ISBN: 9780441018369
I purchased this book.
Mercy Thompson book 3
This review contains spoilers for earlier books in the series.
Last time, Mercy was kidnapped, magically drugged and brutally raped. Bone Crossed picks up only a week later with Mercy still struggling to deal with her trauma, her newly exposed feelings for pack alpha Adam and now with area vampire queen Marsilia, who knows Mercy killed one of her own, decidedly pissed off at her. Though Mercy knows little of her own kind, being the only skinwalker (natural coyote shifter rather than an attack survivor like most other weres) currently known of, Marsilia knows what the walkers are, having been part of the Frontier-Era war between walker natives and European vampires.
Apparently nothing can kill vampires like a walker, so decades ago the vampires eradicated them. Once willing to let Mercy live as long as she wasn’t killing vampires and she remained useful, Marsillia now has declared war on Mercy, because Mercy was the one who fouled up Marsilia’s plans to make more demon-possessed vampires. But Mercy’s new position in the pack as Adam’s mate complicates things, so instead of attacking Mercy directly Marsilia goes after her friends and allies.
When Stefan, Mercy’s friend and Marsilia’s vampire, shows up, near dead and nearly mad with hunger Mercy is sure Marsilia sent him to kill her. Struggling to fight panic attacks and trying to form a healthy relationship with people around her Mercy also finds herself having to face down people who not only want to victimize her again, but who are willing to use her’s friend to re-victimize her.
Bone Crossed is full of emotional realism, even if it’s also full of vampires, fairies, ghosts and shape shifters. Characters who were already real before now deepen from fleshy and familiar to true friends of readers traveling with them.
The emotional turmoil is also balanced with action, manipulation and a complicated enough plot to prevent the book from coming off as sheer emotional angst over past events. Mercy is the definition of the plucky survivor, tough, but not immortal, snarky and defiant, but not suffering from Mary Sue Syndrome.
Bone Crossed is a good read, definitely not the place in the series to start, but a satisfying addition to the series. This series continues to deliver, creating a more complex world, but not one muddled by world rules violations, or mid stream changes in style or personality. Bone Crossed will both sate readers and keep them looking for more.
Tir Alainn trilogy book 3
ISBN: 0451459423
I bought this book.
There’s a lot to this final book in Anne Bishop’s Tir Alainn series. Previously the Black Coats crept their way through Arkos and Wolfram, into Sylvania, slaughtering the witches and destroying the pieces of the fairy realm, Tir Alainn, linked to those areas. Their quest to eradicate magic faltered as they moved west and began to encounter Fae and witches who were still strong and tied together, still aware of their linked ancestry. Battle lines were drawn between the Inquisitors and the magic users, with the fate of all women and magic at stake.
In this book an army of men marches to Willowsbrook, where the Master Inquisitor hopes to teach a lesson to those who resist his will before attacking the Mother’s Hills, the secretive wellspring of magic where the House of Gaian still lives. Even the area witches are intimidated by those who live in the hills, and not sure when witches and fae begin to fight back against the Inquisitors, if the wiccanfae from the Hills will crush them all in their effort to destroy the Black Coats.
Again, there is a slant toward happy endings, and feminism. The women are who must be saved as they are more naturally attuned to the magic of the land. They’re also who the Master Inquisitor is out to destroy in a crazy revenge-against-the-mommy-who-didn’t-love-him way. Most of the nastiest creatures to creep out of Bishop’s mind, like the nighthunters, soul-eating, flesh-devouring creatures made from twisted magic, are blunted by Bishop’s storytelling stylings. This keeps the story firmly in fantasy without letting it slip under the influence of horror.
As always Bishop is a glorious storyteller, and has created a world rich enough to dive into. Readers will find plenty to love in this trilogy, and all without a nihilistic, or savage tone.
ISBN: 9781416928157
I purchased this book.
Howliday Inn is the second book in the Bunnicula series. Our favorite vampire bunny is missing in this one, as the Monroes are on vacation and four-legged detectives Harold and Chester are being boarded at Chateau Bow Wow, a facility that seems to be cursed or haunted as the occupants begin to disappear.
Not-terribly-bright, but lovable Harold suspects murder. Clever, but overly paranoid Chester suspects werewolves. Then tragedy strikes, leaving Harold alone to try to stop what’s going on (but he has to figure that out first).
The first book in series had a camp-horror feel, but this one is heavily mystery. The goofiness of Harold blunts any potential darkness in the book, but might be distracting for kids used to savvy, smart leads. With crazy characters, a twist ending and a real bad guy, Howliday Inn is good for budding mystery lovers and pet lovers.
House of Night book 4
ISBN: 9780312379834
I purchased this book.
Do not read this book without having book five ready to dive into immediately after.
By this point the series is literary crack, unputadownable (to use a phrase I hate, but it fits). Zoey Redbird is a chosen of the night goddess Nyx, which means she has powers and will someday become a vampyre. Her friends are all gifted as well, beyond just being marked to become vampyres.
Zoey’s circle is still recovering from last book’s plot of I’m-lying-to-you-to-protect-you, but after a vision from Aphrodite it’s clear that Zoey needs to start leaning on them again, even if evil High Priestess Neferet’s mind reading powers might risk them all in the process.
Newly thrown into the mix are Stark, a vampire Bullseye, who can hit his target every time, even if he doesn’t know what his target is, and Zoey’s Grandmother, pulled into an active role when she finally puts a name and face to the big mysterious evil they are facing. But Stark dies in Zoey’s arms, much like Stevie Rae died in the second book only to be reborn as a red-marked fledgling. Sure that the same is true of Stark, Zoey hatches a plan to intervene and steal Stark from Neferet’s influence.
But something is watching her from the shadows, something that’s angry and growing power and Zoey must find a way to stop it and stop Neferet while protecting her friends and family as well.
I am absolutely as hooked on this series as I was on Buffy. It’s smart, snarky, dark and absolutely engaging. I made the mistake of not having book five sitting ready when I hit the end and it’s a shame, since the Casts have hit a stride born of past world building and past set up launching the characters into fast, readable whirlwind adventures. The House of Night series is poised to become my favorite YA world out there. In short, I humbly await more.
Tir Alainn trilogy book 2
ISBN: 9780451458506
I bought this book.
Shadows and Light brings readers back to a world of witches, magic and fae, and a growing evil that threatens them all.
By this book in the series readers know that the witches are really the descendants of the House of Gaian and that when a witch dies, slaughtered by the evil minions of jealousy and twisted magic, the tether to the magical fae land of Tir Alainn is broken and that part of the fae realm is lost.
This book strays from following the witch Ari as a primary character and instead travels with Aiden, The Bard, and Lyrra, The Muse, both exiled from the fae by Dianna and Lucian’s rage, as they try to convince the rest of the fae to save the witches to save their world. This volume also introduces new characters; Brianna and Liam, half siblings struggle to deal with each other as well as the evil creeping into their land; Ashke and Padrick, fae, and human world baron and baroness as well; and a collection of humans, fae, witches and other who are finding themselves forced to choose sides. Each character is compelling and interesting and likely could carry the story on their own. Combined it leads to an epic, large scale feel as readers form a solid picture of Bishop’s world.
Most interesting is Morag, the Gather, Death’s Mistress, the one fae with the power of life and death which sets her apart even from the other fae. It also puts her in the position of being the only one who can stop the rotten core of the Black Coats’ evil.
This volume also introduces the western fae, who never forgot their roots like Lucian and Dianna have and whole towns where fae and witch are synonymous with neighbor and friend.
Lyrra and Aiden are trying to make the adjustment from the eastern fae and their exile, to the western fae, who are guarded not because of the Bard and Muse’s intent but because of the reputation of the eastern fae. They set out on a search for the mysterious Hunter. He may be the only one with enough command and power to counter the damage Dianna and Lucian are doing that threatens to split the fae into their own civil war.
Again Bishop spins a fantastic world, rife with beauty, humor and danger, and populated by fleshy characters struggling to do what’s right. The heroism aspect in this volume is its only potential flaw. Despite the glory of Bishop’s world there is a very clear cut line between good and evil and characters fall on one side or the other, though some don’t realize the full extent of their actions.
The Tir Alainn trilogy remains one of my all-time favorite reads and has, several years after its release, stood up to repeated reads and still delivered a highly enjoyable reading experience.
House of Night book 3
ISBN: 9780312360304
I purchased this book.
Chosen is the Empire Strikes Back of the Casts’ vampire finishing school series. Previously, Zoe Redbird was marked to become a vampyre, a favored person of the night goddess Nyx. Upon entering the House of Night she discovered an imbalance in the workings of the vampires and realized Nyx had charged her with fixing it. In book one Zoey takes on class queen and total meanie, Aphrodite. In book two Zoe learns that Aphrodite was not even close to the big bad of the series and something worse is going on, claiming fledgelings from the House of Night and turning them into something else.
In this third book Zoe now knows that the high priestess of the House of Night, and Zoe’s personal mentor, Neferet, is somehow behind her best friend’s transformation from an ordinary fledgeling into a full realized–something–with a red crescent mark instead of Nyx’s sapphire mark. But no matter how gifted she is, she is still a fledgeling and she’s facing a fully trained, intelligent and malicious adult whose hands are firmly wrapped around other people and other powers.
In addition, Zoey still is finding herself unable to let her human high school boyfriend go, unsure if it’s because she doesn’t want to let go of her human life, or because he’s the only source she has of fresh blood. When vampyre hottie and school poetry teacher Loren Blake starts making some serious moves on her, Zoey finds herself unable to even think or resist against his charms, despite her already complicated love life.
But she has to keep Loren, the red fledgelings and Stevie Rae secret from her best friends, risking their rage, because Neferet’s mind reading powers (which don’t work on Zoey) could put them all in danger. The only person Zoey has to talk to, the only other person immune to Neferet’s mind reading, is Aphrodite, who has been publicly humiliated and abandoned Nyx—according to Neferet. Zoey’s sudden trust of Aphrodite sits just as badly with her friends, prepping the House of Night crew for a show down that’s less magic and fighting and more tempers and ill-will.
Despite the amount of emotional turmoil in this book it manages to avoid being needless high drama. Also missing is the borderline preachiness some readers have found in previous installments of the series. The Casts keep a balance between the elements introduced previously in the series; Zoey’s family troubles, the mystery of the red fledglings, Neferet’s bipolar influences, Zoey’s struggles with her love life, and the battles of high school themselves; and still manage to move the overall plot forward..
If you haven’t read the series before, don’t start here because by this book readers should be well entrenched in the series to understand the importance of the climax and ending. It also helps, since book four is already available if you grab that one as well for a continuous flow of the overall storyline. Again, this is a fabulous dark urban fantasy series for readers who want dangerous and complex, but aren’t ready for the sexual and violent content of more adult series on shelves today.
House of Night book 2
ISBN: 9780312360283
I purchased this book.
Betrayed, the second book starring Zoey Redbird, recently marked by the goddess of the night, Nyx, and destined for great things, starts off with a thick, back story heavy first chapter that’s an example of the worst the Cast writing gets. Things appear shallow and skewed, with the misunderstood female-goddess-powered vampires facing off against the domineering, bone-headed male “People of Faith” (a cult of Christians) types. And with Zoey’s super special, empowered friends railing against meanies, while themselves being judgmental and snobbish.
But don’t stop there, because once the series and situation so far has been summed up the Casts move on to tell a completely different story.
Fresh off a victory over meanie, vampyre elitist Aphrodite, Zoey finds herself the leader of the elite House of Night school prep club/sorority the Dark Daughters and Sons. She immediately puts the people who helped her take the position from Aphrodite at her side as prefects as she struggles to make the club something more than the nasty, abusive thing it had become.
But Zoey doesn’t know it all, and isn’t exactly prepared to handle what Nyx starts to reveal to her. After much preparation Zoe’s first Full Moon ceremony as Priestess in training begins to go well, with her friends all showing an affinity for an element that makes them solid choices for the role Zoey has put them in (and it makes Zoey’s choice seem less like nepotism and more like foreshadowing, or even prophecy.)
But Fate—or something worse—takes Zoey’s best friend and roommate from her when Stevie Rae collapses after the ceremony and appears to fall prey to a failed Change (when a Marked teen’s body rejects the Change to a vampyre and instead, dies.) When Zoey’s semi-stalker ex-boyfriend Heath vanishes soon after Zoey is shocked to be given a vision which shows her Stevie Rae is responsible. To save Heath Zoey must tear away another layer of the mystery surrounding the House of Night, which leads her to the only person who seems to believe her and maybe even knows what is going on—Aphrodite.
What could very well be taken as a cliché tale of super special (underestimated) teens proving to the world how much better than ordinary they are instead becomes something else. Again Zoey represents a girl struggling to find her own place in the world, and in herself, when the people around her seem determined to ruin her or rule her. When everyone else says her instincts are wrong Zoey is forced to follow them, or lose people she loves.
Furthermore this book introduces additional complexity by showing that Dark doesn’t always mean evil and Light doesn’t always mean good. Actions speak louder than compliments, familiar roles and even religious affinity.
After the initial chapter, religious and female power overtones are relaxed and worked better into the tale, even to the point of glancing off the idea that only women getting “favored” by one god is as unfair as only men being “favored” by another. Even Zoey’s more annoying friends, Shaunee and Erin, are toned down while the plot is proceeding and take a stronger supporting, instead of agitating, role.
The plot as well is a nice mix elements that is similar to those seen in other well liked long running series, like the Harry Potter books. While there is, one can assume, one primary evil, it’s minions are many, and unexpected (by Zoey anyway). And the solution is never as easy as pointing and declaring “There’s the bad guy.” Instead the characters must weave their way through their destined conflicts, which even include their differences with each other.
Zoey’s voice keeps the darkness in check with wit, snark, a special kind of confidence, and determination. A good read for teens, and even adults still fighting with teen issues, Betrayed is a good, easy read that manages to keep some meat on its bones with out becoming either too heavy or too fluffy.
16
Nov
ISBN: 9780441017805
I purchased this book.
In the Kate Daniels urban fantasy series by husband and wife writing team “Ilona Andrews” sarcasm, action and things that go bump in the night rule, so I was eager to pick up another Andrews world to delve into.
In this world there is The Weird, where magic rules and beasts run rampant, The Broken, our world where magic is dead and guns run rampant, and The Edge, which sits between and has a little of both. Rose is a single mom, by courtesy of being the adult left to raise her two younger brothers after her mother died and her father abandoned them. She has just enough power to hold her own, but too much for the other residents of The Edge to feel comfortable with her (or ignore her). Like has happened many times before since her powers surfaced, one day a handsome, arrogant man shows up on her lawn demanding to have her as his bride<~~Cross out broodmare and unwilling to give her a choice in the matter.
The gorgeous blueblood from the Weird, Declan, triggers every bad male instinct Rose has and threatens her family and her sanity. But no matter what the pretense, Declan is not just in The Edge for Rose. He’s come for a monster stalking the woods as well. Declan, Rose, and the distrusting community of The Edge must find a way to come together before the monster picks them all off to feed.
On the Edge has a very urban fantasy feel, and Andrews retains a balance of action, humor and darkness that I truly enjoy. In many ways this is an urban fantasy book, but the differences are enough to push the still new genre into a wider interpretation.
Translated into the horror genre, On the Edge would be set in a mysterious backwoods community that’s hiding a strange power, but represents a real danger to any outsider who doesn’t leave them be. Washed with urban fantasy influences instead, readers will still find the mysterious and potentially dangerous community that lives in a rural area (that particularly speaks to me with the experiences I’ve had in rural central Kentucky communities) which has formed a unique kind of magic, some would see as a bastardized form of high or formal magic.
The community here has a good reason for their wariness of outsiders. The Broken sees them as freaks, and in some cases illegal aliens. The Weird sees them as weak mongrels. Rose herself can’t even trust the neighbors since a few of them tried to sell her into “marriage” to bluebloods who expect her power to breed true.
On the Edge is a deliciously complex debut world, with full, unique characters and enough plot and intrigue to keep it out of the paranormal romance genre. It has elements of fantasy, romance, mystery, thriller and awesome. I eagerly await the second book in this series and can’t wait to see how this family evolves in the world that challenges them.