Sunday Salon: Blood Song by Rhiannon Hart

Blood Song is the debut novel from Australian author Rhiannon Hart. I was interested in reading it when it first came out, but I hadn't quite gotten around to it yet. A couple of weeks ago I received the second book in this series for review, but I can't knowingly do the whole reading out of order thing so I borrowed this book from the library.

Shortly afterwards, the author offered me the chance to participated in a blog tour for the two books. Given that I read so much better to a deadline, I agreed to review this first book, so here it is!

Our main characters, Zeraphina, is a princess from the House of Amentia,  a noble but poor land where even just the daily struggle to survive is getting harder and harder for the people. Luckily there is every likelihood that life is going to improve even just a little thanks to the fact that Zeraphina's older sister, Lilith, is betrothed to a handsome prince which should lead to trade agreements and so much more. However, life can change in a heartbeat and when suddenly Lilith is once again single thanks to the death of her fiance the Queen, Renata, knows that she much move fast to find another husband for Lilith.

Where Lilith is golden haired with fair skin, Zeraphina is almost her complete opposite - her hair is only a couple of shades away from blackest black and her skin is pale. It is however not only her external appearance that makes our heroine as being different to everyone else. There is also the small matter of the thirst for blood that comes up on her, the odd pets that she owns (Leap the cat and Griffin the eagle who just about steal the limelight every time they appear on the page) and an almost unnatural talent with the bow and arrow. What Zeraphina doesn't know is why she is different. Her mother insists that she is the natural daughter of the deceased king, and that she changed as a result of a childhood illness, but why is she so different to everyone else, and why does she feel a strong pull towards the northern lands.

It doesn't take Renata long to set her sights on Prince Amis of Pergamia as a potential husband for her eldest daughter and so the family travels north. Zeraphina hopes that she will be able to find out more about her own strange yearnings and also about the land of Lharmel. She just knows that this place is important and given that nearly every reference to the land has been moved from the texts of her homeland this is her chance to learn.

One of the first people she is introduced to on arrival is Rodden Lothskorn. He is advisor to the royal family of Pergamia and he and Zeraphina instantly dislike each other.

Then I remembered what Renata had said about protocol. Maybe it was written in stone that arrogant jerks had to lead the younger sisters of future queens of the nation through to dinner.

It was rather hard on younger sisters, I thought.

It soon becomes clear that Rodden has secrets of his own, and if he would only share some of his knowledge he may well help Zeraphina learn more about who and what she is.

As I was reading this book I was trying to figure out which author I was reminded of, and in the end I decided that it was the Study series by Maria V Snyder. Some of the reasons why I think that is the that the kind of faux-medieval world that is not all that much different from our own world albeit with pretty modern language, an interesting female lead character plus a touch of romance. I guess the phrase that I am grasping for is fantasy-lite.

I liked the world that the author created. The Lharmellian's are suitably horrible creatures, and the journey that Zeraphina and Rodden undertake is epic in scope, with danger and drama on every page. As individual characters, both Zeraphina and Rodden are interesting. Whilst Zeraphina does occasionally make decisions that have the reader shaking your head in disbelief, she does recognise that  in herself and is suitably self-chastised. The other good thing is that once they start to work together, the two of them are clearly partners and it is not a case that Zeraphina needs to be saved by a hero.

At 290 pages, this book is an easy, quick read which is great if you just want a fast, entertaining read. I found myself wanting a little more depth in the interactions between the various characters and a little more world building. Thankfully, the book doesn't end on a major cliffhanger, and I am intrigued enough to want to keep reading the next book in the series.

Rating 3.5/5

To visit other people on the tour and to find out more about the author and her books, check out the following links

Tour Schedule
Rhiannon Hart's Facebook page
Rhiannon Hart on Twitter
Rhiannon Hart's blog
You can read the first chapter of the second book, Blood Storm, at the following link:

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/93879529/Blood%20Storm_extract.pdf

Thanks to Rhiannon Hart for inviting me to participate in the blog tour.

Synopsis

I wanted to turn but I was held captive by the song on the wind. I’m coming, I told the voices. Please, wait for me.

When her sister becomes betrothed to a prince in a northern nation, Zeraphina’s only consolations are that her loyal animal companions are by her side – and that her burning hunger to travel north is finally being sated.

Already her black hair and pale eyes mark her out as different, but now Zeraphina must be even more careful to keep her secret safe. Craving blood is not considered normal behaviour for anyone, let alone a princess. So when the king’s advisor, Rodden, seems to know more about her condition than she does, Zeraphina is determined to find out more.

Zeraphina must be willing to sacrifice everything if she’s to uncover the truth – but what if the truth is beyond her worst nightmares

This book counts for the following challenges:

Storm Front Readalong Part 3

Harry Dresden--Wizard
Lost items found. Paranormal investigations.
Consulting. Advice. Reasonable rates.
No Love Potions, Endless Purses, Parties, or Other Entertainment.


Harry Dresden is the best at what he does. Well, technically, he's the only at what he does. So when the Chicago P.D. has a case that transcends mortal creativity or capability, they come to him for answers. For the "everyday" world is actually full of strange and magical things--and most of them don't play too well with humans. That's where Harry comes in. Takes a wizard to catch a--well, whatever.


There's just one problem. Business, to put it mildly, stinks. So when the police bring him in to consult on a grisly double murder committed with black magic, Harry's seeing dollar signs. But where there's magic, there's a black mage behind it. And now that mage knows Harry's name. And that's when things start to get... interesting.


Magic. It can get a guy killed.

This is the last week of the Storm Front readalong which is being hosted by Carl as part of RIP IV. If you want to see the previous week's readalong post then click on the Storm Front Readalong label below.

1. Were you disappointed that we didn't get see any more of Bianca and Harry together?

Not really. For me the more interesting relationship that I think has the most potential going forward is the uneasy relationship between Harry and Murphy.  I suspect that we haven't seen the last of Bianca in the series though.

2. We finally get to see Harry go on the magical offensive in this section of the book. Any favorite action moment?

I think my favourite scenes were in the elevator and then when he used the broom at the lake house. My main reasons for liking these scenes is that Harry was down to his last options in terms of his power. It really was just Harry against the world. No staff. No rod. Just Harry drawing from deep within himself to fight to stay alive. I also thought that even within the storm of action, Butcher still managed to infuse humour into the situation, particularly in relation to the use of a cleaning spell in the big crescendo scene at the house!

3. How did you feel about where Harry and Murphy's relationship was at when the book ended?

For me, this is the most interesting dynamic in the book. Murphy needs Harry's expertise and his information, Harry needs to protect the paranormal secrets as much as he can and so really can only give her information on a need to know basis which pisses Murphy off. In addition though, Harry really needs the income that working for the department provides. So they both need each other, but they both also protect themselves from the other as much as they can.

4. (This question morphs somewhat into Jeff's 'Harry and Murphy' question, but) How did you feel about the wrap up after the climax, the brief mentions of various characters as part of Harry's closing narration?

I guess all the loose ends have to be tidied up! I tell you that  I would love to read some short stories of what exactly it is that Bob gets up to when he gets out of the skull! They would obviously have to be a little censored because I think he likes to party very hard, but they would be really fun to read!

5. Now that you've seen Harry in all three acts of a story arc, what are your thoughts about him as a character, particularly in light of this being a debut novel for the series.

Harry seems like a great character to hang a series from, a fact that seems to have been born out by the longevity of the series. This book was published in 2000 and the 13th novel was published this year, not mention that there are several short stories in various anthologies.

I think this passage really shows us about Harry's character and innate honour. How could you not like a guy like this (from page  291):

I took deep breaths, struggling to see clear of the anger, the hate, the deep lust that burned within me for vengeance and retribution. That wasn't what magic was for. That wasn't what magic did. Magic came from life itself, from the interaction of nature and the elements, from the energy  of all living beings, and especially of people. A man's magic demonstrates what sort of person he is, what is held most deeply inside of him. There is no truer gauge of a man's character than the way in which he employs his strength, his power.

6. Any finally, a two-parter: Discuss your overall experience with the book and/or the group read and will you be reading the next book in the series?

This was a reread for me, and I have to say I enjoyed reading the book a bit more this time around. I am not sure if it was the questions that made me think things through a bit more, the fact that I didn't rush through it  as I tried really hard to keep to the reading schedule, or perhaps even the fact that I knew what to expect having read the next couple of books in the series as well.

I will be rereading Fool Moon as well and I hope to continue on with the series. I meant to keep reading the series before but I kept on borrowing Summer Knight but never actually getting to read it! This time, I will (probably).

Having read the first book I hae also been prompted me to watch the Dresden Files TV series. It's different to the books and the jury is out, but it's not too bad a way to spend some time.

Thanks to Carl for running the read along and to his friends for coming up with the discussion questions.

Storm Front Readalong - Week 2

I am sitting here late on Monday night thinking about going to bed, but I know that I really need to get this post finished off as soon as I can. Why? Because I want to pick up the book again and see what happens next! Guess that is a good sign that I am really enjoying the book again this time around!

On to the questions....

1. What are your thoughts on the pop culture references Butcher includes in his work, largely coming from Harry himself?

Uh-oh! I can't say I have really noticed the pop culture references. Maybe because I am enjoying reading the book and not taking a lot of noticed.

I am always wary about the way that pop culture references are used in books! Done well it can add touch points for the reader to help understand the characters. Overdone it makes me feel like the book is going to date really quickly. An example of a series where the pop culture references are overdone and I therefore think the books are unlikely to stand the true test of time are the House of Night books by PC and Kristin Cast.

 2. As I finished part two of Storm Front I realized that each section of the book thus far feels like a distinct act in a three act story arc. How do you compare the events in this second section of the book with what happened it part one? Is there a mood or theme or such that you feel is embodied by part two of Harry's adventures?

Beginning, middle and end? The first third of the book is getting to know our main character, meeting the secondary characters, getting a feel for the relationships between them, building the world and of course finding out about the crime.

The second third of the book builds a little more but is all about action! Harry is put in danger, and to a degree finds himself more isolated from the people that he normally can rely on. You get the feeling that when time comes for the big showdown that leads to the resolution of the crime Harry is pretty much going to be on his own!

In effect, Harry is put under pressure in this section of the book - emotionally, physically, magically and more!

I have to say the reading this week ended at a pretty crucial point! It was all I could do not to keep on turning the pages so it took a little self control to stick with the scheduled reading this week.

3. One of many things Jim Butcher demonstrates in Storm Front is a healthy sense of humor. Share with us your thoughts on one (or more) of the humorous moments in the story thus far.

The humour is really the factor that makes this series very readable and in many ways distinguishes it from other paranormal series that have murder mysteries associated with them! Quite a few of those lost their emphasis on mystery rather focusing on trying to be more paranormal or more humourous after a couple of weeks but I don't envisage this happening with Harry.

4. Our hero Harry had disastrous interactions with the women in his life in section two of the book (Four by my count). For first time readers, were you surprised by any of these and what are your thoughts? For those who've read the books before, had you forgotten about any of these? If so, or even if not, share your thoughts on Harry's luck with women.

Harry is so not a ladies man, but I really don't think that he sees himself any different. I was sure that there was a quote somewhere where he talked a little about this, about his shortcomings romantically. I don't think this is the one I meant but it shows that he is aware of his limitations in this area of his life:

I stared at her. Oh my gosh. I had forgotten my date with Susan. How in the world could I have forgotten that? I mean, the White Council, the police, vampires, concussions, junkies, mob bosses, and baseball-bat-swinging thugs notwithstanding -

Well, no. There probably weren't any women incredible enough to make me keep my mind on them through all of that. But all the same, it seemed a little rude of me.

He hates that he lets down the women in his life because of who he is and what he does. He hates knowing that he does it, but it doesn't stop it from doing it, particularly when he thinks it is in their best interests. At heart, I think that Harry is chivalrous in his own way, he is just not all that good at showing that chivalry in a way that isn't going to upset those near him.

I did understand, really. I understood the pressure she was under, her frustration, her anger, and her determination to stop the killing from happening again. If I was some kind of hero from a romance novel, I'd have said something brief and eloquent and heartrending. But I'm just me, so I said, "I do understand, Karrin."

Carmichael stepped out of my way.

And I walked away from Murphy, who I couldn't talk to, and from Linda, who I couldn't protect, my head aching, weary to my bones, and feeling like a total piece of shit.

5. A few other popular characters have been brought up in the first round of discussion about Storm Front. What books, films, tv shows, etc. does this story/these characters call to mind and why?

Not sure on this one I must confess. I don't watch a lot of TV or film to be able to compare. The only thing that came to mind was the TV show Charmed simple because of the paranormal aspects combined with the humour.

6. For new readers, what is your overall assessment of the story thus far? For re-readers, what have you picked up on this time that you either forgot about or don't remember seeing from your first trip through the book?

This is a reread for me and I am thoroughly enjoying the book. Normally I pride myself on being able to remember books I read a while ago, but while I have remembered the basic plot, I have found myself not recognising much of the action, so in some ways it is like reading the details for the first time! Maybe I should reread a bit more often!

Time to go and read some more.

Storm Front Readalong - Week 1

Welcome to week 1 of the Storm Front read along! Before getting into the questions,  I thought I would elaborate on why I decided to participate in this read along which is being hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings as part of RIP VI.

It is very unusual for me to reread a book, but this is in fact a reread. The major reason why I decided to join in this time even though I have already read the book is because in amongst the many other series I am reading this one seems to have fallen by the wayside. I originally read both this book and the second book in the series more than three years ago, but it took another year to read the third book and then I haven't read any more even though I had requested the fourth book from the library a number of times. In addition I have read a few short stories that appeared in various anthologies.

I must confess that normally I have a relatively good memory when it come to books, but I apparently didn't absorb a lot because apart from remembering certain characters like Murphy and Bob, I haven't really remember a lot about the plot. I also remembered certain characteristics more than actual characters.

1. What are your first impressions of our main character, Harry Dresden?

One thing I did remember is that I liked Harry. I liked that we had hard bitten detective trope but with the paranormal twist and the humour! Down on his luck in his business, in relation to money and most definitely not hitting home runs with the ladies! Whilst I don't think I would want to drive his car or live in Harry's house with Bob and Mister the cat but I love the idea of them!

So what is it that gives Harry the edge in investigating:

Wizardry is all about thinking ahead, about being prepared.. Wizards aren't really superhuman. We just have a leg up on seeing things more clearly than other people, and being able to use the extra information we have for our benefit. Hell, the word wizard comes from the same root as wise. We know things. We aren't any stronger or faster than anyone else. We don't even have all that much more going in the mental department. But we're god awful sneaky, and if we get the chance to get set for something, we can do some impressive things.

As a wizard, if you're ready to address a problem then it's likely that you'll be able to come up with something that will let you deal with it.

2. In the first section of the book we are introduced to a large cast of characters. Some in support of our main character and others who are involved in the multiple investigations with agendas unknown to us. Are there any of the these characters who stood out to you?

As much as I like the perpetually stressed police office Murphy, it really is difficult for me to go past Bob the sex obsessed skull! I love the back and forth between Harry and Bob and the fact that they really need each other to get ahead (no pun intended). I was kind of surprised at how far into this week's chapters we were before we met Bob! Here's part of his first appearance into the book:

"Tell you what," he said. "Let me out for a ride, and I'll tell you how to get out of it."

That made me wary. "Bob, I let you out once. Remember?"

He nodded dreamily, scraping bones on wood. "The sorority house. I remember."

I snorted, and started some water to boiling over one of the burners. "You're supposed to be a spirit of intellect. I don't understand why you're obsessed with sex."

Bob's voice got defensive. "It's an academic interest, Harry."

"Oh year? Well maybe I don't think it's fair to let your academia go peeping in other people's houses."

"Wait a minute. My academia doesn't just peep -"

I held up a hand. "Save it. I don't want to hear it."

He grunted. "You're trivializing what getting out for a bit means to me, Harry. You're insulting my masculinity."

"Bob," I said, "you're a skull. You don't have any masculinity to insult."

3. Did you ever watch the Syfy channel's Dresden Files TV adaption? If so did it effect how you approached the novel? Were there positive and/or negative differences that stood out to you?

I don't even know if this series was shown on TV here. I certainly don't recall seeing anything about it.

4. Any thoughts on Jim Butcher's magic system, Harry's Watcher, and/or the White Council?

I think that there is a lot more to find out about the world that Butcher is building up here. I like that not unlike Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series, the author has chosen very early on to make it clear that we are not just talking about wizards. I suspect (oh, alright I know) that this gives Butcher plenty of scope to keep on building onto the world thus preventing it from feeling too limited and giving a lot of freedom for future story lines.

I think that the events in Harry's past that have brought him to the attention of the White Council help give Harry a vulnerability that gives a real edge to the action. He knows that he is one step away from disaster a lot of the time and along with the reader is left treading a very fine line between potential 'doom' and certain 'doom'!

5. Lastly, Any guess on were Dresden's multiple plot threads will lead and/or any favorite scenes the first section of the book?

To guess where the final scenes are going would be cheating just a little bit!

In terms of favourite scenes, I really enjoyed the scene at McAnally's with Susan and the barely communicative barman Mac, and also the scene at the lake where Harry enticed Toots to help him out! Toot's enthusiasm about pizza had me smiling to myself:

"Pizza!" Toot cried, jubilant. "Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!" His wings fluttered again, and I tried to blink the damned faery dust out of my eyes before I started sneezing.

"Faeries like pizza?" I asked.

"Oh, Harry," Toot said breathlessly. "Haven't you ever had pizza before?"

"Of course I have," I said.

Toot looked wounded. "And you didn't share?"

Click on the link at the top of the post to see Carl's thoughts and to find links to other people's posts about this first section of the book. I will be back next week with my thoughts about the second section of the book.

Second Chance at the Sugar Shack by Candis Terry

Kate Silver’s back in town, and her dead mother just won’t leave her alone.


Kate usually spends her days dressing Hollywood A-listers, but after her estranged mother dies she finds herself elbow-deep in flour in her parents’ bakery in Deer Lick, Montana. She thought she’d left small town life far, far behind, but it seems there are a few loose ends.


The boy she once loved, Deputy Matt Ryan, is single and sexy and still has a thing for her – and handcuffs.


Her mother, who won’t follow the white light, is determined to give maternal advice from beyond the grave.


And somehow Kate’s three-day stay has, well – extended. She never planned to fill her mother’s pie-baking shoes – she prefers her Choos, thank you very much. But with the help of a certain man in uniform, Kate quickly learns that sometimes second chances are all the more sweet.

There's only one reaction when you suddenly realise that you actually only have one day before e-galley expires, you haven't even transferred it onto your e-reader yet and it can't be downloaded again! Panic!! Or maybe there is really a second reaction - decide that you are going to start reading it at 10pm on a Sunday night and you will just push hard to finish it the next day and hope that you get it finished before zero hour.

Fortunately for me, this is the kind of book that you can start at 10pm at night and just keep on reading and suddenly it is 1am and you have to get up in 5 hours but you close the now finished book with a contented sigh!

Kate Silver is stylist to the stars - country stars, pushy starlets  - you name it she tells them what to wear and when and can name drop with the best of them! She's worked hard to get to where she is and she needs to work twice as hard to stay there.

When her mother dies, Kate returns to the small town she escaped from 10 years before. She couldn't get out of Deer Lick fast enough not even to say goodbye to anyone, especially after a terrible argument with her mother, and now she is not in such a hurry to get back again, except she knows that her dad needs her. The other reason why she is a bit apprehensive about going back to town - the chance that she might run into her ex, Matt Ryan. She figures, though, that he will have let himself go so it shouldn't be a problem.

Matt Ryan has, however, done anything but let himself go. He is now a very handsome man in uniform - deputy sheriff uniform at that. When he meets Kate at her mother's funeral she can't believe her eyes, anymore than she can believe what she hears when she finds out he has written up a list of the most eligible women in town to choose a wife from. And Matt is determined that Kate is not going to go on the list even if they do still have incredible chemistry.

Second Chance at the Sugar Shack is another entry in the contemporary romances with a small town setting that I have been really enjoying this year. The author has tried to make it a little different than normal by adding in the ghost of Kate's mother who tries to push her in the right direction as well as to try and heal the hurts that still are smouldering despite 10 years of virtual estrangement.

With a title like this, you know that there is bound to be some sugar involved somewhere in the book. In this case it is the family bakery that Kate's parents have run for many years. After being strong armed into staying to help her dad by her siblings (who will of course get their own book in due course) Kate eventually begins to see Deer Lick in a different light and begins to reevaluate exactly what it is that she wants for her life.

The baked goods sound delicious and I really wished that I had some while I was reading (except for that whole crumbs in the bed thing) and the descriptions added an extra something to the book!

With the combination of small town contemporary romance, ghostly mother visitations, baked goods and more it wouldn't have been too difficult for this to stray into the territory of saccharine sweet, but Candis Terry manages to keep it just the right side of the line. I will certainly be looking forward to reading the next book, preferably with a sweet snack or two placed conveniently close at hand.

Rating 4/5

Review copy provided by Netgalley - thanks!

Joint Review: A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Deep in the heart of Oxford's Bodleian Library, scholar Diana Bishop requests a manuscript called Ashmole 782 in the course of her research. Coming from an old and distinguished lineage of witches, Diana senses that the ancient book might be bound up with magic - but she herself wants nothing to do with sorcery; and after making a few notes on its curious images, she banishes it quickly back to the stacks. But what she doesn't know is that the old alchemical text has been lost for centuries, and its sudden appearance has set a fantastical underworld stirring. Soon, a distracting horde of daemons, witches, and vampires descends upon the Bodleian's reading rooms. One of these creatures is Matthew Clairmont, an enigmatic ad eminent geneticist, practitioner of yoga, and wine connoisseur - and also a vampire with a keen interest in Ashmole 782.

Equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense, A Discovery of Witches is a novel of epic scope, traveling from the cobbled streets of Oxford to the chateaus and mountains of the Auvergne to a small town in upstate New York. It also takes us into a rich fifteen-hundred year history that spans Clovis and the Crusades, the Knights Templar, and the American Revolution. As Matthew and Diana's alliance deepens into intimacy, Diana must come to terms with age-old taboos and her own family's conflicted history - and she must learn where the modern woman she is meets the source of ancient power that is her legacy. With a scholar's depth and the touch of a great storyteller, Deborah Harkness has woven a tale of passion and obsession; the collision of magic, alchemy, and science; and the closely guarded secrets of an enchanted world.

Today I bring you a three way conversational review between Kelly from The Written World, Heather from Capricious Reader and myself! Kelly has the first part of the post, Heather the second part, and this is the third and final part of the conversation! Heather's thoughts are in black, Kelly's in light blue and mine in dark blue.

Enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~

Marg: Let’s talk about the main characters, Matthew and Diana. I’ve already mentioned that I found Matthew to be a droolworthy. He is portrayed as handsome (of course), extremely intelligent, rich, urbane and more. Was he too good to be true (ignoring the whole vampire thing of course)? How about Diana? Was she too naive at the beginning?

Heather: Matthew had to grow on me. At first there was that whole “what are his intentions here” and all. He was so secretive and standoffish and mysterious! And yet, he was mysterious. And as you say, obviously handsome. And the more we the reader got to know him, the more, well, too good to be true he became (and partly why I constantly compare him to Edward) (sorry!). He may be a smidge “too good to be true,” but I think that’s part of his charm. Plus, he’s just so damn well read. I would kill for his library. What isn’t there to like about a gorgeous man who will live forever and has a library like that? I mean really.

As for Diana. Her naivety was part of my problem with her. She was so I AM NOT A WITCH in the beginning, but then it didn’t take her long to embrace it. At least it didn’t feel like it to me. And then she got kinda Bella on me with all the neediness. HOWEVER. I do think she has the potential to become very un-Bella like in the next book. I’m dying to read what happens after she truly comes into her powers!

Kelly?

Kelly: Yes, I can totally see how Diana was a lot like Bella. She seemed to change rather drastically in personality. I was not very impressed when she started to like Matthew just a bit too much for my liking. I am very sick of the obsessed romance plot-line at the moment. It turned out to be a minor problem for me, though. Diana had other characteristics that made up for it and I think she will really grow in the second book. I am looking forward to seeing more from her! I don’t really think she accepted her ‘witch’ abilities that easily, though. She had them her entire life and tried to ignore them, but we learn that there is a lot more to that than she was aware of, so it is hard to say what would have happened if she had been allowed to grow-up normally.

As to Matthew, I was just jealous of his library. Actually, the houses that he lived in sounded pretty amazing, too! He might have written a bit too ‘perfectly’, but he has had many years to develop his persona. If she had written him like most men then it might not have seemed as believable that he was very old and worldly. That’s my thought anyway.

Marg: I really wanted to say how much I loved Matthew and Diana together as well though. He knew her strength before she did, but even then was surprised and impressed by her. She drew him out of himself, making him realise that he held himself apart from the people in his life, and I loved the connection between them. This was one of my favourite moments between them.

Quote from page 340

"There you are," he said. "I thought I was going to have to fish you out of the water."

Desire shot through me, and my knees went weak. The feelings were exacerbated by the knowledge that what I was about to say would wipe the smile clean off his face.


Please let this be right, I whispered to myself, resting my hands on his shoulders. Matthew titled his head back against my chest and smiled up at me.


"Kiss me," he commanded.


I complied without a second thought, amazed at the comfort between us. This was so different from books and movies, where love was made into something tense and difficult. Loving Matthew was much more like coming into port than heading out into a storm.


"How do you manage it?" I asked him, holding his face in my hands. "I feel like I've known you forever."

Kelly: I just have to say that I read this quote and was left thinking if I hadn’t read this book all ready, this quote would not have lead me to it. I just thought that illustrates well the different tastes of readers that would love this book.

Marg: For me it is really that idea of coming into port that I really loved, but needed the rest of the quote for context!

One thing I loved about the book was all the description of food and wine. You could tell that the author loves her food and wine, and even a couple of the trailers show her talking about food and wine.

Heather: You KNOW I loved the descriptions of the food and wine. I have yet to find a wine I like (I’m not much of a drinker) but this book made me want to run out and buy until I find one I love as much as Matthew obviously relishes his wines.

Kelly: I went through a moment earlier in the year where I was going to understand the whole attraction to wine, but I never did go through with it. I live in an area where there are several vineyards, but even though I have gone to tastings I have never been able to find a wine I like. I think when I read books that wine features in a great deal, I always want to know what the big deal is. I suppose it is like people trying to understand my obsession with reading. They can try it, but they can not necessarily have the same connection.

Marg: So in closing, would the summary be that Marg loved it from beginning to end, Kelly loved it after a bit of a slow start and Heather really enjoyed it with a couple of reservations?

Kelly: That sounds about right to me! I am really looking forward to the sequel next year. And, now it is being said it is going to be a movie. That can be both a good and bad thing. I suppose we will have to wait and see!

Frostbitten by Kelley Armstrong: A discussion

Smart, sexy, supernatural - the men and women of the Otherworld live and love, fight and die, among us. Unseen and unsuspected, this realm of witches, ghosts, and werewolves is now threatened with exposure by a brutal series of bizarre murders that has left even the supernatural world baffled - and cold with terror.

Being the world's only female werewolf has the advantages, such as having her pick of the Otherworld's most desirable males. And Elena Michaels couldn't have picked a more dangerously sexy and undyingly loyal mate than Clayton Danvers. Now their bond will be put to the ultimate test as they follow a bloody trail of gruesome slayings deep into Alaska's frozen wilderness.

There's nothing the werewolf community dislikes more than calling attention to itself. So when a pair of rogue man-eaters begins hunting humans, it's up to Elena and Clayton to track down the predators. but any illusions that their task would be simple are quickly dispelled. For even in werewolf terms, there's something very disturbing taking place in the dark Alaskan forests. A werewolf more wolf than human and more unnatural than supernatural is on the hunt - a creature whose origins seem to spring form ancient legends of the shape-shifting Wendigo. 

And if that wasn't bad enough, Clayton and Elena find themselves confronting painful ghosts from their pasts - and an issue neither of them is eager to discuss. For one of them has been chosen to become the new Pack leader, and as every wolf knows, there can only be one Alpha. They've always been equals in everything. Now, when their survival depends more than ever on perfect teamwork, will instinct allow one of them to lead... and the other to follow?

Kelly from the Written World and I realised that we were just finishing the same book at the same time, and so a joint review was born! Having said that it turned to more of a discussion than a true review! You can read the first half of the discussion at Kelly's blog. Once you have read it, come back for the second half here! Kelly's thoughts are in purple and mine are in black.

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What did you think about the title?


I don’t know. It fit the book okay I guess, but lacked a little something to my mind. How about you? Again, I was watching an interview with the author and she mentioned that there were going to be some more -den titles. I think the next one is Forbidden and it seems to be something which ties the werewolf books in particular together.

I like the title in the sense that if I have never read the series before I would probably give it a second glance at the bookstore, but I am not sure what I thought about it as a title for Armstrong’s novel. I understand the book takes place in Alaska, so I guess she was trying to envision the cold! Still, I actually thought vampires when I saw the title without knowing anything about it. I suppose upon reading it you would understand, but still....

One thing that I did think wasn’t as well done as it could have been in this book was the talk about the various mythologies. Clay and Elena started exploring some of the myths like the Wendigo for example, but then that sort of got lost in the more action oriented part of the novel. Did you notice that?

Yes, I did. It didn’t really bother me, though. It might be the bookish-mood I was in, but I enjoyed the action. I had read a few books lately that were a bit detail-oriented and I was actually happy to see Elena and Clay kicking butt. From knowing you for years and reading your blog, we actually sort of seem to read the same book for different reasons, though. When I read a novel I want action, but you are a bit more happier with romance and detail than me. It’s not that I don’t like mythology and related topics, but for whatever reason I didn’t need a lot of detail this time around. I was more interested in the action. It could be because we were experiencing a heat wave and the action took place in the snow... Actually, that’s probably a lot of what it was! I want cold weather lately!

Mild **SPOILERS** coming up!

One thing I think we both wanted to talk about was the whole issue of alpha. I am happy that you included it in your notes because I wanted to address it, too. I think it shows a progressive mind when Armstrong actually believes that women have the potential to be alpha. I also read the Mercedes Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. and while I love it, the werewolves in that series are still in the ‘olden’ days when women had no power and, therefore, wolves didn’t either. I like Armstrong’s series because it gives women power, but that does not mean it is practical in animal cultures. It is more a human thing and the need for women to have a place in the world. I entirely agree with that, but do you think that a woman werewolf having the power is practical from a wolf perspective?

There are certainly going to be drawbacks, but I think that Kelley Armstrong managed to address most of those within this book, and I think maybe that is why I have come around to Clay a little more. I like the comparison that we saw between Clay’s role with Jeremy as Alpha, and also the role he would likely play if Elena becomes Alpha.

Despite Jeremy grooming Elena for the Alpha role, it would certainly mean a big shakeup, not so much within the limited group of the Pack) but certainly in the mutt world. Elena seems to be proving that she is capable of being the Alpha, but I don’t think I am quite ready to say goodbye to Jeremy as Alpha of the pack just yet, and for me, this book ended on the perfect note in relation to this particular thread of the storyline.

I don’t want to see the end of Jeremy, either! He is my favourite male werewolf!

As an aside, I really, really need to go back and read more Patricia Briggs.

And, yes, you do!

One thing we haven’t talked about yet is the other creatures that we meet in this book. Did you end up getting a clear grasp of what exactly they were, and do you think we will see them again?

I suppose we really should talk about the addition of even more supernatural ‘creatures’. One thing about them is that they are not as well-known as the other characters in Armstrong’s book. When someone says witch, werewolf, necromancer, etc, I get a relative idea of what we are dealing with. The creatures that Clay and Elena discover in Alaska is something else entirely. I understand that they might have some basis in mythology, but they are not well-known at all and I think this is the first time that Armstrong has moved out of the comfort zone. (Unless there is something I am not thinking about). I live in Canada and even though Alaska is part of the US, we are dealing with a lot of unclaimed land and it stands to reason that there are species present that we have never heard of before. I like that Armstrong touches on this subject. The fact that they have a tie to people and wolves, while still being something else, was fitting, too. What did you think of them as I essentially avoid your question?

I think that Armstrong regularly moves onto new types of paranormal creatures - vampires, demons, angels etc etc - but this did seem to be something that was more obscure than normal.

For a while during the book I wasn’t exactly sure what it was that we were dealing with. I did find the fact that they were much hardier and seemed to be more suited to the wilderness compared to being ‘city wolves’ quite interesting. And it was an interesting turn of events with Ely, the younger guy in the pack.

Yes, she is very good at working most paranormal creatures into her books. It is all so natural, too, so I am usually impressed. Everything she has talked about before, though, I had a clear picture in my mind because you find them mentioned in many other books or know them really well from Halloween costumes. This, though, I had to actually think about, but I think in the end I had a clear picture of what we were dealing with. There are many communities up north that are very sheltered from the rest of the world and it stands to reason there is a lot that could be going on that no one would know anything about unless they stumbled on it.

Overall, I think this was another really great addition to the Otherworld series. When a series goes this long, I believe this is book 10, you start to worry that it will lose something along the way. Armstrong, though, has made a series where she is also adding to it and that has kept it fresh. I think it puts less pressure on her, too, so she is able to explore things that would not be possible if the series centred around just a couple characters. I am looking forward to more from the series! Frostbitten came out last year and then this year she released Tales of the Otherworld and Waking the Witch.

I agree that this was a great entry to the series, and that Kelley Armstrong writes consistently good books. Not every author is able to maintain that strength and quality over a long series. To me, it is a sign of how good an author she is to be able to keep the series going, but also to keep changing the focus without losing that sense of series-ness, if you know what I mean!

Yes, and she was good from the very beginning. As far as I know this was where she ‘started’ and she has managed to be strong all the way. She improves, of course, but she didn’t have to really and people would still love her books. I am glad that I sporadically bought this series a couple years ago thanks to bloggers and have actually read them!

Do you think this was a standalone book though? Could someone new to the series start with this book?

You should know that’s a terrible question to ask me. ha ha! I read the first couple books, jumped a bunch, and then went back to read some of the books I skipped, and then read some of the later ones. Actually, I read Waking the Witch before this book. Reading this as a first book you would have a general idea of what the series was about, I think, but it would hopefully make someone very curious about the later books. That being said, you can skip around in this series because there are different characters in each books. I read all the werewolf books, for example, but I still have one more witch book to read earlier in the series... What do you think?

I think that you could start with this book, because there is enough background information, but I would never recommend that to anyone because reading a series in order is something I am a bit pedantic about at the best of times.

Having said that, you are right about it not being quite so important in this series because really what you need to make sure is that you have read all the werewolf books in order (and in that I would include Jaime’s book) and the all the witches books as well in order. It’s almost like there are two sub series within the one overarching series.

I was going to disagree with your last sentence, but it’s true. Even when the women are not werewolves or witches the men are. On what you said, I would include... the one that is with Karl? She has a book, too, or was that just a short story...

Hope, yes, I would include her with the werewolves as well, because it moves the werewolves story forward more than the other side.

Yes, Hope. I started to type that, but then I wasn’t sure if that was her name. Anyways, there is just so much we can talk about with this series! I think we should buddy review Armstrong’s books more often! It was a lot of fun not just talking about the book, but talking about the series in general!

It is a lot of fun! Especially chatting in real time to do it! Thanks again Kelly.

Yes, I like that we review books in real time. Although, I think that is probably why this ‘review’ is so long! ha ha! It was fun! I look forward to our next review!

This was my first read for the RIP challenge this year.

Rating 4/5

The House on Tradd Street by Karen White

This review was originally supposed to be posted over at Royal Reviews in the next week or so, but unfortunately the lovely Annie, Alaine and Sheree have decided to close their doors. The challenges that they are running will remain up for this year, but there will be no further new reviews put up on the site. I will miss them, but I couldn't waste an already written review! I don't do them that often anymore. **Update - Royal Reviews isn't closing now, but will be under new management!**

Practical-minded Melanie Middleton hates to admit - even to herself - that she can see ghosts. But she's going to have to accept it, because an old man she met just days ago has died, leaving Melanie his historic Tradd Street home, complete with a housekeeper, a dog, and a family of ghosts anxious to tell her something.....
Enter Jack Trenholm, a gorgeous writer obsessed with unsolved mysteries. He has reason to believe that some diamonds that went missing from the Confederate Treasury are hidden in Melanie's home. So he decides to charm the new tenant, only to discover he's the smitten one.

But it turns out that Jack's search has caught the attention of a possibly malevolent ghostly presence. Now, Jack and Melanie need to unravel a mystery of passion, heartbreak, and even murder. And they must hurry...for an evil force - either dead or alive - lies in wait.

I first remember wanting to go to the American South,  and Atlanta and Charleston in particular,  after reading Gone With the Wind. I realise that the idea of the plantation house like Tara are much rarer than they might be in my imagination, but from what I can tell, there are still many gorgeous old homes that have been protected in the heart of Charleston. Just a quick Google will bring up homes for sale in the area that are just beautiful (in fact, I just wasted half an hour doing this instead of actually finishing my review!)

Realtor Melanie Middleton is at the top of her game, and her game is selling the historical homes of Charleston, but for Melanie herself, she can imagine nothing worse than buying one of these money pits which require huge amounts of money and work just to maintain, let alone to have to renovate within the rules stipulated by the city council. Melanie likes her sleek, modern and minimalist home, if for no other reason that there are no ghosts to talk to her.

When she goes to visit elderly Mr Vanderhorst, little does she know that her worst nightmare is about to come true. She visits him with a view to getting him to sell his crumbling house on Tradd Street, but even before she enters the house she already is off balance having seen the ghost of a woman near a rope swing in the garden. An urgent call on a weekend brings the news that Mr Vanderhorst has died and that he has left the house to her, on the condition that she must do the house up using the funds that will be made available to her.

Melanie usually prides herself on her self control, but for many people she gives off an aura of iciness. One person who is prepared to try and break through her frosty exterior is Jack Trenholm. He is a local author who specialises in books about unsolved mysteries, but he has recently been badly burned in the media and so he is regrouping. Jack believes that there are secrets to be revealed inside of the Tradd Street home, specifically what exactly happened to Mr Vanderhorst's mother who was rumoured to have run off with one of the local gangster's in the 1930s.

Jack is my kind of guy. Funny, charming, urbane, suave and interesting. Melanie is determined that she is not going to fall for him, yet increasingly he is the one that she turns to when things start going bump in the night in her house, to help her work out what the connections are between the Vanderhorst's and her own family, and to help with the renovation on the house. More often than not he also finds himself running interference between Melanie and her parents. Her father is an alcoholic who Melanie is not prepared to give any more chances after being disappointed so many times over the years, and her mother is something of a diva who walked away from her family to pursue an opera career many years before.

As the spirits become restless, Melanie finds herself in danger physically. Is it the ghosts or are there other factors at play here? There are also many questions to be resolved. Why would an apparently loving and devoted mother disappear without a trace and never contact her child again? And how do some missing diamonds from the Confederate Treasure tie into the mystery of what happened to Mrs Vanderhorst? Can Melanie resist Jack's charms and will she ever grow to like the house that seems to have taken over her life?

Part ghost story, part mystery and part romance, this is a book that ticks all the boxes. I am waiting very impatiently for my library to get the next book in the series, so that I can come back and spend more time with Melanie, Jack, and the colourful array of secondary characters that will hopefully accompany them in the next adventure, The House on Legare Street.

Rating 4.5/5

Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong

Hope Adams, tabloid journalist and half-demon, inherited her Bollywood-princess looks from her mother. From her demon father, she inherited a hunger for chaos, and a talent for finding it. Like full demons, she gets an almost sexual rush from danger - in fact, she thrives on it. But she is determined to use her gifts for good.

When the head of the powerful Cortez Cabal asks her to infiltrate a gang of bored, rich, troublemaking supernaturals in Miami, Hope can't resist the excitement. But trouble for Hope is intoxicating, and soon she's in way too deep.

With a killer stalking the supernatural hot spots of Miami, Hope finds herself dangerously entangled, and has no choice but to turn to her crooked werewolf ex-boyfriend for help. What started as a simple investigation has spiralled into chaos. And Hope finds chaos irresistible....

For a woman who didn't know what she was getting into, there's only one way out: it's time for Hope to unleash her most potent primal instincts and open herself, mind and body, to everything she most fears - and desires.

After starting out reading this series two years ago, I now have a problem. I am all caught up and that means that now I have to wait for each successive full length book to come out! Fortunately at this time it is only a couple of months, but it is going to get worse as the wait between each book gets longer. I did however discover that I have missed a couple of short stories so that should tide me over for a little while.

We first met Hope Adams in a short story in the Dates from Hell anthology. She is a half demon whose special talent is the sensing of chaos. If she walks into a room where something bad has happened, or is going to happen she feeds off of the chaos vibes. Given that she was raised away from other supernaturals she is still trying to understand her nature.

As a result of the events that occurred during the previously mentioned anthology, Hope and werewolf Karl Marsten owe cabal leader Benicio Cortez. When he decides that it is time to call in that debt, Hope finds herself adopting a new identity, and trying to infiltrate a young gang of non-cabal supernaturals who are giving the established cabals (think mafia families with supernatural powers) some trouble. When Hope's friends Lucas Cortez and his wife Paige Winterbourne find out what is going on, they too become involved. Lucas is Benicio's semi-estranged son, despite the fact that he has long been named the heir of the Cortez cabal, much to his older brothers' distaste.

Disguised as society girl Faith Edmonds, Hope finds herself involved in some petty criminal acts with her fellow gang members, and also finds herself drawn to Jaz, a charismatic man whose initial supernatural skills seem relatively tame. It is only when Jaz and his friend Sonny appear to have been kidnapped by the cabal that things start to really heat up.

By this time, werewolf Karl Marsten has turned up, determined to protect Hope from herself and from any other events that might cause her to be placed in danger. Karl is somewhat conflicted when it comes to Hope. Whilst he is extremely protective of her as well as possessive, he doesn't really appear to have known what he wants in relation to her in the past as he had disappeared from Hope's life leaving their relationship somewhat unresolved. When he sees Hope canoodling with Jaz he is determined to get her out of the situation she is in for a number of reasons, but Hope is equally determined to see things through to the end, albeit with additional levels of protection.

The chaos gene/skill/talent is quite interesting. It can help Hope to identify if something has happened, or is going to happen, but it also can drive Hope over the edge to the point where she can't necessarily control her thoughts and, perhaps, her actions as she is feeding on the chaos around her.

As Hope must learn to understand her nature, Hope and Karl and Lucas and Paige must do everything they can to stop the killings, and to learn exactly who it is that is targetting the cabals in Florida, and why.

I must confess that I have a soft spot for Karl, despite the fact that he was in effect one of the bad guys in one of the earlier books. In my mind I kind of imagine him as a Sean Connery as Bond kind of figure - suave and debonnair - and yet he is a thief. I loved the explanation that he gave for why he hunts his prey as he tries to help Hope to understand how to use her skills without having them overwhelm her.

There was a pretty major change in this book compared to the other Otherworld books in that there were two narrators throughout the novel. Now that might not necessarily be that different from other books, but the fact that Lucas (i.e. a man) is one of those narrators is unique to this book in the series so far. Hope is the other narrator, and for the most part this dual narrative works, especially as it enables us to be in two places at the one time throughout the story. The fact that Lucas did narrate this book, opens the doorway for the Men of the Otherworld book which will be out next year.

I did like the ending of this novel, especially as it appears to add in some new elements for future books in terms of who the bad guys can be. The conflicts between Lucas and the cabals will no doubt still be a part of the future books but the options are expanded to include at least one more possibility.

Whilst this wasn't my favourite Otherworld book, it was once again a very entertaining entry in one of my favourite series.

This book is my first completed book in the RIP III Reading Challenge.


Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Romance Rookie

No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong

In her acclaimed Women of the Otherworld series, bestselling author Kelley Armstrong creates a present day in which humans unwittingly coexist with werewolves, witches, and other supernatural beings. Now, in this spellbinding new novel, a beautiful necromancer who can see ghosts must come to terms with her power—and with an evil she never thought possible.

It’s the most anticipated reality television event of the season: three spiritualists gathered together in one house to raise the ghost of Marilyn Monroe. For celebrity medium Jaime Vegas, it is to be her swan song—one last publicity blast for a celebrity on the wrong side of forty. But unlike her colleagues, who are more show than substance, Jaime is the real thing.

Reluctant to upstage her fellow spiritualists, Jaime tries to suppress her talents, as she has done her entire life. But there is something lurking in the maze of gardens behind the house: a spirit without a voice. And it won’t let go until somehow Jaime hears its terrible story. For the first time in her life, Jaime Vegas understands what humans mean when they say they are haunted. Distraught, Jaime looks to fellow supernatural Jeremy Danvers for help.

As the touches and whispers from the garden grow more frantic, Jaime and Jeremy embark on an investigation into a Los Angeles underworld of black magic and ritual sacrifice. When events culminate in a psychic showdown, Jaime must use the darkest power she has to defeat a shocking enemy—one whose malicious force comes from the last realm she expected. . . .

In a world whose surface resembles our own, Kelley Armstrong delivers a stunning alternate reality, one where beings of the imagination live, love, and fight a never-ending battle between good and evil.

It comes as a bit of a surprise to me, as this feeling has kind of just snuck up on me a little, but I think that Kelley Armstrong may well be one of my favourite authors. In some of the earlier books, I felt as though I had forgotten that I enjoyed her books, so I learned all over again how much I enjoyed them. I don't think I had that feeling this time, because I really hadn't forgotten, and despite the very dark subject matter, I really enjoyed this one too.

My main reason for enjoying this is definitely the development of the relationship between Jaime Vegas and Jeremy Danvers. Jaime is a forty something celebrity necromancer, who is trying to catch a break so that she can get her own TV show. Jeremy is the alpha of a werewolf pack. Whilst he is older than Jaime, it's not that squicky because werewolves age much slower than humans and therefore he is from all appearances in his late 40s. So, there is your first point of difference in this book - an older couple!

Jaime has agreed to take part in a celebrity reality TV show, featuring two other clairvoyant type characters who also both want to get their Hollywood break. The aim of the show - to find out who killed Marilyn Monroe. Unfortunately for Jaime, there are some other ghosts who want her attention, and soon she becomes involved in an investigation into what appears to be a group of humans who are experimenting with human sacrifice (most specifically child sacrifice) as a way of powering their spellcasting. I do think that this book, and Broken have been a lot darker than some of the earlier books in the series, but Armstrong manages to balance that darkness against the other plot elements within the book, with the result being that it is not overwhelmingly dark or dismal.

Luckily Jaime is not alone in investigating. There is assistance from Eve and Kris (who featured in the book Haunted), Hope, and later in the book Karl (from the novella Chaotic ), although for Jaime this is a double edged sword type of assistance, because she really wants to be self sufficient in the supernatural world and doesn't want to always be rescued or protected by someone else. The most important person she wants to impress is Jeremy. She has had feelings for him for going on four years, and with him coming to visit her is Los Angeles, and assisting her, she is beginning to think that there could be hope of something more with him or perhaps she is just thinking this way because it is what she wants to see. Let's just say the chemistry between these two was smokin' hot!

We also got to know Jeremy a lot better in this book. In previous books he has always been the alpha, the one always in control, and sometimes a little aloof and reserved, but in this book he has moments of sharing with Jaime his thoughts about what it is like to be the alpha, and his thoughts about the future.

All in all, this was another enjoyable entry in this fantastic series.


Other Blogger's Thoughts:

Rhinoa's Ramblings
Romance Rookie



**Have you reviewed this book? Leave a comment with your link, and I will add it to my review.**

Broken by Kelley Armstrong

In this thrilling new novel from the author of Industrial Magic, a pregnant werewolf may have unwittingly unleashed Jack the Ripper on twenty-first-century—and become his next target. Ever since she discovered she’s pregnant, Elena Michaels has been on edge. After all, she’s never heard of another living female werewolf, let alone one who’s given birth. But thankfully, her expertise is needed to retrieve a stolen letter allegedly written by Jack the Ripper. As a distraction, the job seems simple enough—only the letter contains a portal to Victorian London’s underworld, which Elena inadvertently triggers—unleashing a vicious killer and a pair of zombie thugs. Now Elena must find a way to seal the portal before the unwelcome visitors get what they’re looking for—which, for some unknown reason, is Elena.

The focus in this novel turns back to Elena and Clay much as it was in the first two books of the series, Bitten and Stolen. The other supernatural/paranormal characters that we have met through the later books are mentioned, but not really at the forefront of the story as they have been. Also introduced is a new vampire, and Jaime's (the celebrity necromancer's) plays a fair role in this book as well.

Elena and Clay's relationship has moved into a pretty content and settled place, very unlike the Elena and Clay that we were introduced to. Elena is pregnant, and so everyone in the pack is jumpy to say the least. With Elena being the only female werewolf, and no one having had pure werewolf babies, everyone is on high alert. With Elena and Clay being so settled, any conflict is going to have to come from outside of that relationship, and it comes in the form of rotting zombies, infected rats and possibly, Jack the Ripper. It soon becomes clear that whoever it is that has escaped from a time portal possible held within the From Hell letter allegedly written by Jack is targeting Elena. The questions to be asked are why, and how to protect her and her pregnancy.

I did like the fact that we got to see the members of the Pack in this book, and I am hopeful that before too long we get to see Nick find a mate for himself.

Whilst the story in itself was entertaining, this wasn't one of my favourite books in the series. I don't really know why that is - maybe because the action was very dark this time around. These books often are quite dark, but whereas there have been some moments of genuine amusement in most of the books, this time the gruesomeness felt more consistent and to a certain extent overwhelming. What few lighter moments there were came early in the book and mostly featured Jaime.

I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series, which I think features more of Jaime and Jeremy. I think I only have that book and then one more and I am all caught up with this series. I can tell you that I will definitely be waiting impatiently for each new book in the series!

Two Harper Connelly reviews

In case you are wondering why I am doing all these two-in-one reviews (keep an eye out for a three-in-one review soon), it is so that I can convince myself that I am catching up! The bonus is that it does mean that there will be cases where I have posted a review of book 3 in a series for example, when I haven't yet posted about books 1 and/or 2 yet. There have very often been weeks between the first reviewed book and the second!

When she was 15, Harper Connelly was struck by a bolt of lightning. She recovered, mostly...she has a strange spiderweb of red on parts of her body, and her right leg has episodes of weakness. Sometimes her right hand shakes. She has headaches. And she can find dead people.

That was the part that interested anthropology professor Dr Clive Nunley.

The professor invited Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver to Memphis to give a demonstration of Harper's unique talent - and what better place to have that demonstration than in a very old cemetery?

Dr Nunley doesn't bother to hide his scepticism, even when Harper stands atop a grave and senses not one but two bodies, a centuries-dead man, the owner of the grave, and a young girl, recently deceased.

The grave is opened and Harper is proved right: the dead girl is Tabitha Morgernstern, an eleven-year-old abducted from Nashville two years previously. That's bad enough, but worse is to come, for Harper tried - and failed - to find the child when she first went missing. The coincidences are making the police very suspicious, so Harper and Tolliver undertake their own hunt to find the killer starting with a nocturnal visit to the cemetery.

And the next morning a third dead body is found in the grave.

When Harper Connelly and her step brother Tolliver Lang travel to Memphis at the request of local anthropologist Dr Clive Nunley they believe it will be a case of doing the presentation and then moving on. Dr Nunley wants to test Harper's skill by taking her to an old cemetery and asking for her to identify how each of the bodies within the graves died. There is no way that Harper can have any forward information about the bodies in the grave so it should silence the skeptics once and for all. However, when Harper identifies one of the bodies as a young girl who only died recently, the skeptics are delighted at her misstep until she is proved right.

Somewhat disturbingly for Harper, the body is that of a young girl who disappeared a couple of years previously and who Harper failed to find. Soon not only are there skeptical people amongst them, there are also suspicious people, including the Police. Matters aren't helped when Harper has a fight with Dr Nunley and he is then found in the same grave the next day.

The mystery in this book is much tighter than the one in Grave Sight, the first book in the series, and there are plenty of people who could have killed the young girl, Tabitha Morgenstern. There are family secrets galore in the Morgenstern family, and nearly all of the family members are under suspicion at one stage or another.

There are a couple of recurring characters in the form of Xylda and Manfred, who add colour and quirkiness to the narrative. Poor Manfred appears to be destined for heartbreak given his feelings for Harper.

The relationship between Harper and Tolliver is again just on the ugh side of squicky for me. Having read the third book now, I am going to leave it at that, but I will say more about it in the next review.

Hired to find a boy gone missing in Doraville, North Carolina, Harper Connelly and her brother Tolliver head there - only to discover that the boy was only one of several who had disappeared over the previous five years. All of them teenagers. All unlikely runaways.

All calling for Harper.

Harper soon finds them- eight victims, buried in the half-frozen ground, all come to an unspeakable end. Afterwards, what she most wants to do is collect her fee and get out of town ahead of the media storm that's soon to descend. But when she's attacked and prevented from leaving, she reluctantly becomes a part of the investigation as she learns more than she cares to about the dark mysteries and long-hidden secrets of Doraville-knowledge that makes her the next person likely to rest in an ice-cold grave.

So far, this is the best book in the series for me.

Harper and her step-brother Tolliver are hired by a family member of a young boy who has been missing for a couple of years. The previous town sheriff had decided that the six missing boys from the town were all runaways, but the new sheriff is determined to find out exactly what was going on.

Harper is somewhat surprised when she located not one, not six, but eight bodies on a farm just outside town. Soon it is up to Harper to try and figure out what else connects these poor boys, apart from the fact that they appear to have all been killed by the same murderer.

When Harper is attached and left with stitches in her head, and a fractured arm, it is clear that she is getting a little too close for the murderer to remain comfortable, and it is all that Harper and Tolliver can do to just get out of town. Or at least they would if they hadn't been snowed in.

Gradually the pieces all fall into place, but not without some heartbreaking assistance from a young boy, and with some more kooky antics from Manfred and Xylda.

Okay, spoiler territory now. Highlight below to see what I think about Harper and Tolliver's relationship in this book!


Yes, I know. Much is made in this book of the fact that Harper and Tolliver are not really brother and sister. There is no shared blood between them, but I really struggle with their progressing relationship in this book. Whilst they may not share blood...they have lived as brother and sister for years! And yet, there devotion to each other is touching, especially as Tolliver tries valiantly to keep Harper safe. I'm just not sure I was ready to go all the way with them as a couple!

The finale is action packed, and tense and a fitting ending to the story of a lot of young men who died at the hands of a sadistic and predatory killer.

Two Kelley Armstrong reviews

Another two reviews in one post! If nothing else it means I will get caught up on the reviews for series I am reading!

Meet the smart, sexy — supernatural — women of the otherworld. This is not your mother’s coven...

Kelley Armstrong returns with the eagerly awaited follow-up to Dime Store Magic. Paige Winterbourne, a headstrong young woman haunted by a dark legacy, is now put to the ultimate test as she fights to save innocents from the most insidious evil of all.. . .

In the aftermath of her mother’s murder, Paige broke with the elite, ultraconservative American Coven of Witches. Now her goal is to start a new Coven for a new generation. But while Paige pitches her vision to uptight thirty-something witches in business suits, a more urgent matter commands her attention.

Someone is murdering the teenage offspring of the underworld’s most influential Cabals — a circle of families that makes the mob look like amateurs. And none is more powerful than the Cortez Cabal, a faction Paige is intimately acquainted with. Lucas Cortez, the rebel son and unwilling heir, is none other than her boyfriend. But love isn’t blind, and Paige has her eyes wide open as she is drawn into a hunt for an unnatural-born killer. Pitted against shamans, demons, and goons, it’s a battle chilling enough to make a wild young woman grow up in a hurry. If she gets the chance.

I am not 100 percent sure why, but I always seem to forget exactly how much I enjoy these books. Even as the books start I find myself wondering why I am continuing with the series, and yet by the end of the book I am really eager to get the next book and see what happens. These two books proved to be no exception to that.

Paige and Lucas are now living together in Portland, Oregon and Paige is trying to create a new coven of witches - women who are willing to learn more powerful magic and who are willing to be part of something less structured and formal than the more traditional witches coven. The fact that Paige is living with a sorcerer (mortal enemy of witches) who also happens to be the estranged son of one of the most powerful cabal families (think organised sorcery instead of organised crime)) and she has almost no hope of getting her new coven off of the ground.

As always Lucas' father Benicio is trying to be a part of his life - and now that that includes Paige he is definitely interested in meeting her as well. Unfortunately, other family members are not so keen on seeing either Paige or Lucas. When someone, or something, starts killing the children of the various Cabal leaders, Benicio asks Lucas to investigate and to get justice for the murdered kids.

Many of the characters from earlier books are back including Elena and Clayton, the vampire Cassandra and others, and also what seems like a major new character by the name of Jaime Vegas. I know that she featured a lot in Haunted, and I am very much looking forward to reading her book!

Whenever I finish one of these books I am almost surprised by how much I enjoyed them, and this one is no exception. Paige and Lucas are great as a couple, and despite a slow beginning to their relationship in the previous book I totally see them together now!

Former supernatural superpower Eve Levine has broken all the rules. But she's never broken a promise - not even during the three years she's spent in the afterworld. So when the Fates call in a debt she gave her word she'd pay, she has no choice but to comply.

For centuries one of the ghost world's wickedest creatures has been loosed on humanity, thwarting every attempt to retrieve her. Now it has fallen to Eve to capture this demi-demon known as the Nix, who inhabits the bodies of would-be killers, compelling them to complete their deadly acts. It'a mission that becomes all too personal when the Nix targets those Eve loves most - including Savannah, the daughter she left on earth. But can a renegade witch succeed where a host of angels have failed?

One of the smartest things that Kelley Armstrong has done in relation to this series is that she doesn't limit the characters to just any one type of paranormal group - we've had books on werewolves, we've had a bit of focus on witches and sorcerers, and this time the focus is on ghosts, angels and demons, with undercurrents of witchcraft and sorcery as well.

This time there was another level to that variety - with the vast majority of the action taking place in the ghost realm, and not on earth, there really were not too many rules that had to be followed in terms of the characters actions. For example, do you want your characters to have to dress up as pirates in one scene and then not long after send them to Alaska - go right ahead. There's nothing to say that you can't do that! Want to have your main characters scare the crap out of some mean boy ghosts - absolutely! Want to send your main character to a really creepy village filled with crazy homicidal killers and have her be chased by said killers - sure....why not. And yet, with all this freedom Armstrong never seemed to forget the purpose for putting her characters in these places. They were fun interludes within the book (well maybe not the homicidal village) but they definitely moved the story forward.

Eve has always been the kind of witch who did things her way. Not for her the minor magic practiced by the covens - she had gone dark, and had learned many of the much more powerful spells of sorcerers. She always was a bit different from the other witches anyway, given that she was a half demon as well. After death, she really was no different. She was not the kind of ghost who would spend time studying to understand the world that she had now become part of. Her main goal was to be able to have some meaningful interaction with her daughter Savannah and most importantly to try and protect her. For three years she has been unsuccessful but that doesn't mean that she won't keep on trying.

Then the Three Fates decide to give Eve a task to complete - she needs to catch the Nix - a demon that can inhabit human bodies and encourage or drive them to commit heinous crimes. The Nix has almost been caught before, and the Fates think that Eve is just the woman to try again - despite enormous risk to herself. Suddenly Eve has to take a crash course in the ways of the ghost realms. Luckily she has Kris to help her as well as an angel called Trsiel - I really hope that we see more of him in future books! What the Fates haven't told Eve is that there is another agenda behind giving her this task, and that the price of success may be one that she is not willing to pay.

At first, I was a little nonplussed by the relationship between Eve and Kris. I understood that they had a shared past on Earth, and that Kris already knew that he wanted Eve back, but for a large part of the book he seemed a little bit like a lapdog (imagine how horrified a sorcerer who comes from one of the biggest cabals in the world would be to hear me say that!). Eve would need assistance, and Kris would come running. Gradually though, I understood that Kris really wanted Eve to get to the point where she would come to him. Kris has his limits though - and one of these is that Eve really needs to let go of her obsession with Savannah.

I did think though that the very end was a little bit of a cop-out in that as the Fates were slowly divulging more and more information about their proposed plan for Eve that Armstrong found herself painted into a corner with no way of getting a resolution for Eve and Kristoff and getting the ending that she wanted. What will be interesting is to see whether the compromise that was reached is used in future books!


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