Agave Kiss (Corine Solomon #5) Review

Agave Kiss (Corrine Solomon #5)

Ann Aguirre

Publisher: Roc Fantasy

Chance was gone; he’d sacrificed himself so Shannon and I could escape Sheol. We’d raised him on Shan’s spirit radio, which meant his soul wasn’t wholly destroyed by the demon gate….Once Corine Solomon only had the touch—the ability to read an object’s past by handling it. Then she inherited her mother’s magick, and that ended up being a hell of a burden. But if Corine can wrestle a demon queen and win, she can bring back her lover Chance after he’s made the ultimate sacrifice. Can’t she? All Corine knows is that she can’t leave Chance behind if there’s anything she can do about it. But the clock is ticking—and she still has to deal with debt-collecting demons and a maniacal archangel who’s running a recruitment drive. The stakes have never been so high…and this time it’s truly Corine’s last chance to save the love of her life

Corine Solomon has returned from the demon world with her best friend Shannon, but without Chance, the man she loves. Instead of mourning she resolves to get him back, but others are also asking for her help, including Book, the occult specialist who has helped her out in the past.

This is the final book in the Corine Solomon series and from the start there is a feeling that a lot needs to be resolved and wrapped up. It almost reads like multiply short stories visiting various characters to have their stories wound up as every character Corine has met in the last four books are seen or referenced. Some of the most interesting ideas seem to be changed suddenly such as Corine’s ‘destiny’ and the idea of angels fighting demons. However, at the same time it all feels very realistic and part of Corine’s world which has always included Mexican drug cartels as well as demons.

Corine is determined and knows what she wants now. This is the first time in the whole series that Corine has been sure of what she wants and she doesn’t let anything get in her way. She has friends who help her including the feisty Shannon (please can we have a series with her and Jesse as the main couple!), occult specialist Book, Chuch and Eva and the Nephilim, Kel. It was a nice ending for a high quality UF series, but it felt like a happy ending given rather than earned. But that’s like saying someone gave you a free chocolate bar rather than having to go to the shops for one. Still tasty but without the sacrifice of going out!

Overall, this is a great series with some truly memorable characters. I don’t think this series gets enough coverage so I’m saying now if you would like to try some Urban Fantasy without vampires, werewolves but with plenty of human characters, tricky situations and shades of grey then pick up book one, Blue Diablo and enjoy!

Recommended for fans of Kelley Armstrong and Jaye Wells. 8 out of 10

Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6) Review

Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6)

Ilona Andrews

Publisher: Ace Fantasy

Atlanta is a city plagued by magical problems. Kate Daniels will fight to solve them—no matter the cost.Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.
Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap...

Who says after a couple gets together life gets boring...? For Kate and Curran life together is just as challenging and exciting as before but the stakes are higher than ever before. Kate is now the Beast Lord’s Consort and this means as well as being Currans other half she has responsibility for the Pack. So she and Curran find themselves heading to Europe in order to obtain some vitally needed medicine that will help save the Pack’s children from going loup.

Wow. Just wow. 

This series set such a high standard and it sends a little of thrill of excitement down my spine that the quality is maintained, the world is expanded and the characters grow and change. No-one is safe and even surviving doesn’t mean that life will be the same. Kate has let Curran into her heart completely and the vulnerability that gives her is a different side of the character. Especially when she is surrounded by shapeshifters who make assumptions she is weak as she isn’t one. The wider plot with Kate’s father is expanded as well in some very intriguing ways.

When I picked up this book I was immediately sucked back into Atlanta and world ravaged by magic, I didn’t want to leave and just wanted to continue stalking Kate,Curran, Andrea, Doolittle and the others as long as possible. There is plenty of action, soul searching and intrigue in equal measures. My one niggle was Curran’s behaviour was while ultimately noble, was still not giving Kate enough credit. However, any book which gets my adrenaline pumping, my heart thumping and where anything can happen is always a good time.

There are some big changes by the end of the story and I have no idea what is in store for Kate and the Pack next...and I have a long wait until the next book is out!

Recommended for fans of Jim Butcher and Karen Chance. 9.5 out of 10.

Guest Post: Magic Burns (Kate Daniels #2)

Magic Burns (Kate Daniels #2)
Ilona Andrews

Publisher: Ace Fantasy

As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one. When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, Celtic god Morfran supersedes goddess Morrigan for witch coven worshippers of the Crow, and sea monsters from the Underworld enter via the Cauldron of Plenty. Kate starts looking for Pack maps and 13-year old Julia's witch mother, and ends up uniting shapeshifters and vampire zombie controllers to save the world.

Hello everyone, I’m back to help Mel out whilst she deals with a very difficult time in her life.  This is about the only non-Christmas related book I’ve read over the Festive period, and one that Mel told me I could only borrow if I reviewed for her. :-)

Magic Burns continues the story of Kate Daniels, a feisty, mouthy heroine who can just as easily wield a sword as a magical power word.  In her version of Atlanta, the normally sedate transition between the times of magic and technology have been whipped into a frenzy as a magical flare approaches.  Magical beings find their grip on logic failing, and gods and goddesses start making a play for earth-based power.

The characters we encountered in the first in the series nearly all make a comeback, and Kate’s dealings with Curran, Ghastek and Saiman are again highly entertaining.  She’s not all mouth and action this time though, and the reader gets to see some deep emotions behind the feisty façade.  Her interactions with a young girl in particular only serve to heighten Kate’s likeability.

Ilona Andrews once again delivers in the action scenes too, and the book is fast-paced and involving from start to finish, ensuring that the 270-odd pages simply fly by.  The snippets relating to Kate’s heritage are especially delicious, and as tantalizing as the pick and mix stall I keep wandering past on the way to work!

An excellent installment to both the series, and the fantasy genre in general, and one for fans of Patricia Briggs and Carrie Vaughn, 8 out of 10.