*This title will be released on April 8*

Title: Ripper Author: Amy Carol Reeves Series: N/A Cover Art:Dominick Finelle Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt:  No Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Kristina Reading level: Ages 12 and up Paperback: 360 pages Publisher: Flux; Original edition (April 8, 2012) ISBN-10: 0738730726 ISBN-13: 978-0738730721   Sexual Content: N/A Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Title: Timeless Author:  Gail Carriger Series: Parasol Protectorate #5 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal Steampunk Excerpt: Yes Source: Bought Reviewed by: Abigail Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages Publisher: Orbit (February 28, 2012) ISBN-10: 0316127183 ISBN-13: 978-0316127189   Sexual Content: Kissing. References to heterosexual & homosexual sex. Scenes of homosexual sensuality. Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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After a month of voting, the results are finally in for the 3rd annual Paranormal Cover Art Awards!  Thanks to the 850+ of you who voted, the brilliant artists, and creative authors responsible for these books.   The competition is always fierce, but I think this year’s awards mark a new high.  The first and second place covers in the Best Female with Animal cover were separated by only 3%!  And if you’ve followed these awards in the past, you know that the gorgeous covers for the Hush, Hush books created by photographer James Porto always dominate, and this year was no exception as they swept all three categories they were nominated in.  I’m disappointed that my favorite cover, Dan dos Santos’ MY LIFE AS A WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE by Diana Rowland (which tied with Gene Mollica’s HOUNDED BY Kevin Hearne for most nominations) just missed out in all it’s categories, but I can’t argue with the winners.  Stunners all around.

All Things Urban Fantasy presents
The 2011 Paranormal Cover Art Awards

Just a reminder, all the covers below link to Amazon.com and if you are a fan or curious about the stories that inspired these amazing covers, go buy them. I’ve read most of them and can tell you that beauty is not just skin deep.

Ready to see the winners?

I’ve spent the past week tallying up all the nominations that came in (thank you so much to all of you who took time to nominate your favorite covers!), tracking down cover artists, and formatting the voting ballot.  I can already tell the competition is going to be tough this year, so make sure to vote for your favorites and help spread the word any and every way you can. 

All Things Urban Fantasy presents

The 2011 Paranormal Cover Art Awards
 
 

Ready to see which covers made the cut…

*This title will be released on September 6, 2011*

Title: The Rift Walker Author: Clay and Susan Griffith Series: Vampire Empire #2 Cover Art: Chris McGrath  Genre: Paranormal Steampunk Excerpt: No Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Paperback: 300 pages Publisher: Pyr (September 6, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 1616145234 ISBN-13: 978-1616145231 Sexual Content: Kissing. References to sex Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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*This title will be released on August 30*

Title: Blood Rules Author: Christine Cody Series: Bloodlands #2 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Post-apocalyptic Paranormal Excerpt: No Source: Author Reviewed by: Abigail Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Ace (August 30, 2011) ISBN-10: 0441020763 ISBN-13: 978-0441020768 Sexual Content: A scene of sensuality Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Description

In the Bloodlands, Sometimes the Monsters Don’t Even Know Themselves….

After the vampire named Gabriel came into her world, Mariah Lyander was forced to face her own true nature and admit to the terrible things she had done--things he could not forgive.

To redeem herself, to recover her own humanity--and Gabriel's love--she sets out on a perilous journey across the haunted land, in search of a rumored cure.  And Gabriel, blood-bonded to her, is compelled to follow.

Together--yet not together--they will face danger and death. And what they find is not a place where monsters can be cured—but one where they are born…

Review

There aren’t many books who attempt to straddle multiple genres at the same time, and fewer still that actually succeed.  Christine Cody’s Bloodlands trilogy is proving to be one of the rare exceptions that manages to blend paranormal, western, romance, and post-apocalyptic genres together in a way that takes the best from each and shows just how good mixing can be.

BLOOD RULES, the second book in the trilogy, picks up shortly after the ending of BLOODLANDS.  Mariah and Gabriel are stuck in an uncomfortable situation mixed with guilt, desire, confusion, and resentment.  It’s a very tenuous relationship that really comes to life through the shifting POV’s from each character.  I only wish more of the story had stayed focused on them and more progress had been made towards a resolution or otherwise a complete break between them.

Once again the worldbuilding in the Bloodlands series continues to impress and astound.  We get to movie beyond the little shapeshifter community we met in BLOODLANDS and venture out into the ravaged post-apocalyptic America.  New horrors are revealed like the asylums where shifters are experimented on and studied, we learn about indentured water slaves who sell themselves for the precious liquid, and travel to the necropolis where individuals who were disfigured and wracked by the diseases that rose up when the world broke live in isolation from the ‘Healthies’. 

But as impressive as the worldbuilding continues to be, what I appreciated most about BLOOD RULES is the mythology development.  Werewolves, vampires, mutated creatures, and all manor of shifters from deer to Gila monsters aren’t just explained away by vague references to magic or freak side effects of the planetary changes.  There is a fascinating explanation for their origins that looks to only get more fascinating in the next book.

Second books in trilogies are hard.  They often serve as little more than setups to the final book and don’t really stand on their own as complete stories.  For the most part, BLOOD RULES avoids this pitfall, but it is necessary to have read BLOODLANDS to fully understand and appreciate what happens in this book.  It doesn’t have the same impact as the debut primarily because of the multiple point of views introduced in BLOOD RULES and the fact that in expanding the world and mythology, the intimacy that was developed between the characters is somewhat diminished.  Despite those minor complaints, I’m already saddled up and ready to revisit this world when the final book in the Bloodlands Trilogy called IN BLOOD WE TRUST is published on September 27, 2011.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
Bloodlands – 4/5	Genre Go Round Reviews

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

Title: Bloodlands Author: Christine Cody Series: Bloodlands Trilogy #1 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Post-apocalyptic Paranormal Excerpt: Yes Source: Author Reviewed by: Abigail Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Ace; Original edition (July 26, 2011) ISBN-10: 0441020623 ISBN-13: 978-0441020621 Sexual Content: A scene of masturbation. A scene of graphic sensuality. A graphic sex scene. Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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Description

The New Badlands—a desolate area in the West forged by the terrible events that altered the entire country, where a few frightened citizens retreated underground to shelter from the brutal weather . . . and from a society gone deadly dangerous.

Then the vampire arrived—and they started calling it the Bloodlands.

Not because Gabriel, the so-called monster running from his true self, was searching for his lover’s murderer. Nor because Mariah, the woman who reluctantly took him in, was willing to do anything to survive in the changed world.

No, the Badlands officially became the Bloodlands the moment a gun-for-hire who’d decided to slay every monster left in the country came after Gabriel . . .

Review

Is BLOODLANDS, the first book in the Bloodlands Trilogy by Christine Cody (aka Chris Marie Green aka Crystal Green) a paranormal western? Post-apocalyptic fantasy? Dystopian romance? I don’t know what to call it except good. Very, very good.

The narrating voice of Mariah is immediately the kind that pulls you—even drags you when necessary—into her bleak but fascinating world.  Set in a not too distant future, BLOODLANDS portrays a world that has been brought to it’s knees and then kicked for good measure by environmental changes, corrupt governments, and power hungry ne'er-do-wells.  Water is more valuable than gold, gangs rove the scorched earth, and monsters are real.  Mariah, a deeply suspicious and independent woman, lives underground with a small community of others.  Her only companion is a brilliant (literally) dog and a stockpile of weapons.  Gabriel is the other protagonist, a broken man without hope, who falls on Mariah’s doorstep half dead.   

The story moves swiftly, especially in the beginning when these two characters, both with secrets, circle each other and gradually learn to trust (perhaps not as gradually as I would have liked in Mariah’s case).  There are so many nuggets of flat out cool world building that I’m already disappointing that there are only three books in this series.  I also loved the succession of surprises that crept up towards the end that I never saw coming.  They impacted the story enough that I already want to read it again to experience it in a totally new light.

Overall, BLOODLANDS is a surprisingly romantic story of survival set in a ruined world full of monsters, both human and otherwise, that will leave dust on your skin and a smile on your face after finishing.  In an act of supreme kindness to fans who will soon be panting after more books, Ace is publishing all three books in the Bloodlands Trilogy back to back. BLOODLANDS on July 26th, BLOOD RULES on August 30th, and IN BLOOD WE TRUST on September 27th.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	My Bookish Ways Genre Go Round Reviews ParaNormalRomance

*This title will be released on June 28, 2011*

Title: Heartless Author: Gail Carriger Series: Parasol Protectorate #4 Cover Art: Lauren Panepinto  Genre: Paranormal Steampunk Excerpt: No Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Orbit; Original edition (June 28, 2011) ISBN-10: 0316127191 ISBN-13: 978-0316127196 Sexual Content: Kissing. References to homosexuality. References to sex Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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Description

Lady Alexia Maccon, soulless, is at it again, only this time the trouble is not her fault. When a mad ghost threatens the queen, Alexia is on the case, following a trail that leads her deep into her husband's past. Top that off with a sister who has joined the suffragette movement (shocking!), Madame Lefoux's latest mechanical invention, and a plague of zombie porcupines and Alexia barely has time to remember she happens to be eight months pregnant.

Will Alexia manage to determine who is trying to kill Queen Victoria before it is too late? Is it the vampires again or is there a traitor lurking about in wolf's clothing? And what, exactly, has taken up residence in Lord Akeldama's second best closet?

Review

Few things in life are more delightful than a new Alexia Tarabotti book.  In HEARTLESS, the best installment since the debut, every single page is embellished with equal parts wit and farce.  The Parasol Protectorate series, a comedy of manners set in a paranormal steampunk Britain, chronicles the adventures of Lady Alexia Tarabotti and her latest escapades involve attempting to thwart as assassination plot on the Queen, keeping the local vampire hive from killing her yet again, and finding a solution to a former vampire wannabe’s unwilling induction to the werewolf pack…all while eight months pregnant.

I’m going to be using the word delightful a lot in this review because it so perfectly describes nearly every aspect of HEARTLESS from the absurdly charming characters, to the outlandishly entertaining plot, and the endlessly witty—and thoroughly British—writing.  Never a dull page, never a flat line, and never a wasted opportunity for preposterous frivolity.  All of the characters we’ve grown to love and loath over the series are present in HEARTLESS, most prominently Lord Akeldama, Biffy, and Professor Lyall.  We learn a number of very revealing details about the latter as well as Alexia’s father. 

One of my complaints about the last two books was how little page time Alexia and her husband shared since their relationship and interaction was one of the things that made the first book so fantastic.  I have nothing to complain about on that point in HEARTLESS.  Alexia and Conall are together in nearly every other scene.  I loved watching him fuss over her because of her pregnancy and then grit his teeth when he had to let her run off—or waddle off as Alexia called walking at eight months pregnant—into potential danger. 

The end of HEARTLESS was unbelievably good.  So much is set up for the next book, specifically regarding the infant-inconvenience.  Exactly what kind of baby will a preternatural and a werewolf have?  I would never have guessed and I’m predicting it will add significantly to the already very unique mythology in this series.

Overall, book four in this indomitably clever and charming series, is as delightful as I hoped.  The fifth book in The Parasol Protectorate series is called TIMELESS and will be published on March 1, 2011.  It is currently the last book planned in the series, but I will always hope for more.  We will be getting a spin-off YA series set in the same universe twenty-five years earlier called The Finishing School series.  The first book is tentatively titled ETIQUETTE & ESPIONAGE and will be published in 2012.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
Soulless - 5/5 Changeless - 3/5 Blameless - 4/5	what sarah reads

Giveaway provided by the author.

One copy of Abithica by Susan Goldsmith

 

 

What if you knew you were about to be torn from your body and replaced by an imposter in a seamless switch forever separating you and the one you love? Would you do whatever it took to stay? Even if YOU happened to be the imposter?

Abithica must borrow all that she is from others: names, lives, even bodies. When she switches into the troubled life of Sydney Turner, she breaks the rule that has sustained her, the one thing in her control—never get attached. Lane Riley has no idea he’s fallen for Abithica, wearing Sydney Turner’s body and that a future with her is impossible. Desperate to stay with him, Abithica uncovers the mystery of what she is, only to learn she’s a pawn in a battle over souls, and that she’s probably one of the “bad guys.” What will happen if she refuses to leave Sydney’s body?

 

Click HERE to read an excerpt.

Click HERE to read Julia’s review.

 

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open to US and Canada only.

2. Leave a comment that includes a way to contact you if you win

3. Entries must be received by Midnight MST on May 26.

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

 

Title: Abithica Author: Susan Goldsmith Series: Abithica #1 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal Excerpt: Yes Source: Author Reviewed by: Julia Pub. Date: April 16, 2011 Publisher: Twilight Times Books Format: Paperback , 250pp ISBN-13: 9781606192351 ISBN: 1606192353 Sexual Content: Sex scenes, mention of rape and orgies. Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Description

What if you knew you were about to be torn from your body and replaced by an imposter in a seamless switch forever separating you and the one you love? Would you do whatever it took to stay? Even if YOU happened to be the imposter?

Abithica must borrow all that she is from others: names, lives, even bodies. When she switches into the troubled life of Sydney Turner, she breaks the rule that has sustained her, the one thing in her control—never get attached. Lane Riley has no idea he’s fallen for Abithica, wearing Sydney Turner’s body and that a future with her is impossible. Desperate to stay with him, Abithica uncovers the mystery of what she is, only to learn she’s a pawn in a battle over souls, and that she’s probably one of the “bad guys.” What will happen if she refuses to leave Sydney’s body?

Review

While it was the premise that caught my eye, ABITHICA held my attention with it's contradictions. Despite having a light, playful tone, the concepts and situations driving this book are both complex and dark. The main character's completely disorienting and frightening reality is leavened with silly banter, shoe philosophy, and a few Sleeping Beauty "dance with the animals" moments, and together, these elements worked for me.

While I did have a few issues with the opening chapter silliness (the main character has a tantrum about mackerel and finds herself face down in a serving of mash potatoes), Goldsmith deftly threads this slapstick with hints of the very frightening existence her main character faces.  Without a name or a history, or any explanation for why she is pulled from body to body, now-Sydney is exhausted and emotionally numb from leaving so many people that she had begun to love and care for behind.  

It was this darker thread that kept me going through the book, adding a fascinating twist to some of the weaker parts of the book.  Even the villains, a cult of depraved individuals, weren’t allowed to blend into a faceless, murdering horde.  Beneath the romance and the action, ABITHICA makes the subtler point that when you get inside someone's head there is always something redeemable to be found.

It was this hopeful and complex message that left me smiling at the close of the book.   Despite some minor first-book bumps, Goldsmith has blended the mysteries and action in ABITHICA well enough that I hope for a second installment.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	Jen at LovLivLife Reviews Savy at Books with Bite Christine at Gather