 | Title: Hex Appeal
Sexual Content: Rating:
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying. |
Showing posts with label Carrie Vaughn. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Carrie Vaughn. Show all posts
29 May 2012
Posted by
Abigail
at 6:00 AM
Labels: 3 bats, anthology, carole Nelson Douglas, Carrie Vaughn, Erica Hayes, Ilona Andrews, jim butcher, Lori Handeland, Magic, P.N. Elrod, Rachel Caine, Review, Simon R. Green, St. Martin's Griffin, Urban Fantasy
Labels: 3 bats, anthology, carole Nelson Douglas, Carrie Vaughn, Erica Hayes, Ilona Andrews, jim butcher, Lori Handeland, Magic, P.N. Elrod, Rachel Caine, Review, Simon R. Green, St. Martin's Griffin, Urban Fantasy
28 December 2011
I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season, thanks for tuning in for a quick cover art reveal before the new year. This week’s covers were almost a clean sweep of thumbs up for me and Abigail, though we each had one title which prompted the thumbs down. Whether you love all of the these covers, or none of them, be sure to take the opportunity to vote on the best Paranormal Cover Art of 2011, the polls close on December 29!
Posted by
Julia
at 6:30 AM
Labels: C. J. Omololu, Carrie Vaughn, cover art, Keri Arthur, M. Beth Bloom, M. J. Putney, Stina Leicht
Labels: C. J. Omololu, Carrie Vaughn, cover art, Keri Arthur, M. Beth Bloom, M. J. Putney, Stina Leicht
12 October 2011
It’s a mixed bag of titles this week, with very few covers that are all win or all lose. Sometimes it’s only one detail that tips a cover from a thumbs up to a thumbs down, and it looks like a duck face is where I draw that line. If you could tweak one detail on a cover to change it from thumbs down to thumbs up, what would it be?
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Description: "The choices I had made led to the moment when fate took over. I would learn a lesson I wasn’t prepared for. Five years ago Abbey Chandler cheated Death. She survived a horrific car accident, but her lucky break came at the expense of her mother’s life and changed everything. After she crossed paths with Death—by taking the hand of an ethereal boy made of clouds and sky—she would never be normal again. Now she’s the target of Death’s Ravens and an innocent boy’s life is on the line. When Nate Holden—Abbey’s secret crush—starts to climb Alaska’s Denali, the Angel of Death is with him because of her. Abbey finds out the hard way that Death never forgets.
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| Julia’s Thoughts | Abigail’s Thoughts |
| I like the birds and the over all cover composition, but his wings don’t look quite right. I think I’d like it better if the wings complimented the angle of the birds across the title. | I agree completely. Overall I’m a fan, but his wings are almost shaped like a butterfly. |
| N/A |
Posted by
Julia
at 1:00 PM
Labels: Carrie Vaughn, Cassandra Clare, cover art, Kristin Cast, P. C. Cast, Rachel Caine, Rachel Vincent, Richelle Mead, Veronica Wolff
Labels: Carrie Vaughn, Cassandra Clare, cover art, Kristin Cast, P. C. Cast, Rachel Caine, Rachel Vincent, Richelle Mead, Veronica Wolff
12 August 2011
 | Title: Kitty’s Greatest Hits
 Sexual Content: None. Rating:
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Description
The first-ever story collection from the New York Times bestselling author, including two all-new works!
Kitty Norville, star of a New York Times bestselling series, is everybody’s favorite werewolf DJ and out-of-the-closet supernatural creature. Over the course of eight books she’s fought evil vampires, were-creatures, and some serious black magic. She’s done it all with a sharp wit and the help of a memorable cast of werewolf hunters, psychics, and if-not-good-then-neutral vampires by her side. Kitty’s Greatest Hits not only gives readers some of Kitty’s further adventures, it offers longtime fans a window into the origins of some of their favorite characters.
In “Conquistador de la Noche,” we learn the origin story of Denver’s Master vampire, Rick; with “Wild Ride,” we find out how Kitty’s friend T.J. became a werewolf; and in “Life is the Teacher,” we revisit Emma, the human-turned-unwilling-vampire who serves the aloof vampire Master of Washington, D.C.
This entertaining collection includes two brand-new works: “You’re On the Air,” about one of Kitty’s callers after he hangs up the phone; and the eagerly awaited “Long Time Waiting,” the novella that finally reveals just what happened to Cormac in prison, something every Kitty fan wants to know.
Review
Under normal circumstances I'm not a huge short story fan, I miss the deeper character development arc that a long story offers. I turn to short stories as a last resort on vacations, or seek them out to tide me over until a favorite author’s next full length book is available. KITTY'S GREATEST HITS turned this paradigm on it’s head. Rather than tiding me over until the next book, these stories deepened my appreciation for the rest of the series and made it more likely that I’ll bump the next Kitty Norville novel to the top of my TBR pile.
In the full length Kitty books, I tend to get overwhelmed by action and lose track of character development. KITTY’S GREATEST HITS offers the opportunity slow down and focus on Kitty, her humor and curiosity and unique perspective on life. I particularly enjoyed Winnowing the Herd and Kitty and the Mosh Pit of the Damned, where Kitty's hilarious outlook adds so much fun to the most mundane proceedings, everything from an office party to a dive bar concert.
While it was nice to get a glimpse of Kitty in relative repose, seeing things through her eyes is not a new experience. My favorite aspect of KITTY’S GREATEST HITS was the opportunity to see the Kitty Norville universe from a historical perspective, or from the point of view of other characters that Kitty encounters. Vaughn's enthusiasm and imagination makes it obvious that she takes great joy in exploring all angles of how this world fits together, from the other side of a call-in to Kitty’s show to familiar historical events reimagined with a paranormal twist. The stories included for Rick, T.J., Emma, and Cormac are seminal, showing them at crisis points in their lives. We see T.J.'s path to lycanthropy, Rick becoming a vampire, and most important of all, the story of Cormac's possession. I have always been a Cormac fan, to the point where I've felt alienated from a story line that has closed so many doors between him and Kitty. Long Time Waiting offers not only a sense of Cormac’s feelings about Kitty, but also some much needed insight into his dealings with Amelia. For someone as strong and fundamentally lonely as Cormac, it was incredibly winning to read about his slow-building trust in this most unlikely of partners.
As much as I enjoyed this anthology, it does leave me frustrated for more. More stories from the perspective of these fascinating supporting characters, more time to focus on the relationships that are so important in Kitty's life, and more time with Kitty herself. While only two of these short stories are newly published content (though I had not read most of them before), the ability to wholly immerse yourself in this world is well worth the price of admission. Given how much I enjoyed KITTY’S GREATEST HITS, I'll keep reading the action-packed full length novels, keep hoping for a spin off from another character’s point of view, and look forward to more short stories that give a well crafted little glimpse into another part of Kitty’s universe.
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Posted by
Julia
at 6:30 AM
Labels: 4 bats, anthology, Carrie Vaughn, Kitty Norville, Review, Urban Fantasy, werewolves
Labels: 4 bats, anthology, Carrie Vaughn, Kitty Norville, Review, Urban Fantasy, werewolves
30 June 2011
 | Title: Kitty’s Big Trouble
Sexual Content: References to sex. Rating:
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Description
Kitty Norville is back and in more trouble than ever. Her recent run-in with werewolves traumatized by the horrors of war has made her start wondering how long the US government might have been covertly using werewolves in combat. Have any famous names in our own history might have actually been supernatural? She's got suspicions about William Tecumseh Sherman. Then an interview with the right vampire puts her on the trail of Wyatt Earp, vampire hunter.
But her investigations lead her to a clue about enigmatic vampire Roman and the mysterious Long Game played by vampires through the millennia. That, plus a call for help from a powerful vampire ally in San Francisco, suddenly puts Kitty and her friends on the supernatural chessboard, pieces in dangerously active play. And Kitty Norville is never content to be a pawn. . .
Review
More than any other series, the Kitty Norville books read like a television series. Each episode is action packed, often self contained, with a little romance and character growth thrown in for spice. KITTY’S BIG TROUBLE is no deviation from that recipe, and this particular book worked very well for me. While the action would be accessible to even a new reader, the relationship dynamics (my favorite part), would definitely go right over their head.
The adventure in BIG TROUBLE provides prime character observation time for Kitty, Ben, and Cormac. With the dynamic trio operating as a team (or should it be "quartet" now that Cormac is possessed? Man, I hate that plot development), I felt this was the best glimpse we’ve had of how this new “pack of three” functions. I feel guilty when I type that despite Kitty’s marriage, I'm still very much a "Team Cormac" kind of girl. Ben hasn't had much time to shine lately, as all of the werewolf related issues are outside his comfort zone. This is very evident in BIG TROUBLE, where Kitty intervenes several times to keep Ben in human form. Outside of adjusting to being a wolf, however, adventure looks good on Ben. There are subtle hints of the bad-ass monster hunter he once was. He handles a gun and coordinates with Cormac in a way that is pretty damn attractive, and I look forward to him developing that level of skill and competence in the "alpha" arena.
As evident by my Ben digression, despite BIG TROUBLE being nonstop action from start to finish, it’s the character dynamic that kept me thinking long after I’ve put the book down. Some of the recent Kitty Norville books tipped the balance too far towards action (I’m looking at you KITTY’S HOUSE OF HORRORS), but BIG TROUBLE was right on the money. The power struggles and supernatural politics do a great job of sucking me in, but it's the way Kitty and her loved ones change that keeps me coming back for more.
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Posted by
Julia
at 12:01 AM
Labels: 4 bats, 9th in series, Carrie Vaughn, Kitty Norville, Review, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, werewolves
Labels: 4 bats, 9th in series, Carrie Vaughn, Kitty Norville, Review, Urban Fantasy, Vampires, werewolves
07 April 2011
 | Title: After the Golden Age
 Kissing. References to sex My Rating:
Okay – Somewhat disappointing with significant flaws. Library/swap/borrow if you want. |
Description
Can an accountant defeat a supervillain? Celia West, only daughter of the heroic leaders of the superpowered Olympiad, has spent the past few years estranged from her parents and their high-powered lifestyle. She’s had enough of masks and heroics, and wants only to live her own quiet life out from under the shadow of West Plaza and her rich and famous parents.
Then she is called into her boss’ office and told that as the city’s top forensic accountant, Celia is the best chance the prosecution has to catch notorious supervillain the Destructor for tax fraud. In the course of the trial, Celia’s troubled past comes to light and family secrets are revealed as the rift between Celia and her parents grows deeper. Cut off from friends and family, Celia must come to terms with the fact that she might just be Commerce City’s only hope.
This all-new and moving story of love, family, and sacrifice is an homage to Golden Age comics that no fan will want to miss.
Review
Superheroes are hotter than ever right now with two network TV shows currently airing (The Cape and No Ordinary Family) and a Wonder Woman reboot in the works, not to mention all the summer movies coming soon. Based on the cover art—which is phenomenal—and the description for AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE, I was hoping for a cool vintage like 'homage to Golden Age comics.’ And that’s exactly what I got with plot and worldbuilding, but like those two struggling TV shows, which will likely be canceled by the time this review runs, and superheroes in general, AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE has a weakness that proved lethal: Celia West.
It’s hard to enjoy the other aspects of this book when I struggled to find even one redeeming quality about the main character. She’s the most petulant, self-pitting, and miserable character I’ve read in a long time. She’s constantly bemoaning her life and wallowing in her lot as a nonsuper kid of the two most famous supers ever. She tells everyone throughout AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE just how awful it was growing up in the shadow of her parents. Every time a new character was introduced I had to steel myself for another round of ‘poor Celia.’
And if her incessant bellyaching wasn’t enough, Celia adds a whole new level of unreasonableness to her character. When she was seventeen, she defected to villain side and literally stood arm in arm with The Destroyer (her parents arch nemesis) when he tried to pull a 9/11 on the city. Yep, she was a terrorist who would have committed mass murder had her parents not shown up and thwarted the plan. Now I could potentially move past this if Celia as an adult expressed true remorse and regret over her actions, but she never did. She uses words like ‘mistake’ and ‘indiscretion’ to describe her actions. She never once apologizes, never once seeks forgiveness from her parents. On the contrary, she becomes indignant when her past is revealed and people don’t try to comfort her. Unbelievable!
The story itself was fine and the superhero angle works well in an The Incredibles/Watchmen sort of way. I really enjoyed the short story from Carrie Vaughn set in this same world that was included in the SONGS OF LOVE AND DEATH anthology earlier this year, but Celia completely killed any possible enjoyment I might have taken from AFTER THE GOLDEN AGE. I found myself actually hoping at one point that the bad guys would just shoot her and put us both out of our misery. Not a good sign.
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13 July 2010
*This title will be released on July 20, 2010*
Book Description
It was a dark and stormy knight, and nine dark defenders embarked upon a most perilous quest….
They’re the ultimate defenders of humanity—modern day knights who do dark deeds for all the right reasons. In this all-star collection, nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors bring us thrilling, all-new stories of supernatural knights that are brimming with magic mystery and mayhem.
John Marcone sets aside his plans to kill Harry Dresden to go head-to-head with a cantrev lord in Jim Butcher’s Even Hand. Kate Daniels is called upon for bodyguard duty to protect Saimen, a shifter she trusts less than the enemy in Ilona Andrews’ A Questionable Client. Cormac must stop a killer werewolf before it attacks again on the next full moon in Carrie Vaughn’s God’s Creatures. And in Vicki Pettersson’s Shifting Star, Skamar gets more than she bargained for when she goes after a creature kidnapping young girls—and enlists the aid of her frustratingly sexy neighbor.
When everything’s on the line, will these knights complete their missions and live to fight again another day? Find out in Dark and Stormy Knights!
Includes stories from:
Ilona Andrews
Jim Butcher
Shannon K. Butcher
Rachel Caine
P.N. Elrod
Deidre Knight
Vicki Pettersson
Lilith Saintcrow
Carrie Vaughn
Review
A Questionable Client by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels prequel)
Review:
I would have bought the whole anthology for this story alone. We get an early glimpse at Kate’s life and find out how she met the shapeshifter Saiman. Sadly, no Curran, but we do get a fun bit of Russian mythology. If you haven’t tried this series yet, you get a great sense of the humor, characters, and world that Kate lives in all packed into 46 excellent pages….5/5 bats
Click HERE to read an excerpt from Ilona Andrews story
Even Hand by Jim Butcher (The Dresden Files #11.5)
Review:
I’ve only ready a couple Harry Dresden books so far, and wasn’t familiar with the character of Gentleman Johnnie Marcone who is the protagonist this time (Harry only gets a few mentions, mostly from Marcone wanting to kill him). This story had a Thumbelina quality for me in that Marcone protects a beautiful young woman who escaped after being abducted by a nasty froglike creature. I loved the character of Marcone with his harsh, stoic exterior that belies a more compassionate man than even he’s willing to acknowledge…4/5 bats
The Beacon by Shannon K. Butcher
Review:Possibly the weakest story in the bunch for me, but still good. A self-loathing man has killed dozens of men who, unbeknownst to them, are beacons for unstoppable killing monsters, before they can summon the creature…until he discovers the next beacon is a little girl with a beautiful single mother...3/5 bats
Even a Rabbit Will Bite by Rachel Caine
Review:
My second favorite after the Kate Daniels story. The last dragonslayer must train her replacement before she can retire. This one had a cool Buffy vibe with the idea of a watcher training a young woman who had no idea she had a destiny. The ending was a fantastic surprise…5/5 bats
Dark Lady by P.N. Elrod (The Vampire Files #?)
Review:
Vampire PI Jack Fleming helps a woman trying to clear her fiancés name and keep the mob from killing him in this 1930’s story. A fun supernatural mystery with temperamental ghost…3/5 bats
Click HERE to read an excerpt from P.N. Elrod’s story
Beknighted by Deidre Knight
Review:Another one of the weaker stories. A puzzle maker/painter must work alongside a dangerous man to free another who has been haunting her dreams. PNR fans will like the added romance of this story, but I found it slightly confusing and apart from a few references, it could have been a regency story…3/5
Shifting Star by Vicki Pettersson (Sign of the Zodiac #4.5)
Review:
I’m not a huge fan of this series, and it took me awhile to remember what was going on since the author didn’t ever really explain her complex world this time. I don’t recommend newbies to this world start here as there are lots of spoilers from the previous books. It focuses on the character Skamar as she continues her quest to destroy the Tulpa, this time with the help of her hot neighbor cop…3/5
Rookwood and Mrs. King by Lilith Saintcrow
Review:
I’m a fan of Lilith Saintcrow’s Dante Valentine series, so I was hopeful with this one, and I loved it. A dhampir vampire hunter helps a wife/widow stake her newly turned lawyer husband and imparts his vampire knowledge along the way. A little sexy, a little mysterious, and a lot of fun. I hope Lilith considers writing more about Rookwood in the future…4/5 bats
God's Creatures by Carrie Vaughn (Kitty Norville #2.5)
Review:This is the shortest story in the bunch (only 31 pages) and it feels it. Kitty is a no show. Instead this story focuses on werewolf hunter Cormac as he accepts a job to eliminate a rogue werewolf before it kills any humans at the local Catholic school. Not a lot going on in the story, but Cormac fans might enjoy it…3/5 bats
Sexual Content: Kissing. References to sex.
My Rating (out of 5):Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.
Product Details
Publisher: Saint Martin's Press Inc. *Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of LibrayThing’s Early Reviews
Disagree with my review? Contact me with your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review.
Posted by
Abigail
at 6:30 AM
Labels: 4 bats, anthology, Carrie Vaughn, Ilona Andrews, jim butcher, P.N. Elrod, Rachel Caine, Review, Urban Fantasy
Labels: 4 bats, anthology, Carrie Vaughn, Ilona Andrews, jim butcher, P.N. Elrod, Rachel Caine, Review, Urban Fantasy
06 July 2010
Book Description
When Evie Walker goes home to spend time with her dying father, she discovers that his creaky old house in Hope’s Fort, Colorado, is not the only legacy she stands to inherit. Hidden behind the old basement door is a secret and magical storeroom, a place where wondrous treasures from myth and legend are kept safe until they are needed again. The magic of the storeroom prevents access to any who are not intended to use the items. But just because it has never been done does not mean it cannot be done.
And there are certainly those who will give anything to find a way in.
Evie must guard the storeroom against ancient and malicious forces, protecting the past and the future even as the present unravels around them. Old heroes and notorious villains alike will rise to fight on her side or to undermine her most desperate gambits. At stake is the fate of the world, and the prevention of nothing less than the apocalypse. In the same month, along with this all-new hardcover, Tor will publish a new novel in Carrie Vaughn’s popular, New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series featuring werewolf talk radio host, Kitty Norville. Kitty Goes to War will be the eighth book in this successful mass market series.
Review
I was ready to love this book. I'm a long time lover of Greek mythology, I thought Carrie Vaughn's previous book, Voices of Dragons, was excellent, and I'm a fan off her Kitty Norville series too. By all accounts I should have loved DISCORD'S APPLE, instead I found a flat protagonist, a confusing world, and too many separate stories that failed to come together in a satisfying way.
The description of DISCORD'S APPLE leads you to believe that the plot is about a woman, Evie Walker, who discovers “a secret and magical storeroom, a place where wondrous treasures from myth and legend are kept safe until they are needed again.” The reality is that that is only one of four stories told in this book.
DISCORD’S APPLE jumps randomly from these four stories throughout the book. Beginning with the most interesting: a retelling of the Trojan War and the event that caused it (Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena squabbling over an apple ‘for the fairest’) leading up to modern day. The Greek gods are all well represented (specifically Apollo), fickle and willing to sleep with any and everything: male and female, willing and unwilling. Most of the sex occurs in this story. It's not graphic, but there is a lot of it in all forms and it is not always consensual.
The two other stories include a graphic novel that Evie writes about a covert military assault team overseas, and the many generations of Walkers who previously guarded the Storeroom. All of these stories are connected in various ways, but they are so different in tone and style that any emotion or connection that I started to built with a specific character got lost as I got thrown from story to story.
I hate that I didn’t like this book, but I really struggled with it on almost every level. Carrie Vaughn is a good writer, but I think she tried to do too much in DISCORD’S APPLE. If she’d focused on the main story more, I might have responded to the character of Evie, but I can’t even really describe her because I feel like she was only ever superficially represented. I unfortunately, can’t recommend this book.
Sexual Content: (most of this is part of the sexual exports of the gods) References to rape including the description of a girl post assault. A man is tied up and raped by another man (not described). A man attempts to rape a woman. A brief heterosexual sex scene. A non graphic homosexual sex scene. References to sexual slavery.
My Rating (out of 5):
Click HERE to read an excerpt from DISCORD’S APPLE
Product Details
- Publisher: Tor Books
- Published: 06 July 2010
- Format: Hardback 304 pages
- See: Full bibliographic data
- Categories: Fantasy
- ISBN 13: 9780765325549 ISBN 10: 0765325543
*Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of Tor FORGE Books
Disagree with my review? Contact me with your review for this or any other book I’ve reviewed and I might use it for 2nd Opinion Review.
10 June 2010
**Visit Tynga’s Reviews today for her PSF Giveaway for 5 copies of BULLET by Laurel K. Hamilton**
On July 20, 2010 Carrie Vaughn will release KITTY GOES TO WAR, the 8th book in her hugely popular Kitty Norville series about “a werewolf named Kitty who hosts a talk radio advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged. “And on on July 20th keep an eye out for Carrie’s next novel, Discord’s Apple as well as a short Kitty story featuring Cormac in the anthology Dark and Stormy Knights. In honor of Paranormal Summer Fest, the super generous Carrie has offered a signed copy of KITTY GOES TO WAR plus a CD of the playlist. Details below
Craig White is the artist behind all of the gorgeous covers for these books. Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand is my pick to date (I just love the white tiger). Which cover is your favorite?
Giveaway
Giveaway courtesy of Carrie Vaughn
A signed copy of KITTY GOES TO WAR plus a CD of the playlist made by Carrie Vaughn.
This title will be released on June 29, 2010.
Book Description
Kitty Norville, Alpha werewolf and host of The Midnight Hour, a radio call-in show, is contacted by a friend at the NIH's Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology. Three Army soldiers recently returned from the war in Afghanistan are being held at Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs. They're killer werewolves—and post traumatic stress has left them unable to control their shape-shifting and unable to interact with people. Kitty agrees to see them, hoping to help by bringing them into her pack.
Meanwhile, Kitty gets sued for libel by CEO Harold Franklin after featuring Speedy Mart--his nationwide chain of 24-hour convenience stores with a reputation for attracting supernatural unpleasantness--on her show.
Very bad weather is on the horizon.
Click HERE to read an excerpt from KITTY GOES TO WAR
GIVEAWAY GUIDLINES
- Open Internationally (thanks Carrie!)
- Fill out the form below
- Entries for all Paranormal Summer Fest giveaways must be received by Midnight MST on July 4th. All the giveaways winners will be announced on July 6th.
I would greatly appreciate if you shared this giveaway on your blog or favorite social networks. Thanks!
Interested in offering a giveaway on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME
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