Book Review: Priceless (A Rylee Adamson Novel, Book 1) by Shannon Mayer

This is an engaging, paranormal adventure. 

Priceless (A Rylee Adamson Novel, Book 1)

by Shannon Mayer

File Size: 713 KB
Print Length: 234 pages
Publisher: HiJinks Ink Publishing (November 19, 2013)
ASIN: B00A6CNV08
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

"My name is Rylee and I am a Tracker."
When children go missing, and the Humans have no leads, I'm the one they call. I am their last hope in bringing home the lost ones. I salvage what they cannot.
I'm on the FBI's wanted list.
I have a werewolf for a pet, a Witch of a best friend, and have no need for anyone else in my life.
But when a salvage starts to spin out of control, help comes from a most unexpected direction.
One that is dangerously dark, brooding, and doesn't know a thing about the supernatural.
One whose kisses set me on fire.

Review:
Rylee had some harsh times growing up in foster homes. She was a young teen when her little sister was kidnapped while she was with her at the park. There have always been suspicions that Rylee was responsible although there was never proof. Rejected by the parents she’d tried so hard to please, Rylee finds herself ousted but this brings her to meet the strange people who can help her begin to understand the odd gifts she has. Now Rylee knows that she is a tracker, with some other supernatural gifts, and she knows that the world is more than most people see.

Rylee’s mentor, Giselle, is an old seer who is losing touch with reality and needs Rylee’s help and protection. Her best friend, Milly, another foster child helped by Giselle, is a young witch who longs to become part of a coven. Rylee’s pet, Alex, is a werewolf who has been rejected by the local pack due to his lack of aggression. These three have helped Rylee on many searches to bring back children stolen by supernatural forces. Sometimes they are lucky to bring them back alive. Other times all they can bring is closure.

Rylee has a new kidnapping to investigate and it is eerily, and frighteningly, similar to her sister’s kidnapping. Only Alex is around to help as Giselle is too sick and Milly has reasons to stay away from Rylee.

Rylee never expected to get help from the FBI investigator, O’Shea, who has watched her for ten years hoping he will finally find the evidence to bring her in. He is tailing her on his own time when he stumbles into a situation that is hard to believe…but explains some of the unexplained mysteries. What he learns sends him on the run from authorities and causes him to step to Rylee’s side to help her.

There is a lot of action and a variety of supernatural beings, some good, many bad. At times it seems that Rylee makes rookie mistakes and that she unexpectedly, almost too easily, gets past the dangers. I really enjoyed Rylee and O’Shea as the strong, primary characters and I liked their slowly developing connection. Rylee’s friends are good secondary characters and I especially enjoyed the humor added through Alex, the lap werewolf. The story is told primarily in third person with a few shifts to first person. The story is entertaining and reads quickly.

I recommend this to readers who like Mercy Thompson and Charlie Davidson. When I want another adventure fix, and those favorites aren't available, I may well pick up more of Rylee's series to enjoy.

This was a title I purchased for $.99 in January 2014 so it is from my TBR shelf.

Book Review: Ruptured: The Cantati Chronicles by Maggie Mae Gallagher

There is great action in this prequel that fills in background on Alana and her threatened world.
Ruptured: The Cantati Chronicles
by Maggie Mae Gallagher

• File Size: 3467 KB
• Print Length: 90 pages
• Publisher: Maggie Mae Gallagher; 1st edition (September 16, 2014)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B00NN5ZOU0

Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: September 16, 2014
A Cantati Chronicles Prequel Novella

It has been eighty-three years since the walls between Earth and Infernus fell, and now our world stands upon the razor’s edge of extinction. Demon platoons are marching upon us. My home, one of humanity’s last bastions of existence, is under siege.

My name is Alana Devereaux. I am the resident demon detector of Cantati Forces and Platoon Commander. My job is to hunt down the vermin unleashed upon my world, and I love it. I live for the day I can kick every last demon’s ass out of this world. Except as enemy forces reign down terror upon us, the Densare Council sentences me to a fate worse than death

Review:
Alana is one of few females left in the Cantati forces. Her father is the Commander of the forces and she has become a fierce warrior, a Platoon leader. Unfortunately she still can’t seem to win his love or approval. Now the council has issued a decree that Alana is to leave the forces and become a breeder. They have even assigned her mate, Cade, a hulking brute whom she knows can be cruel. Alana is dismayed that she no longer controls her own destiny.

Alana’s first attempt to escape fails and she is confined to her rooms under the guard of one of her own team members, Quinten. He volunteers to intervene as a prior mate selection. Together they break the rules again by sneaking out to help in an unexpected demon attack. Alana returns to her father to face a furious council. They would sentence her but it has become apparent that her skills are needed to face the enemy that is threatening the compound.

This is a good prequel that fills in the background for Alana’s circumstances before the Anointed: The Cantati Chronicles, the first full book in the series. The author uses the mating issues to present some serious eye-candy descriptions. I enjoyed the action and getting to know and understand a little more of Alana’s personality and the world she comes from. I do recommend reading this prequel to start the series.

I recieved this ebook from the author for an honest review.

Audible Book Review: Tricked: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 4 by Kevin Hearne

Oberon, the Irish wolfhound, plays a big role in making this fourth book fun.
Tricked: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 4
Written by: Kevin Hearne
Narrated by: Luke Daniels

Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
Series: Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 4
Format: Unabridged
Release Date:04-24-12
Publisher: Random House Audio
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Druid Atticus O’Sullivan hasn’t stayed alive for more than two millennia without a fair bit of Celtic cunning. So when vengeful thunder gods come Norse by Southwest looking for payback, Atticus, with a little help from the Navajo trickster god Coyote, lets them think that they’ve chopped up his body in the Arizona desert.
But the mischievous Coyote is not above a little sleight of paw, and Atticus soon finds that he’s been duped into battling bloodthirsty desert shape-shifters called skinwalkers. Just when the Druid thinks he’s got a handle on all the duplicity, betrayal comes from an unlikely source. If Atticus survives this time, he vows he won’t be fooled again. Famous last words.
©2012 Kevin Hearne (P)2012 Random House Audio

Review:
Atticus reluctantly helped the Vampire, Leif, kill Thor and other norse gods and beings in the battle (see Hammered). Now the Norse are out to get him and Atticus knows his days are numbered unless he can trick them into thinking he is dead. He enlists the aid of the god of Tricksters, Coyote. Of course any deal with Coyote comes with a tradeoff.

Coyote has announced that Atticus needs to help him re-establish a gold mine to help his Navaho tribe. Atticus soon learns the task is much more complicated than working with the local ground elemental. It appears that Atticus will have to kill some very vicious shape-shifters who steal human, as well as animal, skins.

Atticus has to fend off attacks from another goddess as well as try to disengage himself from Leif who claims he needs Atticus’ help to win back the vampire’s territory. Things are just never simple in Atticus’s world.

This is the fourth book of an engaging series. We learn a little more of Atticus’ history as we wonder about the relationship between him and his apprentis, Granuaile. I enjoyed the flashback on the death arrangements that had to be sufficient to convince local authorities, some who had targetted Atticus. There is plenty of action although the final attack in this one is a bit over the edge far-fetched. The telepathic dialogue and friendship between Atticus and his faithful Irish wolfhound, Oberon, made this installment even more fun for me. I recommend this series to those looking an unusal hero with lots of action and humor to entertain the reader.

Audio Notes: Luke Daniels continues to add to this series with his wonderful narration. He successfully manages different voices to fit the characters and his portrayal of Oberon is lol fun. If you enjoy action and fun audios, I recommend you try this series.

I picked this from my own Audible TBR library.

Book Review: Anointed: The Cantati Chronicles by Maggie Mae Gallagher

This is wonderful, fast paced action with a volatile romance.

Anointed: The Cantati Chronicles
by Maggie Mae Gallagher

File Size: 1121 KB
Print Length: 411 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0991481704
Publisher: Maggie Mae Gallagher; 1 edition (February 25, 2014)
ASIN: B00IO7075Y

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Action
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: February 25, 2014
My name is Alana Devereaux. I enjoy the simple things in life, walks in the park, sky gazing, and ripping a demon's heart out through its chest. I am a demon slayer, the last of my kind, and I have been sent back through time to save your world. How am I doing so far? My time travel went haywire, all the signs I needed to stop the prophecy have passed, and the only way I can save my world is by keeping yours from ending. Then there's Gaelen, most days I want to deck him. He hides his true motives and if it was not for the intel he had, I would be rid of him. Any day in my life without a demon attack is a good day; I haven't had a whole lot of those lately. The only problem is, if I don’t stop the Mutari, this world will burn.

Review:
Alana is from the future where the remaining humans, the Cantati, struggle to survive as they hunt down demons who have overrun the earth. Alana grew up learning more about battling foes than about the past history of humans. Now a new, stronger and smarter type of demon has broken into the Cantati stronghold and Alana watches in dismay as her friends and comrades are torn apart. As the demons break into the room where her father has taken her, he tells her that she has to travel back in time to stop the event that allowed the demons to enter the human dimension.

Unfortunately the time travel misses the mark and brings her back later than it was supposed to. Not only does she have less time to complete her mission but the signs she was to follow have already passed. She is scrambling to research rare book treatises in an attempt to decipher the few clues she still has but finds herself being attacked by robed men. As she battles attackers Alana catches the eye of Gaelen who is also fighting demons but has his own mission that is not too clear. Eventually Gaelen steps in to help Alana and she is surprised to discover someone, not necessarily a human, who fights as well as she does. Who is he and what are his motives?

Gaelen insists that Alana team up with him as they are seeking the same artifacts. But they don’t trust each other and hinder themselves by refusing to share the information they have. Eventually they uncover some of each other’s secrets but Alana is sure that Gaelen is still holding back.

Gaelen and Alana are dodging and hiding from an evil order of priests that want to help the demons take over. Alana is distressed to learn that she is the cause of the apocalypse as it is her blood that the head demon needs to open the gates to earth. Her whole mission fails unless she is killed before the demons catch her. Can she trust Gaelen or is he part of a trap to capture her?

Alana is a great warrior heroine - strong but flawed and vulnerable in her youth, confusion and solitary existence. Gaelen is mysterious and sexy. Phinn is another mysterious man, a type of magician, who gives aid to Alana.

This intense story is told in first person with just a touch of chagrin. There is a terrific plot and great suspense that grabbed my attention from the outset and never disappointed. The chemistry between Gaelen and Alana sizzles but the romance is secondary to the full blown action and danger. The only draw back is that Gaelen’s secrets and connections are a little difficult to unravel. Still this is a truly engaging read and I look forward to more action and adventure as the series develops.

I received this title for review through NetGalley.

Audible Book Review: The Undead Pool: The Hollows, Book 12 by Kim Harrison

Rachel Morgan is a great character and I really enjoy listening to this series.

The Undead Pool: The Hollows, Book 12

Written by: Kim Harrison

Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin

• Length: 16 hrs and 13 mins
• • Series: The Hollows, Book 12
• Format: Unabridged
• Release Date:02-25-14
• Publisher: HarperAudio

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Number-one New York Times best-selling author Kim Harrison returns to the supernatural adventures of Rachel Morgan in the penultimate book of the Hollows series.
Witch and day-walking demon Rachel Morgan knows magic - earth, ley line, even the forbidden demon magic - and that knowledge has saved her life more than once. But now something - or someone - is attacking Cincinnati and the Hollows, causing spells to backfire or go horribly wrong while living vampires attack humans and Inderlanders alike.
The pressures build when the city is quarantined to contain the unreliable magic, and Rachel must stop the attacks before the undead vampire masters who keep the rest of the undead under control are lost and it becomes all-out supernatural war.
The only way to do so is through the ancient elven magic, but that carries its own perils - for magic always has a price, and gods do not come lightly when called.
©2014 Kim Harrison (P)2014 HarperCollinsPublishers

Review:
This is an intensely active series - always danger. There are strange waves of wicked magical energy reeking havoc in Cinncinnati and the Hollows. These are causing magical spells to backfire resulting in physical damage around the city. Strangely the waves seem to be following Rachel Morgan. Meanwhile the undead vampire masters, who control the younger living vampires, have all disappeared and the living vampires are beginning to attack humans and Inderlanders, including some of Rachel’s werewolf pack. Rachel isn’t a werewolf but she is a powerful witch and day-walking demon with a tie to the werewolves through her friend, David, the true Alpha leader.

Rachel has been working as security for Trent while Quinn is away with the girls, Lucy and Rae. Rachel and Trent have enjoyed working together as they dance around their mutual attraction. Trent wants one night with Rachel on a date instead of as security employee. Dangerous but tempting. They are clearly drawn to each other but Trent is expected to marry one of his own kind, a high elven society member, Elsbeth, the mother of Lucy.

As Rachel tries to help the authorities control the chaos in the community, elven leaders arrive with Elsbeth at Trent’s home. The elven leaders suspect that the wild magic may be coming from an elven goddess who is seeking to make contact through Rachel. The tension increases as one of the elven leaders betrays Trent by lying to Rachel, talking her into a ritual that turns out to allow the goddess a partial possession. Tiny bits of sentient energy move into Rachel threatening to drive her mad unless she can find a way to communicate and control them and stop the goddess from more destruction.

This is what I call a ‘high octane’ series! Rachel seems to be a trouble magnet but somehow, with the help of her friends - vampire Ivy, pixie Jenks, David and Trent - she manages to save the city and come out alive. I love the action intensity and the romantic tension that is finally developed in this book between Rachel and Trent. I wonder how Kim Harrison keeps coming up with great plots and I will look forward to the next adventure.

Audio Notes: Marguerite Gavin is a fixture for me with this series. She does such a good job and makes the series more enjoyable listening entertainment.

I purchased the latest installment of this good series with my Audible subscription.

Audible Book Review: Night Broken: Mercy Thompson, Book 8 by Patricia Briggs

This is another hard to put down addition to a wonderful series.
Night Broken: Mercy Thompson, Book 8
Written by: Patricia Briggs
Narrated by: Lorelei King

Length: 10 hrs and 5 mins
Series: Mercy Thompson, Book 8
Format: Unabridged
Release Date:03-11-14
Publisher: Brilliance Audio

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
My Rating: 4.75 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary

#1 New York Times bestselling author Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson series has been hailed as “one of the best” (Fiction Vixen Book Reviews). Now Mercy must deal with an unwanted guest—one that brings a threat unlike anything she’s ever known.
An unexpected phone call heralds a new challenge for Mercy. Her mate Adam’s ex-wife is in trouble, on the run from a stalker. Adam isn’t the kind of man to turn away a person in need—and Mercy knows it. But with Christy holed up in Adam’s house, Mercy can’t shake the feeling that something about the situation isn’t right.
Soon her suspicions are confirmed when she learns that Christy has the furthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get him, including turning Adam’s pack against Mercy.
Mercy isn’t about to step down without a fight, but there’s a more dangerous threat circling. Christy’s stalker is more than a bad man—in fact, he may not be human at all. As the bodies start piling up, Mercy must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her whole world apart.
©2014 Hurog, Inc. (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Review:
Mercy has begun to settle in with her mate, Adam, who is the head of the Tri-City Ware pack. Although she has been brought into the pack as the alpha’s mate, not all the members totally support her since she is a coyote shifter not a wolf. This problem intensifies when Adam’s ex-wife, and Jessie’s mother, Christy, seeks refuge with Adam as she is running from a stalker. Jessie feels that Christy abandoned her and Adam but several of the female pack members were friends with Christy and they are quickly sucked back into her helpless, self-absorbed, manipulative acts. Mercy has to struggle to choose the higher ground rather than call Christy on her bad behaviors.

The tensions are running high in the household and then the stalker shows up and attacks Mercy. Mercy could hide but she knows that the confrontation will be on the monitors. She decides she has to take a stand and face the guy with his vicious dog. Of course that was before she learned the guy and his faithful companion are far from ordinary. The guy is some type of volcano god who is nearly indestructible. Fortunately Adam arrives just in time to help protect her. Tad, who helps at the garage, uses unrevealed fae magic to temporarily secure the enemy who then escapes through the concrete floor. But the obsessed, evil god-man is mad and convinced that Christy is his long lost mate. He is prepared to take out the pack to get to her.

Adding to her worries, Mercy has been approached by a powerful fae who wants her to return the walking stick that used to follow her around. After the stick turned itself into a deadly weapon Mercy gave it to Coyote. As Mercy searches for Coyote she discovers she has a half brother, Gary Laughingdog, who has visions and reluctantly realizes he is going to have to stick around and help the pack face this evil god-like creature.

I love all of the action and creative danger in this series. I also love the extreme warmth portrayed through the family and pack bonds. Ms. Briggs does both of these elements beautifully keeping the series successfully entertaining and fresh.

Audio Notes: Lorelei King does a great job with this series. She manages to convey the emotions and personalities, particularly of the primary characters. The narration enhances the reading experience for me as it makes it an easy, gripping listen.

I really like this series so I purchased this with a February Audible credit! 

Book Review: Realm Walker by Kathleen Collins

This is fast paced and full of wonderfully engaging action and strong characters.

Realm Walker
by Kathleen Collins

• File Size: 381 KB
• Print Length: 189 pages
• Publisher: Carina Press (October 28, 2013)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• ASIN: B00E1V5S3S

Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: October 28, 2013
An estranged mate, a mangled body and a powerful demon who calls her by name…

As a Realm Walker for the Agency, Juliana Norris tracks deadly paranormal quarry using her unique ability to see magical signatures. She excels at her job, but her friends worry about her mysterious habit of dying in the line of duty without staying dead. That's only the first of her secrets.

Most people don't know Juliana became the mate of master vampire Thomas Kendrick before he abandoned her seven years ago. Most people don't know the horrors she endured at the hands of the vampire he left in command. Most people don't know her true parentage, or why a demon on a world-threatening rampage has taken a personal interest in her…

Even as Juliana pursues the demon, it goes after all she holds dear—including Thomas, who is back to claim her for his own. But if she can't reconcile her past and learn to trust herself again, she will lose him forever.

Review:
Juliana is a Realm Walker with special abilities that help her hunt, trap and, if need be, kill paranormal entities who refuse to abide by the rules that separate the magical world from the normal, human world. She is half-mage and half dark fae who works side by side with werewolves, mages and others of paranormal ilk. Juliana has been successful in her post and is often sought to lead the teams because of her abilities to see auras, distinguish creatures by scent and speak most known and even forgotten languages. Few know Juliana’s history and even she doesn’t remember all details of her difficult, orphaned childhood.

One person who thinks he knows her pretty well is master vampire, Thomas Kincade. He took Juliana into his household when she was just a street urchin and was befriended by his sister. Thomas helped train Juliana and watched over her as she matured. When she became nineteen he overwhelmed her by saying that she was to be his mate and declaring how powerful they would be together. This frightened Juliana who thought she needed some time to adjust. Thinking he would give her time to live a little life as her own person Thomas left the next morning with instructions for his coven to watch over her.

Now, seven years later, Thomas has returned to discover that Juliana is bitter about his abrupt departure. Bit by bit he learns more secrets, including that she has suffered and nearly died on several occasions. Somehow he has to convince her he left with good intentions and that he wants her for reasons beyond the power she can bring to their union.

First Thomas has to get close to Juliana while she is busy battling a demon who is able to jump from host to host. If that isn’t bad enough, the snarky demon has apparently been summoned to kill Juliana herself. Although Juliana has returned from several death experiences she is not immortal. It will take all her skill and help from some special sources when the demon possesses Thomas as the tool to hunt her down.

This story jumps into battle action right from the opening and never slows down. I really enjoyed the fast pace, full action as well as the conflicted emotions. Both leading characters are really strong personalities and there is great tension between them as they struggle to find a place of trust and sharing of their strengths. There are unexpected and powerful connections revealed that add to the intrigue and intensity of Juliana’s situation. I highly recommend this very engaging story and I look forward to reading more by Ms. Collins.

It's hard always being strong:

There were times like this when she was so utterly tired of being strong, of pretending that she could handle the world on her own that she became tempted to let him rescue her. Hew was the only one that ever cared enough to take care of her. That’s why it broke her heart when he left. Location 1860.

I'm glad I picked this for review from Netgalley.

Book Review: Silent Warrior by Lindsey Piper

This is book is edgy and exciting.
Silent Warrior
by Lindsey Piper

• File Size: 777 KB
• Print Length: 112 pages
• Publisher: Pocket Star (April 22, 2013)
• Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
• ASIN: B009K54S6I

Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: April 22, 2013
An exciting, emotionally charged prequel to the Dragon Kings trilogy featuring warriors fighting for their lives in violent cage matches to guarantee their clans’ survival—available exclusively as an eBook!

A silent woman ashamed of her criminal background becomes a Cage warrior to seek redemption. An unrepentant fortune hunter will do anything to escape his mounting debts. Although rivals on the streets of Hong Kong, they find common ground when seeking their clan’s stolen idol, but for vastly different reasons. Neither one suspects that love will begin when he becomes the first man in five years to hear her speak.

Review:

Hark is fighting in a warrior match to earn money to pay off debts. His opponent is a beautiful, expressionless and silent woman. She won’t even give a groan in injury. Hark on the other hand is a chatterer and he is fascinated and intent to break through the silence of this fierce warrior. Hark and the woman are both of the Sath Clan, who are able to borrow the abilities of Dragon Kings. However she wears a collar indicating she is in bondage to one of the Cartels and unable to use the powers of others. He finally establishes a slight advantage and, although the woman would not surrender, her ‘handler’ instructs her to stop.

The woman collects $4,000.00 for the fight and tucks it into her bodice. Hark plans to collect his half of the payment but before the two can exit the bar they are confronted with another powerful Dragon King, and his henchmen, who plan to steal the money. Hark and the woman quickly move together to take on the new threat. Soon they leave the opposition in the dust and head off down the dark ally ways to a place to be alone together to slack the other passions that have risen with the adrenaline of battle. Hark finally learns the woman is called–fittingly–Silence.

They are surprised by the extent of their passions and Hark becomes intent on learning Silence’s true name and getting her to reveal more emotion. Soon they are on the run from a new attack as  debt collectors come after Hark. Silence leads him to a horrible, crowded, dilapidated tenement building where she has stashed another Dragon King as a prisoner. Once again they must fight together and share power to prevail.

Silence is on a mission to recover a stolen idol and regain her honor. Hark recognizes her strength and proposes to join her as a mate, even if it means he goes into bondage for a time to pay off his debts.

The story is full of intense action and passion. I liked both strong characters.  The stoic, determined Silence and the bantering, impulsive Hark make a great team. The language is a little rough but it didn’t overwhelm the storyline.  This novella is very entertaining and left me wanting to read more of their adventures.  

This is prequel I picked up at NetGalley to see if I might like the series.

Audible Book Review: Hexed, The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 2, by Kevin Hearne

I really enjoy the interesting blend of action and humor in this series.
Hexed: The Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 2 [Unabridged]
by Kevin Hearne (Author), Luke Daniels (Narrator)


    Series: Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 2
    LENGTH  8 hrs and 52 mins
    RELEASE DATE  06-07-11
    PUBLISHER  Brilliance Audio
Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn’t care much for witches. Still, he’s about to make nice with the local coven by signing a mutually beneficial nonaggression treaty when suddenly the witch population in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they’re badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II.
With a fallen angel feasting on local high school students, a horde of Bacchants blowing in from Vegas with their special brand of deadly decadence, and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch hunt. But aided by his magical sword, his neighbor’s rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and his vampire attorney, Atticus is ready to sweep the town and show the witchy women they picked the wrong Druid to hex.
Listen to more Iron Druid Chronicles.
©2011 Kevin Hearne (P)2011 Brilliance Audio, Inc.

Review:
Atticus is a two thousand + year old Druid living in modern day Tempe, Arizona. He draws his magic primarily from the earth in a beneficial sharing of care, healing and power. Atticus’ closest companion is his Irish wolfhound, Oberon, with whom he mind-speaks. Oberon’s mind is mostly dog-like with treats, runs and females taking priority. Atticus’ other friends include his attorneys who are a pack of wererwolves and a vampire, Leif Helgarson. He has an interesting relationship with Morrigan, the goddess of death, with whom he has a deal: she has agreed to never take his life in exchange for him sharing the secrets of his protective iron amulet.

Atticus has become quite sought after with the spreading news of his killing one of the Celtic gods. (Book One, Hounded.) Leif wants him to kill Thor, the thunder god, and numerous other parties want him to kill their enemies too. Atticus isn’t interested but, in the meantime, he has to fight off the demons, and fallen angels, that have been bound with the mission to kill him.

Atticus is in the process of negotiating a treaty with the local witches. When he suffers a magical attack, he discovers that the witches suffered too, with the death of one of their own. Now they seek his help to eliminate a clan of Bacchants who are encroaching the territory and threatening not only the safety of the local coven, but the precarious balance of paranormal groups in the Tempe community. The Bacchants are being tracked by Russian witch hunters, in the guise of a priest and a rabbi, who view most paranormal beings as evil.

This series deals with a complex balancing of powers among the Greek Gods and the paranormal groups. There is wonderful action and great humor with Atticus’ “customary curtain of wit.”  I love the fun language contrasts and word games: formality with the formal Vampire and earthy fun with the doggy Oberon. Atticus is a great character--part hapless, part fearless, part magical, mostly male and surprisingly not arrogantly obnoxious. There is some gratuitous sex alluded to with the details kept pretty much behind doors.
I recommend this series for action and fun entertainment.

Audio Notes: Luke Daniels does a super job narrating this series. He really nails the characters through voices and expression. The narration enhances the danger and fun of an already good story.

This selection is from my own Audible Library.

Audible Book #Review: Frost Burned: Mercy Thompson Book 7 by Patricia Briggs

This is a series I really enjoy listening too.

Frost Burned: Mercy Thompson Book 7

• UNABRIDGED
• by Patricia Briggs
• Narrated by Lorelei King 
• Series: Mercy Thompson, Book 7

    LENGTH: 10 hrs and 1 min
    RELEASE DATE: 03-05-13
    Program Type: Audiobook
    PUBLISHER: Penguin Audio
Amazon Link
Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Publisher's Summary
Mercy Thompson returns in the seventh novel in the number-one New York Times best-selling series.
Mercy Thompson's life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Adam Hauptman - the charismatic Alpha of the local werewolf pack - has made her a stepmother to his daughter, Jesse, a relationship that brings moments of blissful normalcy to Mercy's life. But on the edges of humanity, what passes for a minor mishap on an ordinary day can turn into so much more....
After an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can't reach Adam - or anyone else in the pack for that matter. They've all been abducted.
Through their mating bond, all Mercy knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam's disappearance may be related - and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely.
©2013 Patricia Briggs (P)2013 Penguin Audiobooks

Review:
Mercy Thompson is a rare creature, a Coyote Walker. She is the wife of Adam, the Alpha leader of the local werewolf pack. The entire pack has gone missing while Mercy and her step daughter, Jesse, are out shopping. An injured Ben, a British werewolf with attitude, finds Mercy at her garage and she learns that he is the only one who escaped when supposed government authorities rounded up the pack and subdued them with silver tranquilizers.

Mercy is able to use their mate bond to contact Adam mentally and determine that the pack is alive but weak from silver poisoning. Mercy must keep Jesse save from the kidnappers who would use her as additional blackmail to coerce Adam to do their bidding. She must also keep herself safe and find a way to rescue the pack before Adam has to make a devastating sacrifice.

There are political implications that require careful handling. Mercy calls for help from her fae friends, Zeek and his grandson Tad, to guard Jesse, Gabriel, Mercy’s college-age employee, and Gabriel’s family.  Then Mercy calls upon her vampire friend, Stephan, to help rescue Kyle, a prominent attorney who is the lover of one of the kidnapped wolves.

Mercy risks her own well being by ‘changing the rules’ to help Adam and then she faces an ambush attack. Even when the pack is free, Mercy is not out of danger. She is summoned to a special meeting with the Queen Vampire. At first she fears it may be over the Mercedes she borrowed which has suffered from a bleeding werewolf, battle dents and a (supposedly) dead body in the trunk. Soon Mercy learns that the car is a trifling matter compared to the political Vampire war she is pulled into.

I love the strength in Mercy and in her bond with Adam. Coyotes are not as strong as werewolves and not all of the pack accept Mercy. But her position as Alpha mate and her bond with Adam allows her to bring along an Alpha attitude in her own presence.  I like the strong pack atmosphere of ‘family’ that is exhibited in these stories. I also like that Mercy has friends among the other paranormal communities.  This particular story has some brutal killing but also Mercy’s own special touch of faith and forgiving grace. Ms. Briggs brings a unique and new tale of danger and action to each of the books in this series. They never fail to entertain me.

Audio Notes: I greatly enjoy the narrations of this series by Lorelei King. She distinguishes the voices so you can almost see the different creature personalities– the werewolves, the fae and the vampires. There is an even flow to the reading that keeps it moving well at rare moments of calm as well as the usual emotional times of danger and action.

I highly recommend this series for the warm relationships presented in action packed and entertaining plots. Preferably read the books in order for the full impact of the character involvements and nuances.

I read this from my own Audible library.

This is set in Tri-Cities, Washington for my 2013 Where Are You Reading Challenge.

Audible Book Review: River Marked, Mercy Thompson Book 6, by Patricia Briggs

This is a full and fast paced story.

River Marked Mercy Thompson Book 6

• UNABRIDGED
• by Patricia Briggs
• Narrated by Lorelei King
•  Series: Mercy Thompson, Book 6

Available in print and eBook as well as Audio.
Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Blurb from Audible.com: Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She's never known any others of her kind. Until now.
An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River - one that her father's people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help....

Review: This is Book 6 in this enjoyable series and if you haven’t read them I highly recommend that you do! I have listened to all of them through Audible library and I really like the narration as well as the characters, plot and action.

Mercy Thompson is a  “walker” who shape shifts as a coyote. Her gifts include a resistance to most magic, like mesmerizing Vampires, and seeing ghosts.  Mercy has never met others like herself but she was raised in one of the strongest werewolf packs in North America. In this world, werewolves and some fae have been revealed to the public although Vampires are not yet exposed as “real.” Mercy has made Vampire and Fae friends and enemies. There are many wonderful characters in the series who are less visible in this story which gives time to Mercy and Adam.


Adam is the sexy, Alpha leader of the local werewolf pack and Mercy’s neighbor. Adam is divorced and raising his bright and outgoing teenage daughter, Jesse. Adam has been wooing, and at times he and his pack have been rescuing, Mercy through the stories.

Book 6 starts off with a delightful and beautifully choreographed elopement/wedding for Adam and Mercy. (Their marriage is not a spoiler since it is disclosed in the book blurb.)  Adam and Mercy head off for private honeymoon time.  They set up their borrowed motor coach at a park along the Columbia River.  Unfortunately it soon becomes apparent that Adam and Mercy have been directed to this spot for reasons beyond a simple honeymoon. 

Their romantic time together is interrupted by an injured man and a trail of dead and missing people.  Mercy gets to meet a very nasty  River Demon and some Fae otters up close and more personally than she would like.  The River Demon threatens to continue luring and eating anyone who nears the river unless it can be defeated.  It looks like Mercy, being immune to the magic, may be the only one who has a chance of killing the beast.  She and Adam team up with some other “walkers”, including Old Man Coyote, who knew or may be her father. Even with all of these skilled warriors the battle is far from certain and many expect to die.

Like the other books, this is full of action, magic and warm emotion in the relationships of the characters.  The narrator does a great job with the character voices and emotions. Although I have to say that I tend to get caught up with the story so that I barely notice the narrator...and isn’t that the way a good audio book should be?

The author manages to give enough backstory to fill in the important elements in case a reader has not read/listened to prior books but I recommend enjoying them all in order! I am looking forward to the next installment and only sorry that it isn’t scheduled until 2013.

 I read this from my own TBR Audible Library.

This is set in Washington for my Where are Your Reading challenge. This is a Just For Fun book this month and I will also add it to my TBR and Audio challenges.

Audio Book Review: The Templar Chronicles 1, The Heretic, by Joe Nassise

This is a fully dramatized production and very exciting to listen to.

The Templar Chronicles 1 The Heretic

by Joe Nassise

Approximate Run Time: 6 hours

Release Date: February 2012
ISBN: 978-1-59950-836-8
Available in paperback, Kindle and other formats too.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Description:

At the end of the First Crusade, the church created a monastic military order known as the Knights Templar. Now, rising up from the ashes of history, they are the Vatican’s last defense in the war between good and evil…

Cade Williams is no ordinary man. His ability to cross over to the other side makes him uniquely qualified to command the Church’s special operations division. As a modern-day Knight, Cade can use the curse that has scarred his soul as a weapon against the forces of darkness. But a new kind of unholy war is brewing — and soon Cade may be the last man standing…between the living and the dead.

The desecration of Templar cemeteries has sparked a full-scale investigation. Cade and his team suspect that a cabal of necromancers is behind it all. Their purpose: to claim the legendary powers of a lost holy relic for their own ungodly campaign.

For Cade, there’s only one way to stop them — by tracking the dead himself…crossing the most sacred of battle lines…and facing his own terrifying demons.

Review:

This is an excellent audio with full graphic sound effects aptly described as the introduction notes: “Graphic Audio - a movie in your mind!”

The Templars are a line of Vatican warriors, dating back to the Crusades, who fight demons and other supernatural forces in the age old battle of good forces versus evil. Each knight has a special paranormal skill they use in the battle.

Cade Williams, is sometimes looked at as a rogue member of the Templar knights known as “the Heretic.”  Cade’s wife, Gabriel, was tortured and butchered right in front of him.  He is brash, bitter and resentful. He fought against the evil Adversary and is able to walk through portals to a grey shade world of the dead. Cade refuses to recognize or appreciate a God who would allow his wife to be disfigured and killed, but he still fights for the good against the vile evil he knows exists. Cade may not always exhibit all Christian precepts, but his team respect his expert leadership knowing that he sees a broader picture and will be on the front lines leading them through the battles.

Cades’s team is called in when the hidden headquarters of the Templars and the Templar cemeteries are attacked. Although other teams could serve as bodyguards, Cade’s team is assigned because they will go on the offensive when it becomes needed, which is likely. The attacks on the headquarters are mysterious and devastating. There are few clues except that someone in their own ranks is leaking information and there is an obscure reference to ‘a circle of 9.’

The trail eventually leads to a necromancer, Logan, who was thought to be a minor wizard.  But Logan has joined forces with The Adversary to gain power. The goal is to steal a priceless and powerful artifact from the archives of the Templars. Do Cade and his loyal team stand a chance to protect the treasure of the Templars when the enemy is always one step ahead?

There are several secondary characters who are not fully developed but presented with sufficient quirks and flaws that I want to read more about them in future ‘episodes.’ Although Cade’s love for his wife has a significant part in the story, this story is definitely action and not romance. Mr. Nassise has created an interesting storyline and characters who you root for and mourn.

The audio reading is powerful and intense, suiting the fast paced action and dangers of the story. The background noises do make it seem like listening to a movie. Once in a while (like a lot of movies I know) the sound is almost too much, overwhelming the dialogue. But most often the production is wonderfully entertaining and it left me wanting more of the story and more graphic audio experiences.

The audio version is great but if you don't do audio and like action then I recommend you try this series in another format. 

A big thank you to Graphic Audio and AudioJukebox for making this book available to me for review.

Although the action moves around, it starts and several scenes occur in Connecticut so I will place it there for Where Are You Reading Challenge. I will also add it to my New Author and Audio challenges.

Blog Tour Guest Post by Jennifer Harlow, Author of Mind Over Monsters

See below for Tour wide Giveaway chance.
Doesn't this look like a fun read for October and Halloween?!

The Soundtrack to Our Lives (Or a Book) by Jennifer Harlow

I don’t do silence. I can’t. I grew up surrounded by chaos instrumented by three demons by the names of Ryan, Liam, and Trevor, my three younger brothers. These were not, and still aren’t, studious, well behaved darlings who liked nothing better than to sit down with a good book or play with her dolls like their angel big sister. No, these boys had enough energy and testosterone to supply an entire Starbucks and bodybuilding gym with some still left over to attempt to “kill” or “wrestle” their sister and each other. Screams, whining, and loud bangs on the television were staples of my youth. So when I moved out on my own, I soon discovered I needed the noise. There is always a television or radio on, even as I fall asleep. This is true when I’m writing as well. I can write pretty much anywhere (if you have a strong desire to stalk me, see the acknowledgments page of my book Mind Over Monsters to see where I write), but the one thing that helps get my creative juices flowing the most is music. The right song can make or break my scene, even inspiring me on some occasions.

As I was writing Monsters, I found that certain songs really helped pump up the visuals and mood. They helped me get to a place where I needed to get inside my head to convey what was going on in my imagination and translate that to the page. Music just adds so much more to the experience. So I started compiling playlists for the books. Like the book, the soundtrack has a narrative flow in line with the book. You don’t have to like all the songs, I have eclectic taste, but at the very least if you sample them, you’ll get a feel for the book. So here it is:

MIND OVER MONSTERS: THE SOUNDTRACK

1.     Magic to Do- Ben Vereen from the musical Pippin

2.     Edge of the Ocean- Ivy

3.     Cold- Annie Lennox

4.     If It Wasn’t For Bad-Elton John & Leon Russell

5.     Shadows of the Night-Pat Benatar

6.     Four Minutes – Madonna fet. Justin Timberlake

7.     Tainted Love – Soft Cell

8.     Say It Right – Nelly Furtado

9.     Fields of Gold – Sting

10.  Ordinary World – Duran Duran

11.  Savin’ Me – Nickelback

12.  Precious – Depeche Mode

13.  Home – Depeche Mode

Please download legally. All songs are available on iTunes.

Jennifer Harlow is the author of the paranormal mystery Mind Over Monsters, the first in the F.R.E.A.K.S Squad series. You can read her blog “Tales From the Darkside” at her website www.jenniferharlowbooks.com. Also friend her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter at jenharlowbooks.

Mind Over Monsters
A F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad Investigation
By Jennifer Harlow

ISBN-10: 0-7387-2667-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-2667-0
US $14.95 • CAN $16.95
Trade Paperback Original • 53/16 x 8 • 288 pp.
October 2011

Paranormal heroes take on zombies in this funny and thrilling debut.

Very few people know the truth about Beatrice Alexander. She’s no ordinary schoolteacher with a fondness for classic movies. Beatrice can move objects with her mind, an embarrassing and dangerous skill that she’s never learned to master — or embrace. After nearly killing her brother by accident, she joins F.R.E.A.K.S. The Federal Response to Extra-Sensory and Kindred Supernaturals is a top-secret offshoot of the FBI that “neutralizes” ghouls, trolls, and other monsters threatening humanity.

Beatrice has no desire to become Buffy the vampire slayer. But F.R.E.A.K.S. offers training to control her power. Also, she doesn’t feel like such a freak next to the other supernatural members, including a cute former detective who’s a werewolf and an unbearable vampire determined to seduce Beatrice. Despite a natural instinct to flee from hideous, bloodthirsty zombies, Beatrice must prove herself on her first mission to find a cunning necromancer.

Praise for Mind Over Monsters:

“A wonderful debut! Jennifer Harlow has written a gritty, dramatic police-procedural with a compelling heroine and a fascinating group of sidekicks. Looking forward to the sequel!” —KAREN CHANCE, NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF CASSANDRA PALMER SERIES

“Mind Over Monsters is funny, scary, and creepy—and ridiculous amounts of fun!” —KAT RICHARDSON, AUTHOR OFTHE GREYWALKER NOVELS

“Monstrously fun! Monstrously suspenseful! Monstrously good! Jennifer Harlow's debut novel had me laughing and gasping from start to finish!"“ —VICTORIA LAURIE, NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF THE GHOST HUNTER MYSTERY SERIES AND THE PSYCHIC EYE MYSTERY SERIES

See full blog tour list here. Tour and Contest end 10/31.

5 copies of Mind Over Monsters are being given away tour wide:

Open to US Shipping

Link to form

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dGp1VVJqdGF1Y2RNYkVVQWV5LUliMUE6MQ

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Review - Sin Undone (Demonica, Book 5) by Larissa Ione

If you like a hot story with lots of shifters and demons...this book fills the bill!

Sin Undone (Demonica, Book 5) by Larissa Ione.

• Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (August 24, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446556815
• ISBN-13: 978-0446556811

Genre: Urban Fantasy; Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4.25 of 5.0

Product Description
HER TOUCH IS DEADLY
As the only female Seminus demon ever born, master assassin Sinead Donnelly is used to being treated like an outcast. She spent decades enslaved, and now vows she'll die before she'll relinquish her freedom again. Then Sin's innate ability to kill her enemies goes awry: She creates a lethal new werewolf virus that sparks a firestorm of panic and violence.
HIS HUNGER CAN'T BE DENIED
Half-werewolf, half-vampire Conall Dearghul is charged with bringing in Sin to face punishment for the plague. And she's no stranger: He's bound to her by blood, and the one sexual encounter they shared has left him hungering for her raw sensuality. Worse, Sin is the underworld's most wanted and Con soon learns he's the only one who can help her . . . and that saving her life might mean sacrificing his own.

Review: This is raw and highly sexual - not for everyone - but a well written and action packed story.

Sinead, known as “Sin” has shut off her feelings since she was abandoned by her twin brother, Lore, at age 17 when they learned that they are both demons who have to have sex to survive.  Okay .... that will give you pause right there. You can imagine that she is smart and skilled to have survived her years of slave status until she finally gained some control of her life as a master assassin.  Problem is, as cold, bad and nasty as she may seem, she apparently is too nice and has difficulties accepting assassin contracts. This makes her hated by her frustrated crew of assassins who are vying for her position of authority.

Con is a Dhamphire, which is a cross between a living vampire and a werewolf. He is a death defying, risk taker who has found some fulfillment in working as a paramedic at Underground General, the warg (werewolf) hospital.  He is a love ‘em, bite ‘em, leave ‘em sort of guy - partially because he can’t risk becoming addicted to the blood of one female or it may result in her death.

She started the plague that is killing the werewolves and she feels extremely guilty for the resulting deaths.  Now she is dodging attacks from the warg community as well as from her assassin team. She is working with her brothers to develop a vaccine or find a cure...if she can live long enough between the attacks and Con’s growing addiction.

Con and Sin start out in an antagonistic situation but slowly he becomes intrigued by her and then starts to protect her.  Sin views herself as unlovable so she doesn’t welcome or trust the help of others, even from her newly discovered demon brothers who aren’t quite sure of Con’s involvement with their sister.
Although there are implications of perversions, and the language is definitely raw, this story is well written with a good plot, lots of action and likeable characters. When it started I wasn’t thrilled with demon characters but they weren’t as bad as they might have been. It seems the author is trying to show the good side of demons. The glossary at the beginning didn’t cover all of the terms, but I was able to catch on after a bit.  I think that it would probably be easier to follow this book if you had read some of the earlier books in the series but still this was a kicking book.

Thanks to Hatchette for the book to read and review. Check out the giveaway for a chance to win one of five copies!