Book Review: "Black City" by Christina Henry

Former Agent of death Madeline Black may have been stripped of her wings—but she hasn’t lost her purpose… 

When Maddy finally killed her father, Azazel, she thought his depraved experiment died with him. But now Chicago has been infested with vampires immune to the effects of the sun, and the bloodbath is worse than she could have ever imagined. While the Agency refuses to interfere with other supernatural courts, Maddy is determined to do everything within her power to save her city—wings or no wings. 

But when the leader of the vampires requests that she turn herself in or risk more deaths, Maddy becomes a target for the very people she’s trying to save. Left with no other choice, she turns to Lucifer, the one creature who has the power to help her. But her grandfather’s aid has always come at a price… - from Amazon.com

Book Five in this series continues the story line almost immediately following Book Four. Having now rejected the agency, and losing her wings, Maddie Black finds Chicago taken over by vampires that are able to withstand sunlight, due to an experiment from her father, Azazel, had been conducting. In trying to rid the city of the vampires, Maddie asks for help from Lucifer, and as always there are other motives in play. I don't want to give away too much detail and spoil it for everyone, but a I was surprised at a couple of the things that came about. Sometimes when a series gets this far along, it becomes somewhat predictable, yet this one has brought some unexpected developments. Looking forward to book six.

Book Review: "The Wizard, The Farmer, & the Very Pretty Princess" by Daniel Fox

The evil undead are marching. As the human kingdoms stand on the brink of extinction, the reluctant farmer Idwal is forced into adventure, shanghaied by a vain princess, tricked out of his money by a cackling miser, and finds much to his surprise that he's starting to like it all.

As he gets swept along he'll meet reluctant kings, wicked witches, mourning dwarves, and the surprisingly lively undead, as he is caught between the Princess Willuna who seeks to show herself a serious young woman and the wizard Bodolomous who is determined to prove himself The Most Evil Man Alive. - from Amazon.com

I was a bit surprised by this book. I think the title is what grabbed my attention, and for some reason I expected it to be a bit more serious than it turned out to be. At first, I wondered if I was reading a book written more with the younger readers in mind, then came across some of the witty passages. Fox has done a wonderful job mixing together what many of us consider regular fairy tales, into a larger story, adding humor, and maybe a bit of a moral lesson.

Book Review: "A Devil in the Details" by K.A. Stewart

When it comes to demons, always read the find print. 

Jesse James Dawson was an ordinary guy (well, an ordinary guy with a black belt in karate) until one day he learned his brother had made a bargain with a demon, Jesse discovered there was only one way to save his brother: put up his own soul as collateral, and fight the demon to the death. 

Jesse lived to free his brother-and became part of a loose organization of Champions who put their own souls on the line to help those who get in over their heads with demons. But now experienced Champions are losing battles at a much higher rate than usual. Someone has changed the game. And if Jesse can't figure out the new rules, his next battle may be his last... - from Amazon.com

I picked up the first three books in this series on a whim, and this first one has proven it to be a decent choice. I enjoy Urban Fantasy, and the combination of some martial arts being used to kick some demon butt was pretty cool. The story feels pretty modern and realistic (even better!) that I kept waiting to find out what the main character was going to do. Looking forward to book two!

Book Review: "Hope's End: A Powder Mage Short Story" by Brian McClellan

Captain Verundish has two problems. On campaign with the Adran army and far from her homeland, she is helpless when the young daughter she left at home is threatened. To make matters worse, General Tamas has put her lover in command of a Hope's End—the first charge through a breach straight into the teeth of enemy cannon and sorcery. To save the people she loves, Verundish will have to come up with a deadly solution... - from Amazon.com

I thoroughly enjoyed A PROMISE OF BLOOD, and being able to get my hands on a short story from the same world, in order to ease the time while waiting for the release of the next novel, was nice. Though being a quick read (too much so) it is a stand-alone that takes place prior to events in the novel. Capt. Verundish is a female in the forces that takes on a suicidal mission in order to protect her daughter and her lover. McClellan has done a nice job of throwing some background on a few characters, even if it felt like a tease as we wait.

Book Review: "Get Back Jack" by Diane Capri

When Jack Reacher Makes Mistakes, Who Handles The Fall-Out? 

FBI Special Agents Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar’s off-the-books assignment leads them to the surviving members of Jack Reacher’s elite military unit. Five years ago, Reacher sorted and destroyed a team of arms dealers before he moved on. But he made mistakes. Now, his bad luck and trouble legacy plunges Otto and Gaspar into the minefield of a grudge war between Reacher’s fearless old friends and chilling new enemies. 

When his enemies take women and children hostage for ransom, Kim’s relentless pursuit leads her deeper into the deadly war Reacher failed to finish. Mercenaries and Kim’s unwavering heart push her through -- until she meets the wrong woman with nothing to lose. - from Amazon.com

This is the second novel in Diane Capri's series THE HUNT FOR JACK REACHER. Fans of the JACK REACHER series by Lee Child will definitely want to check this series out as well. Diane Capri has created Kim Otto and Carlos Gaspar, FBI agents on a mission to locate any information, and the whereabouts, of Jack Reacher. From the description above, information they find out leads to extended conflict from BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE. 

I enjoyed reading this copy I received from the author. I have previously read the first novel, as well as the two short stories that follow this duo in the Hunt for Jack Reacher. It is not often I find an author able to create a side story to another series, that was written by another author. Diane Capri has done a wonderful job of linking events and details together to take us back into the world of Jack Reacher.

Book Review: BLACK WINGS series by Christina Henry

This post I am doing a little different, as I need to catch up on some of my reviews. These are books number two, three, and four in the this series. Each continues off from the previous, telling the events/story of Madeline Black, Agent of Death and daughter of Lucifer, making her half human, and half  ... well, some would say Fallen.

Book Two concentrates on a mission that Lucifer has for her as an Ambassador to the realm of Faerie. At the time, though, her would-be lover, Gabriel and her pet gargoyle, Beezle, have disappeared, leaving Madeline desperate to locate them at any cost, even if it means upsetting the Queen of the Faerie Court.

Book Three, BLACK HOWL, ghosts in Chicago are acting in erratic, weird ways, and J.B., Madeline's boss at the Agency, wants her to find out why. To complicate things, Gabriel has now been assigned to her as a thrall, creating multiple personal conflicts. Without giving out any spoilers, I was a bit surprised by this ending.

Book Four, BLACK LAMENT, there is no way to really go into this one without spoilers from book three. Madeline is grieving ... and pregnant. Lucifer is trying to lay claim to her child, which she will keep from Lucifer's machinations as much as possible. At the same time, the Agency is treating her weirdly, as this book concentrates on her employment, and its problems. They should know that Maddy refuses to do things the easy way at times.

Currently I am reading book five, and book six is also out. For a sort of paranormal romance series, it isn't too bad. There is the love triangles,etc, but no descriptive sex scenes that go on for pages. Christina Henry has done a good job of creating an on-going story that has kept me wondering what each new novel will bring for the main characters.

Book Review: "Storm Surge" by J.D. Rhoades

STORM SURGE is the first e-published novel by the Shamus-Award nominated author of the Kindle bestseller BREAKING COVER and the critically acclaimed Jack Keller series. 

For beautiful waitress Sharon Brennan, the luxurious Pass Island resort is a place to make a living for herself and her daughter Glory. For amiable handyman Max Chase, it's a place far away from his past.

But there's a lot more to Max than meets the eye. And as a Category Five hurricane bears down on Pass Island, some very bad people arrive with a plan to use the cover of the storm to steal a mysterious object, an object that powerful people want desperately enough to kill for. 

When things go wrong and Sharon and Glory are trapped on the island with Max and a team of cold-blooded mercenaries, they begin to realize that maybe Max isn't the good guy they thought he was...but he may be just the bad guy they need. - from Amazon.com

This was a quick read for me. Story about a hitman that changes his name, and gets caught up in the affairs of others by accident. This time it happens on an island, just as a tropical storm (read basically hurricane) is hitting it dead-on. Most of it was pretty easy to figure out what was going to happen, but still kept my interest. Rhoades has a series I saw of two books that I may be checking out.

Book Review: "White Fire" by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

Special Agent Pendergast arrives at an exclusive Colorado ski resort to rescue his protégée, Corrie Swanson, from serious trouble with the law. His sudden appearance coincides with the first attack of a murderous arsonist who--with brutal precision--begins burning down multimillion-dollar mansions with the families locked inside. After springing Corrie from jail, Pendergast learns she made a discovery while examining the bones of several miners who were killed 150 years earlier by a rogue grizzly bear. Her finding is so astonishing that it, even more than the arsonist, threatens the resort's very existence.

Drawn deeper into the investigation, Pendergast uncovers a mysterious connection between the dead miners and a fabled, long-lost Sherlock Holmes story--one that might just offer the key to the modern day killings as well.

Now, with the ski resort snowed in and under savage attack--and Corrie's life suddenly in grave danger--Pendergast must solve the enigma of the past before the town of the present goes up in flames. - from Amazon.com

I finished this one a few weeks ago, and wanted to take my time with my review. When I saw it had finally been published, I anxiously snatched up a copy to read, as having read all the other novels on Agent Pendergast, there was no way I wanted to miss one. But let's get to the basics ...

This story centers around Corrie Swanson, the girl introduced in STILL LIFE OF CROWS, who has now 'grown-up' and is a Junior at some prestigious law school. Corrie is Pendergast's protege, short of anything better word, is attending on his dollar. Wanting to basically create a name for herself, she come across an old mystery that needs to be solved, and she can coup some special achievement at the school at the same time. In the process, she runs into some problems with the authorities, and Pendergast arrives on the scene to help her out. From there, the mystery splits into three, dealing with the suppposed mystery Corrie is working on, a new one that deals with an old hearsay story about Oscar Wilde and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and a third about a modern day arsonist that is burning homes in the area.

As usual I enjoyed seeing/reading another Pendergast story, but I was a bit let down on this one. Pendergast didn't seem to have the involvement he usually does, meaning he is not the centered character here. I perceived him as being a bit standoffish, and that may be because he is still working on issues/things that happened in the near previous novels. Keeps him human, I guess. With that being said, the usual mystery that comes around that needs Pendergast's assistance in solving, is usually a bit more ... well, unusual. Granted there were details that only he could find out (due to perseverance and money) I just felt a bit let-down.

Overall, the story wasn't bad. It opens more possible stories for Corrie to be intertwined with, though I would like to see more of Pendergast. Maybe he is just starting to get a bit too old and worn-out to use much anymore.

Book Review: "Black Wings" by Christina Henry

Escorting souls into the afterlife leaves Maddy little time for socializing-until devilishly handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in her building. But when demons start appearing on Maddy's front lawn, she realizes there's more to her new tenant than meets the eye. - from Amazon.com

This is the first book in a series of six (at the time of this). Madeline Black is a Soul Agent, whose job is to help the near-departed's soul through the Door (which supposedly leads to whatever they are judged for) in order to keep them from remaining as ghosts, to be on the Earth forever. She has wings, but only when she needs them, that can help her hide from nearly everyone's eyesight, plus help her travel to where she is needed faster. 

When a tenant appears for the room below her in the small building she owns, she is aware of how handsome this guy, Gabriel, is. It is also where something starts trying to kill her. In order not to ruin anyone's possible reading, I won't include spoilers, but there are demons, angels, several "hunky" guys, and plenty of attitude.

I had received a free copy of book six of the series (BLACK HEART) from NetGalley, and wanted to read the previous books before reading that one. Fromthe first book, I enjoyed it, and look forward to the next book.