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Posted by Grete, on February 26th, 2010  With a hidden history and a talent with a twist, Grace Renquist tries to keep her head down and act like a good librarian for the Arcane Society’s Geneology department. When she is sent on a mission to read the aura of someone suspected of being in Nightshade, an underground and sinister organisation she is paired with the enigmatic Luther Malone as her bodyguard. When Grace gets a look at the target, she realises more is going on than meets the eye and it’s linked to the past she has tried hard to escape. Can she trust Malone with the truth and not turn her in and can he protect her against the unstable assassin with a lethal singing ability, that decides they are a threat to her mission.
I’d not come across Jayne Ann Krentz before and went to start reading Running Hot then realised this is actually the fifth book in the series. It can be hard picking up the ‘lore’ or the way the author’s world works when you don’t start at the beginning, but actually I had no trouble figuring things out which was really nice. I’ve said in reviews before that I’m a sucker for secret societies, struggling to keep the world safe and sane against their darker counterparts and since the series is called the Arcane Society, that pushed the right buttons for me to get started. I like the world Krentz has built, the Arcane Society made up of remarkeable people with remarkeable abilities. Everyone registered has measurable and quantifiable abilities that fall under different categories. Strats who can spot patterns in chaos, Aura readers who can tell what a person is feeling or if they’ve experienced trauma or Aura manipulators who can tinker with someone’s emotions. The main characters of Grace and Luther were well written and engaging. Grace is an Aura reader with a twist and Luther uses his Aura calming talent as a bodyguard and bartender. They make a great couple and the romance intertwined with the plot is very sweet. I have to touch on how the bad guys were written. In some books I’ve read of this genre, the antagonists come across as a bit incompetent or not really all that bad. I was impressed that Krentz chose to make hers have quite a lot of impact. The plot wasn’t overly complicated and while mostly predictable, it didn’t make it any less of a good read. The pace was good and the story kept you turning the pages hoping that it would work out between Grace and Luther. I enjoyed it enough to want to find the previous books in the series.
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Posted by Grete, on February 26th, 2010  With thanks to Piatkus, I have seven copies of Black and White by Jackie Kessler & Caitlin Kittredge to give away!
You can read my review of this great Superhero book here.
All you have to do to be in with a chance to recieve a copy is post a comment telling me what you would want your superhero power to be!
Winners will be put into a hat and drawn randomly and closing date for this give-away will be 31st March.
I’m afraid due to posting costs, I have to restrict this to UK residents only.
Good luck and hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Posted by Grete, on February 13th, 2010  I first read this book quite a few years ago. Having bought the two latest books and wanting to re-read them all from the beginning, I decided the early ones deserved reviews too.
Kitty and the Midnight Hour is the first book in the series and introduces us to Kitty and her coming out of the werewolf closet. She’s a graveyard shift DJ for a Denver radio station until she fills in for someone on the midnight hour request show. Instead of music, it turns into an advice/talk show for and about the supernatural and becomes her regular gig. Eventually though, problems within her pack, her Alphas not liking the success she is finding and the enigmatic Cormac, supernatural bounty hunter, paid to kill her live on air, Kitty wonders if she has bitten off more than she can chew?
This book really is about a young woman who through no fault of her own was turned werewolf and tries to find her way in an ordinary world when she herself is anything but. She still wants the life she would have had, and works hard to try and make that happen in spite of the people who would rather she be a good wolf and sit, stay. I have nothing but admiration for her and I absolutely love the character of Kitty. She starts off being as submissive in nature as her wolf side, but as she matures and grows in success and confidence, you start seeing glimpses of the sassy, sarcastic, stubborn and kick ass woman she will become. The talk show segments of the book are really good and the advice Kitty gives often make me laugh out loud, as do the questions.
I thought the pace of the book was good, even the radio segments, and when the action does kick in, it goes with a bang. I like that she isn’t a fighting expert but relies on her wits, intelligence and her wolf instincts to survive. That and the ability to talk the hind legs off a donkey!
It’s a great story, and the first read through left me hungry for the next book, and that didn’t change at all on this re-read.
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Posted by Grete, on February 12th, 2010 Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of the pioneers of supernatural romance. I’ve loved her work right from the first book I read and she remains one of my absolute favourite authors. Her characterisations and stories are amazing and I have no idea how she keeps the plotline running through 19+ books but she does and and the results are outstanding.
So what do you do when you have devoured everything she has written? Here are some recommendations for other authors in the same genre or with a similar style who I also love, and hopefully you might too!
J. R. Ward
Another author with a long running series, who has an amazing ability to bring her characters to life and into your hearts. Features vampires, hot men and sassy women, who could ask for more?
The following authors also write supernatural romance/urban fantasy but they are not quite as epic in scope as Sherrilyn Kenyon or J. R. Ward.
Keri Arthur
Keri Arthur’s ‘Riley Jensen’ Series are a great addition to the genre, with a gutsy, sexy heroine who is half-werewolf, half-vampire. The ‘Nikki and Michael’ vampire series has action as well as romance and the ‘Damask Circle Trilogy’ are definitely recommended reading too.
Patricia Briggs
For some werewolf love, Patricia Briggs brings the ‘Mercy Thompson’ Series to life and is an excellent, engaging, action packed read. Recently she has started on the ‘Alpha and Omega’ series from the same world, with two great characters who started out in a short story and are proving just as engaging. Lighter on the romance side than Kenyon but the story makes up for it.
Karen Chance
The ‘Cassie Palmer’ clairvoyant series has a bit of mystery going on, even with the numerous supernatural elements and makes for an exciting, sometimes heated mix. In addition to the main series, Karen Chance has recently begun a spin off series featuring the daughter of one of the main cast, which is shaping up to be a good read.
Kelley Armstrong
The ‘Otherworld’ series is going from strength to strength and Kelley Armstrong has a great way of telling stories through different character’s viewpoints. It starts with werewolves in Bitten and goes through several great characters who are witches, demons, sorcerors and necromancers. I love how she crosses their paths with other characters and often sets up the scene for following books as minor plots in the current one.
Rachel Caine
Two excellent series so far – ‘The Weather Wardens’ and their abilities to control the elements along with the enigmatic Djinn and her Young Adult series ‘The Morganville Vampires’. Both are excellent reads and highly recommended.
Kim Harrison
Witches, vampires, pixies oh my! The ‘Rachel Morgan’ series is a good solid read, inspired titles, humerous at times yet has its extremely poignant moments. Fast paced, full of action and definitely one to read.
Karen MacInerney
‘Tales of an Urban Werewolf’ are an easy, interesting and fun series to read. Doesn’t take itself too seriously but packs a punch when it needs to.
Carrie Vaughn
The brilliant ‘Kitty’ series (a misnomer since it’s about werewolves) just keeps getting better and Carrie Vaughn brings kick ass Kitty to life with style and panache.
If you have any other authors or books you feel would be enjoyed by people who loved Sherrilyn Kenyon, feel free to comment on this article with your recommendations.
Posted by Grete, on February 5th, 2010  Being accused of murdering your new boss isn’t the best way to get ahead in business. Innocent but unable to prove it, Robyn Peltier has no idea what to do. When it seems the murderer thinks she knows something and is after her too, she calls on best friend Hope Adams for help. Along with Hope comes her boyfriend Karl, who Robyn finds a little creepy. When it starts looking like the murder was supernatural in origin, Hope tries to help but keep Robyn unaware of the other side of her life. Unfortunately, with Hope’s demon side revelling in all the chaos, a detective that can talk to ghosts, and Karl being a werewolf, Robyn quickly finds herself embroiled in a world she never knew existed. She can fall apart or come out fighting and with the murderer on her heels everywhere she goes, falling apart is not an option.
I find Hope Adams an intriguing character. Being a half-demon of chaos, she lives with her two natures, trying to keep both halves satisfied and controlled, but struggles to find a balance. I’ve seen her grow through two previous books from a scared young woman afraid of her demon half to a bold, confident reporter and it’s been a good journey. I liked that the mundane and supernatural world meet with the characters of Robyn and Finn, who I liked a great deal and both were great additions to the cast.
The book itself was a good, smooth read with enough tension and twists to keep you turning the pages. This is something I’ve come to expect from Kelley Armstrong and her easy to read style of writing. Happily, she delivers once again. I also love the cameo appearances of characters from different Otherworld books, something that happens across the series and I hope that continues!
I found Living with the Dead quite poignant, the relationship between Hope and Karl was bittersweet and while I found the end quite sad, I also realise the necessity. I look forward to Hope’s next book to see how she matures even further.
A great addition to the Otherworld series and a treat to read.
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Posted by Grete, on January 26th, 2010
Callie Bradford and Joannie Greene live in a world where Extrahumans not only exist but are sponsored, marketed Superheroes dedicated to saving the world from Supervillains. Trained from a young age by the Extrahuman Corps they are taught to believe in justice, peace and naturally the Corps way of life. ‘Iridium’ (aka Callie) and ‘Jet’ (aka Joannie) forge a friendship early on in their training despite having opposite powers of light and shadow. When Iridium goes rogue and Jet vows to do her duty and bring her in, Jet’s illusions of the Corps are shattered and the truth starts to come out. Jet and Iridium must decide if friendship will ultimately save or destroy them, and along with them, the rest of the world.
I’ve never really read comics, either as a kid or adult, certainly not the myriad superhero ones out there. I was aware of Superman, Batman etc but that was mainly through films and media. Black and White was a truly unique experience for me, a superhero urban fantasy novel that could easily have been a comic book. The sad thing is, if it had been in comic form, I would probably never have picked it up and I would have missed out on a great story. For me in a book, a lot more can be said and allows me to create my own vision of the characters without having the artwork force me down a particular visual path.
I was a little frustrated in the beginning that the perspective changed between characters a lot, and also jumped between time periods. As a result, I found it jerked me out of the story and hence didn’t engage me at first. As the book progressed, I realised it was actually very cleverly done, making you re-evaluate the characters constantly as each little piece of their past and present was revealed.
The superheroes and their powers were nicely written; some of the names must have been tongue in cheek, they certainly made me chuckle. The two main characters of Iridium and Jet were really well done with such different personalities yet also complementing each other.
As a collaboration, I felt it worked well. I couldn’t detect two different styles in the writing and at no point felt that there wasn’t just one voice.
All in all it was an entertaining and enjoyable story about superheroes, their world and two special people within it who are as different as night and day.
This is the first book in the Icarus Project series and it’s certainly left me looking forward to the next one.
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Posted by Grete, on November 18th, 2009  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.
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Posted by Grete, on November 17th, 2009  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.
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Posted by Grete, on November 1st, 2009  About Rachel Caine
Rachel Caine (aka Roxanne Conrad) is a bestselling author of Urban Fantasy with 2 series for adults and one for young adults. With an award winning paranormal romance also to her credit, she is enjoyed by readers, young and old. She lives with her husband and 2 beloved pet iguanas in Fort Worth and still manages to hold down a day job!
http://www.rachelcaine.com/
My Comments
I picked up the first Weather Wardens book on the recommendation of a friend, and I was intrigued by the world of the Djinn that Rachel Caine had created. It was unique and fresh and I loved that the magic in the world came in the form of talented people who had an affinity for different elements and could affect them accordingly. It was a nice change from the paranormal romances I had been guzzling up until that point. I’ve not had a chance to read the first book in the Outcast series yet, a Weather Warden side series, but am looking forward to it.
The Morganville Vampire series, even though written for young adults, were still a good read and again provided a fresh look at the vampire mythos and a whole town controlled by them, allowing humans to live there by sufferance and following a set of rules. She creates characters who you can empathise with, even though they may not be all human and her writing style is fluid and easy to read. The plots may not be overly complex but she isn’t afraid to throw her major characters into a tailspin and I have to admire her for that. Definitely recommended if you want a good read!
Bibliography
Weather Wardens
Outcast Season
Morganville Vampires
Red Letter Days
Posted by Grete, on October 30th, 2009
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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.
About BookThing! 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!
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