*This title will be released on January 17, 2012*

Title: Stolen Away Author: Alyxandra Harvey Series: N/A Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: No Source: Netgalley Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Ages 12 and up Hardcover: 288 pages Publisher: Walker Childrens (January 17, 2012) ISBN-10: 0802721893 ISBN-13: 978-0802721891 Sexual Content: Kissing Rating: Okay – A few good points, but with significant flaws. Library/swap/borrow if you want.

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Title: Keeping it Real Author: Justina Robson Series: Quantum Gravity #1 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Purchased Reviewed by: Julia Paperback: 337 pages Publisher: Pyr; March 14, 2007 ISBN-10: 1591025397 ISBN-13: 978-1591025399 Sexual Content: Sex scenes and references to sex . Rating: Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.

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*This title will be released on October 25, 2011*

Title: The Shadow Reader Author: Sandy Williams Series: McKenzie Lewis #1 Cover Art: Gene Mollica  Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Ace (October 25, 2011) ISBN-10: 1937007014 ISBN-13: 978-1937007010 Sexual Content: Kissing. References to rape Rating: Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.

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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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Title: Down to the Bone Author: Justina Robson Series: Quantum Gravity #5 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy Excerpt: No Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Julia Paperback: 385 pages Publisher: Pyr; Original edition (August 23, 2011) ISBN-10: 1616143797 ISBN-13: 978-1616143794 Sexual Content: Several sex scenes, references to threesomes. Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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Description

Lila Black faces her greatest challenge yet as she takes herself, her dead lover, and the AI
in her head into death's realm ...

Lila Black is now a shape-shifting machine plugged into the Signal—the total dataset of all events in the known universe and all potential events: Zal, the elf rock star with a demon soul, is now a shadow form animated and given material actualization by firelight; Teazle the demon has taken up the swords of Death and is on the way to becoming an angel. To say this puts some pressure on their three-way marriage is an understatement.

Meanwhile the human world is seeing an inexplicable influx of the returning dead, and they're not the only ones. Many old evils are returning to haunt the living following three harbingers of destruction created in the ancient past.

What seems epic is revealed as personal to all concerned as events unfold and that which cannot be escaped must be faced. Heroic destinies unravel as greater powers reveal themselves the true masters of the game.

Review

What a long, strange trip it has been... with flashes of humor, convulsing and convoluted mythology, treachery and loyalty twisting back on each other like snakes, and at long last, some measure of peace for a world that has lost none of its strangeness but just a bit of its peril. Robson does a good job bringing readers up to speed at the start of DOWN TO THE BONE (with prophetic, faerie beer, of all things), but even with the bare bones of the conflict laid out, I can't say if new readers would be able to catch up to the complex emotional lives of these characters without starting at the beginning. 

So much of what brings Lila, Teazle and Zal and their support crew to this end of days is as slippery and inevitable as a maelstrom, sucking everyone down and together into a cataclysmic confrontation. As changeable as these characters are, there are intimate moments of humor and pathos that completely won me over.  Robson does a wonderful job interweaving the trickery of  her paranormal creatures into the story without tipping over into "arbitrary”.  I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book with so much complexity and forgiveness worked in to the plot, in the most interesting and believable way.  DOWN TO THE BONE brings all of the surface stories together, creating a satisfying resolution to the adventure portion of the story, even as I know I will still be piecing together the mythology of these worlds in the future.

KEEPING IT REAL and DOWN TO THE BONE have the benefit of bracketing this almost overwhelming series,  and I think they would remain my favorites for the clear introduction and resolution each has to offer. Upon finishing the Quantum Gravity series I feel a little dazed and completely wrung out, but definitely glad I followed this roller coaster from start to finish.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
Keeping it Real – 5/5 Selling Out Going Under Chasing the Dragon	Cybermage – N/A  Gamer’s Ramblings – 10/10 Harriet Klausner – N/A

Title: Storm’s Heart Author: Thea Harrison Series: Elder Races #2 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal Romance Excerpt: Yes  Source: Purchased Reviewed by: Julia Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Berkley; August 2, 2011 ISBN-10: 0425242668 ISBN-13: 978-0425242667 Sexual Content: Several sex scenes. Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

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Description

During the rule of her murderous Dark Fae uncle, Thistle "Tricks" Periwinkle found sanctuary among the Wyr in New York. Her ethereal beauty and sparkling personality won the hearts of the public, but after her uncle's death, there are those who don't want to see her ascend the throne...

Able to wield thunder and lightning, Wyr sentinel Tiago Black Eagle has ruled the skies for centuries. His massive build and thunderous power make him one of the Wyr's best weapons. And he's the one sent to protect Tricks when she's almost assassinated in Chicago.

Soon, both Tiago and Tricks will fall prey to the stormy hunger that engulfs them- a passion that will shake the very foundation of all the worlds

Review

In STORM'S HEART, Niniane is a Faerie princess struggling with the tragedy of her past and Tiago is a Thunderbird facing his future.  Between the two of them, the chemistry, both sexual and verbal, is undeniable.  While Tiago's introduction is a little clunky with assurances that he and Niniane don't know each other well, despite moving in the same circles for 200 years, once the story brings them together it's fireworks and fast action until book's end.

While STORM'S HEART doesn't evoke as much humor as DRAGON BOUND, if only because of the heartbreaking nature of Niniane's past, the story doesn’t suffer from the slightly more somber tone. The murder of Niniane’s parents and little brothers is a trauma that has always haunted her, and going back into the treacherous depths of Dark Faerie to claim her throne takes away whatever measure of peace she had found in the centuries since that night. Niniane's vulnerability touches the heart, and Tiago's protective nature is exactly the irrevocable support she needs. Despite the heavier subject matter, this is by no means a dark book.  The sexual chemistry is potent, some of Niniane's "Tricks" side comes through for comic relief, and Tiago munching on pastries and deciding that he likes armchair warfare just fine is pretty entertaining as well.  Tiago’s reactions and asides stole the show for me, and once again, I find that Harrison’s hero has charmed me alongside the heroine.

On the whole, STORM'S HEART is fast paced, heart warming, and entertaining. I really like that the sexual chemistry of mating is never used as a substitute for characters choosing to be in the relationship (and it simplifies trust issues significantly), making it a narrative device that works very well in these books. While STORM’S HEART hasn’t supplanted DRAGON BOUND as my favorite thus far, I can't put down one Elder Races books without wishing I could pick up the next immediately. Given the build up from STORM'S HEART, I'll be anxiously awaiting Rune and Carling's story in SERPENT'S KISS.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
Dragon Bound  – 4/5	The Book Pushers Joint Review – A- to B- Dear Author – A- A Bookworm’s Haven – N/A

Title: Sirensong Author: Jenna Black Series: Faeriewalker #3 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Young Adult Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; Original edition (July 5, 2011) ISBN-10: 0312575955 ISBN-13: 978-0312575953 Sexual Content: Kissing. Scenes of sensuality. References to sex Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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Description

When Dana is invited to Faerie to be officially presented at the Seelie Court, it’s no easy decision. After all, everyone knows Titania, the Seelie Queen, wants her dead. But Titania claims not to be the one behind the death threats; and her son, Prince Henry, makes the decision a whole lot easier when he suggests Dana might be arrested for (supposedly) conspiring with her aunt Grace to usurp the Seelie throne. So she and her father better do as they're told…

The journey through Faerie is long – and treacherous. Dana thought it would be a good idea to have friends along, but her sort-of-boyfriend Ethan and her bodyguard’s son, Keane, just can’t seem to get along, and Kimber’s crush on Keane isn’t making things any easier. When a violent attack separates Dana from their caravan, the sexy Erlking saves her just in the nick of time… and makes it clear that he hasn’t given up on making her his own.

Arriving at Titania’s beautiful palace should be a relief. But Dana is soon implicated in an assassination attempt against Titania’s granddaughter, and is suddenly a fugitive, forced to leave her father behind as she and her friends flee for their lives. Will she be able to prove her innocence before the forces of the Seelie Court – or, worse, the Erlking –  catch up with her? And will she save her father before he pays the ultimate price in her stead?

Review

When a queen invites you to court, even if that queen wants you dead, you go.  That’s what Dana learns at the beginning of SIRENSONG.  At least she gets to take her boyfriend and best friend with her.  But she also has to take her relentless fight instructor who might or might not be transferring his affections to another, her father, and the queens haughty son.  Almost without fail, I lose a bit of interest when books with fae end up crossing into Faerie.  There are the obligatory forests, nasty critters, and not quite normal phenomenons, but I always find the scenes set there—regardless of the book—a bit ho-hum.  Sad to say it, but I found that true here too.  Fortunately, the last third of SIRENSONG, even set in Faerie, is pretty great.  The action, romance, and emotions all kick up ten fold.

Don’t expect the same amount of sexy time as in the previous books.  There are a few scenes that still push the YA boundary, but they are significantly lighter and less frequent in SIRENSONG.  That’s not to say Dana doesn’t think about sex a lot, she does, but it’s in the context of knowing she will never have it and whether or not Ethan will stick around without it.  I wish Dana had had more self respect to realize that if Ethan wouldn’t stay without sex then she doesn’t need to waste her time.  In that sense, she took a step back from the strength and intelligence I admired in her previously.

My biggest disappointment with SIRENSONG is the fact that it is the unintentional swan song for the series (Jenna has confirmed that SIRENSONG is the final Faeriewalker book).  It is very clearly not written as the final book since many of the extremely compelling storylines threading through the previous books are left hanging.  Is the Erlking secretly not as bad as he pretends? Will Ethan be able to accept the physical limitations imposed on his relationship with Dana? Will Dana’s mom ever acknowledge her alcoholism and seek help? Why is Dana able to use magic when no other faeriewalker ever could?  Will Dana break her vow to the Erlking with Ethan or give her virginity—and her powers—to the Erlking as promised?  Precious few of these questions are answered in SIRENSONG.

Overall, SIRENSONG is another fun foray into a faerie infused world, but there are too many questions left unanswered and too many storylines left unresolved in the series as a whole. It isn’t a cliffhanger, but it isn’t the true series ending either that it needed to be.  Jenna has said that she is working on a new YA series and it’s clear by now that she has the writing chops to make it another winner.  It’s just unfortunate that this series won’t get the chance to end the way I think Jenna and we readers would have wanted.

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
0.5 Remedial Magic (ebook prequel) Glimmerglass – 4/5 Shadowspell – 4/5	Preternatura THE BOOK FAERY Alternative Worlds