Alex Verus is no ordinary mage in this urban fantasy world
created by Benedict Jacka. He doesn't sling fireballs or
cast shields. He's just a shopowner, running a magic shop
in the heart of London as his livelihood. However, with the
ability to see into the future, anytime Read more...
While THE DUKE IS MINE is undermined by its own heavy-handed
metaphors, Eloisa James ultimately creates a pleasant,
absorbing story. Loosely based on "The Princess and the
Pea", the amount of fairytale similes bandied about is, at
times, overwhelming and tiresome. Rather than the most
overdone scenes involving long Read more...
SHADOWFEVER is the rabidly-awaited conclusion to Karen Marie
Moning's Fever series and packs as much of a punch as its
prequels. Now a convert to Moning's writings, it was,
however, with trepidation that I first picked up the
inaugural book of the series, Dreamfever, almost Read more...
Rachel Caine, known formerly to me for her Weather Warden
series, has dipped a toe into the admittedly-less glamorous
zombie genre with WORKING STIFF. The novel, while
admittedly emotionally rather gruesome, is a far cry from
the shambling , moaning undead works of much of the genre,
with very little Read more...
Someone once told me that in starting Jim Butcher's Dresden
Files series, one had to read the first three books simply
as good solid stories. Just three good books that were
enjoyable and nothing more. They said that one couldn't
read the first books with the expectation that Read more...
There is a question that Neil Gaiman himself asks in both
the introduction and the afterward of the tenth-anniversary
edition of AMERICAN GODS. To paraphrase, he ruminates on
the inadvisability of an Englishman writing down a tribute
to America (namely, "how dare you?") and, conversely, the
amount of praise Read more...
It's not every day that you're whisked away from a (slightly
illicit) gathering of the ton, kidnapped with the intent
that no harm should come to your person, and yet bundled with
all speed and haste to the Scottish border. On even fewer
days does an infuriating (yet Read more...
I was admittedly skeptical when I picked up Rachel Vincent's
latest offering, BLOOD BOUND. Not through any fault of
Vincent's own (I greatly enjoyed her well-constructed
"Shifters" series) but mostly because of my own wariness of
a new series (and the entirely new world that it was Read more...
Addicting as any potato product on the market, Ilona
Andrews' intensely-enjoyable Kate Daniels series welcomes
another success with MAGIC SLAYS. For a while now, I've
enjoyed Andrews' stories of fiery ex-mercenary Kate Daniels,
her paramour (the intimidatingly titled "Beast Lord")
Curran, a host of evil-doers, lycanthropes Read more...
I am an admitted novice to the newly-risen steampunk
genre. Long have I admired the charm and elegance of
Victorian literature and even longer have I enjoyed any and
all elements of the fantastical. Despite little enjoyment
for many so-called "mash-ups" (Pride and Prejudice and
Zombies never Read more...
Benjamin Tate undertakes the difficult task of loosely
setting high fantasy in a most familiar setting- the
American colonies. His version of the New World pleasantly
has only the barest associations to a world the reader might
recognize. WELL OF SORROWS is actually incredibly
unique, with scarcely more than a Read more...
DEADWORLD's Jackie Rutledge is a cantankerous, vulgar,
ballsy bitch, well-prepared to out-drink you, out-screw you
and then maybe punch you in the jaw if she doesn't like what
you say to her afterward. Other than near-daily hangovers
and violent desires for large amounts of Read more...
In Christopher Golden's world of WAKING NIGHTMARES, the
answer to "who ya gonna call" isn't Ghostbusters, but Peter
Octavian, former vampire, current mage. Chaos is yawning a
hungry mouth in New England and there's only one man (well,
one man and a sexy earthwitch) who is going Read more...
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