*This title will be released on February 28, 2012*

Title: A Sliver of Shadow Author:  Allison Pang Series: Abby Sinclair #2 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher/Bewitching Book Tours Reviewed by: Abigail Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages Publisher: Pocket Books (February 28, 2012) ISBN-10: 1439198349 ISBN-13: 978-1439198346   Sexual Content: Scenes of sexuality. One graphic sex scene  Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Title: Crave the Night Author:  Patti O’Shea, Lori Devoti, Michele Hauf, & Sharon Ashwood Series: N/A Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal Romance Excerpt: Yes Source: Michele Hauf Reviewed by: Julia Paperback: 372 pages Publisher: Swell Cat; October 6, 2011 ISBN-10: 0615548377 ISBN-13: 978-0615548371   Sexual Content: Explicit sex scenes. Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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*This title will be released on February 17, 2011*

Title: The Bitter Seed of Magic Author:  Suzanne McLeod Series: Spellcrackers.com #3 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Julia Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: Ace;  December 27, 2011 ISBN-10: 1937007200 ISBN-13: 978-1937007201   Sexual Content: Kissing, references to sex, rape, and incest. Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Title: With Fate Conspire Author: Marie Brennan Series: Onyx Court #4 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Julia Hardcover: 528 pages Publisher: Tor Books; August 30, 2011 ISBN-10: 0765325373 ISBN-13: 978-0765325372 Sexual Content: None. Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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

Title: Shadowman Author: Erin Kellison Series: Shadow #3 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Julia Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: Zebra; September 6, 2011 ISBN-10: 142011896X ISBN-13: 978-1420118964 Sexual Content: Several sex scenes. Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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Once a month, Angela from Dark Faerie Tales and I will each bully each other into reading a book we love that the other hasn’t read.  This month, I’m reading STREET MAGIC by Caitlin Kittredge, and I’ve bullied Angela into reading THE GREYFRIAR by Clay & Susan Griffith.

You can find all the previous Blogger Bully reviews and an explanation of how this featured started HERE

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Title: Street Magic Author: Caitlin Kittredge Series: Black London #1 Cover Art: Chris McGrath Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Bought Reviewed by: Abigail Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; Original edition (June 2, 2009) ISBN-10: 031294361X ISBN-13: 978-0312943615 Sexual Content: Kissing. Pervasive crude sexual dialogue. Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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Description

Her name is Pete Caldecott. She was just sixteen when she met Jack Winter, a gorgeous, larger-than-life  mage who thrilled her with his witchcraft. Then a spirit Jack summoned killed him before Pete’s eyes—or so she thought. Now a detective, Pete is investigating the case of a young girl kidnapped from the streets of London. A tipster’s chilling prediction has led police directly to the child…but when Pete meets the informant, she’s shocked to learn he is none other than Jack. Strung out on heroin, Jack a shadow of his former self.  But he’s able to tell Pete exactly where Bridget’s kidnappers are hiding: in the supernatural shadow-world of the fey.  Even though she’s spent years disavowing the supernatural, Pete follows Jack into the invisible fey underworld, where she hopes to discover the truth about what happened to Bridget—and what happened to Jack on that dark day so long ago…

Review

STREET MAGIC is one of the best series launches I’ve read in a long time.  It really just scrapes the surface of this world and these characters, and yet Wow does it pack a punch.  The writing is tight and specific.  We don’t ever get bogged down with physical descriptions of people and places, but I still know exactly what everyone looks like and I felt very much like I’d visited all the London locations in STREET MAGIC.  The plot is suitably sinister with a supernatural evil that every fiber of your being will long to destroy, but it’s the relationship between Pete and Jack that really sets this book apart.

Jack Winter is a new favorite character for me, and I say character rather than romantic lead because there is very little romantic about him.  He’s a complete train wreck of a person.  The first time Pete sees him after a dozen years, he’s an emaciated heroin junkie who lets fly a string of hyper crude profanity the moment he sees her.  It’s not exactly a meet-cute.  With a handful of vitally important exceptions, Jack stays pretty much at that level of hostile wretchedness throughout the book.  What does change is how we as readers perceive him as we learn more about him.  No matter how many times he falls, Pete refuses to give up on him.  She sees something worth saving and so do I.

And I can’t forget Pete.  She’s an amazingly tenacious woman.  The realities she has to come face to face with in STREET MAGIC would have destroyed a weaker person, but she keeps getting back up, keeps fighting.  She’s not some Amazon warrior chick either.  She works with her strengths and is aware of her weaknesses, but isn’t afraid to get hurt. 

If the debut is any indication, the Black London series is a must read.  A dark and twisted urban fantasy set in a London filled with truly evil demons, fae and malevolent magic users.  The characters are broken in every possible way and yet they completely resonated with me.  I’m thoroughly invested in them so that it’s not a question of if I’ll be reading the rest of the series, it’s a question of how soon can I get caught up.  The 4th installment, DEVIL’S BUSINESS, will be published on August 30, 2011. 

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	The Book Smugglers Dear Author SciFiGuy.ca

 

Title: Wicked Enchantment Author: Anya Bast Series: Dark Magick #1 Cover Art: Tony Mauro Genre: Paranormal Romance Excerpt: Yes Source: Bought Reviewed by: Abigail Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Berkley (January 5, 2010) ISBN-10: 9780425232019 ISBN-13: 978-0425232019 Sexual Content: Several graphic sex scenes. My Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.

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Description

When you’re a half incubus, your reputation precedes you…

 

All eyes are on Gabriel Mac Braire the day he makes his first appearance in the Seelie Court, including those of Aislinn Finvarra. Despite deep bitterness over her last failed relationship, Aislinn cannot help but be curious about the half incubus who is known to possess dark magick, both lethal and sexual in nature. Rumors abound of the women who have become enslaved to his irresistible charms.

 

So when the Summer Queen of the fae orders Aislinn herself to act as his guide in the court, she is understandably on guard. She’s fallen under the spell of far less persuasive men before. In addition, Gabriel might be more than he seems and his true mission is far from innocent.

This time, Aislinn must protect not only her heart, but her very life…

Review

After being blown away by CRUEL ENCHANTMENT (the second book in this series) it was only a matter of time before I devoured WICKED ENCHANTMENT.  Fortunately the Dark Magick series features a different couple each time so it didn’t matter too much that I read this series backwards (and I’ll soon be reading the prequel story found in the anthology HOT FOR THE HOLIDAYS).  Like the sequel, this book is dangerously good, with multiple plot lines that all support and complement each other.  If you’re craving an dark paranormal romance that’s hot enough to burn your fingers, look no further than WICKED ENCHANTMENT.

 

Centuries ago, the humans, aided by the nefarious religious group of druids known as the Phaendir, rounded up all the world’s fae and imprisoned them in a enchanted city known as Piefferburg. Within the city, the fae are divided up into two kingdoms: The Seelie and Unseelie Courts.   Deeply suspicious of each other, the two courts rarely mix which is why Seelie fae Aislinn is wary when the incubus Unseelie fae Gabriel shows up and expresses his desire to, among other things, defect to the Seelie Court.  As the titles in this series suggests, many of the fae in the Dark Magick books are wicked, cruel, and dark in turn, and half the fun of WICKED ENCHANTMENT is trying to ascertain exactly what everyone’s motives are. 

 

I appreciated that WICKED ENCHANTMENT didn’t waste time keeping the couple estranged over simple misunderstandings that could be resolved in a few words, rather the obstacles between Aislinn and Gabriel are not so easily dismissed.  For example, as an incubi, Gabriel is know to enslave women through his touch, something Aislinn isn’t willing to risk.  And even though Gabriel is charming and attentive, Aislinn rightly suspects that he is concealing vital information from her.  Their romance is hesitant and approached with the utmost caution.  The result is an extremely satisfying slow and steady burn that gets quite hot.

 

And in case you’re not familiar with Anya Bast’s writing, let me warn you that WICKED ENCHANTMENT is highly sexual and does contain plenty of explicit sex.  I don’t usually read super sensual books, but I think I’ll be making an exception when it comes to this series as I’m already spellbound. 

 

Anya Bast is quickly becoming a favorite author for me.  Her writing is deeply sensual without neglecting the exhaustive world building that an urban fantasy fan like me craves.   The second Dark Magic book, CRUEL ENCHANTMENT is available now and the hotly anticipated third book, DARK ENCHANTMENT, is due out April 5, 2010

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
0. Hot For the Holidays (anthology) 1. Cruel Enchantment	Alternative Worlds Book Binge Literary Escapism