*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.

---

*This title will be released on September 13, 2011*

Title: Drink Slay Love Author: Sarah Beth Durst Series: Standalone Cover Art: Evan Schwartz and Jessica Handelman Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 400 pages Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry (September 13, 2011) ISBN-10: 1442423730 ISBN-13: 978-1442423732 Sexual Content: Kissing Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & put this author on your watch list.

---

Description

Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire... fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil... until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don't exist), and they're shocked she survived. They're even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl's family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King's feast -- as the entrees.

The only problem? Pearl's starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she's definitely dead if she lets down her family. What's a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

Review

DRINK SLAY LOVE is ridiculously fun.  I expected the ridiculous part based on the description (vampire slaying unicorns!), but I was I was not prepared for the witty, sly, and smart characters, dialog, and story. 

I think I’ve been hoodwinked.  How did I miss the fact that unicorns are the perfect vampire hunters?  Think about it.  What kills vampires?  Stakes through the heart.  What do unicorns have? Giant stakes growing out of their heads.  Of course now I’m looking at narwhales in a completely different way too, but that’s not relevant.  Still, the whole unicorn vs vampire makes a strange kind of sense, doesn’t it? 

What also makes a strange kind of sense is Pearl, who was great fun as a character.  Her initial response to humans was very arrogant and dismissive (reminded me a bit like Illyria from Angel, but with a strong sense of humor).  She doesn’t bat an eye when her dad brings home dinner in the form of a bellhop trussed up on the dinning room table.  But what I loved even more was that she wasn’t evil.  She didn’t laugh at human fear, she just didn’t even notice it.  Like all vampires, she viewed humans in the way we would cattle, a pat on the head and they’re off to the butcher.  No big deal.  And tasty with ketchup. 

When she ends up in high school, she just got better.  Everything she said was dripping with irony and superiority.  And the other students were just as fun.  No throw away or flat characters.  There were plenty of surprises too that kept me on my toes and just made the story even better.

DRINK SLAY LOVE has a sense of humor about itself that never once flagged.  It’s full of snappy dialogue that was genuinely clever and funny, a storyline that was wacky but completely enjoyable, and a believable sweet romance.  I had a blast reading this book.

 

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	Nice Girls Read Books –3/5 .bibliophile. .anonymous. – 4/5 Ex Libris – N/A

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

Title: A Brush of Darkness Author: Allison Pang Series: A Brush of Darkness #1 Cover Art: Nathalia Suellen Genre: Urban Fantasy Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: Pocket (January 25, 2011) ISBN-10: 1439198322 ISBN-13: 978-1439198322 Source: http://fineprintlit.com/ Reviewed by: Abigail

Book Description

The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares.

Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her.

 Review

I swear my narcissism had nothing to do with my loving A BRUSH OF DARKNESS. Even if the main character hadn’t shared my name, I’ve would have enjoyed this smart, irreverent, and super sexy urban fantasy.

There is so much to like in A BRUSH OF DARKNESS.  Toping the list for me is Phineas (who graces the back cover).  He’s an irrepressibly horny miniature unicorn who ends up moving in with Abby.  He’s cranky and sarcastic and a huge pervert for such a little thing.  Unicorns are always presented as dignified, wise creatures.  Phineas is the anti-unicorn. 

Unicorns, incubi, succubi, angels, demons, werewolves, vampires, and mermaids.  They all fraternize in A BRUSH OF DARKNESS with Abby caught in the middle.  I’m always a fan of mixed worlds.  Ones were numerous species co-exist.  Abby has a basic handle on the supernatural world around her, but is still largely as naïve as we are when it comes to most of the ‘rules’ that govern it.

Urban Fantasy heroines have it rough. We expect a lot from them.  They have to be tough, yet still venerable enough to relate to.  They have to be strong, yet still make mistakes.  They have to be self-sufficient, yet willing to ask for help when they need it.  Not all heroines make the cut, but Abby does.  And she brings a wicked sense of humor with her.

And I can’t forget Brystion.  The incubus with a major insecurity complex that he tries to hide behind a blistering sexuality.  His self-loathing is a pitiful thing, and something that keeps him from looking too closely at himself.  He sees himself essentially as a whore and refuses to let anyone else convince him otherwise.  It was fascinating to see that image crack.

I know I didn’t fully grasp the mythology in A BRUSH OF DARKNESS with all the touchstones, keystones, dreamwalkers etc.   It was a little confusing but not in a way that diminished my enjoyment of the overall story.  I imagine more of this world will be explained in future books and I’m more than willing to wait for them.

Sexual Content: Several graphic sex scenes.  References to rape


My Rating:

4/5
Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now & pre-order the sequel.

Previous books in the series:

1. N/A

Also reviewed by:

• Genre Go Round Reviews
• Book Chatter