This week Abigail and I have the opposite of a “perfect game” going on. There are many titles that received unanimous approval, but we also have a perfect record of asynchronous thumbs down going on. Not one title got two thumbs down this week. In a few instances, we mentioned the exact same detail and then went our separate ways (my favorite is the battle axe rock star). Feel free to chime in an help us break all these ties.
 | Title: Devil’s Punch
Sexual Content: Rating:
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying. |
I am very excited for today’s Spooky Legend, as we host the writing duo of Ellen Connor (aka – Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty). Abigail and I are big fans of these ladies’ writing, both when they write as a team or when they fly solo. Ann Aguirre’s Corine Solomon, Sirantha Jax, and Razorland books have about a bazillion bats between them all here on All Things Urban Fantasy, and fans of historical romance will know that Carrie Lofty has some serious romantic chops of her own (I particularly loved SONG OF SEDUCTION, whose musical hero and heroine both stole my heart). With this kind of pedigree, it’s no surprise that together these ladies write one heck of a book. Abigail reviewed NIGHTFALL, the first in the Dark Age Dawning series, and said it “[combines] thrilling danger and steamy romance in a magical post-apocalyptic world.” Book two in the series, MIDNIGHT, came out this September, and is on both of our wishlists (Why can’t my birthday come four times a year? Sure, I’d be 120 years old, but it would be worth it). Hopefully we get to catch up before DAYBREAK comes out this December.
Click to see the Spooky Legends Master List with links to all the previous posts and giveaways
Bloody Mary by Dr. Chris Welsh
by
Ellen Connor
Dr. Chris Welsh is the hero of MIDNIGHT, which takes a few years after the disastrous Change wiped out civilization. And yet, human nature is resilient. A new civilization has taken its place to defend against scavenger beasts, violent raiders, and creatures known as skinwalkers—human shapeshifters, some of whom have gone feral and have no qualms about eating people. Chris began his journey through the Change as a rather beta intellectual, resisting any temptation to believe in magic. But he has been wandering for years on his own. The terrible, incredible things he’s witnessed cannot be explained any other way.
Then he meets Rosa Cortez, the tough, independent leader of Valle de Bravo, a tiny human settlement in what used to be the American southwest. To say their romance is tempestuous and fraught with danger is an understatement. But there’s tenderness too, as each struggles to trust in the safety of their love.
Now, Dr. Chris Welsh will do his best to explain the legend of Bloody Mary:
 | Title: Aftermath
Sexual Content: References and descriptions of sex, sex scenes. Rating:
Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend. |
 | Title: Enclave
 Kissing. References to rape. My Rating:
Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend. |
New York City has been decimated by war and plague, and most of civilization has migrated to underground enclaves, where life expectancy is no more than the early 20's. When Deuce turns 15, she takes on her role as a Huntress, and is paired with Fade, a teenage Hunter who lived Topside as a young boy. When she and Fade discover that the neighboring enclave has been decimated by the tunnel monsters—or Freaks—who seem to be growing more organized, the elders refuse to listen to warnings. And when Deuce and Fade are exiled from the enclave, the girl born in darkness must survive in daylight, in the ruins of a city whose population has dwindled to a few dangerous gangs. As the two are guided by Fade’s long-ago memories, they face dangers, and feelings, unlike any they’ve ever known.
In the past week, I have been gorging myself on Ann Aguirre in three different series and subgenres: SHADY LADY (urban fantasy), NIGHTFALL (paranormal romance), and now ENCLAVE (paranormal YA). If I didn’t already have her on my short list of authors par excellence, there is no question that ENCLAVE would have catapulted her over the edge. It’s a creepy and shocking and thrilling look at post apocalyptic New York that will remind readers of THE HUNGER GAMES and LORD OF THE FLIES.
I was born during the second holocaust. People had told us legends of a time when human beings lived longer. I thought they were just stories. Nobody even lived to see forty in my world. – First lines from ENCLAVE
Speaking of LORD OF THE FLIES, in an interview, Ann Aguirre has set that she was heavily influenced by William Golding’s book when it came to writing ENCLAVE. Children forced to band together and form societies (some more successfully that others) is as much a commentary on human nature as FLIES, but in a more flattering way since Ann shows both the depravity that would emerge in this reality as well as the altruism of others, and even the misguided groups that fall into the middle of that spectrum.
As always, Ann’s writing is a sensual delight. I felt my own heart race as Deuce and Fade were being hunted by the zombie like Freaks in the tunnels underground, felt when they were injured, when they escaped. I experienced the first fluttering awareness that developed between them, the sheer terror when they faced down the gangers above ground. Hunger, dehydration, and exposure. They come to life in a way that I could swear I was traveling alongside the characters. It is an amazing feeling that few authors can deliver.
I already made a comparison to THE HUNGER GAMES, and while there are a lot of similarities between the two, it’s unfair to expect ENCLAVE to match such a beloved book. But if you want a different kind of apocalypse with another brave and resourceful heroine, you won’t be disappointed with ENCLAVE. The trailer does an excellent job of conveying the tone of the book: harsh yet hopeful. Bleak and bloody, yet with moments of undeniable beauty. Can’t wait for more. The next book in the Razorland series is titled OUTPOST and will be released in Fall 2012.
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I’m still a redhead. Before we left Texas, I touched up the roots, and then I had some tawny apricot highlights put in. I guessed that meant I intended to keep this color for a while. Symbolic—I’d made a commitment, at least to my hair.
As a handler, Corine Solomon can touch any object and know its history. It’s too bad she can’t seem to forget her own. With her ex-boyfriend Chance in tow—lending his particularly supernatural brand of luck—Corine journeys back home to Kilmer, Georgia, in order to discover the truth behind her mother’s death and the origins of her “gift.”
But while trying to uncover the secrets in her past, Corine and Chance find that something is rotten in the state of Georgia. Just a few miles away, no one seems to know Kilmer exists. And inside the town borders there are signs of a dark curse affecting the town and all its residents—and it can only be satisfied with death…
Book 2 in The Corrine Solomon Series
Review:
HELL FIRE picks up just weeks after the events that occurred in Blue Diablo as Corrine and Chance are returning to her hometown of Kilmer, Georgia to get the truth about her mother's murder thirteen years earlier. With Chance's luck, Corrine is determined to finally be able to bring the killers to justice.
The paranormal world in this series is populated with ghosts, demons, witches, and 'The Gifted' (individuals with varying abilities; everything from psychics, empaths, and mediums). Most Gifted are born with their abilities, others like Corrine, acquire them through different means. And then there's Chance. He is something entirely other able to use 'luck' the way we might use a computer.
Ann Aguirre has an amazing ability to make the reader breath in the air of her location, in HELL FIRE, the little town of Kilmer, Georgia is every bit as much the main character as Corrine, maybe even more so. I felt like I was tasting Miz Ruth's dumplings, smelling the fetid air of the damp forest, enduring the searing pain of Corrine's Gift when she handled a charged object. Reading HELL FIRE is a completely sensory experience that wouldn't be half as immersive in the hands of a lesser writer.
The love triangle between Corrine, Jesse and Chance was not my favorite part of the book. I lost some respect for Corrine as she seemed to fall into whoever's arms were closest at the time without a thought for the other guy who, often as not, was in the other room. I don't understand why either of the guys put up with it. And I hated the choice Corrine ends up making.
The pacing problems I had with Blue Diablo did not plague HELL FIRE in the slightest. The story moved along swiftly with every scene contributing something significant either to the characters or plot. If you enjoyed Blue Diablo, HELL FIRE is even better. I can’t even imagine what Ann has in store for us when Shady Lady (Corine Solomon, Book 3) comes out in April 2011.
Sexual Content: References to sex. A scene of mild sensuality.
My Rating (out of 5):
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.
Click HERE to read an excerpt of HELL FIRE
Paperback: 336 pages Disagree with my review? Contact me your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review
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 week’s Throwdown asked: Are flowers the tattoos of the Paranormal YA genre? I didn’t exactly pit two things against each other very clearly with that one, but I did think it was a notable trend that deserved a post. So instead of the normal results, I’m going to share my favorite comment from the post:
Danielle87 said...
It is a tad patronizing that PR departments seem to think that young women will see flowers on book cover and experience some sort of girly/magpie attack: "ooooohhhhhhh.... SHINY! Must buy!"
But I guess for every genre a lot of research is put into what attracts its readers to the cover - so there is probably statistical proof out there that girls buy books with flowers on them. How degrading.
I think the covers in that post are all very striking and while I wouldn’t suffer from an ”oooooooohhhhhhh….SHINY! Must buy!” attack, I’ll admit I would probably have a “What a lovely cover design. I’m going to read the back and then make an informed decision about whether or not to buy this book” episode. That’s different, right? Now if there was a pony trend in YA covers…yes, patronizing and degrading…unless the ponies were super pretty.
So I finally started reading Ann Aguirre’s BLUE DIABLO (Corine Solomon, book 1) after letting it sit on my shelf for more months then I care to admit. The description sounded really good too, not to mention the blurb from Patricia Briggs. But it ended up getting buried under newer titles…until now. My friend Rebecca from Dirty Sexy Books raved about Ann’s GRIMSPACE, so I knew it was past time I read this talented author.
So, I added GRIMSPACE to my wishlist, started BLUE DIABLO, and now I’m having to tear myself away from it to finish this post (and the petty part of me hates each and every one of you for keeping me from it—not to mention Rebecca for letting me go this long without reading Ann Aguirre), it’s that good. So, I thought I could spotlight the next Corine Solomon book, HELL FIRE, which comes out on April 6, 2010, and at the same time highlight another—much smaller—trend: girl leaning against a red vehicle. ON THE EDGE (another excellent book. I gave it 4/5 bats) has the jump on this mini-trend, but which do you like better?
| Hell Fire (Corine Solomon, #2) by Ann Aguirre Book DescriptionThe second in the thrilling national bestselling series Product Details
| On the Edge (The Edge, #1) by Ilona Andrews Book DescriptionRose Drayton lives on the Edge, between the world of the Broken (where people drive cars, shop at Wal-Mart, and magic is a fairy tale) and the Weird (where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny). Only Edgers like Rose can easily travel from one world to the next, but they never truly belong in either. Rose thought if she practiced her magic, she could build a better life for herself. But things didn’t turn out how she planned, and now she works a minimum wage, off the books job in the Broken just to survive. Then Declan Camarine, a blueblood noble straight out of the deepest part of the Weird, comes into her life, determined to have her (and her power). But when a terrible danger invades the Edge from the Weird, a flood of creatures hungry for magic, Declan and Rose must work together to destroy them—or they’ll devour the Edge and everyone in it . . . Product Details
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Ann Aguirre revealed the new cover for the 2nd book in the Corine Solomon series over on Boarders SciFi. She expresses her concern for the slight deviation from typical urban fantasy covers. Read the article and chime in. I personally prefer the standard UF art (my current favorite is the cover for the upcoming Inked anthology). See below for giveaway details.
Today you’re in for a special treat. About a month ago, I got my new cover for Hell Fire, but I saved it so I can unveil it here.
This is the cover art for book two in my Corine Solomon series. I like the moodiness of it; they’ve stopped the car at twilight, near a spooky woods (I know the exact scene this represents–it’s near the start of the book), and Corine is understandably creeped out. Once you read it, you will so go, OMG, this is from the cover!
But if you compare it to other urban fantasy titles, you’ll find this is quite different. They went for a more realistic style; they also avoided using tatts or leather, which is cover art shorthand for urban fantasy these days. I’m a little concerned by that choice. While I appreciate they want to create a distinctive brand for me, I’m not sure how new readers are going to find me. People who know of me and know what I write will buy my books regardless. It’s the random browsers I want to reach. And they’re looking for women with tramp stamps, tattoos and leather pants. Never mind that doesn’t really represent the series–it doesn’t in other cases too. But maybe this makes me stand out from the crowd? I’m hoping that’s the case.
I really love Karen Chance’s covers. Patricia Briggs has gorgeous ones too. I think the message of my covers is: this is a different kind of urban fantasy. And that’s certainly true. I have no werewolves, vampires or fairies. I do have shades, wraiths, warlocks, sorcerers, witches, genetically gifted humans, demons, fallen angels, and nephilim. And I have characters, like Chance, whose background cannot be explained by any of the above. (Yes, I totally know what his deal is. But you’ll have to keep reading the series to find out.)
So would you guess this was urban fantasy, based on the art? Would it make you pick it up? Comment on the new cover, art trends in urban fantasy, and/or what you’d like to see for my Shady Lady cover (I have my own ideas since I know what happens in the book). And I’ll pre-order Hell Fire for one lucky random commenter.
*Note the giveaway applies to comments on Boards Scifi blog NOT on my site.*
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