Terri Mitchell is an undercover agent for B.A.D. working as a consultant for the New Orleans Police Department. The Bureau suspect there is a terrorist group being fronted and funded by a notorious drug lord, operating within New Orleans. Terri’s mission is to find out who they are and what they are planning.
Nathan Drake is a phantom. An ex-covert operative for the US army and now ex-con, he’s lost everyone he ever loved to the organised crime ring and he wants revenge.
When Terri’s path keeps being crossed by the mysterious phantom that has the criminal underworld in a panic, she realises they might just be working towards the same goal. Both trained by life and profession to not trust anyone, they must attempt to work together or die trying. If they don’t, an entire city could perish.
I was a little sceptical about the second book in the B.A.D. series being co-written by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love as not all pairings work, especially when Bad Attitude was such a great solo effort by Kenyon. Having been unable to put the book down until I’d finished, I’m happy to say it seems like a match made in heaven. I’m unfamiliar with Dianna Love’s work but while Kenyon’s trademarks are clearly present, the superb characterisations and hot scenes definately had an extra level to them. The plot is more intricate and in depth than I would say are Kenyon’s usual style and I think the collaboration has created something special there, definately an interesting setup for further books to be based around. The love scenes while extremely erotic, are well written and the mystery and tension building up between the two main characters throughout the book left me quite breathless. The action is fast paced and quite brutal at times but never overdone or just for the sake of it. Everything just fits in together so well to create an exciting and outstanding book.
J. D. Steele is a former US Army sniper fallen from grace after his partner is killed, and he is left to take the blame for another’s bad decision. A foolish attack on the person responsible lands him courtmarshalled and rotting in jail. Approached by a mysterious trio, a man and two women who claim they can give him his life back. All he has to do is join their shadow agency and perform a simple task. Unable to trust anyone, not even the alluring Sydney Westbrook who is assigned as his partner, and unwilling to kill again, he wonders how he can escape from this predicament and keep his life. The Bureau of American Defense does not mess around.
I’ve yet to come across a genre within Romance that Sherrilyn Kenyon doesn’t excell at. Spy romance? Not quite sure what to call it but oh my it’s good. As she has with her other series, Sherrilyn creates an interesting world for her characters to play in and gives them solid backgrounds. I like the B.A.D. Agency and I love the characters of Tee and Joe even if they are minor characters for this book, I do hope I get to see them in their own story.
The main characters here however are Sydney Westbrook and J. D. Steele. Sydney is a shorter, curvier Angelina Jolie lookalike with a kickass attitude, and an iron knee, who couldn’t love her? Then there is the very hot and mouthwatering J. D. Steele. Oh my!
I love the fact Sherrilyn Kenyon doesn’t just create copies of other characters with minor changes, they are all unique in their own way and have their own flaws and idiosyncrasies. I have to say though that this book feels more erotic and sensual than others have been and no, I don’t think that’s a bad thing, just keep a fan handy
Fast action, absorbing plot, hot scenes and brilliant characters make this a book you have to read.
Rhage is one of the most ferocious vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Not only do his warrior instincts threaten to break out on a regular basis, but he also carries a beast within him, a curse placed on him by the Scribe-Virgin. Until now, he has managed to keep it under control by fighting against the Lesser Society or by using countless lovers. Then he meets Mary Luce and both beast and vampire find it hard to control themselves around her. Mary though is living under a death sentence from her own body and the last thing she wants is to finally fall in love, just to have to leave.
Having read and enjoyed Dark Lover, the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, I didn’t think it could get any better. I was wrong. Lover Eternal is a rush from start to finish with tense, emotional scenes, explosive action and a sensuality that is very exciting. A simple plot and superb characterisations make the book outstanding and I couldn’t put it down. I didn’t expect to like the character of Rhage so much considering his appearances in the first book but with him as a main character here, he was awesome and I fell in love totally. Mary was such a complete opposite to him but had a lot of charm of her own. You see a lot of growth in her throughout the story and you can’t help but love her too. I have to touch on the ending or I wouldn’t do the book or this review any justice. It was so well written and compelling it made me cry and not a lot of books do that to me. An absolute must-read.
St. Martin’s Press have released the following information about Sherrilyn Kenyon’s 3rd book in the League series,
New from St. Martin’s Press is #1 New York Times bestselling author, Sherrilyn Kenyon’s 3-book series, ‘The League’! With over 19 million books in print, Sherrilyn Kenyon is renowned the world over as “the reigning queen of the paranormal genre that she pioneered long before the world had heard of Twilight.” The third book from ‘The League’ series, ‘Born of Ice’, will be available December 1st, 2009.
As with the previous book, Born of Fire, they’ve published a movie-like trailer, which you can watch below or check it out here on YouTube.
There’s more info and the chance to read an excerpt on Sherrilyn’s main website, or this link should take you straight to it.
The excerpt has really whetted my appetite and this little nugget made me laugh out loud :
Oh. My. God.
The one who’d spoken had to be a good six foot four in height. Built in perfect proportions, he was lean and ripped. Broad shoulders tapered down to narrow hips and what had to be the fi nest butt she’d ever seen in her life—she could bounce a credit off that.
Or break a tooth biting it…
Piatkus are the UK publishers, and they’re releasing it on the 3rd December over here.
I really can’t wait to get my hands on it! Check out the preview of the second book Born of Fire and don’t forget to read my review of the one that started it all, Born of Night. And if you want to know why you should read Sherrilyn Kenyon… this is why.
Violet Natalie Lindstrom is desperate to keep her daughter out of the clutches of the Violet Corps but because of their interference with any gainful employment, she is struggling to make ends meet. When a job offer lands in her lap that would pay enough to keep her going for quite some time, she is suspicious that it seems too good to be true. Can she afford to turn it down though? The job is simple, travel to Peru and channel the spirit of a long dead Conquistador to find out where he stashed the stolen treasures of the Incas. A simple job that could cost Natalie her life.
In Golden Blood has a slightly different feel to it than the previous two books. Still just as good, but an added flavour of treasure hunting thrown in to an already powerful mix. It’s good to see Natalie’s experiences are changing her, making her more mature but still the same gentle person she has always been. I felt this book was more tense than the others and was equally as gripping. I was never sure what the ultimate outcome would be and I had no choice but to keep reading, fearing but hoping at the same time, an odd mix of emotions. There were a few scenes that made me want to cry and I can only put it down to Stephen Woodworth’s ability to write emotional and engaging books that are very easy to read, without skimping on detail, characterisation or imagination. When I read the first book in the series, I thought it would be a trilogy but am happy to say there is another one to come. I am looking forwards to that very much.
Six years have passed since Natalie stopped the Violet Killer with Dan. Sickened by the violence she resigns from the Violet Corps, and to make ends meet takes any freelance job she can get. Not easy when the Corps try to block any employment to try and force her to come back. They also want to get their hands on the one legacy Dan left. Their daughter. When a killer is going to walk free due to the false testimony of a corrupt Violet, Natalie feels she has to try and prove how he did it. The one thing she doesn’t bank on is something dark from her Mother’s history.
I still found the premise of Violets as unique and exciting as I did in the first book, Through Violet Eyes. The character of Natalie continues to appeal with her strength, quiet dignity and determination. The love for her daughter and the fierce protectiveness she has for her is compelling and touching, especially when you know what Natalie herself went through as a child.
The book was skillfully written, causing pangs of sorrow everytime Dan appears. As I mentioned in the first book’s review, the mix of urban fantasy and crime is just brilliant and I would be hard pressed to choose which genre it would fit into. The pace of this book was just right, progressing with enough speed to keep me interested, but not so fast that I had to keep reading back to catch something. The plot was complex enough to keep me glued to the pages, trying to guess what was going to happen. I absolutely loved what he did with the ending, didn’t see that coming at all. Highly recommended for anyone who likes a good solid thrilling read.
As the genre of Paranormal Romance has evolved, one of its pioneers has been Sherrilyn Kenyon. She broke new ground with her Dark-Hunter series. It appealed to the many readers who were growing bored with the bodice rippers and outdated euphemisms for male genitalia that had saturated the romance market. That’s not so say it was bad fiction, just it had reached the point where something needed to change. I applaud the agents and publishers who took a chance on a new slant of an already established and huge genre.
So why should you read Sherrilyn Kenyon?
I am continually astounded by her ability to tell not only a great story, but by the worlds and supporting characters she creates with the different series. With each book, someone who might have been a minor character in a previous story becomes the focus. You learn their history and ride along with them as their present unfolds and you genuinely feel part of it. The characters are always compelling, interesting and flawed and it’s those three things that keep you reading and eager to pick up another of her novels.
The Dark-Hunter world is like a web with a different strand for each person but with one character in the middle who holds it all together. He appears in most of the Dark-Hunter books and finally had his own story told in Acheron which was outstanding.
While Sherrilyn is (thankfully!) a prolific writer, I’ve never felt she churns out the same material for the sake of it. I feel the love she has for her characters in every book and they are all emotional, very engaging and unique. How she keeps all the characters straight when they cross paths continually I’ll never know but it amazes me.
Her male characters are hot, charismatic, dangerous, sensual but flawed and yes you’d expect that considering it is romance after all, but she also creates strong, determined and often ferocious women who you both love and can empathise with a great deal. The mix is explosive and very exciting and it’s the superb characterisations of both that bring them to life in your mind and utterly hook you.
So if you want books that you will absolutely fall in love with, you should read Sherrilyn Kenyon and my favourite series of all, the Dark-Hunters.
In Caldwell, New York, a secret and hidden war rages on. The vampires who only want to live their long lives in peace fight the Lessening Society who would see every last one of them dead. Standing in between them is the Black Dagger Brotherhood, 6 brothers in arms, warriors to the core who fight to protect what vampire society remains. When one of their own is killed, he leaves behind a half breed daughter who was raised human and unaware of the other half of her soul. It falls to Wrath, the blind leader of the Brotherhood to protect her and watch for signs she might go through the transition that is part of her vampiric heritage. With vengeance on his mind, for the one who killed Darius, Wrath finds his world turned upside down when he meets Beth.
This is the second book I’ve read by J. R. Ward, and is the start of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Having enjoyed Covet a great deal I was curious as to what her take on the vampire mythos would be and what would make it stand out from any other vampire romance book. I have to say it’s interesting and I love that she’s stripped most of the myths away leaving a couple of core ones but with a twist.
The book itself was fantastic, emotional, very engaging right from the start, with a fast paced plot and explosive action, I couldn’t put it down. I love authors that have their own style when it comes to writing, something unique that is wholly theirs and makes them stand out from the rest and J. R. Ward definitely has that. Her characters are superb and larger than life and I felt I got to know them as the book progressed, catching subtle glimpses of who they are behind their warrior façades. I just fell in love with the main characters of Wrath and Beth, feeling a lot of empathy for them and loving their interactions.
I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did and I highly recommend it if you are looking for something truly great to read in the genre (or even if you feel like a change from another one!).
One female body in the morgue, another high profile millionairess missing and a possible connection to a Hollywood actor rumoured to have unsavoury sexual practices. Kay Scarpetta while working pro bono for the New York’s Chief Medical Examiner is working on the case when she is asked to make one of her semi-regular appearances on a TV show. While being bombarded by the presenter with questions about the case of Hannah Starr, which she can’t discuss, she gets an unsettling call live on air from a former psychiatric patient of Benton’s. A mysterious package turns up at her apartment that could be a bomb, and Kay realises this case is getting personal and that Lucy has a hidden connection with the missing Hannah.
I’ve enjoyed the earlier books by Patricia Cornwell for a long time, but I have to say the last few have been a bit hit and miss. The previous book, Scarpetta, was really good so I had high hopes for The Scarpetta Factor, thinking Cornwell had found her way again. She usually has a talent for writing a good story and keeping you on the edge of your seat but sadly I really struggled with it and felt the first half of the book was just lacklustre and going through the motions. On the plus side, the plot was interesting and it was good to catch up with much loved characters again. On the minus side, the book could have been half the size and still managed to get everything in that it needed. It wasn’t really until the second half when it became remotely engaging and felt like you were reading a Scarpetta book. The last third is when it really takes off, the pace rising enough to keep you interested and feel the tension that is such a trademark. Having said all that, if another book should be released, I will still read it because when Patricia Cornwell is on form, she’s very, very good.
Stan Nicholls just sent over this press release, for next years (2010) David Gemmell Legend Award for Fantasy.
New Award Categories
When we established The David Gemmell Legend Award For Fantasy it was with the intention of subsequently introducing further award categories to cover other aspects of the fantasy genre. We are now pleased to announce two new, additional awards, to be presented at next year’s ceremony. They are -
The David Gemmell Morningstar Award for Best Newcomer
and
The David Gemmell Ravenheart Award for Best Fantasy Cover Art
The Morningstar Award will give recognition to emerging talent in the field of fantasy fiction. As David Gemmell always took a keen interest in new writers, and helped many onto the path to publication, we regard this as an appropriate category to add, and one we feel sure David would have approved.
The Ravenheart Award will honour the best fantasy book cover art. The importance of fantasy cover art deserves admiration, as do the artists who produce it, yet there is no major UK award acknowledging this. The Ravenheart Award will fulfil that role.
Like the Legend Award, the winners of these new awards, for best debut author and best cover/artist, will be decided by popular vote. The first Legend Award, for best fantasy novel of the year, presented at a ceremony in London in June of this year, garnered an incredible 11,000 votes from around the world. We are confident that the Morningstar and Ravenheart awards, which are being created with the full approval of the Gemmell family, will be greeted with no less enthusiasm.
Details of the process whereby these new awards will be administered can be found on our website.
Our aim is to establish, over time, a set of awards covering all aspects of the fantasy genre. Launching this pair of new awards takes us a step nearer to that objective.
The 2010 David Gemmell Awards ceremony will again be held at The Magic Circle headquarters in London, on Friday 18th June.
Please feel free to contact either of us if more information is needed.
Very young children eat their books, literally devouring their contents. This is one reason for the scarcity of first editions of Alice in Wonderland and other favorites of the nursery.
Rosenbach, A. S. W.
BookThing! is a website where Grete can indulge her passion for books. There are reviews covering a range of genres (paranormal romance, crime, fantasy, romantic comedy), bibliographies for selected authors, features and sometimes the odd free book giveaway!
Terri Mitchell is an undercover agent for B.A.D. working as a consultant for the New Orleans Police Department. The Bureau suspect there is a terrorist group being fronted and funded by a notorious drug lord, operating within New Orleans. Terri’s mission is to find out who they are and what they are planning.
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