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

Title: Nightshade Author: Michelle Rowen Series: Nightshade #1 Cover Art: Don Sipley Genre: Paranormal Romance Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Abigail Paperback: 352 pages Publisher: Berkley (February 1, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 0425239829 ISBN-13: 978-0425239827 Sexual Content: A couple moderately graphic sex scenes. References to rape.   My Rating: Good - A fun read with minor flaws. Maybe read an excerpt before buying.

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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.

 

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	THE BOOK BUTTERFLY Writings Of A Wicked Book Addict Urban Fantasy Investigations

Title: Devil’s Kiss Author: Sarwat Chadda Series: Billi SanGreal #1 Cover Art: N/A Genre: Paranormal YA Excerpt: Yes Source: Publisher   Reviewed by: Abigail Reading level: Young Adult Hardcover: 336 pages Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (September 1, 2009) ISBN-10: 1423119991 ISBN-13: 978-1423119999 Sexual Content: Kissing.  References to teen pregnancy   My Rating: Okay – Somewhat disappointing with significant flaws. Library/swap/borrow if you want.

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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.

 

Previous Books in Series	Also Reviewed By:
N/A	Reading Teen: Book Review TinasBookReviews The Bibliophilic Book Blog

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 

Dying Bites by DD Barant
Legacies by Mercedes Lackey and Rosemary Edghill
Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Shadowfae by Erica Hayes
Street Magic by Caitlin Kittredge

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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 Publisher:St.Martin's Griffin (January 18, 2011) ISBN-10: 0312662238 ISBN-13: 978-0312662233 Source: Author Reviewed by: Abigail

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: The Fixer The Invoker The Destructor The Syndicate

Also reviewed by: The Merry Genre Go Round Reviews SF Signal Boston Book Bums