Title: Bring on the Night
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Series: WVMP Radio #3
Cover Art: Don Sipley

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Pocket (July 27, 2010)
ISBN-10: 1439163480
ISBN-13: 978-1439163481

 

 

 

 

Review Copy Source:Simon & Schuster
Reviewed by: Abigail

Book Description

Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin seems to finally have it all. A steady job at WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll. A loving relationship with the idiosyncratic but eternally hot DJ Shane McAllister. A vampire dog who never needs shots or a pooper-scooper. And after nine years, it looks as if she might actually finish her bachelor's degree!

But fate has other plans for Ciara. First she must fulfill her Faustian bargain with the Control, the paranormal paramilitary agency that does its best to keep vampires in line. Turns out the Control wants her for something other than her (nonexistent) ability to kick undead ass. Her anti-holy blood, perhaps?

Ciara's suspicions are confirmed when she's assigned to a special-ops division known as the Immanence Corps, run by the Control's oldest vampire and filled with humans who claim to have special powers. To a confirmed skeptic like Ciara, it sounds like a freak fest. But when a mysterious, fatal virus spreads through Sherwood—and corpses begin to rise from their graves—Ciara will not only get a crash course in zombie-killing, but will be forced to put her faith, and her life itself, in the hands of magic.

 Review

BRING ON THE NIGHT picks up 2 1/2 years after Bad to the Bone and initially the giant leap forward feels a little disorienting.  Honestly, I’m not sure why there is such a big gap between books 2 and 3.   Several times during the first few chapters I checked to make sure I hadn’t missed an entire book (I hadn’t) or maybe a bridging novella somewhere (nope).  There easily could have been another book, or two, before this one, but it feels almost like when a TV show gets cancelled and the writers throw all the major plot developments that they’d been saving into the last few episodes.  That’s not the case with BRING ON THE NIGHT since there are already two more books planned for this series, but it feels like it.

So here we are, 2 1/2 years down the road, Ciara is finishing up her mandatory orientation/boot camp for the Control, Shane has been rebuilding his relationship with his human family, and he and Ciara are living together in domestic bliss with their vamp dog Dexter. Life couldn’t be better until the dead start rising, and the living start succumbing to lethal virus of mysterious origins. 

BRING ON THE NIGHT is a game changer for the series in a lot of ways (several I which I can’t even begin to talk about with out spoiling the entire book).  Characters evolve and reveal themselves in surprising yet satisfying ways, decisions are made that will irrevocably change the lives of everyone at WVMP Radio, lives are lost, new love is found, and nothing will ever be the same. 

As vague as I’m forced to be in this review, I can say that BRING ON THE NIGHT is the best in the series to date, and I really love how Jeri fearlessly made some tough, bold changes this time out that have paid off in the most exciting installment yet.  I still question the big time gap between books, and the “bad guy” was little more than a convenient prop for a different plot element, but for me, a new and much needed energy has been injected into this series.  Book 4, tentatively titled LET IT BLEED, will be released Summer 2011, and after BRING ON THE NIGHT it’s anyone's guess what will happen next.

Sexual Content: References to homosexuality. A scene where two women make out while a man masturbates. Several sex scenes in varying graphic detail.

My Rating:

3/5
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

Click HERE to read an excerpt from BRING ON THE NIGHT

Previous books in the series:

1. Wicked Game

2. Bad to the Bone

Also reviewed by:

• Steph Su Reads
• Book Addict
• For What It's Worth

We’re welcoming back Erica Hayes to ATUF today to talk about her newest release: POISON KISSED (Book 3 of the Shadowfae Chronicles). All the books in this series are standalones that take place in the same world.  And they are steamy.  Just how steamy?  Check out Erica’s free short story Hellcursed to get an idea.  I know a lot of UF fans, myself included, tend to shy away from the more erotic flavored paranormals, which is why I asked Erica to talk about steamy UF and even suggest some titles to help bridge the gap.   There is also a giveaway below to win a copy of POISON KISSED (open internationally).

The Steamy Side of Urban Fantasy
by
Erica Hayes

When Abigail suggested I write my guest post about the steamy side of urban fantasy (yay! I love it when bloggers give me ideas on cool things to post about!) it got me thinking: why do the steamy and the paranormal go so well together? Why are paranormal heroes dark and naughty instead of just gorgeous and wholesome like other heroes? What's our fascination with the dark side of sexy, or the sexy side of darkness?

With the recent shift into urban fantasy romance, the sexy side of UF is getting a lot more attention. And a dark, conflicted paranormal world is the perfect place for sexual tension.

The way I see it, paranormal is the genre of save-the-world stakes and extreme danger. Sure, the scheming rake hero of a Regency romance is a threat to the heroine – he might ruin her socially or spoil her perfectly good betrothal to that eminently suitable but totally boring guy over there. But the rake isn't about to kill her or damn her soul to hell. The world won't end if she fails to resist.

Supernatural heroes, on the other hand, are deadly. Urban fantasy heroines are tough, resourceful, been-there-done-him-got-the-t-shirt chicks. A normal guy doesn't even ping her threat radar. For the hero to be a danger to her, he has to threaten her on all levels: intellectually, physically, socially and sexually.

Because sex equals danger. It's hard to concentrate on saving the world when the gorgeous vampire next to you is sending shivers down your spine. Arc up the sensuality, and the danger skyrockets. That's why we see so many kick-ass heroines who love to be dominated in bed – in her violent world, bed is the one place she can surrender to her vulnerability. Even if she does it kicking and screaming (oh, god!) and gives the guy the icy-glare-screw-you treatment for a week afterwards.

And let's face it: a UF heroine isn't a wallflower. She monsters her enemies without mercy. These days, one mark of a strong woman is sexual freedom; for her to simper and blush when it comes to sex would be unrealistic. Personally I'd like to see less of the 'every guy in the book lusts after the heroine' thing, even though I've written it myself sometimes. But I totally get (and love!) that she's single (usually), on the market and scoping for hawt men who can measure up to her strength.

Also, a lot of fantasy/paranormal tropes are inherently sensual. Sucking blood. Biting. Changing shape, all those stretching tendons and writhing muscles. A demon's temptation – he'll get you any way he can. And as writers, generally the darker we go, the deeper the point of view we use. More sensations, more burning skin and fluttering pulses and aching flesh. Darkness is visceral, and visceral is sexy. It's hard to write dark without writing sensual.

Of course, not all dark UF is ultra-steamy. e.g. Jocelynn Drake's really cool Dark Days series, where I'm up to book three and the heroine still hasn't… well, never you mind. No spoilers here. (Note to Mira: Are you blind? Or insane? That boy is seriously hot stuff.)

But there's some great UF out there that explores the sexy side of darkness. For instance:

•  Keri Arthur's Riley Jenson series (Riley is a great example of a heroine who would never work in PR, but totally kicks ass in UF.) 
• Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series (I don't care what it says on the spine, those books are UF, not PR. Vampire sex for the thinking woman.)
• Laurell K Hamilton's Merry Gentry series (very steamy fairies, sometimes more steam than plot… not that this is a bad thing!)
• Karen Marie Moning's Fever series (Not steamy in a multiple sex-scene sense – there's no lovin' for quite a few books – but the darkness has overtly sensual overtones throughout.)
• Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series (Probably more romance than UF, with a gloriously over-the-top alpha hero and high levels of sensual tension no matter how many times they've already done it.)

So check them out, and revel in the dark sexy J and while you're there (cough) you might wish to check out my latest, POISON KISSED. It's UF – it has a kick-ass banshee heroine – but heavy on the sexy romance too!

Thanks so much to Abigail for having me here today!

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Thanks Erica for stopping by again.  I hope you’ll come back when the next Shadowfae book is out.

Visit Erica online:

• Website
• Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook

Want to read more from Erica Hayes?

Shadowfae
1. Shadowfae
2. Shadowglass
3. Poison Kissed

Giveaway

Giveaway courtesy of Erica Hayes

One copy of POISON KISSED by Erica Hayes

Book 3 of the Shadowfae Chronicles

Description

Beyond the veil of magic, a fairy otherworld pulses with glamour and dark beauty. It's a place where passions run deep and dark — and death is just one kiss away...

Mina is a banshee whose greatest power lies in her siren song. She's beholden to her boss Joey, a snake-shifter who once saved her life and now employs her as a gang enforcer. She refuses to upset the fragile balance between them by admitting that she longs for him, that his embrace is the only thing she craves more than revenge for her mother's death...

When Mina learns that Joey may have been involved in her mother's murder, fury threatens to spill out of her, note by vicious note. She and Joey have always trusted each other to stay alive, but now she's not sure what to believe. The evidence stacked against him — or the one man who haunts her dreams and burns in her blood...

Click HERE to read an excerpt from POISON KISSED

Giveaway Guidelines

1. Open Internationally (thanks Erica!)
2. Leave a comment that includes:
   1. Your favorite fae book or what you think about steamy UF
   2. A way to contact you if you win
3. Entries must be received by Midnight MST on October 15th

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Interested in guest blogging on All Things Urban Fantasy?  CONTACT ME

Thank you all for entering this giveaway to win a signed copy of Grave Witch by Kalayna Price or $10 Amazon certificate. And a big thank you to Kalayna Price for letting me interview her, offering this giveaway, and taking the time to respond to each and every comment left for her. 

The winner (chosen by Random.org) is…

Tiah

This book is right up my alley! I can't wait to read it.

Congratulations! I’ll be emailing you soon.  Please respond with your address and preference of book or gift card within 48 hours or a new winner will be drawn.

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Didn’t win?  Buy your own copy of GRAVE WITCH with free shipping from The Book Depository:

We have not one but two urban fantasy authors on ATUF today who have combined their considerable writing talents into the pseudonym Cat Adams (aka C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp).  Earlier this year, they launched the new The Blood Singer series (which includes Blood Song and the recently released SIREN SONG) about a bodyguard turned unwilling vampire with a fun, twisted mythological heritage.  They’re hear to talk about vampires, sirens, and…goats?  Check it out.

CAT ADAMS—C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp—is the author of the Tales of the Sazi, including Hunter’s Moon, Howling Moon, and the RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Award nominee, Cold Moon Rising. Siren Song is the second in the Blood Singer series, which began with Blood Song. Adams lives in Denver, Colorado; Clamp lives in Texas.

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Interview

ATUF: You said that what really motivates you is 'a really good romance with a splash of the creeping dread.'  How does that describe SIREN SONG?

CA: Well, SIREN SONG isn't a romance, but there's plenty of creeping dread. There's romance in it, naturally (because love happens in life to everyone eventually) but Celia Graves really doesn't have much time in her schedule for romance. When things are chasing you and intend to cut you to bits, nookie is not in the cards. LOL!

ATUF: I have been so impressed the the artful plotting of both Blood Song and SIREN SONG when it comes to laying the foundation with little details that come together for a big payoff at the end of the book.  Do you outline extensively to pull this off?

CA: I (Cathy) do. Cie does not. A lot of stories come into Cie's head fully formed so often she writes the book and goes back to lay the foundations afterward. I do plot, so yes, I lay the foundation as the book progresses. Both styles work, so no aspiring writer should be afraid they can't produce a well plotted book just because of the way they write.

ATUF: You both have answered this question before, so I won't ask how you manage to produce a cohesive novel with two authors.  What I want to know is what is the biggest disagreement you've had and how did you resolve it?

CA: Hmm... I'd say there are two big disagreements we've had. One dealt with whether to continue a series. The other involved a major change to a character's life and whether we should "turn back the clock" to give the character new options. In both cases we literally flipped a coin. The series stopped and the character's life remained the same. Naturally one of us was disappointed when we lost, but the nature of compromise means that next time there's a disagreement, the person who lost this time has a 50/50 chance of winning next time. It's all good.

ATUF: I'm always curious about how much say authors have regarding the covers of their books (The Blood Singer covers have been excellent so far). How involved do you get to be?

CA: Really, we don't get to be involved all that much. We're very fortunate on The Blood Singer because the artist's work is what inspired the character. So when we turned in the manuscript, we likewise turned in the picture so our editor could get the flavor of what we were writing. She liked the photo so much she told the art department to contact the artis to see if something could be worked out to do the covers. They did, she did, and we're THRILLED that the same artist will be doing the cover on book 3, DEMON SONG, and hopefully many more to come.

ATUF: What are some of your favorite books outside your genres that might surprise your fans?

CA: I think our fans know us pretty well. We both like urban fantasy, science fiction, thrillers and mysteries. What might surprise readers is how many magazines I (Cathy) reads per month. I subscribe to about fifteen different scientific, outdoor and political mags. My favorites are Archeology, Discovery, US News & World Report, Texas Monthly, WWII History and Rocky Mountain Game & Fish (but there are plenty of second tier favorites. These are just the ones I open the minute they arrive.) I also peruse the magazine racks at my favorite bookstore and pick up individual issues if the stories interest me.

ATUF: If SIREN SONG were ever made into a movie, who would your dream or, to keep things interesting, nightmare cast be?

CA: We talked about this recently, and we think Celia would be well played by a young Rebecca de Mornay (played opposite Tom Cruise in Risky Business) or Kristen Bell. Tough call on the other characters. I don't really have an imagine in my mind of either Bruno or Creede or even Kevin. We must mull on this. :)

ATUF: What other projects can we look forwarding to reading from you soon?

CA: Well, I'm working on the fourth book of this reality right now. As soon as I turn it in later this month, I'm going to be starting on a YA proposal that would expand a free short story I did for Tor.com (http://www.tor.com/stories/2010/07/fare-thee-well )  Cie is likewise working on a YA proposal as well as a traditional murder mystery. But we have various anthology stories coming out. Readers can watch our website for a list of them, because there are several!

ATUF: Can you explain the world building in The Blood Singer series? Bats, nulls, abominations, werewolves, demons, clairvoyants, mages, psychics, and of course sirens populate these books.  How are your versions of these supernatural beings unique?

CA: We like to blend our real world with our creatures, and impose the same rules that would be logical if they existed in the here and now. For example, if vampires existed and they were evil undead, the various religions of the world would get involved. They just would. So we created "warrior clerics" who not only keep the faith, but take up the sword to dispatch the lesser demons vampires are. We also thought logically and since it's California--the home of regulation of industry, if a magic user wanted to practice, they'd need a license and would have to abide by rules of conduct and probably continuing education. And if clairvoyants were real, they would be hugely regulated in what services they could offer to the public so as not to create widespread panic (the "you can't yell 'fire' in a crowded theater concept.) It's just logic and we make our people play by a variation of our current rules.

ATUF: Finish this statement with as much/little detail as you like: You'll like SIREN SONG if you like...

CA: Jim Butcher's The Dresden Files, Rachel Caine's The Weather Wardens, and about a thousand others out there, but these are our favorites for keeping the fantastical bound by physics and real life. :)

ATUF: And I just have to ask, did I read this correctly in your bio, Cathy, that you own 24 goats?  How did that come about?

CA: I do! They actually came with the property my husband and I bought in Texas and we had to learn how to raise them. We produce Boer/Spanish cross meat goats. About half of the world eats goat as a primary protein source and America has to import more than 72 MILLION pounds of goat meat to keep up with demand. (Most goat meat comes from Australia, in case you wondered.) It's got the texture of pork with a sweet bison sort of taste. But because we only have 24, they're more pets than anything. We really do need to rotate them out and start to take it more seriously. :)

Thanks for having us. Hope you all enjoy SIREN SONG. And wait until you get to DEMON SONG. They both ROCK! :D

ATUF: Thanks so much for stopping by Cathy & Cie.  Come back anytime!

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Visit Cat Adams online:

• Website
• Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook

Want to read more from Cat Adams?

Blood Song
1. Blood Song (read my Review)
2. Siren Song (read my Review)
3. Demon Song (2011)

 

Magic's Design

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Interested in being interviewed on All Things Urban Fantasy?  CONTACT ME

*This title will be released on October 5, 2010*

Title: Slayed
Author: Amanda Marrone
Series: Stand alone
Cover Art: N/A

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse 10/5/2010
ISBN-10: 1416994874
ISBN-13: 978-1416994879

Review Copy Source: Simon & Schuster
Reviewed by: Abigail

 

Book Description

The Van Helsing family has been hunting vampires for over one hundred years, but sixteen-year-old Daphne wishes her parents would take up an occupation that doesn’t involve decapitating vamps for cash. All Daphne wants is to settle down in one place, attend an actual school, and finally find a BFF to go to the mall with. Instead, Daphne has resigned herself to a life of fast food, cheap motels and buying garlic in bulk.

But when the Van Helsings are called to a coastal town in Maine, Daphne’s world is turned upside down. Not only do the Van Helsings find themselves hunting a terrifying new kind of vampire (one without fangs but with a taste for kindergarten cuisine), Daphne meets her first potential BF! The hitch? Her new crush is none other than Tyler Harker, AKA, the son of the rival slayer family.

What's a teen vampire slayer to do?

 Review

SLAYED is a little like what Buffy might have been (with a Romeo & Juliet twist) if she’d partnered up with Cordelia and had to teach her the vampire slaying ropes.  There is shallow fun dialogue, a somewhat campy foe, and a forbidden romance that you root for from the start. 

This is an example of a great premise (the teenage descendants of the two most famous vampire hunters: Van Helsing and Harker, meeting up and falling for each other despite their feuding families) that turned out to be a good book. 

The characters were all very believable and pitiable in their own way. Daphne as the bitter slayer whose parents don’t seem to care about the danger they constantly put her in or the truly cloistered life she’s had to live.  Then there’s Kiki, the washed up former child star whose parents kicked off the family TV show when she put on weight at the age of five.  And finally Tyler, the slayer who has been living in a car with his disturbed father ever since his mother got turned and had to be staked. 

Everyone is a mess, but in a can’t-look-away-car-crash-on-the-side-of-the-road way.  Daphne cuts out magazine pictures of the friends she imagines having (and the prom date she fantasizes about getting to second base with), Kiki is a plastic surgery addict with serious promiscuity issues, and Tyler is barely hanging on to his father’s sanity. 

Compared to the more thoughtful character development early on, the ending of SLAYED felt pretty rushed and much too easy.  Another fifty pages would have gone a long way towards smoothing out some of the convenient plot developments and jumpy action sequences (not to mention the much too perfect epilogue).  But the feuding vampire slayer dynasties and fascinatingly damaged characters make SLAYED a fun, if flawed, read.  I believe this is a stand alone story (although there is ample opportunity for a sequel, so you never know), but Amanda Marrone has several other Paranormal YA’s under her belt that I plan on picking up.

Sexual Content: References to sex. References to homosexuality. A scene of mild sensuality.

My Rating:

3/5
Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

Click HERE to read an excerpt from SLAYED

Previous books in the series:

1. N/A

Also reviewed by:

•  Confessions of the Un-Published