Tag Archives: witches

Inside Straight (by Mark Henwick)

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Urban Fantasy

Tullah is in hiding, separated from her dragon spirit guide Kaothos. She is being hunted by different factions of the community of adepts, their motives are shrouded. Amber is also separated from her spirit guides, Hana the wolf and Tara her sister.

And time is running out.

Amber needs to find Tullah and bring all the spirit guides home but to do so she will need to embrace her own adept abilities, abilities that are reviled by all the adept communities as dark and forbidden.

Inside Straight is very different to the other books in the Bite Back series. It’s the book that unites all three parts of Amber Farrell, the Athanate (vampire), the Were and the Adept (witch). It also has the feel of a requiem, like it’s the end of one phase in the story and the beginning of the next phase.

This entire series is brilliant. It’s redefining the genre. It takes the best that has come before and reinvents it. I don’t read male authors. Look at my books and you will see that 90% plus were written by women. Mark Henwick is probably the only male author I will buy without a second thought. He’s a favorite author and an author whose books I will read and reread again and again.

Is this a 5 Star book? I don’t really know. When you love a series as much as I love this series it’s not easy to be objective but it’s a 5 Star book for me.

Boundary Born (by Melissa F. Olson)

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Urban Fantasy

Something wicked is at work in Colorado’s supernatural community. Vampires are being paralyzed or killed with poison…a weapon favored by witches. This offense threatens to break apart the already-fractured alliance between witches and the undead.

The state’s cardinal vampire, Maven, summons boundary witch Allison “Lex” Luther to stop the killing before it ignites a war. Lex has barely started investigating when she gets another surprise: the biological father she’s never met arrives on her doorstep. He has answers to all of Lex’s questions about her bloodline, but getting those answers could mean betraying the life she’s already built.

Then the next vampire is poisoned—and this time it’s Maven herself. The new evil that hunts Lex is powerful and ruthless enough to stop the strongest supernatural creature in the state. In order to find such a killer, Lex will have to face down her own birthright and call on every ally—both living and dead.

With Boundary Born Melissa F. Olson has done something quite remarkable. She’s given to me a book I just can’t fault. It’s perfect in every way.  I keep expecting the wheels to fall off and this series keep surprising me.

Now I’m thinking I need to go back and give her Scarlett Bernard series a second chance.  I read book one, wasn’t impressed and walked away, but now I’m wondering how much I’m missing out on.

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Position in Series: Book 3

1 –– Boundary Crossed
2 –– Boundary Lines
3 –– Boundary Born

 

 

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Orange, Red, Yellow. What it means: YOR-Guide

 

Angel Stakes (by Mark Henwick)

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Urban Fantasy

After travelling to New Mexico to rescue Diana (book 4, Cool Hand), Amber was on the brink of going rogue. With her kin’s help she managed to fight it off but there remains a sickness in her soul that is poisoning her. She needs to deal with that, she needs to recover. But without even a moment to catch her breath she is called to Los Angeles to once again walk the fine line between the warring parties of Athanate, Were and Adept.

Not only must she try to form an alliance with the Were, she has to hunt down and deal with an evil which has been 10 years in the making.

One of the weaknesses in Urban Fantasy (in my opinion) is that stories are essentially stagnant. Authors just throw bigger and badder villains into the mix while the main characters essentially remain unchanged. It’s why I start to lose patience with a series after two or three books. Not here. As the story develops, the characters develop, they become more, they mature and they learn from their mistakes.

If there is a weakness, I think it is that you can read the early books in isolation, but as the series develops that’s less the case. I’m a Mark Henwick junkie so I don’t mind, but some might. Still, you could do a lot worse than jumping into this series. Start with Raw Deal the novella that introduces Amber Farrell, if you love that, your love will only increase as you continue.

Great book, great series.

Position in Series:  Book 5

markhenwick0.5 – Raw Deal
1 – Sleight of Hand
2 – Hidden Trump
3 – Wild Card
4 – Cool Hand
5 – Angel Stakes

 

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Shadow Rites (by Faith Hunter)

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Urban Fantasy 

Witches and vampires have been at war for more than a thousand years. But with the impending visit of the European vampires to New Orleans, Leo (the Master Vampire of NOLA and the Southern U.S.) needs to shore up his territory, and an accord with the witches is one way to do that.

With so many witches from all over the U.S. landing in New Orleans it’s crucial that nothing happens to disrupt the meeting. Then a very old vampire is found chained in a submerged pit in the bayou and all the evidence points to her being put there by witches.  All of a sudden, not only is the meeting in jeopardy there is a good chance the discovery could lead to open war.

Jane is given the job of finding the guilty party and saving the peace treaty.

 

Shadow Rites is another entertaining instalment in the Skinwalker series. It has the welcome return of Beast who seemed to be taking a back seat for a few books as well as other favorite characters, Molly and Angie.  It’s good –– perhaps even great.

But I do have an issue.  The European Vampires impending visit was first mentioned three, maybe four books ago.  And we’re still waiting.  I kind of feel like saying ‘get on with it already’.

Screen Shot 2015-11-28 at 6.44.49 PMOrange, Red, Yellow. What it means: YOR-Guide

 

 

 

 

 

(The 2 New) Jane Yellowrock Novellas

Leading up to the release of Shadow Rites Faith Hunter released two new novellas set just before the witch conclave.  Personally, I think the Jane Yellowrock novellas are hit and miss and more often than not they’re miss.  In this case, Cat Fight was great! Well worth the effort.  Bound no More … not so much. It was like she threw a couple of favorite characters at the page and that was it for story. It really felt like a waste of time to me, but perhaps the die hard fans will enjoy it.

Cat Fight

Jane travels to the bayou to sort out a   Hatfield / McCoy feud over a magical talisman.

 

 

 

Bound no More

Molly and Angie visit Jane in New Orleans and are attacked by a dragon.

Fire Touched (by Patricia Briggs)

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Urban Fantasy

Aidan, the Fire Touched was taken by Underhill many hundreds of years ago and has spent those centuries at her capricious whim. With the help of Zee and Tad he has managed to escape and run straight to the Tri-Cities –– to Adam, Mercy and the pack.

But the Fae don’t give up what they consider to be theirs’ easily and the Grey Lords send a troll to reclaim him. Adam and Mercy manage to defeat the troll but in doing so Adam is injured, leaving Mercy as the pack’s leader. With little thought for the ramifications she offers Aidan sanctuary, declares the Tri-Cities to be their territory, and threatens war with the pack to anyone who violates their borders.

For their part, the Grey Lords are divided, some would welcome a war, while others know that a war with the werewolves would have no winners. It is up to Adam and Mercy with the help of Zee to avoid a war while strengthening their claim to the Tri-Cities.

 
Fire Touched is one of the better of the more recent Mercy Thompson books. Mercy who has been shunned by some of the pack very much comes into her own in this book and finally gets the acceptance of those pack members who have avoided her, and for her part she fully embraces her place in the pack.

The book feels very much like the setting of a scene and ties in quite neatly with Dead Heat (Alpha & Omega Book 4). I’m not sure where the series is going from here, but I’m guessing something big is coming. Honestly, I’m champing at the bit to get the next in the series and I haven’t felt like that since Bone Crossed.  

Screen Shot 2015-11-28 at 6.44.49 PMMany thanks to Berkley Publishing Group & Netgalley for providing me with this ARC

Orange, Red, Yellow. What it means: YOR-Guide

Boundary Magic (by Melissa F. Olsen)

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Boundary Crossed (book 1)

While saving her niece from a kidnapping attempt Lex is stabbed multiple times. She shouldn’t be alive. Her heart stopped on the operating table. Then just as the doctor is about to call time of death, it starts beating again.

That’s Lex’s introduction into the supernatural world of vampires and witches. As a boundary witch, a witch who has power over life and death she has never received any training and the leader of the local coven wants to keep it that way. She’s just too dangerous. But she will do anything to protect her niece, even enter into a partnership with the vampires, the vampires who want to see just how powerful she is.

 

Boundary Lines (book 2)

Something is out of whack in the Old World and the vampires, werewolves and witches are all acting strangely. Someone is messing with the line and with Maven, Colorado’s ruling vampire, in a power struggle she has entrusted her most recent employee boundary witch Lex with sorting it all out.

She finds herself not just walking the line between the supernatural groups and stopping a war, but also dealing with ghosts and an ancient predator that will require the vampires, werewolves and witches to unite if they are to have any chance of killing it.

 

So much fun.  I picked up book one expecting to kill some time while I was waiting for some of my tried and true authors to release books.  This series is anything but killing time. It’s completely addictive.  Lovers of Faith Hunter and Patricia Briggs won’t be disappointed with these books.  They’re great fun and yes, Melissa F. Olsen is joining the list of authors I madly follow.

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Look Both Ways (by Carol J. Perry)

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Mystery / Paranormal

After buying an antique bureau, Lee finds herself embroiled in two murders that occurred years apart. Hours after buying the bureau she discovers the antique dealer who sold it to her dead and a priceless pink diamond missing.

It becomes apparent that the killer will do anything to get the diamond but with so many suspects the police don’t know where to look. Lee begins investigating, using her unique witch powers to puzzle out the crime, but the killer remains at large and knows exactly where she lives.

 

Look Both Ways is a bit of a mixed bag. There were things which were driving me to distraction. Things like the heroine would do something, then she would go home and explain to a friend what she had done in detail. Then she would explain exactly the same thing again to her boyfriend. Take out all those repeated explanations of the same thing and I’m pretty sure this book would be a third shorter.

cat

But then there is the ending. How the killer got his comeuppance was beautiful and creepy and perfect. And everything witchy about this book is superb. In some ways it’s like two different books. The cozy mystery part of it wasn’t great, but the paranormal parts were amazing.

I think the author needs to really forget about the mystery and just focus on the witchery because that’s where her writing moves from mundane to sublime. So, it’s a 3 Star book with some 5 Star moments.

Screen Shot 2015-11-01 at 10.26.54 PMMany thanks to Kensington & Netgalley for providing me with this ARC

Orange, Red, Yellow. What it means:  YOR-Guide

Alpha Unleashed (by Aileen Erin)

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Young Adult / Urban Fantasy (part of a series)

After failing to steal Tessa and Claudia’s power for herself, Luciana has completely lost the plot and in a desperate bid to defeat the werewolves she makes a pact with the devil.

It is up to Tessa and her friends to stop her but when they discover Luciana’s plans it becomes a desperate battle not only for the survival of the werewolves and the few remaining good witches, but for all of mankind.

 

 

Alpha Unleashed is the final good vs. evil battle in this series and it really does rock. It’s one battle after another, all of them leading to the final showdown with Luciana. A great ending to the series.

 

Screen Shot 2014-11-09 at 3.09.42 pmMany thanks to Ink Monster and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC. 

Orange, Red, Yellow. What it means: red-orange-yellow-guide

Hidden Trump (by Mark Henwick)

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Urban Fantasy

Amber has accepted that she’s Athanate (a vampire) and is making her first hesitant steps as the head of her own House with responsibilities and kin. Making her already complicated life even more complicated a rival Athanate House is hunting her down and plans to run medical experiments on her. Keeping her head down would be the smart thing to do but she finds herself once again in the middle of things and she’ll need every skill the army taught her if she’s to have a chance of getting herself and her kin out alive.

This book is perfect –– I just can’t think of a single bad thing to say about it. At 600 pages it’s longer than your typical Urban Fantasy but it’s one of those (rare) cases where longer doesn’t translate to yawns. I finished the book and was kind of sad that it ended, I really think I could have gone on indefinitely without a care in the world.

For this series I’ve been listening to the audiobooks. Book 1 Sleight of Hand was released in late 2014, This book came out about a week ago, and Book 3 Wild Card is on the way. Hidden Trump introduces a new narrator, Julia Motyka, and she’s perfect. She does both male and female voices well and she completely owns Amber Farrell.

If you want to try some on some great urban fantasy, Mark Henwick is definitely worth the effort.  He’s one of the few authors who make me so happy I could jump.

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Bruja (by Aileen Erin)

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Young Adult (Vampires / Werewolves / Witches)

Despite escaping from her coven, Claudia remains blood-bound to Luciana, the coven’s leader. She, along with a small group of witches who left with her, has found sanctuary with the werewolves but Luciana can still invade her dreams and the blood-binding makes it possible for her to take Claudia’s power.

Desperate to break the binding, Claudia travels to Peru in search of a mysterious and possibly extinct group of white mages but she finds herself facing witches even more evil than Luciana.

I loved this book. The characters are wonderful and the story is great. It’s like Claudia reaches out of the book, grabs you by the scruff of the neck and drags you through the pages. Honestly, I don’t give up sleep for very many books but I just couldn’t put this one down.

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Many thanks to Ink Monster & Netgalley for providing me with this ARC Yellow,

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