Book Review: "The Tree-Shepherd's Daughter" by Gillian Summers

When her mother dies, fifteen-year-old Keelie Heartwood is forced to leave her beloved California to live with her nomadic father at a renaissance festival in Colorado. After arriving, Keelie finds men in tights and women in trailer trash-tight bodices roaming half-drunk, calling each other lady and lord even after closing time! Playacting the Dark Ages is an L.A. girl’s worst nightmare.

Keelie has a plan to ditch this medieval geekland ASAP, but while she plots, strange things start happening—eerie, yet familiar. When Keelie starts seeing fairies and communicating with trees, she uncovers a secret that links her to a community of elves. As Keelie tries to come to grips with her elfin roots, disaster strikes, and Keelie’s identity isn’t the only thing that’s threatened.

One part human determination and one part elfin magic, Keelie Heartwood is a witty new heroine in a world where fantasy and reality mix with extraordinary results. - from Amazon.com

The synopsis of this one sounded somewhat interesting to me, even if it more Young Adult themed, so I picked it up to read. Right from the start I was introduced to the main character, who to me seemed nothing but a spoiled, whiny brat. From there, I did enjoy the story, as far as how magic is introduced, the different kinds of magic and types of people ... all at a Ren Fair of all places. I just couldn't get away from this whiny brat though. IT began to get a bit irritating.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read, and when I have the chance, I will be checking out possible other books in this series (I have not looked yet to see if there are more). I thought the author's creativity in putting a fantasy/magic story in a modern day setting was done very well.

Book Review: "Shard of Time" by Lynn Flewelling

Acclaimed author Lynn Flewelling brings her beloved Nightrunners series to a close—at least for now—with a thrilling novel of murder, mystery, and magic.

The governor of the sacred island of Korous and his mistress have been killed inside a locked and guarded room. The sole witnesses to the crime—guards who broke down the doors, hearing the screams from within—have gone mad with terror, babbling about ghosts . . . and things worse than ghosts. 

Dispatched to Korous by the queen, master spies Alec and Seregil find all the excitement and danger they could want—and more. For an ancient evil has been awakened there, a great power that will not rest until it has escaped its otherworldly prison and taken revenge on all that lives. And only those like Alec—who have died and returned to life—can step between the worlds and confront the killer . . . even if it means a second and all too permanent death. - from Amazon.com

I received this ARC from NetGalley for review.

This is the seventh book in the Nightrunner series, and unfortunately seems to be the last. That being said, it was still great to read. Alec and Seregil continue on with yet another adventure that includes danger, as well as the "special skills" that they both have. I don't want to say too much so I don't spoil the plot.

I have enjoyed each of the books in this series, and am sad to know that this may be the final book in the series. The afterword Flewelling left did contain a hint that there may be future short stories, or possibly more, but at this time, this should be the final story. I don't know if I should feel teased or upset. 

Book Review: "Noah Primeval" by Brian Godawa

Nephilim Giants, Watchers, Archangels. This is Not Your Sunday School Noah's Ark.

Noah Primeval is a speculative retelling of the Genesis Bible story of Noah for a new generation. 

In an ancient world submerged in darkness, fallen angels called Watchers rule as gods and breed giants called Nephilim. Mankind is enslaved to evil. Noah, a tribal leader, has been prophesied by his ancestor Enoch to save humanity from coming destruction. To rise against this supernatural evil and rescue his family Noah will need an equally supernatural army. But he also has to finish building his big boat.

Noah Primeval is the first book in the exciting Biblical Fantasy series, Chronicles of the Nephilim. - from Amazon.com

I was a bit hesitant about picking up this series and reading them. To me, it sounded a bit more geared towards a Young Adult crowd, or those more into religious stories, than I am. But I found my self a bit intrigued.

Godawa has made a well-known story from the bible into a sensational action story. Based on facts and strong deductions about biblical history, the story of Noah and how he completed God's Will to build the Ark at the time of the Great Flood. Based on what I remember from Sunday School, this story was so much more interesting than our learnings. I also see that there are a couple other books out, and I think I shall have to read them as well. Any action/thriller reader would love to sit down with this one.

Book Review: "Hard Spell" by Justin Gustainis

Stan Markowski is a Detective Sergeant on the Scranton PD's Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit.

Like the rest of America, Scranton's got an uneasy 'live and let unlive' relationship with the supernatural. But when a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that's when they call Markowski. He carries a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets. - from Amazon.com

I received this copy for free from the author in exchange for review. That being said, why have I not read this author before?!? I was drawn into the story, and found it hard to put down.

Markowski is a Sergeant on the Scranton, N.J., Police force, the Occult Division. In this alternate plane, supernaturals (vampires, werewolves, fairies, wizards, etc.) are common, though society may not embrace them. When the case gets weird, the Occult Division gets called in. This time, it is someone killing off vampires ... and there is something big at stake (pardon the pun).

Gustainis has done a great job in building character and plot in this first installment to the Occult Crimes Unit series. I found myself liking the main characters, with their human failings (love for family, desires to be loved, etc). I am avidly looking forward to reading the next book.

Book Review: "The Vampire Next Door" by Charity Santiago and Evan Hale

Twenty-five-year-old Kennedy isn't exactly a man-hater, but considering the way she and her husband parted ways eight months ago, she's not exactly harboring any warm, fuzzy feelings toward the opposite sex, either. With a vampire pandemic in full swing, it's been pretty easy to shove all thoughts of her nonexistent love life onto the back burner.

Everything changes when she meets Reeve, the gorgeous vampire next door who can melt Kennedy into a quivering puddle of lust with a single, smoldering glance. Soon, Kennedy has her hands full dealing with an undead ex-wife, a city-wide shortage of Vienna sausages, a commitment-phobic dog named after Dolph Lundgren, and the unexpected realization that she might still have a shot at love in the midst of a vampire apocalypse. - from Amazon.com

I picked this e-book up since I know the author, and had read some of her other works. I was a bit leery, as the author tends towards romance writing. I had read some things about the book, that it was a more humor/romance if anything (or at least that is how I viewed it) so I decided that I had better read it.

The cover of the book is worth snickering over, especially once you have read the story. The comic book look is nothing how the story goes, but I admit, it does sort of catch the eye. That being said, I was into the story within a few pages of starting the book. Having veered quite a bit from her previous series (LADY OF TORYN), this delves into the paranormal/urban fantasy, with a vampire pandemic striking the United States. At the time of the attack, her husband and stepchildren, are across the country and looking like they won't be back. Kennedy, our main character, is basically on her own to survive not being killed, or even worse, turned into a vampire.

I don't know if the story line ideas were all one author, and the other helped piece it together, but the teamwork really made this novel. I found myself snickering at times to events occurring, and other times wondering where some dialogue was going, only to find out later in the story. The romance factor was pretty low. No sex scenes (thank goodness!) and seemingly more wishful thinking, and steamy, eye staring then anything else. There were a few kisses. I was a bit surprised I enjoyed the book as much as I did. Would certainly pick up the next book in the series, if they decide to do another.

Book Review: "The Heretic" by Joseph Nassise

Cade Williams was just an ordinary cop until the night a fallen angel nearly slaughtered him.  Now he commands the Echo Team, a special ops squad of modern Templar knights, and the things they hunt are far darker and much more deadly than the criminals that he used to face.

When Templar bases are attacked by unknown forces, Cade and his team are called in to investigate. They discover a cabal of necromancers allied with the Adversary, the same fallen angel that murdered Cade's wife, Gabrielle, and left Cade himself on the verge of death several years before.  

In order to keep the power of an ancient relic from falling into the Adversary's hands, the Templars must take the battle directly to the enemy and in the process they give Cade a shot at the one thing he's been longing for since the night his wife was killed.

Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord, but Cade's got a score of his own to settle and he's not going to let the rules get in his way... - from Amazon.com

I was a bit surprised by this one. The story synopsis had sounded to me like the author was trying to combine too many elements in a story: ancient angelic weapons/relics, fallen angels, paranormal abilities, Templars, and necromancy ... I am sure I am missing a few others things, too. But it was free (at least at the time) through Amazon, so I downloaded it, and I finally got around to reading it. 

I wished I hadn't waited so long. Nassise does a great job of keeping my attention as the story progresses. There are a couple areas where I questioned the reasoning behind some actions, or parts of the story, but am hoping that these will be revealed somewhere in the books that follow this one in this series.

Book Review: "Black Heart" by Christina Henry

As a former Agent of Death, Madeline Black is no stranger to witnessing violent ends. But being the one to cause them is an entirely different story…

Despite her having saved Chicago from a vampire invasion, the Agency wants to get Maddy off their payroll—permanently. With the deadly Retrievers hot on her trail, she has no choice but to trust Nathaniel to port her to safety. But even the exotic and dangerous world that she winds up in is not as peaceful as she would have hoped. Caught in a turf war between a group of fae and a disturbingly familiar foe, Maddy soon discovers that the twisted plots of her grandfather, Lucifer, and his brothers extend even into this unknown realm.

Now, with enemies gathering on all sides, Maddy’s fate is looking darker than ever. And to protect her unborn son from her adversaries, she may have to tap into a power she hoped never to access… - from Amazon.com

This is book six of this series, and I received it free through Net Galley in exchange for feedback. In fact, this book is what started me reading the whole series, so I would not be reading out of order.

Madeline Black is back, and this continues from where book five ended. Each book so far in the series seems to almost always, start moments after the previous one. It's amazing how any one person could handle the situations presented in the story, in the time frame they occur, but then again, our main character is half-Fallen, and half human. In this installment, Maddy has the Retrievers (supernatural beings that take care of those that quit/retire, or just plain mess up,from the Agency) sent after her, for visiting the realm of the dead without permission. This leads into the whole story, with includes subtle machinations of Lucifer, Puck, and introduced in this volume, their two other brothers.

Though currently the last book in this series (as of this date) I could see possibly another book or two being released. I felt the writing style in this one had changed a bit ... seemed more bogged down with descriptions than actual action, at least in my comparison with the other novels. The actual story was interesting, as the characters seem to grow and learn more about themselves, even as we learn more about them. I just didn't seem to enjoy this one as much as the first five. Perhaps because I read them pretty much non-stop, in order, whereas I maybe should have taken a break after each one or two. Either way, I would be interested in seeing where the Christina Henry may take the story from this the end of this book.