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[review] ANGEL’S BLOOD by Nalini Singh

2 March 2009 · 7 Comments

angels-blood-small

ANGEL’S BLOOD
Guild Hunter Series, Book 1
Nalini Singh
Berkley  – March, 2009

Plot Summary: Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break.  [Amazon]

Creature Feature:  Angels, archangels, vampires, human vampire hunters and humans.

Worldbuilding:  Vampires, angels and vampire hunters are not unique to the Urban Fantasy genre.  But the way the angel/vampire hierarchy is set up, the inhuman way the angels are portrayed and the sheer brutality both of these races exhibit is unique and believable.

Originality:  I think the concept of angels creating vampires and why they are created is very original.  Vampires are “Made” by the angels and the candidates go through a screening process.  If they are accepted they are contracted to the angel who Made them for 100 years.  It is those who decide they don’t want to be contracted any more who usually go rogue and that Elena needs to find.

Characterization: The characterization in this book was outstanding.  The book is written in third person so you get to see things through the eyes of primarily Elena but also Raphael and the villain.  Elena is a little something different.  She isn’t cocky or a stone-cold bitch.  She is a complex character who is flawed and also knows her limits.  Raphael is inhuman, cold and calculating.  He has a track record of torturing or killing those who either need to be killed or cross him.  Never does Ms. Singh try to make him more human in any way.  He is what he is, there is no big revelation or change.  He is an inhuman angel who finds himself in love with a human.  Raphael is a true anti hero and one of my favorite characters to date.

The secondary characters are just as compelling as Elena and Raphael.  Dimitri-Raphael’s second in command, Illium-one of Raphael’s angel guards and any of the archangels in the Cadre of Ten all left me wanting to know more about them.

Storytelling:  Gripping and compelling from start to finish, the story never sags nor did it lose my attention.  It left me wanting more and when I was finished with the book, I was elated that I had read something special and sad that it was over.  So eager was I to have more that I went and bought the ebook novella set in the same world:   Angel’s Pawn.

Badass Factor:  The angels and vampires are extremely badass and ruthless.  They are thoroughly compelling and scary at the same time which makes them very dangerous.  Elena’s sheer strength of will and need to be true to herself even to the death make her a force to be reckoned with even amongst the vampires and angels.

Too Stupid To Live Moments:  Elena knows herself and her limits.  She has no illusions about what she can and cannot do but will  do whatever it takes to get the job done.  She just wouldn’t let herself go there.

Notable Quotes:  This is an exchange between Raphael and Dmitri.  I think it shows the lengths Elena will go to, the ruthlessness of Raphael and Dmitri’s curiosity in regard to Elena.

“How did you lose her?”  Raphael stared at Dmitri impassive.

“She cut my throat.”

Raphael looked at the vampire’s clean shirt, his damp hair.  “It occured soon after she left if you’ve had time to clean up.”

“Yes.  She didn’t want an escort home”

“Did you provoke the attack?” he asked calmly, because the answer meant nothing to him, except as a test of Dmitri’s loyalty.

“I wanted to taste her.”

Raphael struck out without warning, slamming Dmitri to the floor with a broken jaw.  “I told you she was off-limits.  Are you challenging my authority?”

The vampire stood, waiting for his jaw to heal enough so he could speak.  “You fought”.

“Yes, but I didn’t rescind my order.”

Buy/Borrow/Bypass:  Definitely a buy.  There was already some very glowing buzz for this book circulating before I had the chance to read it and it really made me kind of apprehensive.  “Can it really be *that* good”, I wondered?  It is.  This book lived up to the hype.  Kmont of Lurv a la Mode schooled me and she was absolutely correct.  Angel’s Blood will likely be in my top 10 for 2009 and that is saying a heap since it’s only March.

Nalini Singh’s Website

Nalini Singh’s Blog

Lisa Trevethan

Categories: A Reviews · Nalini Singh
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“Seaborn” by Chris Howard

3 February 2009 · 2 Comments

Posted by Harry Markov

Title: “Seaborn”
Author: Chris Howard
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 384
Publisher: Juno Books

Summary: Kassandra is the Seaborn king’s granddaughter – the one he wished he’d killed when he’d had the chance. Kassandra’s spent her entire life in exile on the surface, struggling to control frightening powers she barely understands—powers she has already used to defeat the king’s warriors when she was still a teenager. Now she’s ready to declare war. Corina Lairsey is a California college student who has just freed herself from one controlling relationship when she finds herself in another. Only this time, Aleximor, an ancient Seaborn sorcerer, is literally inside her head, and wearing her body. Corina must strive for control of her self, fighting against time as Aleximor trades pieces of her life away in exchange for power over the path between the worlds of the living and the dead.

Classification & Literary Class: It has been a lot easier to write reviews to books that I didn’t enjoy than to something that I seem generally in love with. Plain and simple, novels you don’t resonate with, lack that magical quality. Without it, you can pop the hood and analyze every little process effortlessly. But the story changes when you are confronted with a novel that has this quality, that is organic and whose magic you can never pinpoint or analyze. You get where I am going with this.

“Seaborn” is exactly that. Organic. Every element, idea, character and plot thread flow into each other until your senses are overwhelmed in the best possible way meant. Starting from the most obvious “Seaborn” is urban fantasy, but the way I think it should be. The core of the novel is the story itself that unfolds flawlessly in two entwining worlds and that is propelled by the characters’ strategies, unlike the current wave of titles with greater focus on a near to impossible relationship. “Seaborn” speaks about war and battles, where in the end it’s either everything or nothing. To top it off every line is delivered with above satisfactory prose. For me Howard’s writing evokes a resemblance to Nabokov’s style with unconventional imagery and originality.

Characters & Depth: Since I mentioned that “Seaborn” is virtually flawless, the characters must be top notch as well. The strong heroine in urban fantasy usually has some issues like anger management, inferiority complex or daddy issues, which make them brass, fast to strike and totally primal to a point. They don’t think before they act. Kassandra is has people inside her head, real voices. She can never be sure, when one of them will pop up and take her body for a spin and she doesn’t get along with her family much, but she is the embodiment of a Machiavellian character. Poseidon’s Wreath pretty much makes her all powerful underwater and a strategic genius. An emergency arises and she is already scheming how to evade it. But here is the best part about her. She has to remain sane. Kassandra is trying to be as human as possible, fighting for control with the previous bearers in her head and not blowing things up.

Virtually every character is as fleshed out and controversial as Kassandra is. I loved the Corina-Aleximor possession, since both characters are complete opposites starting from the most obvious, their species and moving towards the personality differences. During the whole novel though I saw immense character growth. Aleximor showed a strange form of kindness or at least something similar, while Corina was adapting to the new situation and found enough strength to reclaim power over her own body. I can keep going on, but it is pointless. Chris Howard has gone as far as giving the past bearers their own distinctive pasts and personalities that later on help Kassandra piecing the whole puzzle together.

Worldbuilding & Believability: Probably what hooked me most before I discovered the merits of the story itself was the world building. This world has everything from incredible magic over water and other forces, to the rich history and the lore and culture. The world of the seaborn is based on Greek mythology and most of the names sound Ancient Greek as well as certain terms. Being cursed by Zeus these people have left their island and created their own society below the waves, divided into 9 houses with their own artificial sun. They have their own undead army and magic taboos. It all makes perfect logic and I never doubted a thing. Most intriguing I found the hereditary passing of magic talents, which ‘bleed’ from an elder to a blood relative of a new generation. And these talents use water mainly, but we do have necromancy, clairvoyance and fire magic underwater, which is also pretty well justified. I am not sure what is researched and what is fictitious, but whatever aspect Chris Howard touched, he raised the bar quite high.

The Verdict: I am not sure how Juno got their hands on this novel, but they landed quite the gold mine at least for urban fantasy readers. I may sound extreme, but here goes: This is a must-read, must-have and worshipped. This mythology junkie is more than satisfied and begs people to buy more than one copy as soon as possible. If I am correct, after several generations a first issue of this will be quite valuable.

Categories: A Reviews · Chris Howard

[review] THE OUTLAW DEMON WAILS by Kim Harrison

26 January 2009 · 1 Comment

harrison_outlawdemon_mmpbTHE OUTLAW DEMON WAILS
The Hollows, Book 6
Kim Harrison
2008, EOS/HarperCollins

Plot Summary: When you dance with demons, you lay your soul on the line . . .

In the Hollows, where the natural and the supernatural co-exist—not always peacefully—desperate times often call for unorthodox measures. But bounty hunter-witch Rachel Morgan did the absolutely unthinkable to save the lives of her friends: she willingly trafficked in forbidden demon magic. And now her sins have come home to haunt her.

As Rachel hunts for the truth behind a terrifying murder, the discovery of a shocking family secret is about to throw her entire life into question. And the long-lost ancient knowledge she seeks resides in the demonic ever-after.

But there are some lines that should never be crossed—like the one Rachel Morgan’s stepping over . . . again! [Amazon]

I like the cover of the mass market paperback, and the step-back is equally lovely. The title suits this story– there’s an outlawed demon and he does wail. :o )

Creature Feature: Demons, vampires, werewolves, witches, pixies, elves, and gargoyles.

Worldbuilding: One of the things Kim Harrison does best is worldbuilding. I love that living in a church is both the best and worst thing for Rachel. I love the Hollows, the tomato virus, the ley lines and their link to the demons, and the ever-after.

The hallway was dark, and I jerked to a halt just past my door, frowning. Ivy had put up a sign dangling by threads from the ceiling; clearly Jenks had assisted her. God help her, she had used a stencil, and I snatched at the yellow poster board, reading BEYOND THIS POINT, THERE BE DEMONS in bright red lettering. Crap on toast. I had forgotten about that.

When Jenks had bought the church from Piscary’s estates, he had insisted I pay to get it resanctified, and though I had protested, I eventually agreed to keep the back end of the church unsanctified, as it had been originally. Not all of our clients were living, and Ivy said that interviewing the undead on the porch steps was unprofessional. The result was the kitchen and back living room weren’t holy. In the past, Al had always seemed to know when I stepped from secure ground, and after my wrist had flamed in agony before he showed up to trash Patricia’s charm shop, I figured I knew how he did it. I have to get rid of this thing, I thought, gently rubbing the raised scar. As I hesitated in the dark, weighing my risk, the front doorbell rang.

Characterization: With each book, Rachel develops a little more, grows up a little more, and I love that. But I’m kind of impatient. It feels like her growth is happening so slowly. I have to keep reminding myself that there’s very little, if any, time between books, even though they’re published with roughly a year apart. In ODW we get to see Rachel’s attitude toward Trent give a little, which I thought was about time. She’s awfully hard on Trent. Sometimes he deserves it, but I also suspect if she would ease off, he would too. We also get to see a rebound guy, which was also good for her.

Originality: Another of Harrison’s strengths is her originality. I’d love to learn her secret to this, as she often comes up with interesting twists.

Storytelling: This being the 6th book in a series, it suffers from a common series syndrome: too many characters. I had a hard time keeping track of everyone, catching up with all the background stories, present day stories. I found the story cumbersome; I don’t know how Harrison handled it. I wonder if it might be time to let go of some characters, or at least not show them all in each book. Take David for example. I don’t think we needed to see him at all.  It was almost as if he appeared just to remind us of his existence. Rachel could have found another way to get the information he provided. It’s what she would have done before she’d known David.

Badass Factor: I’d like to be able to say demons, or the humans who play with them, were the stand-out bad asses, but I have a hunch the real bad ass here was Rachel. She just seems to get herself into all kinds of trouble. It’s her super-power. Still, the demons and those who play with them are notable adversaries this time around.

TSTL Moments (Too Stupid to Live): Although she excels at getting into trouble, Rachel is learning not to do stupid things for stupid reasons. She’s almost moved on to doing stupid things for good reasons. But she still stores the splat gun in her copper pots. Once she starts sleeping with it or carrying it with her, then I’ll know she’s learned something.

Notable Quotes:

  • I breathed a little easier. Everything in the guide would take at least twenty minutes. Unless he was working on a sequel. HOW TO NAIL YOUR SHADOW AND LEAVE THEM BREATHING IN TWO MINUTES.
  • For the first time in a long time, I knew who I was and where I was going. And right now, I was going . . . this way. Happily into the ever-after.

Buy/Borrow/By-pass: Kim Harrison has been on my Auto-Buy list since book 1 way back in 2004, but with the changes to our financial situation over the last two years, I can’t justify buying the hardcovers anymore, which turned out okay since the bonus story was included in the MMPB. I’ve heard talk of stories being added to the hardcover releases as well, which is unfortunate. There’s no way I can afford to buy the same book twice. If that’s the case, the hardcovers will have to go on my Borrow list.

Overall, I enjoyed this trip to the Hollows. Despite finding the many intersecting storylines distracting, I was sucked into the story and couldn’t wait to find out what happened next. Please, may I have some more?

Categories: A Reviews · Kim Harrison
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[review] VICIOUS CIRCLE by Mike Carey

19 January 2009 · Leave a Comment

carey_circleVICIOUS CIRCLE
Felix Castor, book 2
Mike Carey
2006, Grand Central Publishing/Hachette Book Group

Plot Summary: Felix Castor has reluctantly returned to exorcism after a successful case convinces him that he really can do some good with his abilities—”good,” of course, being a relative term when dealing with the undead. His friend Rafi is still possessed, the succubus Ajulutsikael (Juliet to her friends) still technically has a contract on him, and he’s still dirt poor.
Doing some consulting for the local cops helps pay the bills, but Castor needs a big private job to really fill the hole in his bank account. That’s what he needs. What he gets is a seemingly insignificant “missing ghost” case that inexorably drags him and his loved ones into the middle of a horrific plot to raise one of hell’s fiercest demons.
When satanists, stolen spirits, sacrifice farms, and haunted churches all appear on the same police report, the name Felix Castor can’t be too far behind… [Amazon]

Creature Feature: Ghosts, demons, succubus, zombie.

Worldbuilding: In this installment we get to know more about the demons, as Felix’s case crosses paths with the work the succubus Juliet is doing, and the demon possessing Fix’s friend Rafi lets go.

Characterization: Since the events of this story directly impact his friends, Felix is pushed to the limit. It was nice to see him face some real consequences at the end.

[spoiler warning:] I liked that Pen kicked him out. He was far too dependent on her, and she was much too forgiving of him. He needed the push. I’m curious to see how it affects him in the next book. [/spoilers]

Originality: We’ve seen ghosts before, but before this story, I don’t think I’d heard of anyone stealing a ghost. We also got to see more of other exorcists in London, and their hangouts. Indeed Carey brings in many original elements that keep the story fresh and interesting.

Believability: Carey takes the time to explain demonic possession and ghosts, so it’s all believable, like this short piece from a conversation between Felix & Juliet:

“You mean people ask to have their souls swallowed?”
“Essentially, yes. They agree to a bargain of some kind. They accept the terms, and the terms include forfeiting their soul. Obviously they may have an imperfect understanding of what that means. An eternity of suffering in hell, or a separation from God, or whatever the current orthodoxy is. But for us, it only ever means the one thing. It’s open season. We can eat them.”

Storytelling: Carey is a gifted storyteller. I find I’m drawn in completely. As the stakes escalate, the motivations deepen. The descriptions are rich, the action sequences tight.

Her hair was gray, but then it always had been: and on her it seemed less a sign of age than what you see when you scrape the paint off the side of a battleship. And like a battleship, her surface was bland and smooth and impenetrable.

Badass Factor: Everywhere Felix turns everyone wants a piece of him. The stakes were high in this one as even his friends and clients turned against him. But rightly so, since a big, bad demon tries to take over the city.

TSTL Moments (Too Stupid to Live): None that recall. Felix thinks through his decisions, weighs all his options.

Notable Quotes:
[Felix Castor] “And now they’ve all turned into homicidal maniacs.”
[Juliet] “That’s a question of semantics.”
“Is it?”
“If you call it insanity, you assume they’ve lost the ability to make moral judgments.”
“Raping pensioners? Knit one, pearl one, puncture windpipe? What do you think they’ve lost?”

*

[Juliet] “Infect if you prefer. Impart. Impose. Don’t argue semantics with me, Castor. You can’t expect me to have the same moral perspective on this that you have.”

Buy/Borrow/By-pass: The MMPB version is definitely on my Buy list. I like Felix and look forward to spending time with him, and certainly if I had the cash, I’d Auto-Buy the hardcovers.

REVIEW of THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, book 1

Did you know? Mike Carey also writes comic books. He’s the author behind Lucifer and Hellblazer, and he’s now at work on X-Men. Check his website for all the info. To find out more about the Felix Castor books, visit Orbit’s Mike Carey website.

Categories: A Reviews · Mike Carey
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[review] HOTTER THAN HELL by Jackie Kessler

18 January 2009 · 4 Comments

HOTTER THAN HELL

Hell on Earth Series, Book 3

Jackie Kessler

Copyright 2008, Kensington Publishing

Plot Summary:   In HELL’S BELLES and THE ROAD TO HELL, Jackie Kessler brought readers into an unforgettable Underworld populated by alluring demons and sexy devils. Now Daunuan, the most irresistible incubus of all, is facing one Hell of a challenge…

So whose soul do you have to damn to get a promotion around here?

Daunuan was never the ambitious type. There’s so much to love about his job just the way it is–mind-blowing sexual prowess, the power to seduce any human, excellent dental plan. But now Pan, the King of Lust, has offered to make Daun his right-hand incubus–a position other demons would give their left horn for. All he has to do is entice a soul destined for heaven into a damnable act of lust. Should take, oh, seven minutes, tops.

Then he meets his target, Virginia Reed. She’s cute. Funny. Smart. Unfathomably resistant to his charms. He can’t understand it. But Daun has centuries of seduction to his credit. He’s the best there is. Sooner or later he’ll transform this polar icecap of a female into a pool of molten desire, and every instinct tells him she’ll be worth the effort.

Meanwhile, he has to deal with a plague of rogue demons Hell-bent on taking him down, sent by an unknown enemy with a serious grudge. And one other problem: the dawning realization that he’s falling in love–that unholiest of four-letter words–with the woman he’s about to doom for all eternity… From Amazon

Creature Feature: Demons, Angels and various creatures and notable figures from mythology.

Worldbuilding: I like the concept of the strata of demons being categorized by sins. I also like how their jobs are treated much like those of the corporate world with all the headaches and paperwork of the mundane. I think throwing those touches in makes their world and the characters themselves more accessible especially when dealing with Hell and demons.

Storytelling: The story is told in first person POV and Daunaun is a demon of Lust, a Seducer Demon. Ms. Kessler relays sights, sounds, smells and thoughts through the eyes of someone whose life centers on seduction. She doesn’t sugar coat things or create an artificial Happily Ever After. I respect her for sticking to her guns on that one.

Badass Factor: Daunaun is definitely more of a lover than a fighter but when confronted has absolutely no qualms about fighting.  Which is good, especially when it seems there are plenty of folks who seem to have a bone to pick with him.

TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) Moments: None, really. Daunuan’s newly acquired feelings for Virginia made him vulnerable at times but not TSTL.

Notable Quotes:

Jezebel dimpled a smile, and I saw wicked thoughts sparkling in her eyes.  “That was delicious.  All that lava.  All of those souls.”

“I love eating Italian.”

“A saucy people.  Wish we could have stayed longer.”

Buy/Borrow/By-pass:  Definitely a buy.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will be buying her backlist as well.

Jackie Kessler’s website

Lisa Trevethan

Categories: A Reviews · Jackie Kessler
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[review] THE DEVIL YOU KNOW by Mike Carey

12 January 2009 · 2 Comments

carey_devilknowTHE DEVIL YOU KNOW
Felix Castor, book 1
Mike Carey
2006, Warner Books/Hachette Book Group

Plot Summary: Felix Castor is a freelance exorcist, and London is his stamping ground. It may seem like a good ghostbuster can charge what he likes and enjoy a hell of a lifestyle–but there’s a risk: Sooner or later he’s going to take on a spirit that’s too strong for him. While trying to back out of this ill-conceived career, Castor accepts a seemingly simple ghost-hunting case at a museum in the shadowy heart of London–just to pay the bills, you understand. But what should have been a perfectly straightforward exorcism is rapidly turning into the Who Can Kill Castor First Show, with demons and ghosts all keen to claim the big prize. That’s OK: Castor knows how to deal with the dead. It’s the living who piss him off… [Amazon]

Creature Feature: Ghosts, demons.

Worldbuilding: The story is set in a London, England that looks just like today, but for the ghosts walking around. Not everyone can see them, though, but there seems to be quite a few more people with ghost-seeing abilities in this story than in real life.

As a book lover, I adored that the story is centred around the Bonnington Archive. Seventy-five miles of shelving and eighty percent full sounds just about like heaven to me.

The Bonnington Archive itself stood out from the low-rise concrete monstrosities around it like a spinster among sprawling drunks. It looked to be early ninteenth century, in dark brick, four stories high, with meticulous patterns set into the brickwork underneath each row of windows, like vertical parquet. I liked it. It had the look of a palace that had been built at the whim of some senior civil servant who wanted fifedom, but then had died, like Ferdinand the First before he could walk across the threshold of his Belvedere. (p. 55)

Characterization: I find Felix “Fix” Castor to be chivalrous and caring– traits that tend to get him into trouble rather than save him from it. He reminds me of Harry Dresden, but darker, more flawed.

Originality: There are original elements like ghosts being bound by music, and then there are more familiar elements like demonic possession, but even then, Carey’s given them a refreshing twist.

When I had a psychic fix on the ghost that was vivid enough and whole enough, I could take out my whistle and finish the job; the impression I form and hold in my mind while I play is the burden of the cantrip that I weave, and music is the medium that expresses it. (p. 121)

Believability: You know how some books have you rolling your eyes and muttering “Oh, yeah right. Like that could happen.”? I didn’t have any of those moments with THE DEVIL YOU KNOW. The characters’ motivations were tight. The magic makes sense. Demonic possession? Makes sense. Carey is not new to story-spinning and it shows. He’s a master.

Storytelling: THE DEVIL YOU KNOW is witty and dark, an urban fantasy with a tasty noir flavour. It’ll keep you up at night, dying to get to the end. Though THE DEVIL YOU KNOW is not a light read, you don’t require a Master’s to get through it either. Carey’s words will satisfy both those who like their prose dense and those who like it light. I found myself sinking into the story quite easily.

Badass Factor: Exorcists aren’t exactly heroes in this world, and Castor has his share of enemies, even some he doesn’t know about. The bad guys have a lot to lose if Castor gets in the way, so the bad guys are appropriately bad, er, well-done. They put Castor through the ringer, anyway.

TSTL (Too Stupid to Live) Moments : Castor has a tendency to do too much on his own, without back-up, and to ignore good advice, but always in the name of doing the right thing. I didn’t feel he was stupid. It was more like watching a puppy skid on hardwood floors and plow into a wall. Adorable, yet painful and as spell-binding as Castor playing a tin whistle.

Notable Quotes:

He ignored that and just kept coming toward me. I was hoping that the crowbar might give him a moment’s pause, but he must have been threatened by bigger men than me and probably eaten them for breakfast. (p. 371)

Buy/Borrow/By-pass: The MMPB version is definitely on my Buy list. I like Felix and look forward to spending time with him, and certainly if I had the cash, I’d Auto-Buy the hardcovers.

Did you know? Mike Carey also writes comic books. He’s the author behind Lucifer and Hellblazer, and he’s now at work on X-Men. Check his website for all the info. To find out more about the Felix Castor books, visit Orbit’s Mike Carey website.

Note: The UK is several books ahead of the North America releases. In NA, the publisher is putting out the MMPB at the same time as the next hardcover. Hopefully someday they’ll separate them by about 6 months and catch up with the UK.

Categories: A Reviews · Mike Carey
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True Blood: The TV series with Fangs

18 November 2008 · 2 Comments

Website: True Blood
Seasons/Episodes: Season 1, episodes 12
Season Finale: November 23rd

Everybody in the urban fantasy community have been hyped out about the series release of “True Blood” by HBO on the silver screen, so I finally decided to see what the commotion was all about. Any serious Internet surfer has come across adds for “TruBlood”, bottled synthetic blood for vampires.

The approach used to promote the TV series is original as the producers take the world written by Charlaine Harris, an icon in urban fantasy, and throw a lot of money to make it believable with world reports about the vampire situation and their civil right, interviews with the main characters and TV speeches from both human and vampire sides on the matter of integrating vampires in human society. The result is definite since True Blood is a hit on HBO and if people think that urban fantasy is repeating itself to boredom in novels, then on TV the effect is addictive. Right from the starting scenes to the title sequence with a smoldering Southern song “I wanna do Bad Things to You” by Jace Everett and a very precisely crafted montage of scenes to show the many faces of the South, the show grabbed me. Just to note the series takes place in the fictional small town Bon Temp, Louisiana

I personally haven’t had the pleasure of reading the Sookie Stackhouse Series, so I cannot say whether the show does any justice to the novels, which is the normal outcome or vice versa. But having watched the first nine episodes, I might as well read them. The casting for the series is interesting and judging by the characters involved I would say that the producers have struck gold. Anna Paquin is more known for her role in the X-Men trilogy as the super heroine Rogue and the transformation from a self conscious mutant to a very perky and too optimistic, even tad naïve telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse is an amazing one indeed. My first impression of Anna’s character is that Sookie is with no self preservation instinct and kind of dumb to go out in the middle of the night chasing vampires out of curiosity. She just goes there like a moth bathed in gasoline to a torch, waiting to set herself on fire, but thankfully in nine episodes we see depth that explains most of her behavior. Being a telepath not introduced to a means to active her gift when she wishes, Sookie has to deal with the very unflattering thoughts of the people that visit the bar, where she waits.

The vampire Bill Compton is portrayed by the English actor Stephen Moyer, who has been capable enough to get the Southern accent just fine. Although lacking a filmography with widely known blockbuster roles, something he and the rest of the actor staff have in common, Stephen is a perfect fit for the part. He is tall, dark, handsome and his eyes have that mysterious feel that you can’t possibly place. When it comes to credibility all the actors in the series are competent enough. Ryan Kwanten, who plays Sookie’s Brother Jason, does a fine junkie playboy stud, while Rutina Wesley, portraying Sookie’s best friend Tarra Thornton, does a fantastic job bossing people around with her loud mouth and promises quite an entertainment. I view this series as the trampoline for many of these actors.

So let’s drop the cast and move to the story. Every episode is like a shot of tequila, a concentrated dosage of the good old urban fantasy spirit. You have your buxom blond hottie with paranormal abilities, who doesn’t seem like a cliché. Then you add a charming vampire, who wants to mainstream and due to that disturbs the usual flow of the small town. This mixture can’t go without a love triangle, a good for nothing brother womanizer, who gets himself in vampire related trouble and then to top it off, you have your buxom blond make herself known to the vampire world as a telepath. Mix all of these with hot actors, add the necessary sex and blood scenes and you have nine explosive episodes. This is a cocktail I would drink any day several times.

As with everything quite as provocative as this TV series, you either love it or hate it. I am glad to say that most of the people agree with me. According to Metacritic the critics are favorable with a rating of 64 out of 100 based on 30 reviews, while the users are more generous with 8.5 out of 10. If you want a full list of opinions then here is the link to Metacritic…

All I can say is that I have a new reason not to do anything responsible and enjoy myself. To the Charlaine Harris fans this will be a re-discovery (not only Madonna is entitled to that) and to all the people, who wonder what new book genre to start, this will be a great first interaction. Also here are some videos that might interest future fans of the show:

Categories: A Reviews · Charlaine Harris
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“Embrace the Night” by Karen Chance

28 October 2008 · Leave a Comment

Title: “Embrace the Night”
Author: Karen Chance
Details: Cassandra Palmer series, Book 3
Pages: 400
Publisher: Roc

“Embrace the Night” by Karen Chance is the third installment in the Cassandra Palmer series and like the previous two books, shows us a day in a clairvoyant’s life, who yet again manages to get stir riots and tangle herself in a web too closely knit to even cast a warding spell.

This time we find Cassie in a rather larger mess than the usual. Her to-do list involves an ongoing series of suicide missions to stay alive, while her list of arch nemesis keeps growing and growing. After the news of Cassie’s claiming the title, powers and responsibilities of the Pythia, ultimate clairvoyant and a big thing in the magical community, a power play erupts with fractions from the Circle of mages, the Vampire Council, the Dark Fey Court and even the gods wanting her either dead or under their control. Determined to maintain independence Cassie solves her problems by making deals, which cost her a lot and may shorten her live indefinitely. The search for the Codex Merlini to break the geis spell set by Mircea, which mutated into an uncontrollable force threatening to kill both, plunges Cassandra into a very dangerous to the time line time traveling, where a lot of secrets are revealed. The myserious past of her guarding and always pissed off battle Mage Pritkin is revealed as well as ambushes and people from Cassie’s past appear she never expected. A novel with a major boom in the story department.

As usual Miss Chance has vacuumed insane quantities of story arcs, which can never be interpreted fully in the reviews, ever, but as a whole I have to say that once the chess table has been set, the players and strategies introduced, it’s a lot easier to follow what happens and by now the readers are expecting the fast pace. The major strengths in the Cassandra Palmer series are ever present. We watch Cassandra struggle with each task at hand. Each new deal she closes opens a new one, which pushes her to her limits and beyond, forcing her to grow. The theme in “Embrace the Night” is maturing, showing Cassie gradually acting as the Pythia rather than experiencing the power burst. The story progresses by itself without something ever being forced. The choices she makes and the consequences from them no matter how viewed are the only ones to make, thus offering us a real organic feel and a domino effect on nitroglycerine. Since the series deals with time, we finally glimpse into Cassandra’s life on the streets, thus adding another dimension to her personality. The same goes for Pritkin too, who suddenly picks up importance and is revealed to be so much more.

But the biggest treat comes during the adrenaline scenes, when we the readers are treated to a more thorough look through the magic of this alternative world. The limelight falls on time traveling and manipulation as the main power of the Pythia. Time is all not that simple and messing with it can be tricky. Cassandra learns that the hard way. Ley lines make their appearance here as well and an ancient spell, which can mean the doom of humanity. On the funny side though, we get to share a laugh with a wicked fashion designer’s enchanted dresses and Cassandra’s miserable attempts to reconcile with her inner grace.

“Embrace the Night” is definitely a tangled novel, unlike any other so far in the urban fantasy genre and a worthy sequel to the first two in the Cassandra Palmer series. I had a really great time, the point I wanted to write fan fiction. Giving the series a try is essential.

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Priginally posted at Temple Library Reviews

Categories: A Reviews · Karen Chance

[REVIEW] The Devil You Know – Mike Carey

7 October 2008 · Leave a Comment

The Devil You Know

Mike Carey

Felix Castor series, book 1

Warner Books, Copyright 2006

Felix Castor is an exorcist– not the kind that removes evil spirits from human hosts, but the kind that removes ghostly spirits from places. Like like the main character on the television show “Ghost Whisperer”, he helps the ghosts to tie up the unfinished business that’s keeping them around before he sends them on their way. But unlike GW, he “talks” to the ghosts with a tin whistle and there’s no “light” or “dark” for these ghosts to go to, they just go.

Set in London, England, the world is pretty much exactly as our is, except for all these ghosts wandering around. Castor says they’ve always been there, and 2/3 of the population can see them, but at some point there got to be a whole lot more of them, and no one is quite sure why. However, since they are entities that aren’t quite gone, the government is working on passing bills to give them rights.

How could it be expected to work if it turns out that you can take it with you after all? What about criminal trials? Could a dead man give evidence against his murderer or stand trial for murder himself? And if he were found guilty, how in hell are you supposed to punish him? And so on, and so on.

Out of work for some time, Castor ends up cornered into taking a case he wasn’t sure he wanted in the first place. A ghost is haunting the Bonnington Archive, which wouldn’t normally bother anyone if she was just wandering through the stacks like she always did, but for some reason, she’s suddenly become violent. As Castor becomes more involved in the case, he finds all sorts of reasons to support not taking the job in the first place, including the attempts on his life. This is one case where helping the dead turns deadly.

Fans of Neil Gaiman and Jim Butcher will love Mike Carey. Not only is Carey the creator of DC Comics’ award-winning Lucifer series, but his writing will remind you of Gaiman, while his character Felix Castor will remind you of Harry Dresden.

Rating: A. The Devil You Know has it all: thrilling mystery, vivid characters, and sharp wit. You’ll be asking yourself why you haven’t read it already.

Amazon link

Mike Carey’s official site

fan site

Categories: A Reviews · Mike Carey
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“Claimed by Shadow” by Karen Chance

10 September 2008 · 4 Comments

Title: “Claimed by Shadow”
Author: Karen Chance
Pages: 374
Publisher: Roc

“Claimed by Shadow” by Karen Chance is by far one of the strongest titles in the urban fantasy genre or perhaps the paranormal romance. I didn’t quite catch how people labeled the Cassandra Palmer series. To include a synopsis for a novel, whose pace threatens to break the sound barrier, is a bit of a challenge. The innocent 374 pages long novel manages to pull off a marathon through all kinds of hellish situations and sceneries such as Las Vegas casino under siege, magical tattoo parlor, 19th century England and a different realm.

“Touch the Dark”, first installment in the series, left Cassandra on the hunt for Antonio, the vampire, who raised her in his court. Unfortunately she is on the run from the American Vampire Senate itself; the Circle (mages organization) and Rasputin, who has coupled with the homicidal and careerist clairvoyant Myra. In between maneuvering around these fractions to stay alive and get the information she needs, Cassandra has to deal with the power of the Pythia, which acts on its own sending her back through time. On her list are included dealing with her ghost in a necklace Billy, convincing bounty hunter mage Pritkin she is not evil and babysitting ancient Greek demigods.

I personally don’t mind dynamics and diversity in sense of speedy changes in situations, introductions of new characters, ideas, magic and mythology. However the tricky thing to vacuum so much action in one book no matter the length is that it can backfire. My main issue was that I couldn’t quite follow the line of thought after I have paused for the day. There is too much happening to remember it all, no matter how thrilling and ingenious it was. The next problem appears actually getting tired from reading. Cassandra Palmer goes through several days on the run and around the middle, when another monster decides to attack her, I really started asking myself how is it plausible for Cassandra to physically operate. Good thing Karen Chance caught on the same issue as well and knocked her out along the way, while Cassandra admitted that her body was not functioning properly.

But getting around those problems is easy and beyond that we see the greatness of Chance’s work. The angle I enjoyed most so far has been the constant exposure to the paranormal world and every page brings a new creature, spell or myth to the pile. Every author can do it, true, but Chance adds her own flavor to what she includes from the world culture. I particularly enjoyed her portrayal of the incubus, which doesn’t actually own a body of its own, but has to possess a human body with natural charms. Then again come my favorites for this book, the Graeae – the three old women with one eye and tooth shared between themselves in Greek mythology, who protected Medusa’s island. Quite the cast of celebrities also airs in this novel starting with Rasputin, Vlad Dracula, Bram Stoker and a hint that perhaps Merlin will make an appearance in next installments.

Karen Chance has gathered the best from Greek, Norse mythologies, the stories told during the Middle Ages and even modern myths. Cassandra has her hands on an arsenal of weapons, which catch the reader’s attention and leave him/her imagining what the possibilities for mass destruction might be. I know I have. The spotlight however is taken by the Pythia’s power, the most potent clairvoyant gift. As it happens the gift chooses its next inline initiate and Cassandra happens to be it. I am thrilled with what Chance has done with such a passive power such as clairvoyance, giving it importance, hiercharchy, which dates back to the Delphi oracles.

All in all, you won’t make a mistake with this series and every book gets better and better. This reviewer was a very happy camper with this novel in his hands.

Categories: A Reviews
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