City of Souls - Sign of the Zodiac Bk 4 - Vicki Pettersson

In neon strewn city of Las Vegas, a war rages. An unseen war by mortals, but the fate of the world itself hangs in the balance. Surprisingly, to herself most of all, Joanna Archer has become the most important player in this battle. She is the Kairos, and it is written that she is destined to either help the Light or the Dark finally defeat the other. The trick is that no one knows which side Joanna will come down on since she herself is both a child of Light and Dark.

Joanna is the Archer for the Zodiac troop 175, a Troop of the Light. Unfortunately, in the last novel of Joanna's adventures The Touch of Twilight she "broke" her Changeling Jasmine. By splitting her chi with Jasmine the young girl has gained new powers, while Joanna has grown weaker, and refuses to give them up and grow up. Her younger sister Li was supposed to take her place as Joanna's Changeling, but with Jas refusing to proceed with puberty, Li slips further and further away. This has caused a major imbalance and already broken the city's safe zones for the Light. The Light side's manuals (comic books to you and me) are no longer being written anymore either. If Li dies then the Light will surely follow her as they become weaker and weaker without their manuals being written and their legends no longer growing in the mind of the young.

Joanna has been told that there is only one place where she may be able to fix things, Midheaven. A world ruled by women, and hidden from mortal eyes, where the price of admission is a piece of your very soul. Once there she must find Jaden Jacks, the only other person to ever "break" one of the Changelings before. Unfortunately for Joanna, Jacks has not been seen since he corrected the problem. The leader of Troop 175, Warren, believes that Jacks and his Changeling escaped to Midheaven leaving both sides to continue their war without them. Joanna must find a way to "fix" everything she's broken. If she fails in this mission, the
fourth Zodiac sign will not come to pass and the Dark will soon take over.

I love Vicki Pettersson's novels and short stories for a myriad of different reasons. She's taken something very old (the signs of the Zodiac) and put her own spin on it. Having superheroes and villains running about beneath our very noses, fighting battles, and influencing us, is a truly imaginative stroke of writing. City of Souls (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 4) continues building upon the mythology of Pettersson's world. Joanna deals with situations the way any of us would if we all woke up one day and discovered we could lift a car or jump to the roof of a two story building. She's strong yet vulnerable and with Pettersson writing her as a hybrid of both Light and Dark you're left to wonder which way Joanna as the "Kairos" will go. Will she turn out to be our savior or our damnation?

At times Pettersson does get a bit bogged down in her own mythology and forgets the story she's telling in the present. Plus, just from my ex comics shop owner side, she does forget that people buy and read back issues of comics (manuals) and trade paperbacks (bound volumes of issues) all the time. I used to sell people stacks of back issues and they would happily read them if there were no new comics around. The back issues and trade paperbacks of the manuals should provide for some strength for the Light, but they're never mentioned in City of Souls (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 4). Generally Ms. Pettersson is spot on with her comic book bits and the people who frequent comic shops, I just believe that this was an oversight on her part.

All in all, City of Souls (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 4) is a great read. Taking Joanna out of her comfort zone of Las Vegas was wonderful to read. One of the best things I can say about all of the Sign of the Zodiac series is that Ms. Pettersson takes a known mythology, reinterprets it, and completely owns her version of it. She also does a skillful job of reminding you of what has passed without boring the reader who already knows. It feels like a refresher course you're glad to take if you read as many novels as I do in between her books.

City of Souls (Sign of the Zodiac, Book 4) receives a Good rating from me, 3 stars out of 4.

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Darkness Calls - Hunter Kiss Bk 2 - Marjorie M. Liu

With the sequel to The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, Book 1) we join Maxine Kiss again, demon Hunter and born wanderer. Her nomadic bloodline only joining with the opposite sex to produce the offspring that would protect the next generation once they were killed off, but most importantly, no emotional attachments at all. Her body covered with swirls of tribalesque tattoos, or at least what look like tattoos. They remain on her body like modern day armor and protecting the skin they're attached to during the day. At night, they leave Maxine's body and resume their true form, that of demons.

Her nomadic path leads her to Grant, former priest and the very last of his kind, the Lightbringer. He is able to manipulate energy, the energy of any living creatures, and that of demons as well. This ability puts his life in mortal danger from the Avatars. Maxine has gone against her ancestor’s highest taboo, she's fallen in love with Grant. She refuses to just leave her beloved to his death. Maxine fights the Avatars themselves by losing her own powers of Darkness. What will the pairing of the Lightbringer and the demon Hunter bring about with their joining to the world?

If you've read anything from Marjorie M. Liu you know that she can write a deadly warrior woman to a T. Maxine Kiss is The Road Warrior covered in tattoos and killing those evils that prey upon the earth, whether they are human born or preternatural. She's a wonderful character and really gets the chance to shine in Darkness Calls. With all of the groundwork and back story already done in The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, Book 1), Maxine gets to do some damage in this book, and I loved it. Ms. Liu's battle scenes are completely alive in my mind. Hopefully you've started reading Dark Wolverine (Co-Authored with Daniel Way) from Marvel because if you have you know exactly what I'm speaking about.

Grant is a wonderful character in and of himself. Being a beacon of light in Maxine's world of darkness. The one person in the entire world that Maxine has traveled who's made her stop and think that maybe there's more to life. Darkness abounds through out this novel (obviously since it's called Darkness Calls) and its seductive nature pervades Maxine's life. Considering herself both demon Hunter and demon herself finding Hunter Kiss trying to balance the light while protecting Grant from death is a great read.

I believe that any fan of the genre will like this book. Here's the caveat though, without reading The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, Book 1) and the Hunter Kiss short story from the Wild Thing
anthology some of the finer points will be lost. However if you're ready for the action to start you can pick up Darkness Calls without fear. Besides Darkness Calls Ms Liu also turns up the heat this summer with the previously mentioned Dark Wolverine and also NYX: No Way Home TPB (Nyx (Graphic Novels) collection from Marvel Comics, as well as The Fire King (Dirk & Steele Romance) due out July 28th.

Darkness Calls should be on any Paranormal reader's "Must Read List," this summer.

It receives an Excellent rating from me, 3.5 stars out of 4.

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Vicious Circle - Persephone Alcmedi Bk1 - Linda Robertson

Persephone "Seph" Alcmedi is a witch trying to make ends meet. Juggling her newspaper column, the odd tarot reading and the kenneling of Werewolves on the full moon is just barely letting her get by. Werewolves and witches are not supposed to mingle, but what's a witch to do when cash is needed. It doesn't hurt that she able to be near Johnny as well because of this. Although once her Nana moves in after being kicked out of her nursing home Seph doesn't know where the money's going to come from to meet her new expenses.

Seph's Werewolf friends Lorrie is suddenly murdered, and enter the High Priestess of the local coven. She knows exactly who killed Lorrie, and she has a job for Seph. Kill Goliath Kline, Lorrie's killer, and make beau coup bucks in the process. Seph is no one's damsel in distress, but she knows that this is beyond her. She's going to need help from motorcycle riding Johnny, the 6'2" leather clad lead singer/werewolf, to pull this off. Although sparks fly whenever the two get together there isn't too much time for love with the well nigh invincible Goliath Kline awaiting them.

This first book in the Persephone Alcmedi series is a fun romp of a novel. Ms. Robertson certainly hits all the right notes in Vicious Circle. Seph is a witch, but not perfect by any means. She still learning her craft and trying to make ends meet like anyone would do in her situation. She loves her Nana and is righteously pissed when her care facility kicks her out, but with Lorrie's murder there's no time to sort that. Seph acts as any of us would and it makes her endearing and easy for the reader to root for.

The bad boy Johnny, who sings for the techno-metal-Goth band Lycanthropia (why do I think those are three great tastes that don't taste that good together), is also around to help. His crush on Seph is sweet considering who and what he is and you hope that Seph will stop hiding behind Nana and respond. I don't remember David (Seph) having anyone like Johnny about with his trial with Goliath, but there he is nevertheless.

There are a few new ideas on the supernatural side of things, but I never truly believed it wouldn't work out for Seph. Lighthearted is the word that comes to mind when reading Vicious Circle. If you want to turn off your brain for a while and just go with it, Vicious Circle will be completely entertaining.

Hallowed Circle, Persephone Alcmedi Bk 2, hits stores December 29th.

Vicious Circle receives 2.5 Star out of 4.

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Atlantis Unleashed - Warriors of Poseidon - Alyssa Day

The Warriors of Atlantis made a pact eleven thousand years ago, a vow to protect humanity at all costs. Why would humanity need protecting? It just so happens that those things that used to go bump in the night have come out of hiding. The vampires and werewolves we all knew in our heart of hearts were real since we were little have come out into the open, and some of them are beginning to take parts of the world for their own. The only beings with the capability to stop them are the Warriors of Atlantis.

Amongst these Warriors is Lord Justice. Lord Justice is fresh coming from tortures and degradations unimaginable that he took on willingly to protect his brother. Under the care of the vampire Goddess Anubisa where he went, Hell would have been considered a vacation spot. Being a hybrid Atlantan/Nereid was a special catch for Anubisa. Now, he has returned, but his psyche and his very sanity are on shaky ground.

Along comes archeologist Dr. Keely McDermott who possesses some abilities of her own that help her in her work. The ability to touch ancient objects and find herself transported to the time the object was used. Her most recent excavation has led her to a carving that is over 10000 years old. To her shock its creator is still alive and his name is Lord Justice. She will be of tremendous help in the quest Justice has been sent upon, to find the lost Star of Artemis. The attraction between Keely and Justice is almost immediate. They find themselves drawn close and closer to one another. They will need one another to succeed in this quest especially with Anubisa wanting her prize, Lord Justice, back.

The first thing to remember is that Atlantis Unleashed is the third book in the series and your enjoyment will increase dramatically reading them in order. Here's the order I've read them in: Atlantis Rising where High Prince Conlan and Riley meet, The short story Wild Hearts in Atlantis in the Wild Thing anthology where we meet Bastien, Atlantis Awakening is Ven's story, Shifter's Lady can be found in the anthology Shifter and it's Ethan's Story. That brings us up to Atlantis Unleashed with Lord Justice and Keely. That kinda sounds like five books doesn't it? Well, Atlantis Unleashed is the third book in the canon, but I assure you that the short stories are not to be missed and I believe they will play a role in future novels.

Also, for fans of the series (myself included I truly enjoy the mythos that Alyssa Day is creating) Day has just announced in her blog that she just signed a three-book deal for more Warriors of Poseidon novels. Back to Atlantis Unleashed though, Day's use of one woman for each of her Warriors is wonderful. I'm a bit of a romantic myself and enjoy the soul mate concept. Anyone who read Atlantis Awakening had to be chopping at the bit for Lord Justice's story especially with the ending it had. From his Nereid heritage that brings new abilities to his distinctive blue hair. Day makes you believe that each one of her Warriors are just that, Warriors ready to battle at a moment's notice. Her battle scenes are authentic in my mind and the psychological war that is taking place in Justice's mind will draw you in immediately.

You would think that with most of Ms. Day's attention focused on her Warriors that the female protagonist would get overshadowed. Not so. In all of the Atlantis books I've read the heroines give as good as they get. With Keely you get intelligence and independence rolled into one. This is no damsel in distress. This is a character that would fight along side Justice with fierceness and voracity if needed.

All in all, Atlantis Unleashed is a fast paced read that can be devoured in one sitting. With Atlantis Unmasked coming out this July featuring Alexios' story you're sure to be waiting with baited breath. Alyssa Day is a writer with talent to spare. This one is a must have.

Atlantis Unleashed gets a Classic rating from me: 4 out of 4 stars.

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Mark of the Demon - Book One - Diana Rowland

A rookie detective, Kara Gillian, gets her big chance to solve her first big case. The Symbol Man who the Beualac populace thought had stopped killing three years previous is back. Detective Gillian is also a Summoner and can sense that there's magic involved in these new killings. She Summons a demon to help her, but doesn't get just any old demon. He is a demon Lord by the name of Rhyzkahl, but will he help Detective Gillian? And what agenda of his own does he have?

Also, what does it mean for Kara when FBI Agent Kristoff arrives at her murder scenes? She needs his expertise, but will he help or a hinder her investigation? There are truly only two main characters in Mark of the Demon, Kara & Rhyzkahl, but the secondary characters do get some really nice bits in the book.

I'm sure most people might consider this a slow starter, but not I. I actually read Cornwell and Reichs. I know the setup that needs to go into a 'Magical Murder Mystery Tour^TM'. It's because everything that's there in the beginning is there for a reason. This is a break-out novel from a first time author. I'll be more than happy to give you my warning for books like this: It will keep you up past your bedtime. That is, if you don't finish it in one reading.

Diana Rowland has hit a home run, not only with Urban Fantasy fans, but I believe anyone who reads Forensic Science/Police Procedure books will enjoy Mark of the Demon as well.

Mark of the Demon is Excellent and rightfully receives 3.5 Stars out of 4 from me.

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Magic in the Blood - Allie Beckstrom, Book 2 - Devon Monk

In the world of Allison "Allie" Beckstrom magic comes at a cost. Most magical practitioners chose Disbursement, the hard way of paying for the magic you use. This payment can come in the form of headaches, to forgetfulness, or even worse maladies depending on how much and how strong of magic you use. The other type of practitioner is one who Offloads onto others the price of the magic they use. This is generally without the other person's consent. These Offloaders are the type of practitioner that Allie hunts down as a Hound.

Hunting down these unscrupulous spell casters who have Offloaded their magical price is what puts food on Allie's table. By doing so, she helps the police solve crimes and catch the original spell caster. Of course to do this Allie must use magic herself and since she doesn't Offload, she pays the price the painful way (her last adventure caused her to slip into a coma and a magically born tattoo to appear down her right arm.) The old joke is, "Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most." This is partially true for Allie, while the coma didn't take her entire mind, it did take quite a few of her recent memories. Including the memory of the man she supposedly fell in love with, but Allie refuses to give up Hounding.

Being in a magically induced coma does not pay the bills, and Allie likes those little things in life: food, shelter, utilities. So, when the police ring her up to consult on a run of the mill missing persons case, she jumps at the chance. Unfortunately, the missing persons case turns out to be a lot more than ordinary, and little does Allie know how dangerous it will turn out to be.

Ms. Monk has an entirely original take on magic, and Allie grows tremendously in this 2^nd novel. Magic pervades everything in the world she has built from the power grids (Nicola Tesla would absolutely love this) to the Magical Enforcement Response Corps, MERC, the newest branch of the police force. Devon Monk puts Allie through her paces in Magic in the Blood. You can see this novel in your mind becoming an action flick.

Some of the questions that were raised in the first Allie Beckstrom novel, Magic to the Bone are answered, but like any good action/thriller/urban fantasy, Ms Monk raises more questions to be answered in Magic in the Shadows, due November 3, 2009.

I give Magic in the Blood an Excellent rating. 3.5 stars out of 4.

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Amazon Ink - Lori Devoti

Meet the Saka’s, a (semi?) normal family by all outward appearances who just happen to be Amazons. There’s Melanippe (Mel), her 14-year-old daughter Harmony, her warrior Mother, and her 500-year-old high priestess grandmother, Bubbe. They all live in a circa 1900’s school that has been converted into a tattoo parlor/home. It’s been 10 years since any of them have had any contact with their Amazonian tribe. Ever since the tribe let Mel down and caused her to leave taking her daughter with her (her Mother and grandmother would soon join her to show their solidarity.) Mel has made a nice living running a tattoo shop in Madison, Wisconsin. However, their absence from the tribe is soon coming to an end.

Someone knows Mel’s secret and has been depositing murdered Amazon girls on her doorstep. She’s moved the bodies afterwards to try and keep her and her family out of it, but someone is sending her a message…a message that frightens Mel to her core for her young, untrained daughter. Before too long the Amazons she wished to avoid are at her home accusing Mel of the murders and the local police have shown up believing she knows more then she’s saying. If Mel cannot find this murderer on her own the Amazons plan on taking their vengeance on her. To do this she will have to embrace the powers she’s shunned for a decade.

I will freely admit that upon reading the back of this book my first thought was, “How cool. What if Wonder Woman left Paradise Island to become a tattoo artist.” That wasn’t the case, but believe it or not, I wasn’t disappointed. Mel is a deeply layered character who continues to surprise throughout this book. Her exchanges with all the other characters in the novel (especially her Mother & Bubbe) make you really respect Ms. Devoti’s talent for dialogue. Now, Mel will never guest star on C.S.I or Law & Order. She’s no sleuth (Mel reacts with her gut throughout), but I actually found this to be more in character. Being an Amazon, no matter where she chooses to live, she would go with her gut rather than search for clues.

Ms. Devoti also does a nice job of making her secondary characters equally interesting. With the male tattoo artist and police detective she walks a tightrope of making them alpha males, but not overly domineering. With Zery, the Amazon Queen, she puts in a great back-story of clues about who she is to Mel all the way up to her introduction.

Mixing myth and modern day is no mean feat, but Ms. Devoti does so with ease. All in all Lori Devoti makes her way through the forest that is Urban Fantasy and does so completely unscathed. I’ve heard that the next the series should arrive in 2010, but this first outing will make you wish it were sooner.

Amazon Ink receives 3 out of 4 stars.

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Skin Trade – Anita Blake Bk 17 – Laurell K. Hamilton

Anita Blake sits at her desk at Animators Inc., early in the day, before ever seeing any clients, opening her mail only to make a grisly discovery. Mixed in amongst her parcels is a decapitated head, wrapped in plastic and packed on ice, with a return address to Sin City, Las Vegas, NV. Calling the Las Vegas Sheriff’s Department immediately to report her find she is told that the news is worse. There’s been a slaughter of several of the city’s SWAT operators and the town’s vampire executioner who was also a federal Marshall. Where this has happened, written in the dead men's blood on the wall is a message. A message to U.S. Marshall Anita Blake that reads, “Tell Anita Blake I’ll be waiting for her.”

So begins the 17th novel in Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series, Skin Trade. Going back to a place that the character hasn’t been in a while. Anita Blake wears her U.S. Marshall hat through out this book. She knows this is nothing more than a trap, but she must go anyway. However, she’s heartened to know that she won’t have to go alone. Reports of the massacre have gone out to all the western states U.S. Marshalls in the Preternatural branch. Luckily for Anita this would include Edward aka U.S. Marshall Ted Forester aka Death amongst the vampire community, as well as two other Marshalls.

Anita also realises that going to Vegas presents problems all on its own even without the trap. Max, the vampire Master of the City and his wife, Chang-Bibiana, Queen of the white weretigers, have wanted to get Anita to their city since the events of Blood Noir and the manipulations to Anita caused by Marmee Noir, the Mother of All Vampires.

Anita knows who has sent her the wretched present. It has to be Vittorio, serial killer and Master vampire, as well as “the one that got away.” Anita is prepared to go to any lengths to put this age old killer down, and she vows that he will not, must not escape this time. Those around her wonder if in her zeal, will Anita wind up destroying herself in the process.

I need to make it clear that Skin Trade is my favourite Anita Blake novel in quite some time. Just like with my review of Swallowing Darkness, the last Meredith Gentry novel, I was to the point with the 2 series that I could wait until the books were in paperback, but LKH changed that with this novel. By toning down the gratuitous sex and amping up the action and suspense LKH has penned a winner with Skin Trade. If you read LKH for the romance/sex you won’t be disappointed either. LKH does a balancing act that has been missing from her past few novels and reminds everyone of just what a talented storyteller she is.

Skin Trade’s pacing is phenomenal. Yet again, putting this book down will be a Herculean feat. I reckon that like me, most people will devour this novel in one sitting. You will not be disappointed buying this book in hard bound.

Skin Trade receives a Classic rating from me, 4 out of 4 stars.

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Demon Mistress - Otherworld Bk 6 - Yasmine Galenorn

The three D'Artigo sisters are back. Part Human/part Fae, and agents of the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. Camille, the eldest is the witch with the unpredictable powers, Delilah is the shapeshifter, and Menolly, the acrobat and vampire is the main focus of Demon Mistress.

Menolly is the bar manager of the Wayfarer. While cleaning with Iris they uncover the diary of an elf bartender who's disappeared. This then leads Menolly to find a ghoul in her woods. She knows that a ghoul equals a necromancer. It turns out there's a geek fraternity out there summoning demons, ghouls and trying to win Lord Shadow Wing's favour!

I discovered Yasmine Galenorn's Otherworld series with Darkling (book 3) which helps when reading Demon Mistress. Menolly's dark history is explored along with her struggles to overcome it. You can read Demon Mistress without the aid of the previous books, but I don't recommend it. Too many questions will remain unanswered for you.

The Otherworld series, and Demon Mistress is no exception, is what I consider Urban Romantic Fantasy. The relationships are intricate and visceral. You won't find a problem seeing the history (and present) of the sisters in your mind. Menolly is the focus, but Camille and Delilah's relationships with their partners is explored. Amazingly (for a series of books) you will find yourself with a sense of completion in Demon Mistress while still having expectations of the next in the series, Bone Magic.

Galenorn has created a universe of her own and takes you along for the ride. Galenorn pulls no punches in this latest of the Otherworld series. Demon Mistress is a wonderful addition and I am constantly amazed with Galenorn's ability to expand to this universe. Yasmine Galenorn receives my ultimate compliment to an author, she's a consummate storyteller.

Demon Mistress gets a Classic from me. 4 out of 4 stars. Highly recommended.

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Kiss & Hell - Dakota Cassidy

Delaney Markham is a medium. The talking to dead people type, not her size. What do you do to make ends meet and support yourself (and your equally sensitive six dogs) when ghosts are constantly talking to you? You charge $800 for seances or that's the plan. At least it is until an unwanted, yet attractive, ghost starts to crash them.

The ghost in this case is actually a demon by the name of Clyde Atwell. A demon library clerk. He's been sent by the devil to make Delaney's life difficult. He would quit his assignment, even though he'd burn for eternity, but he seems to have fallen in love with Delaney. Add to that the fact that he's unsure how he wound up in Hell in the first place, and it soon becomes apparent that there's more to Clyde then meets the eye.

This is a fun summer read. Delaney is fun and funny. Despite the fact that with her "gift" she can't seem to have any kind of relationship. With the exception of her nice demon friend Marcella. A Spanish spitfire who will do anything to help Delaney out.

Dakota Cassidy is a master (mistress?) at laugh out loud funny. Right up there with MaryJanice Davidson, read this book in public at your own risk. If you don't mind people looking at you like you're insane, you'll be fine. Sharp and sarcastic the plot will sneak up on you. This book is recommended especially if you want a break from your Urban Fantasy always being so serious.

Kiss & Hell gets an Excellent. 3 1/2 out of 4 stars.

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