murders. She’s made a life as a bar owner with her demon friend but it all starts to crumble when her parents are spotted and Arcadia has to clear their names by finding the real murderer. Unfortunately, this entails tracking down a mysterious albino demon that no one’s been able to find for a good decade. Thankfully, Cady is resourceful and smart. I hate it when main characters spend big chunks of time dithering about what to do; Cady is all about getting stuff done, possibly because she only has a couple weeks to accomplish her goal. And Jenn Bennett takes us on quite the ride over these couple weeks. She’s crafted a plot with fantastic reveals, strong world building, wonderful characters, and lovely moments. So. Good. Her explanation for why there are demons is just fantastic:

That’s why there are so many Earthbounds [demons] running around the States these days. Some idiot magician working for queen Elizabeth summoned a group of lower-echelon Aethyric demons and trapped them in human bodies, thinking they’d make pliable subjects when America was being colonized. However, the newly invoked Earthbounds lost their ticket home when the magician died of smallpox before he could send them back. A few hundred years of breeding, and here we are.

Of course, I can’t talk about the novel without commenting on Lon and Jupe. First off, I *love* the name Lon Butler. It instantly invokes Old Hollywood for me. And Lon does have a very debonair, rakish air to him at times, in addition to being an expert of demons. He also has a son named Jupe, who just might be the cutest kid I’ve seen in a book lately.

Even though Lon has a couple decades on Arcadia, their romantic chemistry is off the charts. At first, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the age gap, which is ridiculous since a goodly chunk of paranormal romances have the centuries old/immortal guy wooing a nubile, twenty-something female lead. However, Lon is so charming and surprising that he won me over almost immediately. He may not have a showy power like Cady but he’s good at what he does and he’s got a lot of depth.

Did I mention there’s a hedgehog?

When I first bought Kindling the Moon, I didn’t really get everything on the cover. The Tiki faces made sense based on the blurb but I wasn’t sure what was going on with Cady. Having finished the book, though, I have to say that Tony Mauro has captured Arcadia perfectly, from her two-toned hair to the invisible sigils on her arm. I also love the moon necklace (Cady is called the Moonchild because of the way she was conceived) and the fact that she’s wearing a whole shirt instead of baring her midriff as so many UF heroines seem wont to do. It’s a very Cady cover and I love it.

Read an excerpt

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Posted by jenn at 02:34

 Demon, Jenn Bennett, Magic, Review, Simon Schuster  5 People left their mark