My Review: Elysian Fields by Suzanne Johnson at Smexybooks

 

Elysian Fields (Sentinel Of New Orleans #3) by Suzanne Johnson
Urban Fantasy/Paranormal
August 13, 2013
Tor Books

Favorite Quote: “I would have done as much for anyone. It just happened to be you.”

Elysian Fields picks up a few weeks after the events in River Road. Drusilla Jaco (DJ), is still recovering from the wounds she received battling an insane nymph. When she is called to the scene of a brutal murder, she discovers that a serial killer, known as the Axeman who terrorized New Orleans back in the early 1900’s, has come back from the dead to reign hell on the mortal realm. Further investigations reveal that an unknown necromancer summoned the Axeman and he is gunning for DJ. If DJ’s life wasn’t dangerous enough, she finds herself caught in the middle of a political disaster when the Elven Synod demands access to DJ for training purposes and a freak accident occurs that could spell the end of DJ’s career… and her life.

Elysian Fields is the third book in Suzanne Johnson’s paranormal urban fantasy Sentinel Of New Orleans series. An action packed series that effectively bridges the supernatural with the mundane. Set in an alternate New Orleans, supernaturals intermingle with humans; though most humans aren’t conscious of this. The series is based on Drucilla Jaco, a junior wizard who stands as one of the sentinels charged with standing guard over the supernatural borders in New Orleans. Placed in her position through circumstance, DJ is still in the process of learning to control her powers. We recently learned of DJ’s elven heritage which is already causing her problems in the form of a magic staff that everyone wants but no one can touch until DJ’s death. The series follows her through her life as she investigates supernatural affairs and deals with the inevitable chaos that seems to mock her every step.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.com

I’m reviewing Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews st Smexybooks

Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6) by Ilona Andrews
Urban Fantasy
Releases: July 30, 2013
Ace

Favorite Quote: ”If you come into these mountains with open hands, I will welcome you. If you come holding a sword, you will die by it.”

Pirates, and sea monsters, and princesses…oh my!

Kate Daniels and her mate, the Beast Lord, find themselves once again putting their life on the line to save an innocent. When two pack teenagers start to go loup, Kate and Curran have to negotiate with the European packs for access to the herbal medicine that can save the teenagers from certain death. The Europeans agree to a trade which requires Kate, Curran, and some of the pack to travel to Europe. The Europeans want Curran and the pack to protect an important pregnant shifter until she gives birth. Then and only then will they release the formula for the medicine. Soon Kate and Curran realize there is much more at stake than simple bodyguard duties. Someone wants Kate and Curran separated permanently and are willing to destroy whoever and whatever gets in their way.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks

I’m reviewing Fifth Grave Past The Light by Darynda Jones at Smexybooks

Fifth Grave Past The Light (Charley Davidson #5) by Darynda Jones
Urban Fantasy/Mystery
July 9, 2013
St. Martins Press

Favorite Quote: “I’m a virgin. But this is an old shirt.”

Charley Davidson is large and in charge in the fifth installment of Darynda Jones hilariously dark and sexy urban fantasy series. More sex (YEA!!!), more jokes, and even more ghosts will keep you glued to the pages as Charley tries to solve not one but two mysteries, follow a cheater, deal with the son of Satan living next door to her in a MUCH more fabulous apartment then hers and the fact her assistant Cookie seems to think she is suddenly Wyatt Erp.

I adore this series. If you read no other books this year, you must stop and pick up Darynda Jones’ Charley Davidson series.  A wickedly funny, sexy, action packed roller coaster ride that will have you howling with laughter as you follow Charley and her over qualified, under paid receptionist/ bff Cookie into the exciting world of private investigation, coffee thievery, and boundary challenged ghosts. A strong character driven series, this urban fantasy takes you on a crazy laughter filled adventure with strong emotional storylines, multiple subplots, charismatic characters, and witty dialogue. Our heroine, Charley Davidson, is the Grim Reaper. She has spent her entire life solving mysteries; first for her father and uncle and then for herself. Once she began to accept her duties as the Grim Reaper, her life became much more interesting. She is still learning what her role in the universe will be but according to Reyes she is a portal to heaven that if breached will enable Hell to reign on earth. Not to put any pressure on her or anything. Yikes.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Yasmine Galenorn’s Night Vision by Smexybooks

Night Vision (Indigo Court #4) by Yasmine Galenorn
Urban Fantasy
July 2, 2013
Berkley

 

Favorite Quote: “Life is often an illusion, Cicely. Illusion that is very real, very strong, but still-place the right amount of force on the right spot and it breaks.“

Night Vision, the fourth installment of Yasmine Galenorn’s dark and sensual fae fantasy, picks up right where Night Seeker ended.  Well-plotted and cast with characters that are strong and personable, Night Vision is filled with taut suspense, delicious intrigue, and dangerous antagonists. WhileNight Seeker was the turning point of the series; very physical and action packed, Night Vision is the emotional aftermath. Galenorn spends more than half the book addressing the emotional changes Cicely is experiencing as she takes her place as the Queen Of Winter.  We are taken deep into Cicely’s psyche as she struggles to overcome her fears of the future and her sorrow at what she is losing.  A strong storyline with captivating subplots further drives this story towards the finale as Cicely, her wounded prince, and an obsessed vampire all fight for what they want.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Blood Trade by Faith Hunter at Smexybooks

Blood Trade (Jane Yellowrock #6) by Faith Hunter
Urban Fantasy
April 2, 2013
ROC

Favorite Quote: “You gonna put on your big girl panties and fight with the boys, now?“
“Who says I wear panties?”

The Master of Natchez, Mississippi has a nasty problem on his hands. Rogue vampires—those who follow the Naturaleza and believe that humans should be nothing more than prey to be hunted—are terrorizing his city. Luckily, he knows the perfect skinwalker to call in to take back the streets.

But what he doesn’t tell Jane is that there’s something different about these vamps. Something that makes them harder to kill—even for a pro like Jane. Now, her simple job has turned into a fight to stay alive…and to protect the desperately ill child left in her care. (Goodreads)

Blood Trade picks up not long after Death’s Rival ended. Jane Yellowrock, skinwalker and vampire enforcer, is still incredibly angry that her employer and Master Vampire Leo Pellissier forced a bond on her beast with the help of his primo, Bruiser  Add in her argument with Rick and her guilt over killing her best friend’s sister; Jane is suffering from severe depression. She decides that getting out of town for awhile would be good for her and when she’s offered a job by the Master Vampire of Natchez, she grabs her boys and jumps on it. His city is being overrun by plague carrying vampires who have gone rogue. When she arrives in Mississippi, she is contacted by an old “friend” who needs her help. Misha was raised in the same group home as Jane and is now carrying for a mutual disabled friend of theirs and her daughter, who is deathly ill.  Misha wants Jane to help her with writing her vampire book, but she goes missing and leaves both her charges with Jane. As Jane struggles with the rogue vampires who are like nothing she has seen before and trying to find Misha, she discovers a link between the two which if not brought into check, could spell the end for everyone-human and supernatural alike.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I'm reviewing Dianne Sylvan's Of Shadow Born

Of Shadow Born (Shadow World #4) by Dianne Sylvan
Urban Fantasy
March 26, 2013
Ace

Favorite Quote: “Till my body is dust and my soul is no more I will love you . . . love you . . .”

After a heart rending night of loss and blood, Miranda Grey-Solomon, vampire Queen of the South, now stands in the ruins of her life determined to pick up the pieces and move on. David, her husband and Prime, is missing and presumed dead, and Miranda is lost without her soul mate by her side…but she has little time to grieve as enemies both old and new emerge to test her yet again.

Between vampires trying to take advantage of a Queen without a Prime, incursions by a mysterious organization of humans calling themselves the Order of the Morningstar, and the continuing threat from those within the Shadow World who have already tried to destroy her, Miranda and her allies are running out of places to turn. In order to save her territory and the ones she loves, Miranda must look to the ancient past, to the first days of the vampire race, and uncover secrets about the Signets that could change the course of history…(Goodreads)

Of Shadow Born picks up right after Shadow’s Fall. Towards the end of Shadow’s Fall, we learned the true duplicity of Jeremy Hayes and the reasons behind his deception. We are left reeling at the devastation and the potential consequences of his devious actions. 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks. 

I’m reviewing Jocelynn Drake’s Dead Man’s Deal at Smexybooks

Dead Man’s Deal (Asylum Tales #2) by Jocelynn Drake
Urban Fantasy
E Book
May 7, 2013
Harper Voyager

 

Favorite Quote: “A smart man would keep his mouth shut. I wasn’t always a smart man.”

In Low Town, where elves, fairies, trolls, werewolves, vampires and other manners of supernatural life are happily walking among humanity, everything has its price. Gage Powell just wants to run his tattoo parlor and live a quiet fuss free life with his girlfriend, but Gage has learned that the warlocks and witches who command the Ivory Towers are never going to leave him in peace. Gage was allowed to leave the towers only if he never used his magic for anything but self defense. However, circumstances cause Gage to break this rule time and time again.

Now, Gage is back and neck deep in trouble. Gage has managed to indebt himself and his employee Bronx to the dark elf mob boss, Reave. Reave has discovered Gage’s big secret and demands Gage’s help in exchange for not selling him out to the highest bidder. When Gage has problems with Reave’s latest request, Gage rebels, causing  a chain reaction that leads Reave to include someone from Gage’s past in his plan to bring down the Towers. Now the Towers are after Gage, figuring his sacrifice is enough to quell any uprisings. But Gage isn’t one to hide when the going gets tough. With the help of some surprising allies, Gage finds himself once again having to make the choice between himself and the world.

 

Read more of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Generation V by M.L. Brennan at Smexybooks

Generation V by M.L. Brennan (American Vampire #1)
Urban Fantasy
Released: May 7, 2013
ROC

Favorite Quote: “What are you planning to do next, Miss Marple?”
“Miss Marple?”
“I’ve promoted you from Nancy Drew.”

Fortitude Scott is not having a good life. At 26 years old, his degree in film theory hasn’t done much to advance his placement in life. He can barely afford his apartment, he works a dead end job as a coffee barista, and his girlfriend has decided to take a time out from their relationship so she can find herself aka  to sleep with other people.

 

Oh, and he’s a vampire.

As the baby of the family, Fort has not made his transition to full vampirism so he retains a majority of his humanity and prefers to keep it that way. He eats regular food, enjoys the sun, and avoids his family at all costs. When a new vampire enters his family’s territory and young girls suddenly goes missing, Fort finds himself embracing his heritage.With no help from his nonchalant family who can’t imagine why he even cares about these girls, Fort begins investigating the missing girls with the help of a sexy and insane kitsune shapeshifter, Suzume Hollis. Fort knows he isn’t ready to take on this dangerous and deadly vampire and with the possibility that Suzume will split when things get too dicey, this mission may very well grant his fondest wish. To die a human.

Generation V is the first book in a quirky humorous new Urban Fantasy series by M.L. Brennan. Ripe with mystery, suspense, and a cast of eccentric characters that will have you laughing and rolling your eyes at their antics. A clever mix of dark humor and seriousness, you get an intimate front row seat as our hero, Fortitude Scott, tries very hard to retain his humanity and do what he feels is the right things to do in life. Fort is an interesting mixture of bravado and self deprecation. While he is not comfortable with being a vampire and has no real defensive skills, he is more than willing to go up against those stronger than himself to save a life. His internal dialogue will leave you rolling at his running commentary of his family, friends, and his life in general.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Rogue Descendant by Jenna Black at Smexybooks

 

Rogue Descendant (Nikki Glass #3) by Jenna Black
Urban Fantasy
April 30, 2013
Pocket Books

Favorite Quote: “You advising me to lie back and think of England?”

Nikki Glass has begun to acclimate to her new life as an immortal descendant of Artemis. Living in the mansion with the other Liberi’s, Nikki is slowly making it her home but finds herself clinging stubbornly to her humanity, especially when it comes to killing for revenge. And revenge is what Liberi leader Anderson wants. He orders Nikki to track the former head Olympian, Konstantin, but Konstantin’s son Cyrus had made it perfectly clear that any retribution against his father will be considered an act of war. A war the liberi have no hope of winning. When a series of mysterious fires propels Nikki towards Konstantin, she finds herself drawn into an intricate game of cat and mouse that could spell disaster for her and all those she loves.

Add in her attraction to death goddess descendant Jamaal and Nikki isn’t sure if being immortal will be enough to keep her alive this time around.

Rogue Descendant, the third book in Jenna Black’s Nikki Glass series, is an action packed urban fantasy based upon Greek mythology. Fast pacing, well plotted story lines, dry humor, and engaging characters will hook you into this entertaining world that Ms. Black has written.The world building is simplistic in its construction yet each layer we uncover reveals a twisting mass of lies and half truths that it rest upon.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I'm reviewing Written In Red by Anne Bishop at Smexybooks

Written In Red (The Others #1) by Anne Bishop
Urban Fantasy 

March 5, 2013 
NAL Hardback

Favorite Quote: “Nose or cookies. Hard choice. But in the end, the cookies won.“

Meg Corbin is a cassandra sangue. A blood prophet who is able to see prophecies through the cutting of her skin. Held hostage and used for profit, Meg plots her escape from her cruel owner and finds herself in the clutches of an even bigger threat, Simon Wolfgard.

Simon Wolfgard is one of the “others.” A shapeshifter who rules his territory with sharp claws and teeth. He is not comfortable with having an unknown human in his territory, but Meg’s smell and secrets invoke his protective nature, so against his better judgment, he hires her as a human liaison for his people.

Meg soon ensconces herself into the other’s lives and hearts, but when Meg’s secrets come to light and Simon learns exactly what she is and the lengths some will go to control her again, he will need to decide if she is worth the war between themselves and the humans that she has brought to his door.

Anne Bishop has once again shown herself to be the Queen of fantasy with Written In Red. A deceptively complex urban fantasy that takes the sensitive issues of racism and abuse and wraps them in a vibrantly magical world with a realistic core. Teeming with intrigue, suspense, and hints of romance, Ms. Bishop’s world building skills continue to astound and enchant. I found myself unable to put this down once I started. While the story reads fast and the writing style easy to follow, the actual arc is complex with its multiple story lines and background information. The vivid descriptions and rich details drew me in and made me part of this world. Bishop’s writing style is like a fine wine that slowly releases its bouquet as it slides down our throat . The underlying tension ratchets up the suspense in the story, building to a climactic finale that left me satisfied but ready for the next installment.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks. 

I’m reviewing Seven Kinds of Hell by Dana Cameron at Smexybooks

 

Seven Kinds Of Hell (Fangborn #1) by Dana Cameron
Urban Fantasy
March 12, 2013
Publisher: 47 North

Archaeologist Zoe Miller has been running from a haunting secret her whole life. But when her cousin is abducted by a vicious Russian kidnapper, Zoe is left with only one option: to reveal herself. Unknown to even her closest friends, Zoe is not entirely human. She’s a werewolf and a daughter of the Fangborn, a secretive race of werewolves, vampires, and oracles embroiled in an ancient war against evil. To rescue her cousin, Zoe will be forced to renew family ties and pit her own supernatural abilities against the dark and nefarious foe. The hunt brings Zoe to the edge of her limits, and with the fate of humanity and the Fangborn in the balance, life will be decided by an artifact of world-ending power. (Goodreads)

Seven Kinds Of Hell is my genre preference for reading.The excerpt alone demanded I jump right on this Urban Fantasy when it was offered up to me for review. An archaeologist who finds herself a pawn in supernatural politics, involving a questionable family she never knew about? My kind of book. Or so I thought. Frankly, this was the most confusing and staid book I ever read. I found the character development stunted and overwhelmed by the continuous and massive world building and storyline set up. There are multiple storylines swirling around each other which only added to my confusion. This book is all about the set up. This is unfortunate because I wasn’t able to connect with the characters or the main plotlines.

 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Jennifer Estep’s Deadly Sting with May at Smexybooks

Deadly Sting by Jennifer Estep (Elemental Assassin #8)
Releases: March 26, 2013
Urban Fantasy
Pocket

Reviewed by Tori and May

Red is definitely my color. Good thing, because in my line of work, I end up wearing it a lot.

Most people shy away from blood, but for an assassin like me— Gin Blanco, aka the Spider—it’s just part of the job. Still, it would be nice to get a night off, especially when I’m attending the biggest gala event of the summer at Briartop, Ashland’s fanciest art museum. But it’s just not meant to be. For this exhibition of my late nemesis’s priceless possessions is not only the place to be seen, but the place to be robbed and taken hostage at gunpoint as well. No sooner did I get my champagne than a bunch of the unluckiest thieves ever burst into the museum and started looting the place.

Unlucky why? Because I brought along a couple of knives in addition to my killer dress. Add these to my Ice and Stone magic, and nothing makes me happier than showing the bad guys why red really is my color.

 

Read the rest of our review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Slashback by Rob Thurman at Smexybooks

 

Slashback (Cal Leandros #8) by Rob Thurman
Urban Fantasy
Paperback
March 5, 2013
Roc

Favorite Quote: “He touched my little brother-I stopped his heart. Seemed fair to me.“

Revenge is the name of the game when the past merges with the present. Supernatural crime fighting duo, Cal and Niko Leandros, have to use their deadly skills and talents to defeat an enemy from their past. As children, they came very close to falling victim to a serial killer. Though they defeated him, they are now faced with a much larger problem. The man they killed was merely a puppet for a much more dangerous and vicious killer-the legendary Spring-heeled Jack. Jack has never forgiven Cal and Niko for what they took from him. They owe him.

And he has come back to town to ensure they pay.

I am a huge fan of Thurman’s Cal Leandros series. Often, a series with a resolvable conflict in each book and no emotional or high impact cliffhangers to carry from book to book has a hard time maintaining beyond three installments, much less eight. Not so in here. This dark and dynamic urban fantasy series continues to not only maintain but exceeds the expectations of it’s fans.  Based on two brothers, one human and one not so human, this series has a wonderful Supernatural (show on the WB) vibe to it. Light on the romance but heavy on the bromance, this action packed series gives us more than a bang for our buck as Thurman send us headfirst back into the lives and adventures of Cal and Niko Leandros. Well-plotted and cast with characters that are strong and personable Slashback is filled with taut suspense, delicious betrayal, dry witty humor, and very dangerous antagonists. A fascinating read that captured me from page one.  Thurman does a fabulous job of exploring and continuously evolving the relationship between brothers Cal and Niko as they fight to protect each other and the good citizens of New York City.

 

Read more of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Soulbound by Tessa Adams at SmexyBooks

Soulbound (Lone Star Witch #1) by Tessa Adams
Urban Fantasy
February 5, 2013
Signet Eclipse

Reviewed by Tori

As the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter—and a member of Ipswitch’s Royal family—Xandra Morgan should be a witch of incredible power. But things don’t always turn out like you expect…

Born in a world of magic that which she seems to possess none of, Xandra Morgan has accepted this and gone on with her life. Her family however, considered royalty in the mage world, is not as accepting and are constantly pushing, prodding and even poisoning her in hopes that her latent powers will show themselves. When she begins to have empathic visions of death that lead her straight to the bodies, she finds herself an unwilling pawn in a desperate battle for power and control. A battle that could end her life at the hands of a madman.

Soulbound is a dark noir fantasy thriller. From page one we are submerged into the interesting and devious world of witches, warlocks, and magic. Well-plotted and cast with a strong and personable of characters, Soulbound is filled with tense suspense, delicious betrayal, and dangerous antagonists. This paranormal “whodunit” will keep you guessing till the very end.

 

Read the rest of my review at SmexyBooks.

I’m reviewing River Road by Suzanne Johnson at Smexybooks

River Road (Sentinels of New Orleans #2) by Suzanne Johnson
Urban Fantasy
November 13, 2012
Tor

Favorite Quote: “Until you stop dating the undead Pirate Of The Caribbean, you have no room to laugh.“

River Road begins three years after the events in Royal Street. Drusilla Jaco (DJ), our fledgling wizard, still acts as sentinel to New Orleans with her shapeshifting bodyguard/partner, Alex Warin. The Elders are still concerned with her novice classification so Alex will continue to ‘help’ DJ with her duties. They have come a long way into developing a relationship that works well for both of them. DJ is also still recovering from the duplicity and death of her father and mentor, Gerry. Her fear of losing another person who matters weighs heavily on her. Hurricane Katrina did more than just devastate New Orleans, it weakened the veil between the mortal and spiritual worlds. DJ and Alex find themselves submerged in a dual mystery filled with magic and death as wizards start dying and the waters of the Mississippi are being poisoned, causing war among the merfolks who live along its coastal waters.

 

Read the rest of the review at Smexybooks.

I'm reviewing Allison Pang’s A Trace Of Moonlight at Smexybooks

A Trace Of Moonlight (Abby Sinclair #3) by Allison Pang
Urban Fantasy
October 30, 2012
Pocket

Favorite Quote: “Clap if you believe! Clap if you believe!“

SPOILERS ahead from book two. At the end of Slivers Of Shadows, Abby offered herself up as the Tithe which enabled the Faerie Queen to reopen the Crossroads. Abby loses her memory in the process and A Trace Of Moonlight opens to Ion doing his best to help Abby regain her memory in the Dreaming.

Abby Sinclair has been to hell, come back, then went voluntarily back again. She is currently sequestered in the Seelie Queen’s palace, having been convinced she is in love with and marrying the Queen’s son, Taliver. When Ion comes to her in a dream, begging her to remember and giving her a priceless gift, the fog that has obscured her mind begins to slowly lift. A chance meeting with Maurice, a mortal who has attempted to destroy the Otherworld throughout the series, brings back all her memories and causes her to lose the amulet. With all her memories intact, Abby has some issues with decisions that have been made for her and wants to go home. The Queen doesn’t agree with her plan and her attempts to belay Abby’s plans causes an impromptu hand fasting between Taliver and Abby. Taliver and Abby escape the palace and head to the Unseelie Court. Taliver takes his place as the rightful king and steps up his efforts to find Maurice and the amlet. When a band of mercenaries attack the Unseelie Court and damage the Eildon Tree, Ion appears and uses the confusion to pull Abby through to the veil; therefore breaking the spell that trapped her in the Otherworld. Now the race is on as Abby must find away to save Ion, save the tree, and save Faerie before she loses everyone and everything she loves.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I'm reviewing The Shattered Dark by Sandy Williams at Smexybooks

The Shattered Dark (McKenzie Lewis #2) by Sandy Williams Urban Fantasy
Releases: October 30, 2012
Ace

Favorite Quote: “It’s a familiar feeling, being pushed to the side like this.“

Sandy Williams once again takes us on a dark, twisted journey with the second installment of her dynamic urban fantasy McKenzie Lewis series,The Shattered Dark. Our heroine McKenzie Lewis isn’t your average urban fantasy heroine. She has a unique gift, the ability to read and locate Elves through the trace of magic they leave when transporting, but no special powers or skills. In The Shadow Reader,she proves that her true strength lies in her loyalty, intelligence, and stubbornness; allowing her to more than hold her own. Ms. Williams continues to evolve and develop McKenzie, both personally and in a professional sense, which I appreciated. In The Shadow Reader, she was a balanced protagonist but somewhat bland in her dialogue and thoughts. We got the basics of her personality though I felt she could have flashed out better. McKenzie seems more three dimensional in this installment. The world building is complex with it’s continued political manipulations and geography make up. Though we still only get small snippets of the fae world and politic, there is a healthy balance achieved between the storyline and the world in which it is built.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks. 

I’m reviewing Angel’s Ink by Jocelynn Drake at Smexybooks

 

Angel’s Ink (The Asylum Tales #1) by Jocelynn Drake
Urban Fantasy
E Book
October 16, 2012
Harper Voyager

Favorite Quote: “I had a price to pay for my choices.“

In Low Town, where elves, fairies, trolls, werewolves, and vampires are happily walking among humanity, everything has its price. Gage just wants to run his tattoo parlor and live a quiet fuss free life, but this former warlock is finding out that what he wants and what he’ll get are two very different things. Leaving the Ivory Tower, where the warlocks and witches of the world rule with an iron fist, has left Gage with a huge target on his back as no one EVER leaves the Ivory Tower alive. Gage was allowed to leave only if he never uses his magic for anything but self defense, however, circumstances cause Gage to break this rule on many different occasions. When Gage finds himself hunted by his former mentor, the grim reaper, a mob boss, and a werewolf, Gage hopes that with a little help from his friends, he may just live to see tomorrow.

Angel’s Ink is the first installment in a new urban fantasy series by bestselling author Jocelyn Drake. I ADORED Ms. Drakes Nightwalker series and was excited to see her penning a new and obviously different type of series. Angel’s Ink has an  interesting premise and introduces us to a supernatural world where everything and everyone lives together; though not necessarily in harmony. Fast pacing keeps the story moving at a brisk pace as Drake sets up the arc and builds her modern magical world. Plenty of action and mystery will keep you guessing. As this is heavily character driven, I found the world building suffers as it tries to complete against the overwhelming and convoluted amount of subplots presented. I would have enjoyed learning more about the world presented, the war that brought this world to where it’s at now, and more about the various groups of supernaturals that we are introduced to.

I’m reviewing Dark Currents by Jacqueline Carey at Smexybooks

Dark Currents (Agent of Hel #1) by Jacqueline Carney
Urban Fantasy
Hardback
October 2, 2012
Roc

In the small resort town of Pemkowet, wealthy humans and supernatural creatures (called eldritch) live together in an uneasy harmony, all under the unbending authority of an ancient Norse goddess, Hel. Daisy Johanssen, half incubus and half human, helps patrol the town and it’s inhabitants as an official agent of Hel and a liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department.

When a college student is found dead and all signs point to eldritch involvement, Daisy is paired with sexy police officer Cody Fairfax and charged with finding answers quick. Daisy has always had a crush on Cody, but this secretive werewolf has always made it clear that pack comes first. As Daisy puts her crush on hold and opens herself to the mystery surrounding her, she finds her emotions aren’t so easily held in check and that is a bad thing, because if her emotions exploded…so may the world.

Jacqueline Carey’s Dark Currents is a quirky urban fantasy with an interesting modern world set up and a cast of distinctive characters. Besides the normal supernatural cast-wolves, fae, vamps-we also have ghouls. Attractive ghouls. Attractive breathing, eating, body parts intact ghouls. Set in a small resort tourist town in the Midwest, our heroine, Daisy Johannsen, is a half breed incubus who uses her faith and mother’s love to offset her volatile emotions from her father’s side. Volatile emotions that should she give in to them, could start the beginning of Armageddon. Daisy is an agent of Hel. Hel is a Norse goddess who rules over the edritch that live in the town. Her word is law and Daisy is her enforcer. 

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.

I’m reviewing Night Seeker by Yasmine Galenorn at Smexybooks

Night Seeker (Indigo Court #3) by Yasmine Galenorn
Urban Fantasy
July 3, 2012
Penguin

 

Favorite quote: “There is much to fear in the dark. There are monsters under the bed and in the closet, and now they walk aboard at will.“

Wind witch and owl shifter, Cicely Waters, rescued her lover, Fae Prince Grieve from the Indigo Court, but not before Myst, the Queen Of Winter, turned him. The rescue destroyed Cicely’s alliance with Lainule, the Queen of Summer and destroyed any hope of cooperation from the vampires. Cicely, in desperation, appeals to the Consortium for help.

When the Queen Of Summer begins to fade, Cicely offers to find and bring back Summer’s heartstone. Cicely also has to find a way to change Grieve back and keep Lannan at arms length. As friends turn enemy and enemies become allies, Cicely will find herself standing on the edge of the precipice, her destiny unfolding before her as she fights for all she loves and believes in.

Night Seeker, the third installment of Yasmine Galenorn’s dark and sensual fae fantasy, picks up right where Night Veil left off and blows it all out of the water. Well-plotted and cast with characters that are strong and personable, Night Seeker is filled with taut suspense, delicious betrayal, and dangerous antagonists.

Read the rest of my review at Smexybooks.