Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

Released: July 26, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Philomel

Series: Nightshade #2

Source: Personal shelf

This thrilling sequel to the much-talked-about Nightshade begins just where it ended-Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she’s certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer-one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack-and the man-she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

 * * * * * * * * * * * * *

I waited longer than I would have liked to read Wolfsbane. I thoroughly enjoyed Nightshade but decided not to purchase Wolfsbane right away in a desperate attempt to be somewhat frugal. Thankfully, I got Wolfsbane for Christmas so I could finally sink my teeth into the second novel in Andrea Cremer‘s fantastic trilogy.

Calla’s in a very different place at the start of Wolfsbane. When we first met her in Nightshade, she was full of faith and confidence; in Wolfsbane, she wakes up in her enemy’s hands, unsure of everything. And this is just the beginning of the emotional turmoil and physical danger that Calla faces in this novel.

One of the things I appreciate most about this series is how genuine Calla’s emotions are. I really emphasized with her. She’s torn in so many different directions but she does her best to remain true to her pack. In fact, all of the characters have great emotional grounding. It makes it easier to connect to all of them, including the new faces that we meet on the Searchers’ side.

While I’m not fussy about the cover — I prefer the UK editions — the content remains strong. I thoroughly enjoyed Wolfbane and I can only imagine what will happen to Calla and her pack in the final book in the trilogy, Bloodrose. It’s out now so it’s just a matter of scraping together the $20 for the hardcover…because there’s no way I’m going to wait for the paperback!

The Thing at the Zoo by James R. Tuck

There’s an extra post this week over at Tynga’s Reviews because I just couldn’t wait to talk about James R. Tuck’s e-novella, The Thing at the Zoo. It’s an introduction to his new series about Deacon Chalk, an Occult Bounty Hunter. I hope you’ll check it out.

Blood Blade by Marcus Pelegrimas

Released: January 27, 2009
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: HarperCollins

Series: Skinners #1

Source: Library

Welcome to the nightmare . . .

There is a world you don’t know about, inhabited by supernatural creatures of darkness—vampires, werewolves, and all manner of savage, impossible beasts that live for terror and slaughter and blood. They are all around us but you cannot see them, for knowledge of their presence—so close and so hungry—would surely drive any ordinary human insane.

But for centuries a special breed of hunter has kept the monsters at bay, preventing them from breaking through the increasingly fragile barriers protecting our mortal realm.

These guardians are called skinners.

But beware . . . for there are very few of them left.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

I borrowed Blood Blade from the library so that I could get started on my personal reading challenge for the year. I didn’t want to jump to the fifth Skinners book without reading the previous books in the series and the local library just so happens to have the first few books in the series. I figured it was a sign.

I had some problems settling into Blood Blade. The blurb on the back of the book doesn’t really tell you anything about the characters and so it felt like I was walking in cold turkey. Normally, I don’t mind, but it was a little confusing this time around because the opening chapter deals with the baddy and then the we jump to the main guy in the book, Cole, a videogame programmer whose eyes are rudely awakened when he’s on vacation. This one encounter sets him on a new path, filled with some very scary folks.

Marcus Pelegrimas has created a frightening world. Supernatural creatures do a lot more than go bump in the night and there’s nothing pretty about them, unlike the ones you see in paranormal romance or urban fantasy. The mythology is different — and darker — than what I usually read but it was a lot of fun. There are vampires and weres, but they definitely don’t sparkle. Vampires, or Nymars, exist because of spores that leech everything out of the body and the Nymars need human blood to sustain the spores. Weres aren’t quite as different, though they come in different flavours. Weres and Nymars are at odds and tend to avoid each other, and the Skinners do their best to fight both species, even though they’re severely outmatched and outnumbered. And Cole has to learn about this on the fly.

The story was quite engaging, once I got over my disorientation over who the main characters were. (I think this was partially because it was written in third person, not first, which I am more accustomed to from reading all that urban fantasy.) I didn’t love the book but I found Cole and Paige to be interesting characters and am curious to see what happens to them next.

Death Blows by D. D. Barant

Kick off your week by checking out my thoughts on Death Blows by the talented D. D. Barant over at Tynga’s Reviews! It’s the second book in the series and I’m trying to work by way through the first four in time for the release of book #5 in a couple months.

Blood Work by Kim Harrison

Released: July 12, 2011
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Random House

Series: The Hollows (prequel)

Source: Library

When Ivy met Rachel, the result wasn’t exactly love at first sight. Sparks flew as the living vampire and the stubborn witch learned what it meant to be partners. Now Kim Harrison, the acclaimed author of Pale Demon and Black Magic Sanction, turns back the clock to tell the tale—in an original full-color graphic novel.

Hot-as-hell, tough-as-nails detective Ivy Tamwood has been demoted from homicide down to lowly street-crime detail. As if rousting trolls and policing pixies instead of catching killers wasn’t bad enough, she’s also been saddled with a newbie partner who’s an earth witch. It’s enough to make any living vampire bare her fangs. But when a coven of murderous witches begins preying …

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

As I mentioned a couple weeks ago, I’m out to conquer Paul Goat Allen’s best paranormal books of 2011. It’s a big endeavour but what’s life without goals? Part of this mission: to catch up on Kim Harrison‘s adult books, including this graphic novel. I thought this would be a great place to start since it would let me ease my way back into The Hollows.

Did it ever.

I love graphic novels, though I don’t often write about them on the blog. It’s a whole different kind of storytelling, just as challenging as writing a novel (or maybe more challenging?) because of the limitations you have on word count and the collaborative effort involved in putting together a well-crafted comic. This ain’t for the weak. And in her graphic novel debut, Kim Harrison has done a commendable job.

Told from Ivy’s point of view, Blood Work is a chance to see how Ivy and Rachel first met, and how much they’ve both grown and changed. It’s a great storyline that shows us things that have been hinted at or mentioned in the novels. I was particularly taken by the way that Ivy’s vampiric desires and the different magics are portrayed. The use of a silvery ghost-like form to show Ivy’s desires really captured how much Ivy fights her impulses. And it’s pretty.

Reading Blood Work has definitely whetted my appetite for more Rachel and Ivy. I think I’m going to start at the beginning of the series and work my way forward since it’s been quite some time since I’ve picked up something by this author.

Allison Hewitt Is Trapped by Madeleine Roux

I bought this book on a whim from bookcloseouts.ca and I’m so happy I did. You can find out why by visiting Tynga’s Reviews!

Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett

I posted my thoughts about Jenn Bennett’s debut, Kindling the Moon, over at Tynga’s Reviews on Monday. And then I forgot to make the companion post here. But in the spirit of better late than never, please check it out!

This is one of the books off my Paul Goat Allen challenge and so far, I think his recommendations are spot on.

No One To Trust by Julie Moffett

Released: June 13, 2011
Format: e-book
Publisher: Carina

Series: Lexi Carmichael #2

Source: Carina Press / netGalley

SWFG: Single, White, Female, Geek.

That’s me, Lexi Carmichael, a reformed hacker who was gainfully employed by the National Security Agency. But a series of extraordinary events led me to leave government life behind for a fresh start with a brand-new company and an incredibly sexy boss, Finn Shaughnessy. It may not be kosher to have the hots for your boss, but he seems to have the hots for me, too. If only things didn’t get so complicated…

Darren Greening, a genius researcher from Flow Technologies (our first client!) is missing, and his bosses think I’m involved. And they aren’t the only ones-the man who nearly snapped my neck in the parking garage thinks so, too.

Now I’m caught in the middle of a complex and dangerous case. I’ll have to use all my geek skills and a little help from my friends to solve the mystery of Darren’s disappearance before Neck-Snapping-Man makes a return visit…

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

As always, I’m grateful to Carina Press for the review copy of this e-book.

This is my first time reading Julie Moffett. She doesn’t write urban fantasy or paranormal romance; instead, she writes chick lit mysteries and historical romances, two genres I read more occasionally. I wasn’t entirely certain what to expect from No One To Trust but I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. It’s written with a fun, light tone that sort of reminds me of Sarah Strohmeyer’s Bubbles books or Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, though there are fewer Stooge-esque moments in No One To Trust.

Lexi Carmichael is a cute and quirky protagonist. An ex-hacker who now works in the private sector, she’s thrown into a whole new realm with this case, the first she tackles at her new place of employment. It’s a nicely plotted missing persons case that requires Lexi’s special talents. She’s being romanced by her boss, Finn, which adds a nice subplot. Unfortunately, Finn, like most of the characters in the story, seem rather one dimensional. He’s charming and delightfully Irish but that’s about all he’s got going on. This could be because I haven’t read the first novel but I think each instalment in a series should have some character work. Nonetheless, I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a fluffy chick lit mystery.

Karma Girl by Jennifer Estep

Released: December 2011 (Canada)
Format: e-book
Publisher: Jennifer Estep

Series: Bigtime #1

Source: Personal shelf

Investigative reporter Carmen Cole gets the surprise of her life on her wedding day when she discovers that her fiance and best friend are sleeping together – and that the two of them are her town’s resident superhero and ubervillain. Shocked and hurt, Carmen reveals their secret identities and then decides to devote her life to unmasking every superhero and ubervillain who crosses her path. 

A series of successful unmaskings lands Carmen a job at The Expose, one of the biggest newspapers in Bigtime, New York, a city that’s full of superheroes and ubervillains. Carmen is in her element – until she gets kidnapped by the Terrible Triad, Bigtime’s most dangerous ubervillain team.

The Triad orders Carmen to uncover the secret identity of Striker, the leader of the Fearless Five, Bigtime’s most popular superhero team – or else they’ll drop her in a vat of radioactive goo. With that threat hanging over her, Carmen sets out to unmask Striker, but what she doesn’t count on is falling for the sexy superhero. But with the Terrible Triad lurking around, this is one story that just might be the death of her …

* * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Karma Girl is very different from Jennifer Estep’s two urban fantasy series. This is not a criticism, just a statement of fact. I went into Karma Girl expecting a fun, frothy bit of brain candy and that’s exactly what the lovely Ms. Estep has delivered!

The Bigtime series is set in a world where superheroes and supervillains are commonplace. It didn’t really matter to our plucky heroine, Carmen Cole, until she discovers — on her wedding day — that her fiance has been cheating on her with her best friend, and that they’re arch nemeses. This sets Carmen on a mission: to uncover the secret identities of heroes and villains across the country so that no one needs to suffer the same heartbreak. She’s loaded with righteousness, a keen intuition, and good intentions, which eventually get her into trouble.

Carmen’s a great lead character. She’s got a lot of heart and she always tries to do her best, even against terrifying odds. I love a character with a lot of spunk and Carmen’s got that in spades. She’s also riddled with insecurities after the incident with her fiancé and some of the outcomes of her research. Nonetheless, the romantic tension between Carmen and Striker is off the charts! The developing relationship makes for a fun read.

I also really enjoyed twists and turns in the non-romantic plot line. Watching Carmen try to figure out the identities of the Fearless Five and the Terrible Triad is a lot of fun, though the identities of most of the Fearless Five were apparent to me a little bit before they were revealed, but this didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the novel.

My one complaint is that the karma references seem a bit heavy-handed. I understand why they’re there — Carmen does become the titular Karma Girl — but it wasn’t very subtle. Of course, this is a tiny quibble in the grand scheme of things. More of a comment than a quibble, really…

Looking forward to reading Hot Mama soon!

Trance by Kelly Meding

Released: October 25, 2011
Format: Mass market paperback
Publisher: Pocket

Series: Metawars #1

Source: Personal shelf

Kelly Meding’s war-ravaged Los Angeles is ground zero for the ultimate Meta human showdown in this sexy, action-packed new series.

Fifteen years ago, Teresa “Trance” West was a skilled telepath and a proud member of the Ranger Corps. But ever since the Rangers were inexplicably rendered powerless at the climax of the devastating Meta War, she’s bounced from one dead-end job to another. Now her powers have reappeared just as mysteriously as they vanished— only they’re completely transformed and more potent than ever. And they’re threatening to destroy her.

Trance heads to Los Angeles to track down the surviving Rangers and discover who restored her powers—and why—but a phantom enemy is determined to kill them before they can reassemble. As they dodge his deadly attacks and come to terms with their new role as heroes, Trance and the rest of the team set out to annihilate the sinister madman . . . only to discover their own powers are his greatest weapons.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Wowza! I devoured Trance in a single sitting, which led me to stay up way too late last night. But it was too good to put down! I quite liked the first book in Kelly Meding‘s Dreg City series, Three Days to Dead, but I never ended up picking up the rest of the series. But this new series, which is all about superheroes, really got me excited.

Trance is the first book in the series and it’s got origin story written all over it. It opens at the end of the Metawar, when Trance and the other Ranger children (children of the good Metas) are about to be killed by the Banes (the evil Metas). Before that happens, all of the Metas lose their powers. Flashforward 15 years and their powers are mysteriously restored, only Trance seems to have gotten the wrong powers: when she was a kid, she could hypnotize people (or push them, like Nina on Syfy’s Alphas) but now she can create purple energy orbs, a much more offensive skill. It’s a huge adjustment for Trance, who was living a very hand-to-mouth life before her powers reemerged, as she falls into more of a leadership role, trying to figure out what happened to their powers, why they’re back, and how to stop the Rangers’ nemesis, Spector, from killing all of her childhood friends. It’s a fast-paced plot, which I really enjoyed, and Kelly Meding does a great job of keeping her characters — and readers — on edge, waiting for the next proverbial bomb to drop. And while there were a few rather formulaic points in the plot but this didn’t detract from my enjoyment of the novel since I enjoyed the setting and the characters so much.

Truthfully, as a big fan of the superhero genre, I always approach new entries with a little caution. It’s sometimes too easy to see elements as derivative (whether or not they were intended as such by the author) and I was happily surprised by how much I enjoyed Trance. It’s a little bit Teen Titans, a little bit Runaways, but in the best way possible. And while some of the powers instantly made me think of iconic characters (Renee, or Flex, can bend like Mr. Fantastic / Mrs. Incredible and Tempest immediately made me think of Storm), the characters in Trance had enough personality to win me over, because they were very different from the archetypal characters.

I also really enjoyed the romance between Trance and Cipher. It developed in a really natural way and their chemistry is positively smoldering. I’m really looking forward to the next installment in the Metawars series. I just hope it’s as much fun as Trance!