Happy Mother’s Day!  While it’s true that most urban fantasy heroines tend to fly solo, there are a handful that manage to balance supernatural smack downs and motherhood. 

Top 5 Urban Fantasy moms

Today we have a new variety of Cover Art Coverage to share, as we compare and contrast the cover art of familiar books around the globe.  Rather than thumbs up and down, Abigail and I have picked our favorites and I hope you do, too! 




 

I sometimes have a hard time objectively evaluating cover reveals for beloved series (how can you untangle the adrenaline of a new book coming out from the cover itself?).  This week I didn’t give many thumbs down, but my affection for the Sookie Stackhouse series as a whole couldn’t overcome the unfortunate scene depicted on book #12.  To balance that disappointment, however,there was a rare “bare chest with floating animal” cover that actually got a thumbs up. Enjoy!

*This title will be released on July 26, 2011*

Title: Spell Bound Author: Kelley Armstrong Series: Women of the Otherworld #12 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: Dutton (July 26, 2011) ISBN-10: 0525952209 ISBN-13: 978-0525952206 Sexual Content: Kissing Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Description

At last, in the novel every Kelley Armstrong fan will need to own, all the major heroines and heroes of Otherworld are united.

It's been ten years since Bitten, the first novel in Kelley Armstrong's New York Times bestselling Otherworld series. In that time hundreds of thousands of fans have ravenously devoured the adventures of Armstrong's witches, demons, and werewolves. Now, in Spell Bound, she brings them all together for her most sweeping tale yet.

Savannah Levine is in terrible danger, and for once she's powerless to help herself. At the heartbreaking conclusion of Waking the Witch, Savannah swore that she would give up her powers if it would prevent further pain for a young orphan. Little did she know that someone would take her up on that promise.

And now, witch-hunting assassins, necromancers, half-demons, and rogue witches all seem to be after her. The threat is not just for Savannah; every member of the Otherworld might be at risk. While most of her fellow supernaturals are circling the wagons at a gathering of the council in Miami, Savannah is caught on the road, isolated from those who can protect her and unable to use her vast spell-casting talent, the thing she counts on most. In a story that will change the shape of the Otherworld forever, Armstrong gathers Elena, Clay, Paige, Lucas, Jamie, Hope, and other beloved characters, who soon learn that the greatest threat to supernaturals just may come from within.

Review

SPELL BOUND might have well been titled WOMEN OF THE OTHERWORLD: THE ALLSTARS EDITION because just about every main character from the series pops up.  Elena and Clay, Paige and Lucas, Hope and Benicio,  Jaime and Jeremy, and on and on…It’s a a fun flashback for fans of the series and it even inspired me to go back to some of the books I missed before.

As far as the story goes, SPELL BOUND picks up right on the heels of WAKING THE WITCH and for the first half of the book falls into a less than thrilling pattern: Savannah and Adam interview someone, crash at a hotel, interview someone, then crash at a different hotel.  It’s not especially exciting and there is no headway made towards the long hinted romance between these two characters.   Fortunately, things do wake up a bit for the second half and several new story threads are introduced.  My favorite involved a pregnant Hope visiting an incarcerated Jasper who is still obsessed with her…best scene in the whole book.

Unfortunately, SPELL BOUND never completely unbound.  Savannah and Adam do a lot of investigating, Savannah does  a lot of emotional running, which in turn opens the door for every other character in the book to lecture her on what it means to be an adult.  The romantic tension that built so nicely in the previous book between Adam and Savannah goes all of nowhere this time until the last few pages.  I kept thinking it would pick back up and was frustrated when instead of finally confessing her feelings, Savannah would go off and interview another suspect.  Not very satisfying.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about the Women of the Otherworld series is that you can easily hop in and out and for the most part enjoy each book without having read all the previous installments.  Not so with SPELL BOUND.  It reads very much like part two of WAKING THE WITCH and a significant portion of the plot is directly related to the events from that book.  In fact, SPELL BOUND feels like the middle of one big book.  The ending especially, since it really is more of a breaking off point that doesn’t really wrap up any of the plotlines established in either book. 

This is a great series, but SPELL BOUND, while not a bad book, is my least favorite installment since it really isn’t it’s own story.  Very little progress is made in terms of plot, romance, or even character growth.  It is inexorably connected to WAKING THE WITCH and the next Women of the Otherworld book, number thirteen, which is titled 13.  13 will be published in 2012 and will be the final book in this series.  I’ll still be sad to see this series end, but not as sad as I would have been if SPELL BOUND had been a stronger book.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
Bitten Stolen Dime Store Magic Industrial Magic Haunted Broken No Humans Involved Personal Demons Living with the Dead Frostbitten Waking the Witch – 4/5	Inside of a Dog A Book Obsession... Genre Go Round Reviews

*This title will be released on April 12, 2011*

Title: The Gathering Author: Kelley Armstrong Series: Darkness Rising #1 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by:Julia Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 368 pages Publisher: HarperCollins (April 12, 2011) ISBN-10: 0061797022 ISBN-13: 978-0061797026 Sexual Content: Mention of sexual relationships and a steamy make-out scene. My Rating: Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.

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Description

Strange things are happening in Maya's tiny Vancouver Island town. First, her friend Serena, the captain of the swim team, drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. Then, one year later, mountain lions are spotted rather frequently around Maya's home—and her reactions to them are somewhat . . . unexpected. Her best friend, Daniel, has also been experiencing unexplainable premonitions about certain people and situations.

It doesn't help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret, and he's interested in one special part of Maya's anatomy—her paw-print birthmark.

Review

THE GATHERING begins with the most unlikely of settings for a paranormal YA, a classic “company town” set in a remote area of Canada.  Like the famed company campuses of Silicon Valley, the families of Salmon Creek receive world-class perks.  Despite the small town feel, the few residents can look forward to top notch schools and fabulous medical care for their children.  When ominous events begin to cast a shadow over this idyllic Mayberry, Armstrong makes it difficult to identify the true threat to Maya and her friends, and just who in their sleepy little town they can trust.

The most unique aspect of this book was the teenagers’ reactions to the mystery unfolding around them.  Neither preternaturally paranoid nor willfully obtuse, the teens of Salmon Creek follow their natural curiosity where it leads.  And as this process takes them closer and closer to danger, the story folds in a phenomenal amount of character development.  Even the bullies and the bad guys in THE GATHERING are human and well-drawn, a critical detail that makes Armstrong’s writing so satisfying (and makes it that much harder to spot the true threat).  The villains of the story range from high school pettiness to sorcerous crime families, and I can honestly say that I only have inklings of who will be implicated in later books. 

As for the main characters, while at times Maya seems just too witty and sassy to be true, these characteristics made her all the more entertaining to read (and made it all the more striking when she acknowledges personal shortcomings).  The men in Maya’s life were particularly interesting as well, as Armstrong makes both Daniel and Rafe very attractive in different ways.  Whether the well-liked best friend or the flirtatious bad boy, both guys reveal hidden depths before the books end.  I have my own theory about which way this love triangle will tip, but Armstrong doesn’t leave too many hints laying around. 

As much as I adored THE GATHERING in it’s own right, I can’t express how excited I was to catch hints of the Darkest Powers series as well, I can only hope Armstrong will bring characters from both series together in the long run.  THE GATHERING is also a great gateway for someone who has yet to try Kelley Armstrong’s books.  So many parts of the story are grounded and realistic, it makes it all the more striking when that “Thing That Goes Bump in the Night” steps out of the shadows.  As I’ve already pre-ordered a copy of this book to pass on to a friend, this book has one of the most heartfelt five bat ratings I’ve offered yet.

 

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	25 Hour Books That Bookish Girl Lavender Lines

You can read all the previous Top 10 Lists HERE

Julia’s Paranormal Picks for 2011

This was my first year diligently updating my GoodReads account, and I was a little shocked to see how many books I had read in 2010 (162 by their count, eep!).  Then I started looking through all of the amazing books that are going to be published in 2011 and I realized my total will be even higher this year.  The hardest parts about putting this list together was how it reminded me of all the books I can’t wait to read, all the books I wanted to re-read, and all the books I still have to catch up on (aren’t those great problems to have?).  Happy New Year, everyone, and happy, happy reading!

#10 Grave Dance by Kalayna Price
July 5, 2011

Description:

Grave witch Alex Craft can speak to the dead, but that doesn’t mean she likes what they have to say . . .

As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she’s on good terms with Death himself—who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans—nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she’s attacked by the ‘shade’ she’s raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around . . .

To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something—though it’s certainly not his dislike of Alex—but Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life . . . and her soul.

Kalayna Price’s Haven series kept popping up on my radar, but never succeeded in making it to my pre-order list.  The Alex Craft series, however, was a slam dunk from Book 1.  While I did like the novel world concept and Alex herself, I must admit, most of my anticipation is due to Death himself.  Mysterious and intriguing, with just the right mix of attraction and danger, I’m looking forward to reading GRAVE DANCE for his appearances alone.

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#9 Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill
May 3, 2011

 

Description:

Times are hard for newly minted vampire Merit. Ever since shapeshifters announced their presence to the world, humans have been rallying against supernaturals--and they're camping outside of Cadogan House with protest signs that could turn to pitchforks at any moment. Inside its doors, things between Merit and her Master, green-eyed heartbreaker Ethan Sullivan are ... tense. But then the mayor of Chicago calls Merit and Ethan to a clandestine meeting and tells them about a violent vamp attack that has left three women missing. His message is simple: get your House in order. Or else.

Merit needs to get to the bottom of this crime, but it doesn't help that she can't tell who's on her side. So she secretly calls in a favor from someone who's tall, dark, and part of underground vamp group that may have some deep intel on the attack. Merit soon finds herself in the heady, dark heart of Chicago's supernatural society--a world full of vampires who seem too ready to fulfill the protesting human's worst fears, and a place where she'll learn that you can't be a vampire without getting a little blood on your hands...

That sword, those pants... even without my enjoyment of past Chicagoland Vampire novels, I would have wanted to catch up just to read this one.  While the series started off slow for me, much of that was a function of Merit’s development as a character.  She has consistently impressed me more and more as the series progressed, and now I’m thoroughly hooked.  Events between Merit and Ethan in TWICE BITTEN had me on the edge of my seat, and I look forward to seeing how their tense stalemate plays out in close quarters.

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#8 The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong
April 12, 2011

Description:

Strange things are happening in Maya's tiny Vancouver Island town. First, her friend Serena, the captain of the swim team, drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. Then, one year later, mountain lions are spotted rather frequently around Maya's home—and her reactions to them are somewhat . . . unexpected. Her best friend, Daniel, has also been experiencing unexplainable premonitions about certain people and situations.

It doesn't help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret, and he's interested in one special part of Maya's anatomy—her paw-print birthmark.

Kelley Armstrong’s last YA offerings, the Darkest Powers series, had much of what I enjoyed in her Adult offerings, with the sweet tension of adolescent love swirled in for good measure.  That history alone would have been enough to make me eager to read this book, but as the description includes both The Best Friend and The Bad Boy, I’m all about reading this book when it comes out in April.

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#7 Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh
July 1, 2011

Description:

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh's exhilarating world of shapeshifters and psychics is "paranormal romance at its best" (Publishers Weekly). Now comes the story of an alpha wolf named Hawke used to getting exactly what he wants--and of the only woman who dares tangle with him.

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would've been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other's secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight…

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna's darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home…and the alpha who is its heartbeat…

While Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunters has my undivided attention, I’ve been a fair-weather fan of the Psy/Changlings.  Despite having reading all of the series, the Changlings are the only half of the equation that can get me psyched up ahead of time.  KISS OF SNOW focuses on the SnowDancer wolf pack, which would have been enough to get me excited.  Above and beyond that, KISS OF SNOW is the long anticipated story of Hawke and Sienna.  I have always been interested in how these two compelling characters will manage to find their happily-ever-after without the soul mate “Easy Button”, and I’m so glad my wait is almost over!

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#6 Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook
November 1, 2011

As the mercenary captain of the Lady Corsair, Yasmeen has learned to keep her heart as cold as steel, her only loyalty bound to her ship and her crew. So when a man who once tried to seize her airship returns from the dead, Yasmeen will be damned if she gives him another opportunity to take control.

Treasure-hunter Archimedes Fox isn’t interested in the Lady Corsair — he wants her coldhearted captain and the valuable da Vinci sketch she stole from him. To reclaim it, Archimedes is determined to seduce the stubborn woman who once tossed him to a ravenous pack of zombies, but she’s no easy conquest.

When da Vinci’s sketch attracts a dangerous amount of attention, Yasmeen and Archimedes journey to Horde-occupied Morocco — and straight into their enemy’s hands. But as they fight to save themselves and a city on the brink of rebellion, the greatest peril Yasmeen faces is from the man who seeks to melt her icy heart…

Heeding Abigail’s advice, I made sure to read the the novella in BURNING UP before venturing into THE IRON DUKE.  The one-two punch of both of these incredible stories had me hooked from the get go.  While I will still dip back into THE IRON DUKE to visit Mina and Rhys regularly (in fact, writing this paragraph inspired me to do so just this week), I can’t wait to pick up another book in this series.  Yasmeen certainly caught my attention in previous stories, and there’s nothing like throwing a man off of an airship on to cannibalistic zombies to start a romance off on the right foot.  So, despite the lack of cover art (or any firm pre-order information through a bookseller), I had to include this title on my top 10 list.  Re-reading can only tide me over for so long, I am dying to get my hands on this new story.

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#5 Late Eclipses and One Salt Sea
by Seanan McGuire
March 1, 2011 and September, 2011

October "Toby" Daye is half-human, half-fae-the only changeling who's earned knighthood. But when someone begins targeting her nearest and dearest, it becomes clear that Toby is being set up to take the fall for everything that's happening.

The October Daye series began “in media res,” and since that first amazing book when Toby was fresh out of the water (after being trapped for 14 years in a fish pond), I have been enthralled by the fast action, detailed world-building, and ever deepening mythology that surrounds her.  I was very excited about this series in 2011, with both LATE ECLIPSES and ONE SALT SEA due out, and thus far I haven’t been disappointed.  I had the privilege of reading an ARC for LATE ECLIPSES already (review due out next week), and revelations about Toby’s past (and tantalizing hints about her future) have me trolling the internet for any new details about ONE SALT SEA.

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#4 Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
May 31, 2011

Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name, and many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.

So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. Turns out this is not an isolated incident, and Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price . . .

Much like The Hollows, the Kate Daniels series started out as a sleeper for me.  When I read MAGIC BITES (what seems like ages ago), I never would have guessed those first “Here, kitty kitty,” glimpses of Curran would be the start of one of my favorite couples.  A blend of masterful world building, witty dialogue, and gritty violence, this series has become one I pre-order well in advance and eagerly await.

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#3 River Marked by Patricia Briggs
March 1, 2011

Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She’s never known any others of her kind. Until now.

An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River—one that her father’s people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help…one father. She’s never known any others of her kind. Until now.

This entry really belongs to both RIVER MARKED and the untitled Alpha & Omega book due out in October, as both are eagerly awaited this year.  Patricia Briggs has a gift for creating memorable character details (the scene with his tail from THE HOB’S BARGAIN being one of my favorites), and her latest books are no exception.  Building on an intertwining cast of characters, Briggs continues to offer deeper and more satisfying glimpses into their lives.  Sustaining interest beyond that first chemical attraction can even harder in books than it is in real life, and Briggs has proven unequivocally that she’s a master at taking the relationship to the next level.  I am so excited to know that this book will show us more about Mercy’s heritage, in addition to getting a glimpse of her deepening relationship with Adam.

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#2 Pale Demon by Kim Harrison
February 22, 2011

Condemned to death for black magic and shunned, Rachel Morgan has three days to somehow get to the annual witches convention in San Francisco and clear her name. If she fails, the only way she can escape death is to live in the demonic ever after . . . for ever after.

Banned from the flight lists, Rachel teams up with elven tycoon Trent Kalamack, headed for the West Coast for his own mysterious business. But Rachel isn’t the only passenger along for the ride. Can a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car survive for over 2,300 miles? And that’s not counting the assassin on their tail.

A fearsome demon walks the sunlight, freed after centuries of torment to slay the innocent and devour souls. But his ultimate prey is Rachel Morgan. While the powerful witch with nerves of steel will do whatever it takes to stay alive, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.

Kim Harrison books are on my “instant buy” list, in both hardback and eBook (as you never know when a Rachel Morgan emergency will strike).  While The Hollows series started out slow (when I put down DEAD WITCH WALKING, I had no inkling of the relationship I had just embarked on), by now these characters are familiar and dear friends.  Above and beyond that, Kim Harrison is unmatched in her ability to interweave plot elements between books in an organic and natural fashion.  Her books read less like discrete stories than un-varnished glimpses into someone’s life.  Emotional, entertaining, and utterly unaffected, I eagerly await any opportunity to visit The Hollows.  At the end of BLACK MAGIC SANCTION, Rachel had quite a few complicated relationships in her life (both romantic and platonic), and I can’t wait to pick up the story where it left off.

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#1 Archangel’s Consort by Nalini Singh
January 25, 2011

 

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux and her lover, the lethally beautiful archangel Raphael, have returned home to New York only to face an uncompromising new evil…

A vampire has attacked a girls’ school—the assault one of sheer, vicious madness—and it is only the first act. Rampant bloodlust takes vampire after vampire, threatening to make the streets run with blood. Then Raphael himself begins to show signs of an uncontrolled rage, as inexplicable storms darken the city skyline and the earth itself shudders.

The omens are suddenly terrifyingly clear.

An ancient and malevolent immortal is rising. The violent winds whisper her name: Caliane. She has returned to reclaim her son, Raphael. Only one thing stands in her way: Elena, the consort who must be destroyed…

I had been a casual reader of Nalini Singh before I stumbled upon her Guild Hunter series, and from the first book I have been enthralled.  Elena Deveraux is one of my favorite Urban Fantasy heroines, and Raphael is the only “all-powerful, magical” alpha male that is actually written to be alien, dangerous, and entirely thrilling.  The world building is spectacular, one of the most thorough and dark I’ve ever encountered, and this series is one I’ve re-read on numerous occasions.  I’ve had my copy of ARCHANGEL’S CONSORT pre-ordered for quite some time now, and I am giddy with anticipation for it’s release next week.  This book tops my list if for no other reason than being so close I can taste it…

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Honorable mentions:

• Eye of the Tempest by Nicole Peeler (Jane True #4)
• As-of-yet-Untitled Disillusionist #3 by Carolyn Crane
• Shady Lady by Ann Aguirre (Corine Solomon #3)
• Aftermath by Ann Aguirre (Sirantha Jax #5)
• Defiance by Lili St. Crow (Strange Angels #4)

*This title will be released on July 27, 2010*

Book Description

The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at 21 she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town as a favor to one of the agency's associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Soon Savannah is in over her head. She's run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker, and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime. To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn't her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she's ever had to learn.

 Review

Book 11 in The Women of the Otherworld Series

Half demon sorceress Savannah Levine turned supernatural investigator has had supporting roles in a handful of previous WotO books (Stolen, Dime Store Magic, Industrial Magic, Haunted and No Humans Involved), but only as a child and teenager.  WAKING THE WITCH is her first, and hopefully not her last, staring narration as an adult. 

I haven’t read all the previous WotO books yet so most of the character cameos were wasted on me, but I had no problem becoming engrossed in this paranormal world populated by werewolves, witches, half demons, vampires, sorcerers, shamans, and necromancers who keep their existence hidden from world at large.

Savannah was the real draw in WAKING THE WITCH.  She is an imminently likable heroine who is comfortable in her own skin, has a capable cool attitude, and a fearless tenacity when it comes to justice.  Not to mention three hot guys (a detective, and two half demons) who wouldn’t mind driving off into the sunset on the back of her wicked cool motorcycle.

WAKING THE WITCH proves once again what a good writer Kelley Armstrong is.  This story abounds with subtle humor, concise yet vivid characterizations, and best of all a captivating plot with a touch of romance.  My only real complaint is that the ending kind of came out of nowhere and the lead in for the next Savannah book leaves a few too many things unresolved this time around.   Of course that just makes me want to read the next WotO novel all the more.

Sexual Content: References to sex. A brief non graphic sex scene.

My Rating (out of 5):
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.

Click HERE to read an excerpt from WAKING THE WITCH

Product Details

• Publisher: Dutton Books
• Published: 27 July 2010
• Format: Hardback 320 pages
• See: Full bibliographic data
• Categories: Fantasy
• ISBN 13: 9780525951780 ISBN 10: 0525951784

*Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of Wunderkind PR

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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.

What do you do when you get two ARCs of the same title from the wonderful people at Wunderkind PR? Review one and host a giveaway for the other of course.  Details below.

Back in February, I posted both the original and the revised covers for Kelley Armstrong’s 11th Women of the Otherworld book, WAKING THE WITCH.  There was no explanation that I could find for the change, just the covers:

 

They didn’t remake the wheel here.  It’s basically a modification of the original: the motorcycle and clothing are the same (except Savannah is now wearing a brown belt).  The big difference is that we can now see all of Savannah, which I vastly prefer. 

Flash forward to June.  I’m reading a review for Burning Lamp by Amanda Quick on the always excellent Dirty Sexy Books and she has the cover for the next book in that series, Midnight Crystal.  Notice anything familiar? And it’s suddenly much clearer why they changed covers.

Midnight Crystal is published by Jove, and WAKING THE WITCH is published by Dutton, both of which are part of Penguin Group. Share and share alike I guess.  But these are both prominent authors and to have such similar covers (even after the revisions to WAKING THE WITCH) releasing within a month of one another doesn’t seem like the brightest idea to me. Am I wrong? What do you think about cover copycats?

Giveaway

Giveaway courtesy of Wunderkind PR

One ARC copy of WAKING THE WITCH by Kelley Armstrong

*This title will be released on July 27, 2010*

Book Description

The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at 21 she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town as a favor to one of the agency's associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Soon Savannah is in over her head. She's run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker, and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime. To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn't her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she's ever had to learn.

Click HERE to read an excerpt from WAKING THE WITCH

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open to US only
2. Leave a comment answering the question above & a way to contact you if you win.
3. Entries must be received by Midnight MST on July 19th

I’d love it if you shared this giveaway on your blog or favorite social networks.

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Interested in offering a giveaway on All Things Urban Fantasy? CONTACT ME