Book Review: "Obsidian Murders" by Nicole Fox

 

A journalist who's kinda weird. A 500-year-old detective. Two young women dead from magic.

Tessa O'Hara is tired of people thinking she is crazy. Growing up sensitive to the supernatural and deemed mentally unstable by every therapist she’s ever seen, Tessa moves to Washington D.C to start fresh. But when there are two murders in her neighborhood that reek of magic, she's a bit freaked out and utterly regretting her decision to become a semi-functioning adult.

Seeking aid from a vampiric detective, a grumpy house faerie, and several local Wiccan covens, she is determined to use her abilities to help. But Tessa and her new friends are at a loss when the case abruptly goes cold with no leads or suspects.

Can Tessa help find the killer before another woman is found dead? - from Booksirens.com

I received this eARC from Booksirens.com and am providing an unbiased review.

This is the first book in a new series from this author, and it wasn't bad at all, in my small opinion. I believe this is the first work put out (though the author pen name, Nicole Fox, could be found to a different person, this work is not accredited to) and can be read as so. The plot is fairly easy to follow, and overall is a nice, fun , easy read for the day. IT is your overall vampire/human relationship, and throw in a couple weird things - oh! and add that you hope future books in this series will fill in all details, piecemeal, about the main characters. In short, the usual that seems to be put out every three months in this genre.

In honesty, I did enjoy it though, more than I do most books that seem to randomly appear every few months from some "big" writer with a psuedo. There were a few issues with the use of tense in the writing (it is an ARC) but otherwise I did find it a nice distraction for the day.

Book Review: "An Inheritance of Magic" by Benedict Jacka

 

The super-rich control everything—including magic—in this thrilling and brilliant, contemporary fantasy from the author of the Alex Verus novels.

The wealthy seem to exist in a different, glittering world from the rest of us. Almost as if by . . . magic.

Stephen Oakwood is a young man on the edge of this hidden world. He has talent and potential, but turning that potential into magical power takes money, opportunity, and training. All Stephen has is a minimum wage job and a cat. 

But when a chance encounter with a member of House Ashford gets him noticed by the wrong people, Stephen is thrown in the deep end. For centuries, the vast corporations and aristocratic Houses of the magical world have grown impossibly rich and influential by hoarding their knowledge. To survive, Stephen will have to take his talent and build it up into something greater—for only then can he beat them at their own game. - from Netgalley.com 

I received this eARC from Netgalley.com and am providing an unbiased review.

Before I say anything, I am a big fan of the Alex Verus series that this author has blessed the reading world with, so starting a new series, with a whole new concept of magic, was basically a no-brainer to request to read. Thankfully, I was chosen, and am so happy!

This first book in what looks to be a good series, has our main character in a pit of depression. Well,  he's stressed, living paycheck to paycheck, in bare minimum housing, sulking in the memories of a mother that abandoned him , a father that taught him a little magic then disappeared, and he is alone (except for a cat) in the world. From there, that chance encounter opens his eyes more to the real world around him, and a glimpse of how those with magic tend to be in powerful positions - family or otherwise. Thus begins his immersion into this new world, learning more about magic than he could even guess at before.

Jacka's writing style ahs always been easy to read, and flows well in the tale he weaves. This version of the magic system is so different than the Verus series yet different from so many other writings, it is like a new concept. I don't know how to describe it, but to me it seems to make sense, and I am curious about certain effects, which may come out in future books. Though the world building and description were good, I felt a little out that there was not much going to the description of the main character. Maybe it is something that will be expanded on later, but we do have the bare bones and was enough to enjoy the tale.

Book Review: "The Immortal Detective" by D. B. Woodling

 

Sometimes being immortal makes you wish you were dead.

Detective Celeste Crenshaw has survived her parents’ grisly murders, grueling and gender-biased police training, a battle with rogue vampires, and even her own death. While immortality might seem a dream come true, can she accept the strings attached?

Celeste spends the onset of her immortal life within the Hollow Earth, where ancient vampires known as The Elders hone her supernatural powers, but little do they know, Celeste isn’t wholly committed to granting eternal life to those deserving, regardless of her promise.

Upon a return home to her immortal lover, and the Kansas City Detective Squad, she battles mortal foes, not so unlike the demonic undead. And when a fellow detective falls victim to a murderous gang member, and her lover delivers a shocking ultimatum, Celeste not only faces gut-wrenching decisions but also the wrath of the Elders. - from Booksirens.com

I received this eARC from Booksirens.com and am providing an unbiased review.

When I initially came across this book, I thought it could be pretty interesting. Get some fantasy fiction going with vampires, that have a little bit different creation story and powers. Toss in some police work and crimes - could be a good fantasy, crime, thriller, vampire story. Well, it wasn't too bad of an idea.

At first, I felt kind of lost, as I was not aware there is a previous book that covers some details that were mentioned in this book. So I was putting it off to the writer's style, and was not going to be pleased if it was this 'detail empty' throughout the whole story. I liked some of the creation of a vampire, and how they obtain some of their powers process. A bit humorous of who these Elders were, but it is what it is. By the time our main character gets back to the regular human police force, and has a couple criminals apprehended, I was starting to lose interest. These Elders training her, assisting her when she is stressed at her job, making her into some super-cop idea...I just ... nah. So I skimmed the remaining part of the book, and probably lost much of what story there might have been.

I truly did like the concept of Vampirism and it's creation. Cover art looks nice, too. If this had been titled noting it was a second book in a series, or of a story world, I probably would not have requested to read it, as I had not even heard of the first story. 

Book Review: "The Innocent Sleep" by Seanan McGuire

 

For one bright, shining moment, Tybalt, King of Cats, had everything he had ever wanted. He was soon to set his crown aside; he had married the woman he loved; he was going to be a father. After centuries of searching for a family of his own, he had finally found a way to construct the life of his dreams, and was looking forward to a period of peace—or at least as much peace as is ever in the offing for the husband of a hero.

Alas for Tybalt and his domestic aspirations, fate—and Titania—had other ideas. His perfect world had been complete for only a moment when it was ripped away, to be replaced by hers. Titania, Faerie’s Summer Queen, Mother of Illusions and enemy of so many he holds dear, has seized control of the Kingdom, remaking it in her own image. An image which does not include meddlesome shapeshifters getting in her way. Tybalt quickly finds himself banished from her reality, along with the Undersea and the rest of the Court of Cats.

To protect his people and his future, Tybalt must find the woman he loves in a world designed to keep her from him, convince her that he’s not a stranger trying to ruin her life for no apparent reason, and get her to unmake the illusion she’s been firmly enmeshed in. And he’ll have to do it all while she doesn’t know him, and every unrecognizing look is a knife to his heart.

For Tybalt, King of Cats, the happily ever after was just the beginning. - from Netgalley.com

I received this eARC from Netgalley.com and am providing an unbiased review.

This is the 18th book in the October Daye series, and closely follows the previous installment, not just in story, but in release date. This tale is told from Tybalt's point of view, of the events we read about in book seventeen.

Overall, I liked this telling of events versus the previous one. There was so much going on 'behind-the-scenes' whilst Toby was ensnared and trying to figure out the enchantment Titiana had done. This truly helped round out how involved the actual story was happening. 

With the release of this eARC, there was also a small novella of characters in the same story world.

McGuire has done a wonderful job at continuing the story in this series. I always fear that this 'newest' book will be its last, but so far it has not been true. I am always pleasantly surprised when I hear a new one is coming out, and I wonder where will we go on this ride. 

Book Review:"Sleep No More" by Seanan McGuire

October is very happy with her life as the second daughter of her pureblood parents, Amandine and Simon Torquill. Born to be the changeling handmaid to her beloved sister August, she spends her days working in her family’s tower, serving as August’s companion, and waiting for the day when her sister sets up a household of her own. Everything is right in October’s Faerie. Everything is perfect.

Everything is a lie.

October has been pulled from her own reality and thrown into a twisted reinterpretation of Faerie where nothing is as it should be and everything has been distorted to support Titania’s ideals. Bound by the Summer Queen’s magic and thrust into a world turned upside down, October has no way of knowing who she can trust, where she can turn, or even who she really is. As strangers who claim to know her begin to appear and the edges of Titania’s paradise begin to unravel, Toby will have to decide whether she can risk everything she knows based on only their stories of another world.

But first she’ll have to survive this one, as Titania demonstrates why she needed to be banished in the first place—and this time, much more than Toby’s own life is at stake. - from Netgalley.com

I received this eARC from Netgalley.com and am providing an unbiased review.

This is the 17th book in the October Daye series, and again, I'm just loving this series. I had thought after the last book, that we may have reached the end of line as far as this story could go, but again I am surprised. I enjoyed this look at how things could have been for October if things had been different growing up. I wonder how difficult some of the writing may have been, to take this well-established character, and write of them as a complete opposite of them self, yet, still being driven to be one's self, though hidden behind 'magic'. Truly a well-written tale, and I hope, hope, hope to see more in this series. I'll add I also enjoyed the novella at the end of the eARC, about a couple other supporting characters viewpoints of events at about the same time of the story.

Book Review: "Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands" by Heather Fawcett

 When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late, in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore who just wrote the world’s first comprehensive encyclopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Ones on her adventures . . . and also from her infuriatingly charming fellow scholar Wendell Bambleby. 

Because Bambleby is more than brilliant and unbearably handsome. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother and in search of a door back to his realm. And despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage: Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and dangers. 

She also has a new project to focus on: a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by his mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambleby’s realm and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans. 

But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors and of her own heart. - from Netgalley.com

I received this eARC from Netgalley.com and am providing an unbiased review.

This is the second book in the Emily Wilde series, continuing the adventures of a college professor that is collecting data about things fae. The story starts off a short time from the ending of the first book, where it was revealed Brambleby is a faerie king and has proposed marriage to Emily. So with this in mind, they are off to the Alps to try to find a nexus to map Faerie, and try to find the kingdom Brambleby is from, to stop the plans of his family.

Overall this was an enjoyable story. Written in a way that was somewhat professor-ish (loved the footnotes and etc throughout) yet easily understood. It definitely is a different look at a story of fae, and their interactions with normal folk. The characters have gotten some more depth to them, though in Brambleby's case, I was sort of ...meh. He seemed more absent-minded and not 'paying attention' as he had in the first tale. I kind of lost interest in the other half of the main character. Emily's character was quite has again shown her to be solid-minded and self-sufficient, even with trying to follow fae etiquette, and the constant wheedling of Brambleby and his marriage proposal. Well written tale I would recommend for anyone.