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Julia and I plan to comment on these posts together from now on, but due to time constraints I’m flying solo this week.
| Series: Dark Ones #9 Newly Returned to Me Editor Kate has sent me the cover for Much Ado About Vampires, the book that features Alec (and has lots of Pia and Kristoff and Ulfur), and once again, I'm absolutely in awe of the art guys at Penguin.
Abigail’s Thoughts:
|  Stepback inside…  |
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| Series: Dark Huntress #1 Abigail’s Thoughts: Ooh very cool with the snake coiling around her shoulders.
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![bookdepository_thumb[9]]($bookdepository_thumb[9][3].jpg "bookdepository_thumb[9]")
A dark, sexy debut set in a small Missouri town where evil waits at the end of every alley...
Cassandra Archer is the huntress. She has faithfully served the earth Mother for years, rescuing kidnapped children from monsters—both human and supernatural—dwelling in the ruins of the Barrows District. But when two children are kidnapped under similar circumstances, all clues point to a cataclysmic event on the next dark moon. Now Cass must race against the clock and prevent a sacrifice that could destroy the entire town...
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| Series: Bloodlands #1 Cover Artist: N/A Big announcement about the Bloodlands books.... I'll be writing under another pen name--Christine Cody. This is because of the switch in sub-genres (post-apocalyptic western paranormal) as well as the switch from trade to mass market format. I'm going to try to post the mock-up cover here, too! (Just keep in mind that the pdf-to-jpg conversion blocked out the BLOODLANDS title near the bottom. The final version won't look like that!)
Abigail’s Thoughts:
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![bookdepository_thumb[9]](http://i982.photobucket.com/albums/ae307/AllthingsUF/bookdepository.jpg "bookdepository_thumb[9]")
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| Series: Dark Age Dawning #3 Abigail’s Thoughts: This series looks and sounds amazing. And the fact that it comes from Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty who combined Ellen Ripley (from Alien) and Sarah Connor (from The Terminator) to create their pen name makes me want it all the more.
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Their mission was to save the world.
Their destiny is to fall in love.
It's been twelve years since the Change, and Penelope Sheehan is one of the few still practicing magic for the good of humanity in this dark, dangerous world. Determined to infiltrate the notorious O'Malley organization, she poses as an abducted girl–until a furious lion thwarts her mission. When the beast turns into a devastatingly handsome man, she recognizes in him the troubled boy she once knew.
Since becoming a skinwalker, Tru Daugherty has allowed his animal nature to take over. Aloof and cynical, he takes no interest in making the world a better place. He's a creature of instinct and impulse, living only to satisfy his senses–ignoring the scarred heart nobody has ever reached. He's also the best man to help Pen bring down the O'Malley crime ring.
Fighting alongside the last holdouts of humanity, they unleash a passion that tempts them to risk everything for love. But if they succeed, Tru and Pen hold the power to brighten the Dark Age for all time
| Series: Parasol Protectorate #4 This is possibly my favorite cover, I like how light-hearted it is. Alexia looks almost coy. I think that ties into the comedy of manners side of things more strongly than some of the previous covers, of course it is also less steampunk. Now the fact that Alexia has her back to the camera and that Woolsey castle is in the background ties beautifully into the story. And of course, how can I frown when they put her in a teeny tiny puce colored bowler? Abigail’s Thoughts: I actually thought this was one of the mock up covers they’ve been posting on Orbit. Can it just be the hair? The color purple again (I was hoping for green)? I don’t know exactly, but it doesn’t have the same wow of the previous covers. I still can’t wait to read it though.
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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?
| Series: Siren #2 I'm so excited to be able to share both the Siren paperback and Undercurrent covers! You'll notice Siren has a brand-new look. This is because after much discussion about the sequel's cover with my agent and publisher, we agreed a new approach would be best. And since we want the books to look like they're part of the same trilogy, that meant the Siren paperback also needed a new approach.
Abigail’s Thoughts:
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| Series: N/A Abigail’s Thoughts: Very cool. I love this trend of clothes dissolving into smoke, flowers, birds etc.
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A move to Ireland is about to introduce Megan to her destiny, her real destiny, can she embrace it and will she survive it?
A tragedy in Megan’s past set her on a predetermined course. A chain of events has been set in motion that brings Megan to Kinsale, a small town in the south of Ireland where her destiny awaits her. Her life starts to fall into place as she makes new friends and settles into her new school. However, the reclusive and distant Adam DeRís calls to her body and soul.
She finds herself increasingly drawn to Adam and his strange family. Adam knows a secret from her past and he and his family hold the key to her future. A future that binds her to Adam and his world, a world of power, mystery and ancient orders. A world that unbeknownst to her, she very much belongs in.
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| Series: Changeling #2 Abigail’s Thoughts: What the holy hell is wrong with her back/chest? I cannot fathom how no one in the art department said: We can’t use this. It looks like her heads on backwards. It’s going to freak people out!”
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| Series: Elemental #1 Abigail’s Thoughts: This is so pretty with the swirling rainbow colors. The description in fairly vague, but I’m intrigued by the cover alone.
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Drastic changes in Callie's life aren't unusual, but this time it's different. Now she's fighting to save her family while she adjusts to her new, supernatural reality. Life will never be the same. . . .
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| Series: N/A Author Comments: Abigail’s Thoughts: This is just too bland and blurry to make any impact.
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When 17-year-old Jamie arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her. Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's tragic deaths, Jamie discovers that she herself looks shockingly like the dead girl—and that she has a disturbing ability to sense the two ghosts. Why is Jamie's connection to the couple so intense? What really happened last summer at Little Bly? As the secrets of the house wrap tighter and tighter around her, Jamie must navigate the increasingly blurred divide between the worlds of the living and the dead.
Brilliantly plotted, with startling twists, here is a thrilling page-turner from the award-winning Adele Griffin
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| Series: Crusade #2 Abigail’s Thoughts: Apologies for the small cover art, I could not find anything bigger. But I do like the change over to one figure that they’ve used in the redesign of book one and now book two.
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And my picks for this week’s Best & Worst…
| Best Cover | Worst Cover |
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The girls from Paranormal Haven (better known as Stephanie & Athenna) invited Julia and I to take part in their new Beyond the Blog feature with a joint interview. Stop by and check it out and watch Julia and I nearly get into a fight over our favorite fictional guy
Labels: interview
02 February 2011
 | Title: Nightshade
A couple moderately graphic sex scenes. References to rape.
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying. |
Description
DESIRE IS IN THE BLOOD
Jillian Conrad never believed in vampires. But she’s just become a living, breathing weapon against them. Attacked by a desperate scientist, she is injected with a serum that was supposed to act as a deadly poison to vampires. And when the scientist is gunned down in front of her, his secrets die with him.
Declan Reyes was only half-vampire, but he hates them with all his heart. He knows that the poison in Jillian’s veins could finally destroy the undead kingdom. Also, the serum has had an unintended effect, making her blood irresistible to all vampires—including Declan, whose bloodthirsty traits are driven into a frenzy by her.
Driven by duty to protect her and by instinct to crave her, Declan takes Jillian into his shadowy world of blood and battle. But he soon realizes his increasing need for her may be a different kind of hunger…
Review
Confession time: I’m a huge fan of Martin Short. I love all those stupid comedies he made in the 80’s including one starring Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan called Innerspace. In the movie Martin gets accosted by a scientist exiting an elevator (who’s being chased by an assassin) and injected with the contents of top secret experiment after which the assassin shoots the scientist and pursues Martin. Why am I telling you this? Because that’s the exact same opening scene of NIGHSHADE, except instead of a micronized Dennis Quaid, Jillian is injected with a formula that makes her irresistible—and deadly—to vampires.
My hands down favorite thing about NIGHSHADE was the surprising turn (or should I say turns?) that the romance took. The guys in this book do not start out as shiny and drool worthy—they are monsters. Harsh, uncaring, debauched monsters. And I didn’t see them coming. I kept waiting for the ‘real’ love interest to show up and didn’t even notice how the monsters snuck up on me until they were no longer monsters in my eyes. Hats off to Michele Rowen for the skillful turnabout that I bought completely.
I wonder what it says about me that I preferred the monster side of Declan to the more human version. He acted a bit ‘neutered’ for lack of a better word when he was off his vamp-suppressing meds. I also did not get how he went from almost attacking Jillian one minute because he couldn’t control his desires to essentially having to be coerced through every single step of the first sexual encounter with her. She’s supposed to be vampire heroin in every sense of the word and he had to be literally dragged to her bed protesting the whole time. I was expecting/hoping for something more there.
The beginning of NIGHSHADE is excellent, the middle is a bit lackluster, but the ending was strong and nicely set up the future for this series. The good news is you don’t have to wait even another day to read more about Jillian. Her story continues in the anthology PRIMAL that released on February 1st. The next full length Nightshade novel is called BLOODLUST and will be published on July 5, 2011. Off to read PRIMAL.
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Labels: 1st in series, 1st person, 3 bats, Michelle Rowen, Paranormal Romance, Review, Vampires
 | Title: Devil’s Kiss Excerpt: Yes
 Kissing. References to teen pregnancy
Okay – Somewhat disappointing with significant flaws. Library/swap/borrow if you want. |
Description
As the youngest and only female member of the Knights Templar,Bilquis SanGreal grew up knowing she wasn't normal. Instead of hanging out at the mall or going on dates, she spends her time training as a soldier in her order's ancient battle against the Unholy.
Billi's cloistered life is blasted apart when her childhood friend, Kay, returns from Jerusalem, gorgeous and with a dangerous chip on his shoulder.He's ready to reclaim his place in Billi's life, but she's met someone new: amber-eyed Michael, who seems to understand her like no one else, effortlessly claiming a stake in her heart.But the Templars are called to duty before Billi can enjoy the pleasant new twist to her life.
One of the order's ancient enemies has resurfaced,searching for a treasure that the Templars have protected for hundreds of years -- a cursed mirror powerful enough to kill all of London's firstborn. To save her city from catastrophe, Billi will have to put her heart aside and make sacrifices greater than any of the Templars could have imagined
Review
This book is not at all what I expected. The cover is the first thing that threw me. It’s beautiful, but I assumed that DEVIL’S KISS was a historical YA. It’s not. Why they have Billi dressed like that I have no idea. This is a Paranormal YA set in modern day England.
After hearing about the premise for this book, which involves the only female member of the dwindling Knights Templar and their never ending war against the Unholy (vampires, ghosts, fallen angels etc.), I expected DEVIL’S KISS to be a slam dunk favorite. I love it when an author draws from relatively untapped sources for their worlds and gives us a fresh mythology to play with. And it was apparent from the first page that the writing was excellent. Unfortunately, those were the only two things that worked for me in this book.
My overall disappointment with DEVIL’S KISS is largely due to the main character. Billi is just not sympathetic, and given her life, she should be. Her mother was murdered, her father is at best indifferent to her, she has no choice in the life she must live, and she can never indulge in normal teenage frivolity. But apart from the opening scene where she is undergoing her final Ordeal to become a Templar, I didn’t ever sympathize with her. She’s too hard, jaded and sulky for most of the book.
Then there’s the story itself. The description implies a heavy romantic subplot that barely registers in the book. The character of Michael doesn’t show up until the second half, and the romantic tension between Billi and Kay is about as compelling as a phone book. I did like the semi surprise twist at the end, and I always appreciate it when an author makes hard choices for their characters, but this was just not the story I wanted it to be.
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Labels: 1st in series, 2 bats, Angels, ghosts, Magic, Paranormal YA, Review, Sarwat Chadda, Vampires
01 February 2011
To celebrate the launch of Tor.com Urban Fantasy on Facebook & Twitter this month, there are 4 prize packs being given away:
Blood Song by Cat Adams
Legacies by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Shadowfae by Erica Hayes
Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge
2 packs given away on Twitter @TordotUF: retweet to Enter
Giveaway 2 UF prize packs including 6 Tor titles http://yfrog.com/hsvcqp RT by noon MST Thurs 2/3 to enter#TorUFgiveaway
2 packs given away on Facebook: Comment HERE to Enter
Tor.com Urban Fantasy Giveaway: To celebrate the launch of Tor.com Urban Fantasy on Facebook last month, we're giving 2 urban fantasy prize packs including 6 Tor releases:
 | Title: The Kensei Author: Jon F. Merz Series: Lawson the Fixer #5 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Urban Fantasy
Paperback: 304 pages
Source: Author |
Book Description
Meet Lawson. A cynical, wise-cracking vampire charged with protecting the Balance between vampires and humans, he is part cop, part spy, and part commando — James Bond with fangs. Lawson mixes shrewd cunning with unmatched lethality to get his job done. He tries his best to dismantle conspiracies, dispatch bad guys, and live long enough to get home. In The Kensei, a battle-weary Lawson heads to Japan for a little rest and some advanced ninja training. But he no sooner steps off the plane than lands in the midst of a Yakuza turf war orchestrated by a shadowy figure known as the Kensei. With the help of Talya, a former KGB-assassin, Lawson must put a stop to the Kensei’s organ trafficking networks, prevent the creation of an army of vampire-human hybrids, and save his own skin in the process.
Review
Lawson is a sardonic, sarcastic, slightly somber spy who thinks he’s going to get some much needed R&R vacationing in Japan until a plea from his former assassin girlfriend lands him in the middle of an organ trafficking operation. Trouble enough for any man, except Lawson isn’t a man. He’s a centuries old vampire.
I’ve never set foot anywhere near Asia, but after reading THE KENSEI I feel like I just got back from my own vacation to Japan. Merz does an excellent job of describing the people, language, and culture of Japan in vivid, picturesque detail, all without deterring from the narrative of his story.
Equally well conveyed were the action sequences and the great love and respect that Lawson (and his creator) clearly has for martial arts. Imagine your favorite James Bond scene but give 007 preternatural strength and speed. Very cool.
Overall, THE KENSEI is a supernatural espionage novel, emphasis on the espionage. If you’re a fan of the spy novel, you’ll probably enjoy this. I couldn’t help but be disappointed by the fact that the vampire details are kept at a minimum. There are four previous Lawson books, but this can be read as a standalone. Metz says he has more planned for Lawson if the demand is there.If the Ian Fleming fans get a hold of this series, I imagine that won’t be a problem.
Sexual Content: Kissing. A brief, non graphic sex scene.
My Rating:
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.
Previous books in the series:
| Also reviewed by: |
Labels: 1st person, 5th in series, Jon F. Merz, Review, Urban Fantasy, Vampires
31 January 2011
Title: Shadowfever
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Series: Fever/MacKayla Lane #5
Cover Art: N/A
Genre: Urban Fantasy
- Hardcover: 608 pages
- Publisher: Delacorte Press (January 18, 2011)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385341679
- ISBN-13: 978-0385341677
Source: TLC Book Tours
Reviewed by: Abigail
Book Description
“Evil is a completely different creature, Mac. Evil is bad that believes it’s good.”MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina, were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.
Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister’s murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals who have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.
What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh—a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King, containing the power to create and destroy worlds.
In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves.
Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman haunting her dreams? More important, who is Mac herself and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?
From the luxury of the Lord Master’s penthouse to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac’s journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and to make a choice that will either save the world . . . or destroy it.
Review
Karen Marie Moning knows her fans and she knows exactly what we wanted from SHADOWFEVER, the final book in the MacKayla Lane/Fever series. We wanted answers, we wanted resolutions, and we wanted hope for Mac, Dublin, and the world. And that’s exactly what we get in this epic, heart-wrenching, stunningly written conclusion to one of the most beloved urban fantasy series ever.
What is Barrons? We find out. What/Who is Mac? We find out. Who killed Alina? We find out. Why did each individual want the Book? We find out. Barrons or V’lane? Wow do we find out. Everything that we’ve been teased, taunted, and hinted about in the previous books is revealed in full, satisfying though often very surprising detail. SHADOWFEVER is 100% a gift to the fans and it’s everything I wanted and more than I dared hope for. (I mean I literally screamed when I read chapter nine!)
If the series had to end, this was the way to do it. Who would have thought that a 600 page book could ever feel short, but that’s exactly how I feel having finished SHADOWFEVER. It’s too short, I want more. I don’t mean that the ending didn’t feel complete, quite the opposite, but I could read about these characters and this world forever. KMM is working on a new book set in this world--and it’s anyone’s guess at this point what exactly that will be—but that last little line: ‘The End…for now’ gives me hope that maybe we’ll get more Mac after all.
Sexual Content: Several graphic sex scenes. References to and vague descriptions of a previous rape.
My Rating:
5/5Near Perfect - Buy two copies: one for you and one for a friend.
Giveaway
- Open to US/CA only
- Leave a comment that includes a way to contact you if you win
- Entries must be received by Midnight MST on February 7th.
Labels: 5 bats, 5th in series, fae, giveaways, Karen Marie Moning, Review, Urban Fantasy
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