Thank you all for stopping by last week for the interview with Jennifer Estep, who, in addition to telling us all about her debut urban fantasy Spider’s Bite, generously offered a copy for a giveaway. The winner, chosen by Random.org is…
Emma Michaels who said...
great interview! I am and have been a follower!!!!
I’ll be emailing you soon. Please responding within 72 hours or a new winner will be chosen. Thanks!
Book Description:
Four tales of urban fantasy and paranormal romance explore body art that is more than it seems—in a world of magic and mayhem that always leaves it mark . . .
New York Times bestselling author Karen Chance's "Skin Deep" tells the tale of a war mage in Las Vegas who stumbles across an ominous magical ward that appears as a dragon on her skin--and has a mind of its own…
When New York Times bestselling author Marjorie M. Liu's demon slayer Maxine Kiss investigates a grisly murder at a high-class soirée, she finds herself involved in a conspiracy dating back to World War II--and a secret mission that her grandmother may have carried out for the US Government, one that involves the mysterious "Armor of Roses."
In USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn's "Etched in Silver," a supernatural agent is on the trail of a sadistic serial killer, when an unexpected ally comes to her aid, setting in motion a magical ritual that may end up binding them together, body and soul.
When the heavily tattooed body of a man is found in a Northern California town, FBI Agent Lily Yu is drawn into the case. Trouble is, the victim wasn't human--and the killer isn't finished in USA Today bestselling author Eileen Wilks's "Human Nature."
*Note* I will be reviewing each story in this anthology in separate posts.
Review:
Skin Deep by Karen Chance. Karen’s story once again features War Mage/were Lia (who is featured on the cover) and her werewolf love interest Cyrus. If you want to read all of the stories about these characters (and you should because they are fantastic) the reading order would be:
Each of these stories can be read alone, but if you can, I recommend reading them all.
Set in the same world as her Cassandra Palmer’s series, in Skin Deep Karen Chance has created two of my favorite urban fantasy characters in Lia and Cyrus. This time out, Lia is recruited by Sebastian, one of the werewolf clan leaders, to track down his brother/her lover Cyrus who disappeared while hunting a killer who has been skinning werewolves alive. Like all the stories in this anthology, tattoos play a major role serving as magical runes with different magical abilities (Lia has owl tattoo that can enable her to see in the dark) that take the form of tattoos once invoked. And the golden dragon tattoo that Lia is wearing on the cover of Inked is more than just decoration…
I’ve been slightly critical in the past of Karen’s tendency to over plot some of her books, but in the short story format, she is always in fine form. Skin Deep is a great combination of stellar world building, fast-paced action, and that perfect dash of romance between a tough yet vulnerable heroine (with a deliciously dry wit and a rich history) and the ultimate alpha male. I loved every page and can’t wait for the next story (long or short) featuring these two.
Sexual Content: A brief, but graphic oral sex scene.
My Rating (out of 5): 
Click HERE to read an excerpt of Skin Deep
Paperback: 448 pages Disagree with my review? Email me your review for this or any other book I reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review
By popular demand, I will now be adding a monthly new urban fantasy releases post (and a number of other requested features from the recent poll in the coming weeks) called Hot off the Press. A number of great blogs share new releases each month and I love combing through all of them (especially my blog hero Doug aka SciFiGuy’s excellent monthly roundup of not just Urban Fantasy and its kissing cousin Paranormal Romance, but also some straight Fantasy and Science Fiction Romance releases, and the ever prolific Donna from Fantasy Dreamer’s Ramblings who gives us a weekly breakdown of new releases). Hopefully I’ll be able to add a few new titles each month as well.
Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined… 
Katie Macalister takes on Steampunk-and romance gets hotter than ever... 
Ghost hunter Lisa McGarrity can’t understand what’s gotten into the undead recently. Ectoplasm-flinging spirits and ghouls with grudges seem to be coming out of the woodwork, and she’s been run ragged trying to calm the unusually outraged spirits. Tired of dealing with the disgruntled dead, Lisa is determined to take a break from all things metaphysical. 
New York Times bestselling author of Angels' Blood 
A new World of Lupi novel from "a true master of her craft" (Eternal Night) 
THE LEGENDS ARE TRUE.
The New York Times bestselling series. 
Brilliant, original sci-fi and fantasy stories featuring brave and bold heroines 
Glory St. Clair loves soaking up Hollywood's vampire nightlife with her sexy Scottish lover, Jeremiah. Especially when she meets a vampire/ diet guru who promises to give her the body she's wanted for centuries. One problem: his clan and Jeremiah's are ancient enemies. But Glory's not about to let a stupid family feud come between her and slender bliss. Yet, she can't help but wonder...how much is she willing to risk for her hips? And how much (and precisely what) is she willing to lose?
Second in the new series from the New York Times bestselling author 
Cooper Blake has everything going for him—until he wakes from a car accident with his football career in ruins and a mysterious, attractive girl by his side. Cooper doesn’t know how Samantha got there or why he can see her; all he knows is that she’s a ghost, and the shadows that surround her seem intent on destroying her. 
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Night Huntress series comes a breathtaking new journey to the dark side of desire.
The third and final book in the paranormal teen series that includes The New York Times bestseller Wake and Fade. 
The first book in a new trilogy from L. J. Smith!
RESURRECTION! 
In New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison's most complex and nuanced adventure yet, bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan fights a deadly battle—mind, body, and soul 
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL, MAN AND DEMON, SHE’S ABOUT TO FACE THE ONE THING SHE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SURVIVE. 
Calliope Reaper-Jones is Death's Daughter. She owes a debt to Cerberus, the three headed dog that guards the gate's of hell-a debt that involves a trip to Purgatory, Las Vegas, ancient Egypt, and a discount department store that's more frightening than any supernatural creature she'll ever encounter. 
Shaking up the spirits of Manhattan 
Psychologist and psychic Megan Chase has grown remarkably comfortable hanging out with demons. The demon "family" she leads is happy, her solo practice is stabilizing, and she and her steamy demon lover, Greyson Dante, are closer than ever. But when the couple books a week at a luxury hotel to attend a meeting of demon leaders, some unanticipated problems appear. An FBI agent with an unhealthy interest in less-than-legitimate demon business practices shows up; the demon community is urging Megan to undergo the rite that will make her a real demon; and a slightly shady minister is holding one of his wildly popular "weekend exorcisms" just down the road. And oh, yes, someone with scary magical abilities is attempting to kill her. Then, just when it seems as if things couldn't possibly get any worse, a secret comes to light that could jeopardize Megan and Greyson's future -- if Megan manages to live that long. With things heating up, it's becoming difficult for her to keep a cool head...
Throwdown Thursday is a weekly thing [hosted by The Neverending Shelf] where we tackle books with similar characters, covers, themes, etc. to determine which one rocks more. And it is up to YOU to determine the winner!
Last weeks Throwdown asked: Fallen vs. Hush, Hush? The verdict by split decision was Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.
We’ve talked about cover art a lot on this blog. It is often the first exposure that readers have with new books. And for good or bad, covers make impressions, promises even about the stories within. So what happens when those covers don’t match the characters?
Within our own genre, there is The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher whose covers all depict the main character Harry Dresden as wearing a hat despite the fact that Harry never wears one in the series (in a recent interview on Fantasy Literature cover artist Chris McGrath explains the hat was the publisher’s choice). Or how about the Mercy Thompson books by Patricia Briggs? Each cover shows Mercy sporting more tattoos than the last, but in the books she has only one (a paw print on her lower stomach). I’m sure you can think of other examples. I happen to like both of these series and don’t mind these minor inaccuracies in their covers.
But what about more flagrant discrepancies? Take the recent Bloomsbury debacle for example: "Magic Under Glass" by Jaclyn Dolamore is a fantasy YA title featuring African American protagonist. The cover, however, clearly features a white girl. To make matters worse, this is the second time this year that Bloomsbury publishing has used white models on the covers of books featuring dark-skinned protagonists (Justine Larbalestier's "Liar"). The Book Smugglers has an excellent post chronicling similar examples.
Bloomsbury did eventually replace the Liar cover and, after a backlash from the public, recently announced plans to do the same with Magic Under Glass stating on its its website: “The jacket design has caused offense and we apologize for our mistake. Copies of the book with a new jacket design will be available shortly.”
Minor or major, do these inaccuracies bug you? Do you usually notice them? Does it affect your enjoyment of a book? What’s more important? Covers or characters?
Linda Robertson shared the cover for the third book in her Circle series, Fatal Circle today. DON SIPLEY is once again the man who gets credit.
I always keep a running list of urban fantasy giveaways on my left sidebar (updated daily), but here is my weekly Win on Wednesday post to help you find all the current contests and giveaways to enter. All the giveaways are listed in order of the Enter by Date.
*NEW* indicates that the giveaway was added this week.
Please Email Me to add your paranormal contest/giveaway or if you have a button/graphic etc. for your giveaway.
Contact Me to add your Contest/Giveaway
Kelly posted the cover for As Lie the Dead (Due out July 27th) today! This is her second book in the Dreg City series. I was a big fan of the first Dreg book, Three Days to Dead, so I can’t wait for this one. I don’t know if this one is as strong as the first cover, but I’m loving the gargoyle? in the background.
REALITY BITES
Talk radio host and werewolf Kitty Norville has agreed to appear on TV's first all-supernatural reality show. She's expecting cheesy competitions and manufactured drama starring shapeshifters, vampires, and psychics. But what begins as a publicity stunt will turn into a fight for her life.
The cast members, including Kitty, arrive at the remote mountain lodge where the show is set. As soon as filming starts, violence erupts and Kitty suspects that the show is a cover for a nefarious plot. Then the cameras stop rolling, cast members start dying, and Kitty realizes she and her monster housemates are ironically the ultimate prize in a very different game. Stranded with no power, no phones, and no way to know who can be trusted, she must find a way to defeat the evil closing in . . . before it kills them all.
Review:
Kitty’s House of Horrors is the seventh book in the series about werewolf DJ Kitty Norville. If you haven’t read all the previous Kitty books there are significant spoilers in this one especially regarding Kitty’s love life.
This time out, Kitty signs up for a Big Brother-esque reality show that drops her and a houseful of other supernaturals (and one skeptic) in a lodge in the middle of nowhere for two weeks of carefully planned reality. Kitty is initially reluctant, but agrees in the hopes of educating the public about the personhood of werewolves etc. The drama is decidedly low-key, however, until cast members start dying.
Fans of this series will be happy to see quite a few familiar faces from previous books in the lodge with Kitty. But I’m stuck wondering how a book with an established (and much loved) heroine amidst such a significant amount of carnage came off as, I hate to use the word, boring.
The set up for the reality show takes only pages, and then for the next 100 pages or so NOTHING HAPPENS! Kitty and the other characters just sit around the lodge for the most part exchanging innocuous pleasantries. When the body count starts rising, things get more interesting, but at the expense of any real character development.
What keeps these types of series so compelling for me is getting to watch the main characters grow and change over the series, with each book delving deeper into his/her makeup. And in that sense, Kitty’s House of Horrors seems like empty calories. To be fair I’ve only had the chance to read the first book in the Kitty series and one short story prior to this, but I enjoyed them. I thought the character of Kitty was worthy to stand alongside with Mercy, Rachel, and Kate as the best in the urban fantasy genre, but if I had to judge her solely on this latest installment, I wouldn’t be so sure.
To be clear, there is nothing really wrong with this book, but there isn’t anything remarkable about it either. I did like that this book features a married protagonist as I can’t think of another urban fantasy that does that and it presents an interesting twist, but we got only the barest glimpse of how that relationship works or affects Kitty. I am still looking forward to catching up on the previous titles in this series and the next installment as well, because I like the world Carrie has created here and, despite what she showed us here, I know that Kitty has more to offer.
Sexual Content: Sex is referred to but not described.
My Rating (out of 5):
Click HERE to read an excerpt of Kitty’s House of Horrors
Discloser: I received this book courtesy of the Hachette Book Group
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Disagree with my review? Email me your review for this or any other book I reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review
You asked for a review rating system (or at least those of you who took my poll), you get a rating system! Special thanks to The Book Vixen for suggesting bats!
Rating System
| Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend. |
| Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel. |
| Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying. |
| Okay – Somewhat disappointing with significant flaws. Library/swap/borrow if you want. |
| Awful - I finished it, but I vomited out of my eyes a little. Run! |
From here on out, all the books I review on this site will get a rating of 1-5 bats. I contemplated adding half-bats but I’m against cruelty to animals (plus I didn’t feel like cutting the little suckers up), so 1-5 it is :)
What do you think? Do you use ratings on your reviews? How helpful are they for you and your readers?
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