Shade Chaser Author: Clara Coulson Title: Shade Chaser Series: City of Crows 2 Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/F Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: http://claracoulson.com/books/ Summary: A wizard, a werewolf, and a watchmaker walk into a bar...and don't come out alive. Two months after the infamous Etruscan incident, it's back to normal for DSI—as normal as life can be when you hunt monsters on a salary. The rest of Nick Riker's elite team has finally returned from France. Cooper Lee has healed from his nightmare trip to the Eververse. The remnants of the battles with Charun and Tuchulcha have been swept under the rug. And the exploding boathouse in Holden Park has (almost) been rebuilt. All is calm in Aurora, Michigan. Until a grisly triple murder in one of the city's most popular bars destroys the delicate balance between three powerful forces. A high-ranking werewolf, a seasoned wizard, and a former mayor turned watchmaker wind up in body bags, and their deaths pit the ICM, DSI, and Aurora's largest wolf pack against each other in a blame game of epic proportions. And as the accusations spiral out of control, threatening a supernatural war on Aurora's streets, it's up to Riker's team to keep the peace before blood stains the sidewalks. Meanwhile, Cal is struggling to overcome the consequences of his trip to the Etruscan Underworld. Haunted by visions of the future in the form of disorienting déjà vu, he's terrified he'll fail his team at crucial moments. But with the threat of violent riots hanging in the air, Cal has no choice but to power through and pray for the best. Because one misstep on this case could mean the downfall of the city he loves. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review. Cal is just recovering from the last thing that tried to blow up the city. There's side effects to what he experienced that he's struggling with them, and then a new case comes along that makes everything worse. The dead werewolf, wizard, and clock maker were murdered and that murder has consequences even worse than what Cal could ever imagine. The plot was very well written. Every twist and turn had me hanging on the edge of my seat to the extent that I couldn't put the book down. The plot built slowly with foreshadowing and little tidbits of information that were sprinkled just sparingly enough that I could follow the plot without anything being given away. The plot balanced perfectly with the varied characterizations of each person in the story, especially Cal who was so much fun to read. I did have two issues with the story. First, reading first person present tense is very difficult. I understand it's a stylistic choice, but there are always grammar issues whenever it's used. This story was not an exception, unfortunately. Second, there were a few small plot holes that kept bugging me. One example was when Cal kept losing teeth. It was always caused by violence and was definitely very painful, yet within a few hours he's eating things like steak and potatoes. There's no mention of oral surgery to remove what was left of tooth fragments, or to fix anything wrong with his jaw at all. It seems like a minor issue for me to point out, but it really bothered me. Maggie's Recommendation: The plot was so well written that I was hanging on every word. I also really enjoyed the characterizations as the people were weaved into the plot. I had a little trouble with grammar and one or two minor plot holes, but overall I definitely enjoyed this book and I do recommend it.
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Prickly by Nature Author: Piper Vaughn and Kenzie Cade Title: Prickly by Nature Series: Portland Pack Chronicles Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/M Rating: Two Petals On the Authors' websites: http://pipervaughn.com/books/series/portland-pack-chronicles-series/ Summary: In the four months since hedgehog shifter Avery Babineaux started investigating the disappearance of a young female werewolf from the Portland Pack, he’s discovered his life’s passion. Now he’s apprenticing under established PI Corbin Reid. Avery hopes his training with Reid will help him finally bring Lacey home, but detective work isn’t without its perils, and the potential dangers strain his relationship with his new mate, Dylan. Dylan Green would be perfectly content with his mating and his motorcycle shop if it wasn’t for his constant worry about Avery’s safety and the fact that Avery’s never home. Proud as he might be of Avery’s determination to prove his worth and fulfill his promise to Lacey’s father, Dylan can’t stand the thought of Avery being hurt. Yet what right does he have to demand Avery give up his job when it’s clear Avery’s found his true purpose? Still, Dylan wishes he could, and the appearance of a new police detective who sets his sights on Avery only adds to the tension. Something has to give, but stubbornness runs in both their veins, and it might take a catastrophe for them to find a compromise they can live with. Maggie's Review:
I have been looking forward to reading Prickly by Nature from the moment I completed reading Prickly Business, book one in the series. I really enjoyed that book and couldn't wait to get my hands on book two. Then I saw the ridiculous price tag and that was that. Luckily, sales come around every so often and I was able to purchase this book at the cost it should have been priced in the first place. I know my job isn't to review the cost of a book, but the idea of being seriously overcharged like that really ticked me off. I have absolutely no doubt that my emotions ended up bleeding into how I read the book and have therefore also effected this review. Avery is on a mission to find and save Lacey from a terrible fate. It's admirable and his quest continues to show just how much he's grown from the spoiled brat he once was. Yet, now that the transformation has been completed, Avery suddenly stops changing. His character is exactly the same from page one to page two hundred. It feels stagnant. Luckily, Avery is an interesting person so it's not boring to read about him, but he even his lessons with another private investigator don't push him, which I found disappointing. The plot also lacked depth. I had the bad guy figured out quickly. There weren't any twists and turns, and the death of one of the characters didn't carry the emotional punch the authors intended because it was so one note. In fact, this book felt more like an introduction to a side story in the series featuring one of Dylan's best friends. There is a trip to Avery's home that did provide a touch of depth to Avery's character, yet it seemed to serve more as a starting point for the relationship Dylan's friend is going to have in a future book. Had that scene and a considerable amount of the drama in the book focused more on Avery and Dylan rather than on what other people had going on in their lives I might have enjoyed the book more. Maggie's Recommendation: This wasn't a bad book at all, but it lacked depth and character development. It also felt more like an introduction to the next book in the series rather than a proper stand-alone book. I do recommend this story since I did enjoy reading it, but there were one too many problems, so I couldn't give a good review. The Bear and the Nightingale Author: Katherine Arden Title: The Bear and the Nightingale Series: None Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/F Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://katherinearden.com/ Summary: At the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil. After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows. And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent. As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. First, I have a confession to make: I am not finished reading this story yet. I prefer to read an entire book before putting together my review, but I've found that the fact that I haven't been able to complete this story is actually rather indicative of how my review would have gone anyway. Vasilisa's birth is portend and she ends up being just as strange a child as expected. There's magic in her blood, the same old magic that still exists in the wild parts of the world. When her father's new wife begins to stifle the old magic, Vasilisa must do everything she can to save her world before it's too late. This story is based in historical Russia and on all the old Russian fairy tales. I found all of that absolutely fascinating, particularly how the ancient tales are woven together in what feels like a very realistic version of what the real world was like back then. It really was masterfully written. However, the amount of detail in the book was excessive. I often felt like I was wading through description to get to the plot. Lovers of Tolkien or Martin will definitely appreciate the way this story was written, but I've had to read really slowly. That's why I haven't been able to finish reading the story as of writing this review. Maggie's Recommendation: Recommending this book is difficult. It's beautifully written, however it has all the excessive descriptions of Tolkien and Martin where you have to dig for the plot. I find books like that very difficult to read, but I know there are plenty of people that love that style of writing so I will recommend this book to them. Spirit of Fire Author: Albert Nothlit Title: Spirit of Fire Series: Part of the Sharing the Season Collection Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/M Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.albertnothlit.com/ Summary: Playing around one night, jokingly building a Wiccan altar in the dead of winter, Jacob accidentally summons the Spirit of Fire. And it has a message: the world will end unless a human sacrifice is made to the Old Gods. He has two nights to find a willing candidate who doesn't think he's crazy. If he doesn't, his terrifying visions of flames will become horrifyingly real. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Jacob is a half-assed Wiccan. He wants to believe in something and he likes the idea of Wicca, but he's not sure about whether it's real. Then he builds an alter and accidentally summons the Spirit of Fire who tells Jacob the world will end unless he finds a willing human sacrifice. Suddenly, it's all too real for Jacob and he only has a few hours left to save the world. I feel like I'm being very generous giving this story three petals, but while there was a lot wrong about this story, it was still well written and the Wiccan aspects were interesting enough that I can't quite give it the two petals it probably deserves. The story started with Jacob having already met the Spirit of Fire and now he's trying to figure out what to do to stop the world ending. He's the only one that believes the tall tale, so he can't find anyone to help him locate a willing human sacrifice. The biggest problem with the story is I didn't believe him either. Perhaps had the story begun with Jacob accidentally summoning the Spirit so the reader could experience the build up of panic and fear from the onset, I might have been more invested in Jacob's plight. Instead I found the plot slightly ridiculous. Unfortunately, the rest of the book shared the same quality so I couldn't become invested in the budding romantic relationship Jacob formed or what should have been very interesting Wiccan traditions. Maggie's Recommendation: I gave this story three petals because it was well written and the Wiccan aspects to the story were interesting, but overall this story barely deserved two. I couldn't get invested in anything Jacob was doing, from trying to save the world to building a romantic relationship. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book. One Fell Sweep Author: Ilona Andrews Title: One Fell Sweep Series: Innkeeper Chronicles 3 Genre: Paranormal, Sci-Fi Pairing: M/F Rating: Five Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/innkeeper-chronicles/ Summary: Dina DeMille may run the nicest Bed and Breakfast in Red Deer, Texas, but she caters to very particular kind of guest… the kind that no one on Earth is supposed to know about. Guests like a former intergalactic tyrant with an impressive bounty on her head, the Lord Marshal of a powerful vampire clan, and a displaced-and-superhot werewolf; so don’t stand too close, or you may be collateral damage. But what passes for Dina’s normal life is about to be thrown into chaos. First, she must rescue her long-distant older sister, Maud, who’s been exiled with her family to a planet that functions as the most lawless penal colony since Botany Bay. Then she agrees to help a guest whose last chance at saving his civilization could bring death and disaster to all Dina holds dear. Now Gertrude Hunt is under siege by a clan of assassins. To keep her guests safe and to find her missing parents, Dina will risk everything, even if she has and may have to pay the ultimate price. Though Sean may have something to say about that. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review. Dina is an innkeeper for magical creatures and aliens. Individuals come from across the galaxies to stop at her inn and Dina's job is to ensure their safety for the entirety of their stay. This time a creature whose species is on the brink of extinction comes to her inn and asks for her help finding a way to save his people. Dina agrees despite knowing the danger involved, because her guest requires help and that really matters to her. One of the things I like most about Ilona Andrews in general is the sheer creativity that goes into every world they create. The innkeeper world is definitely one of the most complex and intricate worlds of any book I've ever read. It seamlessly ties the magic of the innkeepers with the science of galaxy-spanning alien civilizations until the fact that this book connects those two very different genres feels so natural. One moment Dina is in a spaceship, rushing to her sister's side, the next she's calling on her internal magic to beat back an advancing army. It all flows so well together. The characters were introduced in the first book in the series and grew into real people in the second. I didn't think there was anywhere else the characters could go, and I'm very happy to say I was wrong. Dina and Sean's relationship has been hinted at and has been slowly growing from book one. In this book it is front and center. I enjoyed every moment of it and seeing where their relationship will continue to go is probably one of the things I'm most excited about for the next book in the series. Maggie's Recommendation: Ilona Andrews is one of those authors that no matter what they write I will recommend it, but this story absolutely deserves it. The world building is phenomenal and the romantic relationship in this book just added to the overall fun. I absolutely loved reading this story and this series. Hag in Exile Author: Rivka Aarons-Hughes Title: Hag in Exile Series: Part of the Sharing the Season Collection Genre: Paranormal Pairing: F/F Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: http://rivka-aarons-hughes.tumblr.com/ Summary: Beira, the Winter Hag, has been whisked off to hiding in Loving, Michigan. It's for her own good, she's been told, but she's starting to suspect it's a lot more useful to someone else. With the Winter Solstice rapidly approaching, she doesn't have time to worry about those who might wish her ill—or her growing feelings for Plum, a New Fae and one of her only contacts since she arrived in Loving. Then another New Fae shows up, puts Plum under a love spell, and tries to further isolate Beira. And it may be too late for Beira to fix everything rapidly ruining her life. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Beira is in exile, hiding from the corporate mining company that wants to turn the ancient lands in Ireland she has lived on for centuries into a smoking pit of ruin. Until all the red tape and the company are gone, she is safer hiding out in Michigan. Except, what is supposed to be a terrible exile turns out to be somewhat bearable thanks to Plum stopping by every day. Then Plum is ensnared in a terrible spell and Beira realizes she has to choose between her duties as the Winter Hag renewing the world for another year and the love she never thought she deserved. Overall I enjoyed reading this story. Beira is not your typical fae. She's not pretty and her personality is a little grating, but I couldn't help cheering her on. Plum, or the Sugarplum Fairy, is also very interesting. The combination of the Winter Hag, the person that is supposed to send the world to sleep every winter to ensure the earth then has the strength for spring to come, with the Sugarplum Fairy dancing across the stage was probably the most unique pairing I've ever read. I wasn't as enamored with the plot. The twists and turns definitely kept my interest and I was all too eager to keep turning the pages to see what happened next, but the plot has been done before. Because it wasn't unique it couldn't hold up in comparison to the characters. I also found the twists to be very predictable. I figured out who the bad guy was from the very first, offhand mention of them and the rest of the story was equally obvious. However, as a cute, holiday story it didn't necessarily need to be unpredictable, and what was there worked really well with the overall theme. Maggie's Recommendation: The characters in this story and their relationship with each other was very unique. The plot was less so, but it worked for a holiday short story. I enjoyed reading this story a lot and that is why I recommend it. Murder Once Seen Author: J.T. Hall Title: Murder Once Seen Series: The Oddities 1 Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: https://jthallwriting.wordpress.com/published-works/ Summary: In the city of Nis, things often aren’t what they seem. Derwin is a bounty hunter gifted with the Oddity of superhuman strength and agility—perfect for hunting down fugitives and demons who roam the streets. One killed his boyfriend two years ago, and Derwin won’t stop until he finds out who. Police suspect it was someone he sent to prison, but he can’t shake the idea that they’re missing something. Elliot is a rentboy who’s been living on the streets since his parents disowned him. He mistrusts everyone and, given his uncontrolled ability to Read Objects and a client list that includes a major gang boss, despairs of ever having a normal life. Derwin and Elliot meet in a storm of lust. Derwin’s Oddity is fed by the pain of others, but he only wants what’s freely given. Elliot loves pain, but needs safety and a way off the streets before he can allow it. They may be able to solve each other’s problems . . . if they can survive long enough to work together. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Demons came to earth and the world as we know it ceased to exist. During the fight for survival, the U.S. was split into many separate countries and humans began to exhibit traits called Oddities. These magic-like powers allowed humans to compete with the demons and survive. Oddities are often forced to serve in the military and can live very difficult lives. Derwin and Elliot are two oddities that have managed to keep their abilities hidden from the government. Derwin is hunting for his lover's killer and finds Elliot on the way. Together they have many more problems to sort out than just who killed Derwin's lover Grady, including the fact that Elliot is a rent boy and the fact that the murderer might not be finished yet. I really enjoyed the world building in this story, but I thought it was slightly incomplete. Humans live in cities or small towns protected by high walls and lots of guards. The demons roam the wild places in between, making it only safe to travel if you have an oddity or an armed escort. I thought that was really interesting, however how that status quo was reached was never explained. The magical powers were given a little more depth in that it was explained that no one really quite understood why some humans became Oddities. I think that mystery will continue as the series grows and I'm definitely looking forward to reading more. The plot also kept me completely hooked the entire time. The depth the world-building provided allowed the plot to really twist and turn until I was on the edge of my seat. Everything flowed from one bit to the next and I honestly had trouble putting this book down. Elliot's time as a rent boy pulls the story in one direction, Derwin's hunt for Grady's killer pulls the story in another direction, and then it all manages to come together perfectly thanks to the romance that ties both plots into one great story. Maggie's Recommendation: I honestly couldn't put this book down, which is why I definitely recommend it. It had excellent plots with twists and turns that kept me hooked until the end. The world building needed a touch more depth, but there was more than enough to support the plot and overall I really liked this story. Cold Hearted Author: James A. Hunter Title: Cold Hearted Series: Yancy Lazarus 2 Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/F Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: https://jamesahunter.wordpress.com/my-books/cold-hearted-a-yancy-lazarus-novel-episode-two/ Summary: Yancy Lazarus just wants to be left alone. He wants to play his blues music, smoke a few cigarettes, and otherwise leave the supernatural world to fend for itself. He especially wants to be left alone by the Guild of the Staff—the mage ruling body—where he used to work as a Fix-It man. But when a little kid gets nabbed by an ancient Fae creature from the nether regions of Winter and the Guild refuses to set things right, he just can’t seem to heed good sense and leave things be. Nothing’s ever easy though. Turns out, the kidnapping is just the tip of one big ol’ iceberg of pain and trouble. It seems some nefarious force is working behind the scenes to try and unhinge the tenuous balance between the supernatural nations and usher in a new world order. So now, if Yancy ever hopes to see the bottom of another beer bottle, he’s gonna have to partner up with an FBI agent—an agent who’s been hunting him for years—in order to bring down a nigh-immortal, douchebag mage from a different era. And to top it off, Yancy’s gonna have to pull it off without his magical powers … Boy, some days just aren’t worth getting out of bed for. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Yancy Lazarus has led a difficult life. From his time as a soldier in the Vietnam War, to having to abandon his family in order to keep them safe, and now having to fight and kill evil forces to keep the world alive, nothing in his life has ever gone easy for him. The newest evil force he's fighting is particularly gruesome, but that is only the tip of an iceberg that includes being arrested by the FBI, getting attacked by a harpy, and losing contact with his magic. Yancy as a character is still just as interesting in this book as in the first. He's snarky, a bit of a bad-ass, but his heart is very much in the right place. I can't help really liking him and enjoying his actions and the thought process behind everything he does. He is the reason I read the second book in the series and the reason I am hoping to also read the third. Unfortunately, I had a bit of trouble getting into this book. It wasn't a slow start as the book opens in the middle of an action scene, but I struggled to get past the first few chapters. This was most likely caused by a lengthy flash-back scene that was necessary to understand Yancy better and to give depth to the book, but cut me off from the exciting action scene too abruptly. Once I was past that section, I was hooked again. Maggie's Recommendation: Yancy's character is such an interesting one that I can't help really enjoying reading this book and this series. I had a bit of trouble getting into the beginning of this book because of the flashback scene, but overall I enjoyed it and I do recommend it. The Firebird's Tale Author: Anya Ow Title: The Firebird's Tale Series: The Ironlands 1 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: http://anyasy.com/#biblio Summary: The Firebird's Tale begins with the end of a familiar story: a Prince who never smiled, and by Imperial decree, has to marry the one who managed to make him do so. Except that it was all an accident, and the Prince would say he didn't actually smile at the thief who dared to rob a Tsar, and the thief was not even a woman—or, as it turns out, even human. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Aleksei doesn't smile, so his father, the Tsar, decrees that the person Aleksei finally smiles at will be Aleksei's bride. Then Nazar brazenly steals the Tsar's purse and Aleksei can't help smirking a little. Despite Nazar being male, the wedding is arranged immediately. Except, Nazar isn't just a man, he's also a rare firebird and any creature of fairie is to be hunted down and killed. This story reads like an epic fantasy with plot that builds and builds with twists, turns, and amazing amounts of depth. Each scene is clearly carefully constructed to increase suspense and to add another layer of plot to the book as a whole. I thought it was extremely well written overall and it kept my interest all the way to the end of the book. However, despite the plot being amazingly well written, I thought the story was lacking in description. For example, why Aleksei never smiled wasn't explained. It was completely glossed over when Nazar was introduced and only vaguely mentioned towards the end of the story as an add-on to an explanation of Aleksei's difficult childhood. Also, many different creatures of fairie are given names, but what they are in terms of magical powers or abilities is glossed over unless Aleksei or Nazar have to interact with one directly. To have a complete understanding of this story I needed those descriptions. Maggie's Recommendation: I really enjoyed reading this story. The plot was layered and had so much depth that it transported me to the world in the story. I could have used a touch more description to really understand the magic and the characters, but overall I do recommend this story. ChimeraAuthor: Rob Thurman Title: Chimera Series: The Korsak Brothers 1 Genre: Science Fiction Pairing: None Rating: Five Petals On the Author's Website: http://robthurman.net/new/the-chimera-novels/ Summary: What makes us human, what makes us unique… …And what makes us kill. Ten years ago, Stefan Korsak’s younger brother was kidnapped. No one knew who took Lukas, or why. He was simply gone. But not a day has passed that Stefan hasn’t thought about him. As a rising figure in the Russian mafia, he has finally found him. But when he rescues Lukas, he must confront a terrible truth-his brother is no longer his brother. He is a killer. Trained, brainwashed, and genetically transformed into a flesh-and-blood machine with only one purpose-assassination. Now, those who created him… will do anything to reclaim him. And the closer Stefan grows to his brother, the more he realizes that saving Lukas may be easier than surviving him… Maggie's Review:
Stefan lost his brother to kidnappers when he was a child and has since made it his life's goal to find and rescue Lukas. When he gets the first clue in years, Stefan leaves his job with his family's mafia organization and travels across the country to search. Except, the Lukas Stefan finds is nothing like the baby brother Stefan remembers. Finding out who they are now after everything they've been through is difficult enough, but then the people that kidnapped Lukas try to take him back and staying alive becomes just as important. I've read a lot of books, many of which that featured familial relationships of some sort, but I've never read anything like this before. Stefan was destroyed by the loss of his brother, so his quest to save Lukas as the central theme of the book works perfectly. The characterizations of both Stefan and Lukas, who isn't right in the head after all the years he's been held captive and experimented on, were spot on. In fact, their relationship as brothers is so real that the fantastic elements of the science that created Lukas was excellently balanced. Lukas is what is known as a chimera, or a child that absorbed its twin in the womb. With a little help from science, the extra abilities granted by the twin can be unlocked. The aspects of the science fiction in the story are important, but they aren't overwhelming. I was able to understand most of it and the parts I couldn't were still explained enough for the story to make sense. I really enjoyed reading what was a truely unique sci-fi novel. Maggie's Recommendation: I've never read a story like this before. The relationship between the brothers balances perfectly with the sci-fi elements. I absolutely recommend this book. |
Magnolia's Reviews
Maggie reviews paranormal and fantasy novels and novellas. She also interviews authors and hosts giveaways. Archives
April 2018
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