The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

L. Frank Baum

Kindle Book

In a terrifying instant of darkness, a tornado snatches up Dorothy Gale and her dog Toto, whirling them on the wild wind out of Kansas and straight to Oz. 
In this wondrous world of sorcery and danger, Munchkins, flying monkeys, talking mice and fighting trees, all Dorothy wants to do is go home...

Together with the Scarecrow who wants a brain, the Tin Man who wants a heart, and the Cowardly Lion who wants courage, Dorothy and Toto must follow the Yellow Brick Road to find the Wizard of the Emerald City. But before the wizard of Oz will grant their wishes, Dorothy and her friends must do the impossible--Destroy the all-powerful Wicked Witch of the West... 

Everyone knows the story of the wizard of Oz – Kanas and the tornado, Dorothy & Toto wanting to go home, Scarecrow looking for a brain, Tin Man wanting a heart and a cowardly lion needing courage plus a couple of wicked witches, flying monkeys and the wonderful wizard himself. It’s been made famous by several films – the most famous being the Judy Garland one, had a hit musical Wicked and a glorious 3D adventure earlier this year with Oz The Great and Powerful, but with all this going on I realised I hadn’t read the original story itself. Oh, I thought I knew it but in my ongoing attempt to squeeze some classics into my reading schedule , this seemed like a nice ‘light’ classic for kids that I could pick up on holiday. While it is certainly an easy read aimed at children I found myself completely enthralled in Dorothy and her companion’s adventures while delighting in this world that the films I’ve seen have barely touched upon.

 I really enjoyed Dorothy’s friends exploits on their adventures that aren’t frequently covered on screen or stage with the Scarecrow thinking their way out of various problems while still lamenting his lack of a brain, the Tin Man saving various creatures while wishing he could feel more while the lion protects the group from various dangers while still feeling scared. All are smarter, more caring and braver than the film has ever portrayed them and really made me warm to them. I loved some of their escapades that aren’t well known including being chased by Kalidah – huge monsters crossed between a tiger and a bear and the background to the flying monkeys. The world is much more complicated than it first appeared and I felt like it was a real metaphor for life. Dorothy didn’t develop too much character apart from being a ‘good girl’ – and at one point she wanted to steal a china princess to take home with home her! Still she is more like our guide than a real person and it never bothered me too much.

This is a fun read which doesn’t disappoint if you love the films and world from other media. It is still surprising and fun with lots of pleasant twists on characters you think you already know. L. Frank Baum wrote a wide selection of other stories about Oz and I certainly plan to pick up a couple more and explore this wonderful world in more detail. 

Recommended for fans of Rudyard Kipling and Gregory Maguire. 8 out of 10

A Discover Of Witches Review

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1)

Deborah Harkness

Publisher: Headline

 In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and the descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont. 

Hmmm...I picked this up knowing there were many mixed reviews with some people loving it, while others struggled so I was determined to make my own mind up. First the setting in Oxford’s Library seem original and different – I love books naturally so any story which has the discovery of a long lost volume as a key plot point will intrigue me. I have to admit the various settings for the story were one my favourite parts with globe-trotting from Oxford to the French country-side to the United States well done with each place having a distinctly different feel and character of its own. I especially liked Diana’s family house which was a great twist on a house with personality!

Our leading lady, Diana is an alchemist historian and a witch – although she doesn’t know much about her powers as she has rejected them ever since the death of her parents. Despite this she still uses magic on a fairly regular basis. However, Diana is also a pretty weak character in my view with plenty of fainting and crying over small things. She also falls in love far too quickly – something that annoys me in YA books and is even less acceptable in adult books! The leading man is a vampire scientist, Matthew who is over-protective and over-bearing – it never seems like he trusts Diana enough to tell her himself of his history or even recent actions and the lack of trust between them doesn’t make the relationship work for me.

With the leading couple not people I can relate to too or root for, it made the whole story difficult for me to continue reading. If one of your heroes is being tortured you are supposed to be worried – not bored. Luckily I actually liked a lot of the secondary characters especially Matthew’s mother ‘Isobelle’ who was feisty and maternal at the same time. Diana’s aunts are also good characters who add some colour to the world and helped me continue reading. The wider world with the mixture of vampires, witches and daemons was interesting and I wanted to know more about what was happening – I love political intrigue and some information on how the wider world was changing would have been fascinating. Instead there were just a lot of assumptions on what the bad guys were up to.

I enjoyed the setting and the secondary characters, but the main relationship really frustrated me and held back my enjoyment of the rest of the story. Will I read the sequel? Not sure...I am curious about what happens next but the ending doesn’t leave me a lot of hope that the areas I liked will get a lot of time in the next book.

Recommended for fans of Andrew Davidson and Jo Walton. 6 out of 10

Blood and Magick (Deacon Chalk #3) Review

Blood and Magick (Deacon Chalk #3)

James R Tuck

Publisher: Kensington

Taking out hellish creatures—not a problem. Armed with blessed silver hollow-points and the ability to manipulate magick, he’s ready for anything—except betrayal he never saw coming…
Deacon Chalk knows the biggest danger in fighting monsters is becoming one. Just another day at the office for your friendly neighborhood occult bounty hunter. If keeping three helpless were-dog children safe means battling a malevolent trio of witches by any means necessary, so be it. If that means partnering with a ruthless government agent to stay one step ahead of the allies and friends he must now suspect, he’s not going to cry about it. The only way Deacon can save humans and shape-shifters alike is to embrace a power beyond his imagining, putting his team at stake—and his soul on the line...

Deacon Chalk goes out for dinner with his girlfriend and two friends, when all hell breaks loose! A triad of witches gatecrash demanding blood and it’s up to Deacon and his friends to protect their surrogate family, innocent humans and the world from a spell that could mean the end of everything. This is a page turner with all the events happening over the course of a single night – and you will have to remind yourself occasionally to breathe!

Deacon is as stalwart as ever, fighting the good fight no matter what the cost. He has unusual powers that seem to be changing and evolving. At the same time he has cares desperately about his people, the family he has gathered about him since his family were killed, but it’s become obvious that he doesn’t understand their choices all the time. Not that there is much time for deep musings as this is all action to the walls adventure with Deacon and friends firing bullets like there is no tomorrow. If you were one of the readers who finds some Urban Fantasy too slow and full of love triangles, then this might convince you that you can have edge of your seat action and character development.

It’s unusual for Urban Fantasy books to deal with religion (somewhat ironically considering the demons and other evil creatures they cover!), so it’s pleasant to see that Deacon is a true believer in the catholic church and has a priest helping him – even if that priest is a hard drinking, cigar smoking, shotgun fighter. Deacon’s girlfriend, Tiffany has also evolved into someone standing by his side at these events and holds her own. Even better is seeing Deacon complete accepting that is her place, no question or worry about protecting her.

This is UF with balls and is just plain fun to read. James R Tuck can take a timeless hard-boiled voice and make it fresh, amusing, exciting and emotional all at the same time. It’s also  a bit of a game changer in Deacon’s world in more than one way and I am curious what the next book will cover. Deacon Chalk has become someone I trust to give me a good adventure and I want more!

Recommended for fans of Kevin Hearne and Jim Butcher. 9 out of 10

Guest Post: A Discovery Of Witches

Today my regularly guest reviewer Sarah reviews a book I had been looking forward too for a while. One of our other friends raved about it but from the sounds of things Sarah wasn't so keen on it. Hmm...I'm tempted to have my own read soon to see what I think! :-)

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls Trilogy #1)
Deborah Harkness

Publisher: Headline

Diana Bishop, a young scholar and the descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont. 

Oh I do hope this review will arrive when the sun is shining.  My horse is moulting like crazy, creating mini tribbles every time I groom her, and I’ve got a hankering for chick-lit set in exotic locations, so surely spring must be on its way??? 

Anyway, enough wishful thinking, I have views to impart!  Views on a book that has been called ‘the new Twilight’, and featured heavily in the Sunday Times Bestsellers list.  A Discovery of Witches is the first in the story of Diana, a history academic based at Oxford university, who is also a witch that does not want, and seemingly does not use, her powers.  This book is classic Urban Fantasy, with witches, daemons and vampires existing as unobtrusively as possible in our modern-day world.  All of these creatures feature heavily throughout A Discovery of Witches, but it is an ancient, tall and handsome vampire, that enters Diana’s life, and turns her quiet existence totally upside down.

 The premise seemed promising, as I quite enjoyed the (earlier) Twilight books, and I loved the fact it was set in Oxford.  Indeed, Oxford is lovingly and intimately described, and I could virtually smell the books of the Bodleian Library.  Even the 600-plus pages didn’t put me off at first, that is, until I got into the book.  I felt that it really, REALLY, didn’t need to be that long.  In fact, I reckon I could have edited it down to half the size, and you wouldn’t have known.  Deborah Harkness is obviously a good writer, so I was totally at a loss to understand why she labored so many points – yes, I get that Matthew is pale, yes, I get that he is tall, yes, I get that he is fiercely protective of Diana, so why mention them, hmmm, every other page?  The pace of the novel is so slow that the action/emotional scenes lack any real punch, as I had lost all drive by the time I got to them.

I also never really warmed to Diana, or indeed Matthew (which, considering my predilection for tall, dark, slightly dangerous men, is very unusual!).  Diana is stupidly stubborn, annoyingly invasive of other’s privacy, and has a very frustrating tendancy to swoon and require Matthew to carry her around.  There were side characters that grabbed my interest – the brooding, Scottish politician Hamish and the touched-by-madness pregnant daemon Sophie in particular – but they do not feature enough to drag my emotions concerning the cast list beyond lukewarm.  I do admit to loving Diana’s family home though, a house that adds rooms when unexpected guests arrive, hides secrets, and expels those it doesn’t like.

Overall, unfortunately in A Discovery of Witches I found a book that didn’t, for me, live up to the hype.  A beautiful, lavishly described setting did not make up for pedestrian pacing, and some intriguing cast members (and house) could not fill the void left by indifferent leads.  I was left with no desire to read the sequel, and therefore cannot score the book more than 5 out of 10.

Grave Dance (Alex Craft #2) Review

Grave Dance (Alex Craft #2)

Kalayna Price

Publishers: UK – Berkley

 After a month spent recovering from a vicious fight with a sorcerer, grave witch Alex Craft is ready to get back to solving murders by raising the dead. With her love life in turmoil thanks to the disappearance of Fae Investigation Bureau agent Falin Andrews and a shocking “L” word confession from Death himself, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But her new case turns out to be a deadly challenge. The police hire Alex to consult on a particularly strange investigation in the nature preserve south of Nekros City. The strange part: There are no corpses, only fragments of them. A serial killer is potentially on the loose, and Alex has no way to raise a shade without a body, so she’ll have to rely on the magic of others to find leads. But as she begins investigating, a creature born of the darkest magic comes after her. Someone very powerful wants to make sure the only thing she finds is a dead end—her own.

This is definitely one of those series that started out strong but has gotten stronger! I was thrown straight back into the world and loved Alex, her friends, her job and even her two potential suitors are great characters that I loved getting to know better. I can completely understand for once why Alex is unable to choose between the two men in her live. Usually love triangles annoy me as one of the men is obviously the one she will choose from the beginning and I just want the heroine to stop stringing them both along, but here both characters have their flaws and both seem to genuinely care for despite the difficulties in perusing a relationship for very different reasons. Neither choice would be an easy option though…

With Alex’s Grave Witch powers explored in the first book, we now get a chance to look at her fey inheritance and explore fae itself. The Winter Court is an intriguing place as is stasis and some of the other areas Alex find on her investigation. One of the elements that I like about that Alex is that she isn’t a loner but has friends and colleagues who’s opinion matters and we get to learn a little more about Alex’s housemates as well…although a few questions were left unanswered which only makes me anxious to read the book in the series!

This is an easy to read Urban Fantasy with great characters and a very satisfying central mystery. More of the world is explored but more questions are raised and I think Alex is rapidly becoming one of my favourite heroines – she’s certainly one character that I would like to be friends with! Highly recommended series for those who like a little witch and fae in their UF and a genuine love triangle.

Recommended for fans of Jeanienne Frost and Kelley Armstrong. 9 out of 10

Early Review: Poltergeeks

Poltergeeks

-       Sean Cummings

Publisher: Strange Chemistry – To Be Published on 2^nd October

E-Arc courtesy of Netgalley and Strange Chemistry

15-year-old Julie Richardson is about to learn that being the daughter of a witch isn't all it's cracked up to be. When she and her best friend, Marcus, witness an elderly lady jettisoned out the front door of her home, it's pretty obvious to Julie there's a supernatural connection. In fact, there's a whisper of menace behind increasing levels of poltergeist activity all over town. After a large-scale paranormal assault on Julie's high school, her mother falls victim to the spell Endless Night. Now it's a race against time to find out who is responsible or Julie won't just lose her mother's soul, she'll lose her mother's life.

Julie is a teenage witch, apprenticed to her Mum, but when she and her best friend Marcus run into a Poltergeist terrorising an old woman, she finds herself involved something much bigger. Julie is a typical teenager – over confident in her abilities, keen to prove herself to her mother and figuring out what is important to her. The fact that she happens to be a witch adds an interesting twist. At its heart this is a book about relationships with Julie trying to figure out how her relationship with her Mum and her best friend is evolving.

 Poltergeeks is bags of fun – the plot is fast-paced, funny and with some genuinely exciting moments. The writing is deft with a light touch that perfectly portrays the personality of a teenage girl – hormones and school worries included. There are some great confrontations with Julie’s magic being put to the test. The fight scene in the cemetery was creepy and well placed to balance out a lot of recent info-dumping.

This is one of those books that makes you feel excited about being a reader again – flicking through the pages quickly and leaving a smile on your face. While there are emotional aspects to the story, it doesn’t overwhelm the plot or hold it back at all. It’s nice to read a book without being overwhelmed by angst and instant teenage lust. This is like a breath of fresh cleansing the cobwebs away and leaving you with a massive smile on your face.

Recommended for fans of Sabrina the Teenage Witch and 8 out of 10

Early Review: Full Blooded

Full Blooded (Jessica McClain #1)

-       Amanda Carlson

Publisher: Orbit (Published 11th September 2012)

E-Arc read courtesy of Hachette Books and Netgalley

Born the only female in an all male race, Jessica McClain isn’t just different—she’s feared.
After living under the radar for the last twenty-six years, Jessica is thrust unexpectedly into her first change, a full ten years late. She wakes up and finds she’s in the middle of a storm. Now that she’s become the only female full-blooded werewolf in town, the supernatural world is already clamoring to take a bite out of her and her new Pack must rise up and protect her.

Just like Jessica, from the first page of Full Blooded you are thrown into a world within our own, where werewolves are a male only species, vampires and witches exist and imps can prey on children. Jessica is startled to discover at twenty-six that she actually a werewolf after growing up looked down on by the pack. Unfortunately the rest of the supernatural world won’t let her come to terms with the changes in her body and circumstances as someone immediately starts to track her down...

Just as with the taster novella, Blooded this is one fast paced ride with Jessica continually being attacked, on the run or waking up unsure of what has happened. She very much has to react and isn’t given a lot of time to be proactive, but as this story occurs over a short space of time that’s understandable! Towards the end Jessica start to make some decisions that will influence her future and allows her to start taking control of her own life. The action is frantic and tense, while the banter between characters who have known each other for a while is fun and shows how much they care about each other. One element that I never quite felt was the immediate connection between Jessica and a certain alpha male – I usually like characters to get to know each other before falling for each other. But seeing as Jessica herself didn’t understand it completely I’m looking forward to exploring it more in the future!

This is Urban Fantasy at it’s strongest – dynamic story, strong heroine with a good line in witty remarks, diverse characters and a wild ride. Unfortunately the book does end on a cliff-hanger – well, less a cliff-hanger and more a pause between adventures. I wish I had had Hot Blooded book next to me as I would have started reading that straight away without having to wait!

Recommended for fans of Patricia Briggs and Rachel Vincent. 8 out of 10

Early Review: Blade Song

Blade Song

J.C Daniels

Publisher: Inscribe Digital - Will be Published on 1st August 2012

E-arc Courtesy of netgalley & Inscribe Digital

Kit Colbana—half breed, assassin, thief, jack of all trades—has a new job: track down the missing ward of one of the local alpha shapeshifters. It should be a piece of cake. So why is she so nervous? It probably has something to do with the insanity that happens when you deal with shifters—especially sexy ones who come bearing promises of easy jobs and easier money. Or maybe it’s all the other missing kids that Kit discovers while working the case, or the way her gut keeps screaming she’s gotten in over her head. Or maybe it’s because if she fails—she’s dead. If she can stay just one step ahead, she should be okay. Maybe she’ll even live long to collect her fee...

This is one of the most promising starts to a new Urban Fantasy series I’ve read in long time. Kit is a damaged but still fighting character. She grew up suffering abuse from the hands of her ‘noble’ warrior kin who despised her being half human. She left as soon as she could and set herself up as an investigator in Florida. When the local Cat Clan hires her to find the missing nephew of their Alpha, Kit finds her unable to resist because of his youth – and finds herself with a new shadow/bodyguard until the job is done. Kit is tough and resilient but she is also not quite a strong physically as a lot other supernatural creatures so she doesn’t always win. But she has a magic blade and never takes the easy way out. She uses her brain and determination to power through. She doesn’t always make the right decision – in fact she does get it wrong, but she gets wrong for the right reason. In short she is one tough cookie who will continue to stand up and fight even when everything appears lost.

There is a lot happening in the story which moves at a cracking pace. Kit’s bodyguard is a mystery – a complete jackass to start with but he soon grows on you. While I still don’t understand him, by the end he is more firmly our jackass rather than anyone else – I may even have developed a sweet spot for him! The world is full of shifters, vampires and witches all learning to live side by side with humans in an uneasy truce. While this might seem familiar with a number of other UF worlds, somehow JC Daniels has infused Florida with enough differences and variations to make it her own. The witch houses are fascinating as are some of the characters introduced there – Es and Kori especially. The pace is brutally fast and you need to focus on every line, but makes the world so immersive and real. This is a series which will continue to grow and expand – definitely one that will push most UF fans buttons and I’m already looking forward to the next instalment!.

Recommended for fans of Ilona Andrews and Karen Chance. 8.5 out of 10.

Grave Witch Review

Grave Witch (Alex Craft 1)

-          Kalayna Price

Publisher: UK – Berkley

As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she’s on good terms with Death himself—who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans—nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she’s attacked by the ‘shade’ she’s raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around...
To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something—though it’s certainly not his dislike of Alex—but Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life...and her soul.

The first in a new Urban Fantasy series introduces Alex Craft, a Grave Witch who can’t help raising shades and seeing the decay of everything when she uses her grave sight. When someone starts killing women in a ritualistic fashion and torturing their shades, Alex is determined to stop the killer but first she has to contend with a hostile detective, not to mention Death himself...

Alex has all the qualities I love in my heroines – she is smart, determined, independent and feisty. She is also isolated. She has friends and housemates, but she doesn’t confide in them. When she is attacked, hunted or injured – they worry and want to help her, but most of the time she is too busy getting into her next scrap to talk to them at all and they never know what is truly happening with her. There are reasons for this and by the end, there is some hints that her self-imposed isolation could end. She does have some very strong men in her life – her father, detective Falin Andrews, and the mysterious Death – all of which I want to know more about and leave plenty of room for future revelations.

The story is fast paced and a great mix of magic, investigation, intuition and politics. There isn’t a much time to pause as the action starts almost straight away and rarely slows down. I loved the world that Kalayna has created with the fae and magic out and used in police procedures. The city itself is built in one of the hidden spaces that opened when fae came out to the human world and magic resurged. It makes it unique with the use of magic and politics hot topics still in the world. There is so much potential in this world and with Alex - I can’t wait to see what will happen next!

Recommended for fans of Chloe Neill and Patricia Briggs. 8 put of 10.



Counterfeit Magic Review

Counterfeit Magic

-       Kelley Armstrong

Kindle Book

The first rule of a supernatural fight club? Don't kill your opponent.
When the fighters come with lethal spells, werewolf strength and half-demon powers, that can be a lot tougher than it sounds. It's hard to attract talent if they know they might not leave the ring alive. So when fighters at a California club start dying -- it's bad for business. Witch detectives Paige Winterbourne and Savannah Levine take the case. Going undercover in the power-heavy arena of the fight club is a welcome change of pace for Paige, relegated to the role of The Wife as her husband struggles to find his place in his family's Cabal--the corporate Mafia of the supernatural world. As Paige is drawn deeper into new and dangerous corners of her world, she quickly discovers the greatest threat isn't the killer in her sights. It's something much, much closer to home. And this is one fight she can't afford to lose. 

Any regular followers know that I am a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong. Bitten was the first ever Urban Fantasy book I ever read and still one of my favourites. So I get very excited whenever a new Otherworld book is released – and disappointed when I can’t get my hands on them straight away. Counterfeit Magic isn’t a full novel, but a novella that was originally a limited edition release complete with beautiful art work. I wasn’t able to get my hands on a copy, but a couple of years later and the magic of e-books means I can finally read this story, set shortly before Waking The Witch with the focus on Paige and Savannah – two of my favourite characters!

While we spend the most time with Paige and Savannah, this equally has both Lucas and Adam in starring male roles. I’ve always liked Lucas and the emotional core of this story is how Paige and Lucas are adapting to his unique role in the supernatural world – heir to one of the most powerful sorcerer cabels – but would prefer to be fighting for the underdog. Together they have always been a favourite couple of mine because I could always relate to them. And this time their marriage is struggling to cope with real life.

While the initial investigation was interesting, it was soon dropped in favour of the relationship exploration and afterwards solved off-screen which was a little disappointing. I would really like a full length novel based on one of Paige and Lucas’s investigations! In general though this was a great taster of one of my favourite series and has only made my more desperate to pick up the latest book!

As a side note - the kindle versions does include some of the original artwork and can I say even in black and white they are beautiful. So gorgeous. I love them so much.

Recommended for fans of Patricia Briggs and Rachel Vincent. 7.5 out of 10.

Go Team Witch!

Whisper of the Witch Review

Whisper of the Witch (Savannah Coven 1)

-       Suza Kates

Kindle Book

A Choice
Shauni Miller has no idea why her life is changing, but she must answer when an unknown force summons her to a mystical island. She also harbors a secret, one that has the potential to alter her life forever. If she chooses to share it.
A Deception
Dr. Michael Black helps Shauni in her time of need, but sees more in the raven-haired temptress than she ever meant to reveal. He knows she’s hiding something, but then, so is he.
A Prediction
Both Shauni and Michael have a role to play and decisions to make as a centuries-old prophecy unfolds. Only the fates know if they are meant to be together. Or if one of them has to die.

I picked this up fancying a little romance and some supernatural adventures and this book delivers exactly that! Nine women with various gifts are suddenly drawn to Savannah only to discover they are witches and the nine of them are the only ones standing between a demon and his followers destroying the world. At first with so many characters introduced at once – not just the nine witches but also some of the help around the house, bad guys and not forgetting the love interest – I was a little overwhelmed with names and figuring out who was who. However, this soon settled down as the story progressed. The women are all different and as they get to know each other, so do we. A couple stand out for particularly Kylie, Anna and Paige and one or two others probably get short changed slightly but I assume they’ll all end up with their own book and we’ll get to know them then.

Shauni is the heroine of this book and comes across well despite all the world building and background information that also has to be told. She’s strong, cares about others and animals but doesn’t believe in violence as the answer. Michael as her love interest is a strong, yummy vet who just wants her to be honest with him. My major drawback was I felt the book could have been a little longer as I wanted Shauni and Michael to spend more time together getting to know each other, but hopefully they’ll appear in future books in the series. The big finale involving Shauni’s test was a little underwhelming but I liked the way the hero and heroine’s roles were turned on their head.  

This a fun paranormal romance with some fantastic scenery and interesting characters – this could be a series to watch – as long as it doesn’t get too repetitive!

Recommended for fans of Heather Graham and CT Adams and Cathy Clamp. 7 out of 10

Green Eyed Demon Early Review

Green Eyed Demon (Sabina Kane 3)

-       Jaye Wells

Publisher Orbit - released on 3rd February in UK and 22nd February in US

The clock is ticking for Sabina Kane. With her sister taken by mysterious captors, the Dark Races on the brink of war and a sinister order manipulating everyone behind the scenes, she's really got her work cut out. Using information provided by an unlikely ally, Sabina and her trusty sidekicks - the sexy mage Adam Lazarus and Giguhl, the Mischief demon - head to New Orleans to begin the hunt for her sister. Once there, they must contend with belligerent werewolves, magic-wielding vampires and, perhaps most frightening of all, humans. But before Sabina can save those she cares about, she's got to save herself from the ghosts of her former life. Because the past is haunting her. Literally.

This is the third Sabina Kane book and the strongest so far. I really enjoyed Red Headed Stepchild and Mage in Black but this is my favourite in the series – they just keep getting better with each book. Sabina has come a long from the heartless assassin we first met. Her circle of acquaintances has expanded to include friends, family and lovers. She is still short tempered and prone to punching first and asking questions later, but she has let herself be vulnerable and more trusting than she was (with some people at least!).

In addition to the evolution of Sabina into a more rounded individual, the storyline benefits from having a strong focus. Sabina wants to find and rescue her sister from her grandmother’s clutches. This one aim seemed to tighten the story for me and there was less teaching and waiting around that happened than in the previous stories. This meant there was plenty of action with rock stars, weres and zombies all getting some cool scenes – I especially like the expansion of Sabina Chronic powers which I hope will explored further in the series.

As ever, what makes Sabina such a readable heroine is her sarkiness and her relationships with both Adam and her minion Giguhl are such fun to read. A great addition to Sabina’s friends this time is the fae, Brooks and what he goes through was a heart breaking experience. I hope he re-appears in the next book!

Overall this was a sassy, fun read – the most action packed and exciting adventure yet for Sabina and definitely a series most Urban Fantasy fans should pick up.

Recommended for fans of Patricia Briggs and Devon Monk. 9 out of 10

This is an advanced review courtesy of Orbit and netgallery.

Storm Warning Review

Storm Warning

-      Toni Anderson

Free Copy courtesy of Carina Press & Netgallery. Kindle Book

Sorcha Logan is looking for peace.

Recently returned to her hometown on Scotland's craggy coast, Sorcha wants to tame the spirits that made her flee. When she finds a corpse in the surf, however, she can't suppress the memory of discovering her father's body. Nor can she suppress the ghosts that haunt her-or the town's conviction that she's dangerous, and a witch.  

Ben Foley is looking for a killer.

An American DEA agent, Ben is in town to investigate the suspicious death of his partner. He's sure that Sorcha knows more than she's letting on-but the more time he spends with the sexy suspect, the less he can fight their illicit attraction. And the less certain he is she's involved with a drug cartel.

But can Ben protect Sorcha from being set up? Or worse-killed?

There were things I liked about this book and things I didn’t. I liked the way Ben continues to worry about his lost partner and how falling for main suspect would impact his career. I didn’t like that he seemed so focussed Sorcha as the main suspect he didn’t really think about anyone else – even though she had only arrived back in Scotland two months earlier. I liked the progression of the relationship between the two leads – the off-again parts seemed natural and not forced – there was real attraction there. And I loved the way Sorcha was able to make the first move. I didn’t like how little the other characters are developed though – they seemed little more than cardboard cutouts.

The story doesn’t focus heavily on the supernatural side – it feels a little tacked as a reason for the heroine to be isolated in the village – do people still believe enough in witches to burn them? In fact the supernatural side seems to hold back the romance some and to me made the story seem a little old fashioned. However, the action and twists kept me reading and the finale at sea in a storm was beautifully described – I couldn’t help but picture it all and root for Sorcha and Ben.

While I moderately enjoyed the book, I don’t think it will be one I will remember well in a few months time.

Recommended for fans of Heather Graham. 6 out of 10.

On My Wishlist #9

This is a meme from Book Chick City. There are so many books out there that I want to read that this is the only way I keep track! This week, as it's nearly Halloween, the theme is witches...

Grave Witch (Alex Craft 1) - Kalayna Price

Publisher: US Roc (December 2010)

As a grave witch, Alex Craft can speak to the dead - she's even on good terms with Death himself. As a consultant for the police, she's seen a lot of dark magic, but nothing has prepared her for her latest case. When she's raising a 'shade' involved in a high profile murder, it attacks her - and then someone makes an attempt on her life. Someone really doesn't want her to know what the dead have to say, and she'll have to work with mysterious homicide detective Falin Andrews to figure out why.

There's been some great early hype about Grave Witch online and together with a gorgeous cover and an interesting blurb I'm eagerly looking forward to it's release!

Counterfeit Magic - Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: US -Subterranean Press (November 2010)

The first rule of a supernatural fight club? Don't kill your opponent.
When the fighters come with lethal spells, werewolf strength and half-demon powers, that can be a lot tougher than it sounds. It's hard to attract talent if they know they might not leave the ring alive. So when fighters at a California club start dying -- it's bad for business.
Witch detectives Paige Winterbourne and Savannah Levine take the case. Going undercover in the power-heavy arena of the fight club is a welcome change of pace for Paige, relegated to the role of The Wife as her husband struggles to find his place in his family's Cabal--the corporate Mafia of the supernatural world.
As Paige is drawn deeper into new and dangerous corners of her world, she quickly discovers the greatest threat isn't the killer in her sights. It's something much, much closer to home. And this is one fight she can't afford to lose.

I'm a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series and the chance to see Paige Winterbourne in action again, not in short stories or on the periphery of another narrator's story is exciting. Paige is my favourite narrator (much underrated!) and I've missed her so a novella from her point of view would be Christmas come early for me!

Dead Witch Walking (Rachel Morgan 1) - Kim Harrison
Publisher: UK - Voyager (October 2006)

Rachel Morgan is a white witch and runner working for Inderland Security, in an alternate world where a bioengineered virus wiped out a great deal of the world's human population -- exposing the existence of the supernatural communities that had long lived alongside humanity. For the last five years Rachel has been tracking down law-breaking Inderlanders in modern-day Cincinnati, but now she wants to leave and start her own agency. Her only problem is that no one quits the I.S. Marked for death, Rachel will have to fend off fairy assassins and homicidal weres armed with an assortment of nasty curses. She's a dead witch walking unless she can appease her former employers by exposing the city's most prominent citizen as a drug lord. But making an enemy of the ambiguous Trent Kalamack is just as deadly as leaving the I.S.
This is a personal bookfail. I've never read any Kim Harrison books and as there are so many of them now, this could be a whole series to catch up on.

So that's what's on my wishlist this week- what's on yours? :)

The Mage In Black Review

The Mage In Black (Sabina Kane 2)

-          Jay Wells

Publisher: UK – Orbit

Sabina Kane doesn't have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her own grandmother, leader of the vampire race, wants her dead. So when she arrives in New York to meet her mage relatives, the reunion puts the fun in dysfunctional. Not only is mage culture completely bizarre, but everyone seems to think she's some kind of 'Chosen' who'll unite the dark races. Sabina doesn't care who chose her, she's not into destiny. But the mages aren't Sabina's only problem. In New York's Black Light District, she has run-ins with fighting demons, hostile werewolves and an opportunistic old flame. Sabina thought she'd take a bite out of the Big Apple - but it looks like it wants to bite back.

I read the first of the Sabine Kane books, Red-Headed Stepchild a few weeks ago and quite enjoyed it (Read my review here). Picking up immediately following the end of the first book, this one sees Sabina move from California to New York and exploring her mage heritage along with some unexpected family and an old flame re-appears.

As before Sabina is a girl who reveals in action and snarky comments. I love her conversations with her demon minion, Giguhl – there is a great banter between the two of them that flies of the page. This time round Sabina is a little more relaxed, she’s not undercover this  time so you get to explore her off time habits in more detail. Whether it’s exploring her suppressed mage powers or just hanging out at the bar I felt I got to see more of Sabina ticks this time. While there wasn’t the urgency that the first novel had, there is still the over-hanging threat of war and Sabina’s Grandmother is still after her for her ‘betrayal’ in the first book. All this builds up to a huge finale and a cliff hanger ending – I’m looking forward to Green-Eyed Demon, the third book released in March 2011.

Once again I was swept up with the story and practically inhaled the whole book! While Sabina doesn’t linger in my imagination as much as others there (I’m thinking Elana Michaels and Mercy Thompson) I do enjoy spending time in her world – if only for some genuine amusing banter and some great fight scenes.

Recommended for Patricia Briggs and Charlaine Harris fans. 8 out of 10

Red-Headed Stepchild Review

Red-Headed Stepchild (Sabina Kane - Book 1)
- Jaye Wells

Publisher: UK – Orbit

In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina doesn't really fit in. And being an assassin - the only profession fit for an outcast - doesn't help matters. But she's never brought her work home. Until now. Her latest mission is uncomfortably complex, and threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races. As Sabina scrambles to figure out which side she's on, she uncovers a tangled political web, some nasty facts about her family and some unexpected new talents. Any of these things could be worryingly life-changing, but together, they could be fatal ...

I picked this book up shortly after it first came out having been persuaded by the advertising campaign, but it’s never made it to the top of my TBR pile until now. Having seen that my TBR pile features a lot of Urban Fantasy I’ve decided to start reading and weed out the good (loads of series for me to follow!) from the dreadful (plenty of that in the genre as well!).
RH SC was an easy read. The world was nothing new to readers of UF but has some fun twists on the usual set up such as apple being poisonous to vampires (even cider!). At it’s heart it’s a lonely, hard-assed girl learning to connect to people. Sabina doesn’t worry about killing people (she is an assassin after all) or drinking blood, but over the course of the story she makes friends with a wood Nymph and starts to trust a mage – a race vampires usually despise. She also learns her family isn’t all she thought it was. There was nothing challenging in the story but it balanced some light hearted moment involving a demon cat and action as well skating close to issues of rape and assault, but generally landed on the lighter side. There are a few revelations which set up the next two books and will have me looking out for the next book - The Mage in Black.

Fans of Kitty Noville and Sookie Stackhouse might enjoy this for a different view on creatures of the night.

Rating: 7 out of 10