Category Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Books

Dec 9 2016
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Book Review: Winter Halo by Keri Arthur

Winter Halo by Keri Arthur

Title: Winter Halo

Author: Keri Arthur

Series: Outcast #2

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: The humanoid supersoldiers known as the déchet were almost eradicated by the war. Ever since, Tiger has tried to live her life in peace in hiding. But in the wake of her discovery that Central City’s children are being kidnapped and experimented on, Tiger’s conscience won’t let her look the other way. The key to saving them lies within the walls of a pharmaceutical company called Winter Halo. But as she learns more about the facility, Tiger’s mission is derailed by a complication: Winter Halo’s female security guards are being systematically attacked by an unknown force. Now Tiger must summon all her gifts to stop those responsible for both atrocities—no matter the cost to herself… –Goodreads

The Review:

There are a few reasons why Keri Arthur is one of my top authors:

  • Her heroines are always kickass and fun
  • Her writing is page turning good
  • Her stories are always creative, and
  • Her books are always packed with a great mix of action, mystery, and romance

Where Winter Halo takes it one step further is the love story. Many urban fantasies hit you over the head immediately with a love interest (or two). In this case, all we’ve gleaned so far is the potential for a good love story, which is both promising an excellent payoff down the road and allowing the story to focus on all the other aspects that make it so good. Like how strong the main character is.

Tiger is a lab-created shifter/vampire hybrid bred for subterfuge during the apocalyptic war between shifters and humans. Her specialty is seduction and intelligence-gathering, a combination which led to some “steamy” moments. Even with such a unique backstory, it’s Tiger’s actions and motives that make her so interesting. Having not been able to save children under her care during the war, she’d go to the ends of the earth to help them now. And, as the overall arc of the series so far is finding and rescuing some missing kids, it’s a combination that is as compelling as it is heart-wrenching. I love Keri Arthur’s characters (Riley Jensen being one of my favorites from a past series), and Tiger is just as good.

Awesome characters, great writer, and understated love story aside, it’s the overall mystery of the series that has me chomping at the bit for the next one. Arthur did a great job weaving all of her plot points into a complex storyline. If I had just one complaint it’s that many of these plot points are revamped (no pun intended) ideas from her other series. However, They were spun freshly enough that I found them more nostalgic than tiresome.

If you’re looking for an urban fantasy that’s interesting and slightly off the beaten path, City of Light is a great place to start – the series only seems to be getting better and better!

I’d like to thank Penguin Group Berkley, NAL / Signet Romance, DAW, Keri Arthur, and NetGalley for the chance to read and review a reviewer copy of Winter Halo.

Other books you might like:

 by Niki Hawkes

Dec 5 2016
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Book Review: Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews

Title: Magic Burns

Author: Ilona Andrews

Series: Kate Daniels #2

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Down in Atlanta, tempers – and temperatures – are about to flare… As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one. When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest – and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive… -Goodreads

The Review:

After a while, all urban fantasies start to sound alike. Magic Burns was, unfortunately, no exception. Boasting a kickass, gun-toting heroine with unique powers, it was the epitome of typical. It also utilized cultural mythology to create the bad guys, which I suppose is a mite more creative than your typical werewolves and vampires, but still pretty common. So for those reasons, I can’t say I found anything about Magic Bites original…

…But I still really liked it.

Especially compared to Magic Bites (book 1 in the series), with which I had a lot of issues. This writing duo seems to have gotten into their stride with the second novel because all of my issues with the first one were nonexistent here. There was great romantic tension, the storyline felt more structured, and there was a more clear direction. I also laughed more within the first few chapters then I did the entire first book. In fact, I think it cracked me up more often than Harry Dresden, and that’s saying something.

I have to say thanks to all my Goodreads friends who urged me to keep reading because I enjoyed it Magic Burns thoroughly and can’t wait to pick up the next one. I’m now starting to appreciate why Ilona Andrews is considered a staple of the genre, and I have it on good authority that I ain’t seen nothing yet! :-)

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Oct 3 2016
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Book Reviews: The Dresden Files [Books 11-12] by Jim Butcher

Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
Changes by Jim Butcher
Side Jobs by Jim Butcher

The Dresden Files [Books 11-12]
by Jim Butcher

I can definitely see why Jim Butcher is considered a staple in the Urban Fantasy genre – he has an excellent main character (who is a tad whiny at times, but that’s kind of why I like him), loads of paranormal that will continually ding your creep-o-meter (even though I admit it doesn’t take much to set mine off), and plenty of action, humor, and intrigue. Overall, if you’ve never read an urban fantasy, this author is a great place to start. The best thing about him is that he seems to get better with each book.

Turn Coat

Finally! We dig into the wizarding White Council and find out more about how it operates (and the many interesting characters involved). Delightful politicking ensued left and right, and it was really fun to see how Dresden fit in (or stuck out, depending on how you look at it). My favorite elements of Turn Coat were the settings and the mystery surrounding the Council. I had lots of theories on “whodunit,” and even though none of them turned out to be correct, I love it when books get me so involved.

4/5 stars

Changes

What an appropriately titled book. Changes marked the turning point in the series where Butcher brings all of his conflicts to a head so he can take the story in a new direction. I admit I wasn’t thrilled with this book – I found the plot construction for it uncharacteristically all over the place. There were a few conflicts that had absolutely nothing to do with the overall plot that only managed to drag the story down (his books usually have subplots, but they are normally at least a little related). For that matter, the entire novel felt a little random and forced. It came together eventually, but I can’t say as though I enjoyed the journey as well as his past novels. However, I liked the ending enough to want to keep reading…

3/5 stars

Side Jobs

All the Dresden fun, but with a few alternate POV’s like Murphy and Thomas to sweeten the deal – sign me up! I enjoyed this compilation of novellas immensely – maybe even slightly more than the last couple of novels. Every story brought something new and interesting to the table, and I kind of wish I had read them alongside the novels chronologically. Overall, I’d say don’t skip this one – it’s every bit as worth your time as the main series itself.

4.5/5 stars

If you haven’t picked up a Dresden book yet, just know you’re in for a well-conceived and sustainable series, jam-packed with scary monsters and a lot of snark. I consider them a must-try for any fan of the genre.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 14 2016
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Book Review: The Witch With No Name by Kim Harrison

witch with no nameTitle: The Witch With No Name

Author: Kim Harrison

Series: Rachel Morgan #13

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Rachel Morgan’s come a long way from the clutzy runner of Dead Witch Walking. She’s faced vampires and werewolves, banshees, witches, and soul-eating demons. She’s crossed worlds, channeled gods, and accepted her place as a day-walking demon. She’s lost friends and lovers and family, and an old enemy has become something much more. But power demands responsibility, and world-changers must always pay a price. That time is now. To save Ivy’s soul and the rest of the living vampires, to keep the demonic ever after and our own world from destruction, Rachel Morgan will risk everything. –Goodreads

The Review:

I’ve been slowly working my way through this series for ages, savoring every last moment. Now that I’ve finally reached the end, I feel a combination of sadness that it’s over, satisfaction at how it ended, and gratitude to have experienced such a great series. There are brilliant moments throughout The Hollows that I’ll remember forever. It’s definitely one of my top three all-time favorite urban fantasies.

My favorite part of this series is definitely Rachel’s relationships with the other characters – primarily Trent and Al (who are both written with a lot of duality – something I love). Both are complex relationships that develop slowly over the entire series. What I loved so much about them is the fact that I was never totally sure what their motives were. They had that “mysterious” factor, if you will. The discovery process of figuring out exactly where they stood and watching their relationship with Rachel grow was pure magic. I’m pretty sure Al is one of my favorite characters from any series. Ever. I will miss him the most.

Now that I’ve hinted at how much I love to the series as a whole, I have a few very minor criticisms of The Witch with No Name. With this final book in particular, I admit I expected it to have a stronger climax, being the series-ender and all. That’s not to say it wasn’t as good as the books before it, I was just hoping to feel the escalation of the story a tad more. But really, when dealing with such an amazing body of work, it’s easy to have unrealistically high expectations.

I also found one element of the plot a bit too drawn out and repetitive – that involving the vampire Cormel. Without giving too much away, let’s just say Cormel started blackmailing Rachel to get her to do something for him, but never really carried through on his threats. It went a little like, “do this thing, or else!” and Rachel was like, “Maybe I will, maybe I won’t.” to which Cormel would respond “you didn’t do the thing? Well, do the thing, or else!” Personally, I lost patience with the whole dynamic right from the start, which is probably why that whole plot point seem to go on forever. My biggest objection is that it drew the story out unnecessarily and made a once scary character seem a little comical and inconsequential. Like I said, minor. But still annoying…

Anyway, the resolution to the series was everything I hoped it would be – the perfect culmination of events. I’d recommend The Hollows to any urban fantasy fan. In fact, if you love the genre and haven’t at least tried this series yet, than I’m not sure we can be friends until you do…

As a side note, I’m very much looking forward to diving into Harrison’s new Peri Reed Chronicles even though The Drafter hasn’t gotten the highest reviews so far. The way I see it, Harrison is one of those authors who builds her stories into something amazing over the course of several books. I didn’t think Dead Witch Walking was anywhere near as good as her later novels, and I attribute all of that to the way she built the story. And it turned out amazing. Therefore, I’m definitely willing to give her new series some time…

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Jul 14 2016
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Trilogy Review: Agent of Hel by Jacqueline Carey

Dark Currents by Jacqueline Carey
Autumn Bones by Jacqueline Carey
Poison Fruit by Jacqueline Carey

The Agent of Hel Trilogy
by Jacqueline Carey
4/5 stars

“Agent of Hel” is a trilogy about a half-human, half-demon woman named Daisy, whose heritage earned her the job of liaison between the human world and the supernatural kingdom. It’s a job that gets particularly complicated when citizens start showing up dead by supernatural causes…

Jacqueline Carey is one of my top authors, specifically for her “Kushiel’s” and “Imriel’s” Trilogies (which contain some of the best writing I’ve ever read, although I’d recommend it with a strong disclaimer of sexual content… particularly of the S&M variety). I’ve come to love her for her rich character development, expansive world/culture building, beautiful love stories, and epic storytelling. Many of these elements you don’t normally see within urban fantasies, whose storylines typically revolve around mystery, action, and instant gratification. As you can imagine, after reading Carey’s epic fantasies, I was intrigued to see how she would tackle a new genre.

And the verdict? “Agent of Hel” was anything but typical… And I really dug it.

My favorite things about this series were the world building and quirky cast of characters. Both of which I thought were developed expansively enough to merit more than just a trilogy. Carey’s supernatural world was one of the most conceptual and well-imagined of any I’ve ever read. Everything from creature creation to the political hierarchy went one or two steps above what I would consider necessary for a good urban fantasy. It was a lot of fun. Carey’s characters also had a lot of depth and backstory, but there wasn’t enough time within such a short series to explore them all thoroughly. I wanted more, which is more or less a positive way to finish a series. I don’t think Carey has any plans to write more, but one can dream.

Anyway, despite the series ending before I was ready for it to, “Agent of Hel” had great pacing that kept me engaged from start to finish. It had a nice balance of action, mystery, romance, and humor, which are ingredients for an awesome read.

As with many urban fantasies, “Agent of Hel” contained a prominent romance – one which I thought did a good job of balancing the action without overwhelming the plot. As with everything else, the love story was a bit atypical. For starters, it wasn’t always clear who the love interest was supposed to be. Also, the romantic story arc didn’t follow the usual formula. Both were things I actually liked about the series and, at the risk of sounding redundant, I also found myself craving another book to keep it going by the time the series ended. I should clarify that my slight dissatisfaction was because I was really enjoying what I was reading and wanted more, but Carey did do a nice job wrapping up her plot points with clear resolutions.

Overall, I’d rank “Agent of Hel” as one of the better urban fantasies and would recommend it to anyone familiar with the genre. Fair warning though, the series contains sexual content.

by Niki Hawkes

Jun 3 2016
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Book Reviews: The Dresden Files [Books 8-10] by Jim Butcher

Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher
White Night by Jim Butcher
Small Favor by Jim Butcher

The Dresden Files [Books 8-10]
by Jim Butcher

I can definitely see why Jim Butcher is considered a staple in the Urban Fantasy genre – he has an excellent main character (who is a tad whiny at times, but that’s kind of why I like him), loads of paranormal that will continually ding your creep-o-meter (even though I admit it doesn’t take much to set mine off), and plenty of action, humor, and intrigue. Overall, if you’ve never read an urban fantasy, this author is a great place to start. The best thing about him is that he seems to get better with each book.

Proven Guilty

I really liked Proven Guilty, and although it’s been a while since I read it, I still remember quite a bit about it. It sits nicely in a long line of great Dresden books, that’s for sure. This is the novel where you start to get to know Molly – Michael’s rebellious teenage daughter (and a character I quite like). The coolest part about this book is the plot: Molly and her boyfriend get mixed up in a phenomenon of horror movies brought to life. Dresden, as usual, has to figure out what’s going on. It was a mystery I enjoyed watching him unravel. Overall, a solid installment.

4/5 stars

White Knight

White Knight was my least favorite of the series so far (of the latter books, anyway… the beginning of the saga started out admittedly rough). That is, however, until I started writing this review. You see, the book as a whole was actually comparably good. The culprit for my dissatisfaction was a single, prolonged dream/alternate plain of existence scene right in the middle of the book that took me out of the action and added absolutely nothing to the plot. It was weird. Had it not been included, I’m sure I’d be sitting here praising White Knight with the same enthusiasm as the rest, but that one scene managed to leave the taint on the whole thing. Aside from that, the book was actually pretty entertaining – containing a mystery surrounding Thomas (whom I love), and a few hilarious moments. If you read it, just skip that weird part and all is good.

3.5/5 stars

Small Favor

I actually liked Small Favor a lot. Like, enough that it may be my favorite of the series. Here’s where I have to admit that I’m composing this review way after reading the book and have already ventured on as far as book 14. It’s still my favorite so far… mostly because, in a long series where individual story lines start to blend together, I can still remember with vivid clarity everything that happened in this book. It had a great conflict right off the bat (a good start), and ended with one of the coolest battle settings so far (a good ending). Not to mention it was funny as shit. Consider book 10 Obsessive Bookseller endorsed.

4.5/5 stars

If you haven’t picked up a Dresden book yet, just know you’re in for a well-conceived and sustainable series, jam-packed with scary monsters and a lot of snark. I consider them a must-try for any fan of the genre.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes