Category Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Books

Sep 29 2012
Image

Book Review: Blood Engines by T.A. Pratt

Title: Blood Engines

Author: T.A. Pratt

Series: Marla Mason #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Review:

I have read so many urban fantasy books that, after a while, they all start to sound the same. This was not the case for “Blood Engines.” It was an incredibly unique novel, with a great mix of of fantasy, mystery, and just a touch of romance. Although a good deal of Pratt’s works are on the bizarre side, I have to give him major kudos for originality. His perspective is refreshing, and he combines that with interesting plot-lines: As the guardian for the city of Felport (in which most of the other novels take place) Marla finds herself in San Francisco, hunting after a relic that will protect her from a threat back home. While there, things start to snowball and she gets caught up in a lot more trouble than she bargained for. I found the entire book vivid and engaging.

My favorite element of this series was the excellent character development throughout. I’m a stickler for good characters, and that is probably why I liked these so much. While Marla definitely steals the show, everyone from Rondeau (the main sidekick) to the most minor characters have personalities that are rich and interesting.

I also have a particular affection for this author’s works from a writer’s standpoint. From the way he crafts a story, develops characters, and devises his plots, he always leaves me in awe. His prequel, “Bone Shop” was particularly insightful, including author’s notes at the end of each chapter. It gave a wonderfully helpful look into how he tackled each scene, and also alluded to his once a week writing schedule. It was encouraging: if you take writing seriously, you can accomplish great things despite having a hectic schedule. Anyway, I can’t say enough good things about this author. The more you read, the more he blows your mind with intricate plot-lines. I really love these books – if you’re sick of the same old stuff, give this series a try!

Recommendations: These aren’t for everyone, as I said, they are a bit bizarre by typical urban fantasy standards, and also contain some language and sexual references. However, if you liked them as much as I did, I highly recommend you also read Pratt’s short stories as they provide a great back-history on some awesome characters, along with excellent examples on writing well and developing your craft.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Sep 19 2012
Image

Book Review: Endgame by Ann Aguirre

Title: Endgame

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Sirantha Jax #6

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Review: This particular book is the last of a six book series, and I am truly sad to see it end. I’m a fairly scattered reader, and often bounce around to other series before picking up sequels. Therefore, it is a true testament to how much I enjoyed this series that I actually read them all one after another.

Aguirre’s books have a fine balance of being both character and event driven, which I think really allows the reader feel involved in the story. Told in a unique writing style (first-person present tense), it made for a great deal of suspense and excitement. The only, and I mean only, complaint I have throughout all six books is that there were a few places in the first book that were a bit under-descriptive. That said, I didn’t have any problem with that moving forward; each book added an incredible momentum to the series and just kept getting better.

While the characters were dynamic and storyline was great, my favorite part of the series was the alien interactions. Particularly in “Doublebind” the third novel, we get immersed into a highly intelligent and fascinating alien race. This, along with other factors, made that book my favorite and solidified my love of the series as a whole.

Overall this series was fast-paced, well-written, clever, and totally absorbing! And different – I’ve never read anything quite like it.

Recommendations: Although the novels are set in space, they read more like urban fantasy than science fiction. Readers who dislike strong language an sexual content may want to skip this recommend.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Sep 14 2012

Book Review: Blood Rights by Kristin Painter

Title: Blood Rights

Author: Kristin Painter

Series: House of Comarre #1

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle’s body bears the telltale marks of a comarré — a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world…and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.

The Review:

I’ll admit that I initially picked this up solely because it had a cool cover. Much to my delight, I found it to be a highly original and fascinating read. What’s more, it’s clear from the few first chapters that Painter is an exceptionally talented writer. Her smart “no words wasted” writing style, along with the overall concept of the story were my favorite elements of this book.

This is a highly character-driven novel, and I admit I would’ve prefered to see a little more action. That said, the basic storyline was good, and some of the characters were fantastic: the main protagonist was well developed, and there were even a few minor characters that stole the show on occasion and really helped bring the story alive. Overall, it was an extremely interesting read, and I will definitely be picking up the second book.

Recommendations: Painter has published a novella called “Forbidden Blood” which expands on a story between two characters eluded to throughout “Blood Rights.” I thought it was a nice addition to the story, giving it an extra bit of depth.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes