VENICE VAMPYR IS LIKE A WALK IN THE PIAZZA

  Venice Vampyr

  Venice Vampyr #1

by Tina Folsom

Only available as an e-book

Kindle Edition: 1117 KB

Funds and/or books for the Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tour were provided by Tina Folsom

Venice, early 1800s

Isabella Tenderini, a wealthy merchant's widow rescues a stranger from drowning in one of Venice's canals. And how does the man repay her selfless act? By kissing her - her, a respectable woman.

Not only is Raphael di Santori grateful for his life being saved, he would also like to thank his rescuer very intimately - more intimately than decorum allows. But then, Raphael has never been one to play by the rules - as a vampire he doesn't have to.

This a novella of approx. 139 pages / 31,000 words. Each chapter is illustrated with a photo of Venice from the author's own collection.

Warning: explicit and graphic sex, incl. voyeurism and other sexual taboos. This is Erotica.http://www.tinawritesromance.com/Home.html

Mmm, hmm, this certainly is erotica. In Folsom's blog she comments:

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Warning Labels on my Books

Dear Readers,

when I put warning labels on my books, I really do mean what I say.

Venice Vampyr carries the following warning label: This vampire novella is sexually more explicit than my other books. So, if you're a little squeamish about things like voyeurism and other sexual taboos, it's safe to assume you won't like this one.

It appears that a reader on B&N did not heed my warning and read the book anyway, and then promptly gave me a 1-star review because she couldn't take it. That's why the warning is there in the first place: I know that not everybody likes their sex quite as steamy and uninhibited as my characters do. So I try to warn people when things might be beyond what some readers can tolerate.

By the way, I do wear this 1-star review like a badge of honor. It's almost as good as being banned by the Catholic Church!

Happy reading!

My take

Image via Wikipedia

In Venice Vampyr Folsom uses an economy of language with a reasonable balance between mono-or-dia-logue. Sometimes the dialogue is a bit archaic, maybe a bit florid. The language used in erotica is often thus, regardless of the era in which the story is set (here, the early 1800s).  I find the language often brings a bit of levity to a hot situation.

His rampant cock was poised at her moist channel, which still quivered from the aftershocks of her orgasm.,...She was too tight. Nobody had visited her warm and wet cave in a long time.  p.39

Image via Wikipedia

The female heroine is a young widow, Isabella Tenderini, who is somewhat atypical for her time, keeping her husband's business going after she was widowed.  And, yet, I think there were many Venetian women in business. Widows would be common in a sea-faring state. She is, of course, beautiful and very sensual. 

She is also worried about her reputation and her late-husband's counsin who wants to take both her and the business over.

Raphael, is your somewhat typical vampire hero, with maybe a bit more honor than bloodlust. He finds himself truly in love with Isabella. HE is a very hot vampire, with a great voice. While, thank goodness, he isn't written with an Italian accent, you will be sure to hear it as he makes love. And, he is also a considerate lover, and a dominant.

The Villain, Massimo, is a villain for both Isabella and vampires.  He should have a long twirly mustache and the, "I can't pay the rent,"  "You must pay the rent." is what the dialogue might be between him and Isabella. 

Folsom does bring in a bit of Venezia's old world charm (of course in the novel's time period setting it was the old world) with particular customs and a good description of walking along canals, through the narrow streets, and over the thousand's of bridges most of which remain today. As with Paris, invaders seemed to go out of their way not to destroy the city's beauty. 

At a mere 133 pages, the book is quick and a fun read.  There is also a sequel, Venice Vampyr: Final Affair. Oh, and despite any issues with the  drama in the language it is very, very hot. Book a ticket at your earliest opportunity to read Venice Vampyre and maybe to go to Venice.

Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising to this URLhttp://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html

Disclosure of Material Connection: i am a member of the Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours and a copy was provided to me by the author. although payment may have been received by Book Lovin' Bitches Ebook Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. all opinions expressed here are entirely mine and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. this disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

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Bird in the Hand Blog Roll Challenge

 Because, a Blog on the Roll is worth examination.

First off, let me say that I L.O.V.E. Hops, Follows, memes, and especially NEW and OLD FOLLOWERS. I participate in several most weeks! And, Parajunkee's View Friday Follow was responsible for helping me get my start; this is not an anti-hop thing.

But, with diligent hopping and following my blog list has grown to over 500. I want to connect with these blogs. And, shhhh,this is one of the unspoken truths, but the reality of bloghops is a mutual following which helps all bloggers. If you follow a blog and they don't follow back is it a blog you want to keep on your list? Some blogs provide resources, information or entertainment that are worth following regardless without the follow-back.

Do you feel that your blog list—either your public blog roll and/or your private blog roll, is out of hand. I know I do. Do I make maintenance a priority, No. It's a bit like Spring Cleaning—regular life gets in the way.

I am challenging all of us to make maintaining our blog rolls a priority  for March. I plan to go through mine a certain number of blogs each day maybe more on weekends or certain days.  I plan to get through my entire list in March.
Blogs that have decided not to follow my blog will be evaluated. If they are participating in the challenge I will try to connect with them. Others may be a resource for me, or have sooooo many followers themselves it behooves me to continue to follow them as a learning tool.

Other blogs may not be posting any longer, may post very infrequently or have a philosophy that doesn't work with yours, not be posting in areas that have anything to do with your blog.
Having the frequency of posting may not be of importance to my private list but not my public list which I consider a recommendation to others.

This is not to punish the blogs who have not followed me back, but if one wishes to maintain the list to a reasonable size there is a need to have some criteria for keeping or not keeping a blog on.

It's also an opportunity to form meaningful partnerships with other blogger which will help you maintain the following on both blogs with cross-promotion, shared contests, etc. That's why a Blog on the roll is worth two you don't know.


How?
You don't have to use my criteria; however while criteria will not be a requirement for participating, I do encourage it for your own comfort. If you are anything like me you may feel guilty or worried about letting someone go.

I would LOVE to know how you will decide what to keep and what not to, and also whether you think following back with the exceptions I have mentioned is a reasonable criterion.

Also, do you plan to let other blogs know you are letting them go from your list and why?

And, what kinds of partnerships will you form?



I will make a page with live links so others can check us out and am creating a badge for you to display which will send others directly to that page. The above message will be reproduced on that page.

You can also submit moderated comments and tips for other bloggers to that page.

Here Is the Bottom line:
1. If you want to participate please register in the simply linked widget at the top of the left sidebar (for the moment).
 2 to 6 are optional Through a comment, you may also provide some or all of the following.

2. Twitter address if you desire;
3. You may mention your criteria, how many are on your roll(s) and how many you will go through a day (a range of blogs per day will allow you to vary weekends vs weekdays, busy day, etc.);
4. Whether you plan to notify removal prospects or not and how;
5. Whether you want partnerships or not and for what (like online dating);
6. What your goals are for your blog and/or blog rolls.

Event begins March 1 and ends March 31whether or not you start now or finish later is not important at all. This is a personal challenge. If you want to change anything in the challenge info list just send me a correction.


IF there is a post in your head on this subject, I will, on my own judgment, be happy to link to it or feature it on the challenge page.

One Hundred Candles These Bring in the Dark and Not the Light

ONE HUNDRED CANDLES

Book 2 in the Past Midnight Series

Mara Purnhagen

Reading level: Young Adult

Paperback: 240 pages

Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (February 15, 2011)

From publisher through NetGalley.com
No remuneration was exchanged.

Quick Tells

Not Cliche in plot or character

Passion: Lukewarm-even for YA

Cliffhanger rating - Aagh!

I’ve opened a door that cannot be closed.


It’s taken a long time for me to feel like a normal teenager. But now that I’m settled in a new school, where people know me as more than Charlotte Silver of the infamous Silver family paranormal investigators, it feels like everything is falling into place. And what better way to be normal than to go on a date with a popular football star like Harris Abbott? After all, it’s not as if Noah is anything more than a friend...


But my new life takes a disturbing turn when Harris brings me to a party and we play a game called One Hundred Candles. It seems like harmless, ghostly fun. Until spirits unleashed by the game start showing up at school. Now my friends and family are in very real danger, and the door that I’ve opened into another realm may yield deadly consequences.


A haunting new tale in the Past Midnight series.(NetGalley.com, Marketing Copy.)

My Thoughts

If you saw New Moon, you must remember at the end what a cliffhanger it was. And, if you read Dreamfever, you know we were left with a real cliffhanger, on a cliff even. One Hundred Candles gives us a cliff hanger of similar proportions. So, thank goodness this is a series! 

This book is about Charlotte Silver and her family. Except for having spent most of her youth traveling around with her parents, their employee, and her sister Annalise, Charlotte is a normal teenager, with a slightly underdeveloped peer socialization IQ. She has the somewhat usual sidekick BFF and there is a boy with whom she would prefer more than a friendship, but she believes that he is not interested.  There is another boy, Harris, and he seems crazy about her. But is he?  

The main plot is quite original. Something supernatural is really stalking this girl. But not all that seems paranormal is paranormal. On the other hand, some supernatural things are real, and they can hurt Charlotte and her family. When Charlotte fails to heed an arrogant adult's instructions will the worst happen?

The paranormal universe that Purnhagen presents is a bit loosely described. I don't have an issue with that really. As long as she remains consistent through the series that is not necessarily a problem.

Although this is book two, I didn't have any trouble coming in and getting with the program. It is a fine stand alone right until the end.

Charlotte shares some kisses with the two boys, but nothing goes beyond that point. The scenes are very tame. The scary-factor is a bit higher, as is the emotional quotient. Charlotte's parents are a bit self-involved as people with all absorbing jobs tend to be; but there are issues at home that feed into the choices Charlotte makes and what ensues from there. It is a good reminder of causality.

I found the book was engaging and it was mostly because I found Charlotte to be very engaging. The book was also suspenseful. No preachy lessons for teens; if there are any they come through imagining the situation and what may have been done differently. I also like the boy that Charlotte really likes. He reminds me of the new boy on Glee. I think this is a YA book that YAs will actually enjoy. 

Recommend.
Book Three in the Past Midnight Series, Beyond the Grave, is scheduled for Fall 2011.

Hop and Follow for it is Friday!

Blog Hops and Follows

 Okay, I sense a bit of Spring in the air. Only one more month of hell, I mean hard-winter. In March it tapers to almost spring. Yay!


from Crazy-for-Books

  

Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! 

Our Question this week:
"What book are you most looking forward to seeing published in 2011? Why are you anticipating that book?"

Cover of River Marked (Mercy Thompson, Book 6)

I am really anticipating River Marked by Patricia Briggs. I like Patricia's writing and I love the coyote-shifter Mercedes.

Parajunkees View:

This week she features Mission To Read. 

And they ask: What was your favorite subject in school: 1st to 12th grade, Spanish
College: English Lit.
Grad School: Nothing
Returning to school after a "career:" Discrete Mathematics and C programming

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Sin's Daughter by Eve Silver

HQN

Sin's Daughter

Eve Silver

HQN

Publication date: Jul 1, 2010

Miniseries: Otherkin

Kindle Edition 151 KB

Back of the book:

Cursed with immortality, driven into a nomadic life on the fringes of society to escape those who hunt her, Amber Hale has learned the bitter lesson that she can never grow close to anyone. Never love.

Only once did she break her own rules. And her lover, Kai Warin, paid for her mistake with his life. For decades, she's been numb with grief. Now, confronted by a soul reaper—an agent of one of the most powerful of the Underworld deities—with Kai's face, she must acknowledge the likelihood that he betrayed her...to the Lord of Evil himself.

Forced into an uneasy alliance and plagued by the unwanted yearning between them, they must work together to elude the dark forces hunting them both...

Quick Review for a Quick Read

Passion is Toe Curling, Five Alarm

Cliche - A bit

Plot-Fun Twists

A very quick paranormal erotica read. Former lovers Kai, a soul reaper, and Amber, a woman forever on the run, reclaim each other while trying to escape a bevy of apparent hit men. Hot, fast cars and hotter, slower sex make this one quick read you'll wish were longer. Eve Silver's writing may just be the elusive Viagra for women. There is a cool trailer on Eve's website for all the Otherkin books.

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Late last year this was a freebie. It is still darn close to free at $2.39 to $2.69 US.

Feel the Beat: The 2011 Book Drum Tournament

 I have nothing to do with this but it strikes me that many of you out there may wish to look at this tournament which encourages people to write in depth profiles of books. This is a cool example profiling Twilight:
http://www.bookdrum.com/books/twilight/9781904233657/index.html

(copy from BookDrum)
2011 Book Drum Tournament, in which book lovers from Australia to Zambia can delve deep into a favourite book and, by building an illustrated profile, share their enthusiasm for it with the rest of the world. Prizes range from £100 to £1,000.
Book Drum is the perfect companion to the books we love, bringing them to life with immersive pictures, videos, maps and music.
Make sure you examine the TERMS of the competition before you enter: http://www.bookdrum.com/tournament.html

Actually, BookDrum is just a cool site to explore. For people who love books and for people who want more when they close the cover, take a peek!

Third Sentence Thursday: One Hundred Candles

Third Sentence Thursday is a weekly meme

This week's theme is review the sentence from your current read.

Image by TheSeafarer via Flickr

1) Take the book you are reading now and post the third sentence

2) Review this sentence anyway you want (funny and silly reviews encouraged)

3) Post a link to your sentence here or if you don't have a blog, just post it in the comments!

4) Prepare for next week's theme: Third Sentence Review

This week I am reading:

One Hundred Candles 

by Mara Purnhagen

Published by Harlequin Teen

Feb. 22, 2011

The Third Sentence:

After opening presents in yet another beige and floral hotel room and wolfing down the hotel's complimentary cinnamon rolls, my family piled into our van and drove nearly an hour west of Cleveland to Lake Sanitarium, a somber-looking brick monstrosity that was, despite its name, located nowhere near a lake. 

My first thought is that this is the longest third sentence I  have had in seven weeks!  

My second thought is that the Lake Sanitarium is not near a lake but was named after either the founder, a great doctor from the sanitarium, or a benefactor.

Now we can also deduce that the family has different holiday customs, although that deduction comes mostly from the many other sentences in the book. I also could say there are no known or diagnosed celiacs in the family or they would become ill. Also, they must stay in hotels with the same banal decor for a reason.

Look for my review this weekend!

Retro-Demonology & Demon Trapper's Daughter Excerpt: Amazon Freebies

Retro Demonology Kindle Edition

http://www.demontrappers.com/

Jana Oliver

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 136 KB
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (December 17, 2010)
Sold by: Macmillan

A Demon Trapper’s bonus story.

Before Riley Blackthorne can take on Grade Five demons, she has to trap her very first. Her debut solo trapping experience should be a breeze, just a harmless Grade One after all. But throw in some dippy hippies (whose peace signs and Patchouli really aren’t driving any demons away), one mischievous demon, and a run-in with the police, and Riley might not be able to pull it off...

My Take

This was a freebie short story on Amazon.  It's pretty well written. While I don't get the retro part; why it's important that people are adopting the dress, speech, decor, etc. of times gone by, I enjoyed the read. The end is a bit startling and sudden. Riley is in nearly over  her head trying to make money, she is 17 going on 100 as downtrodden as she is by her family woes. The other characters, minus the demon, aren't important enough to make much of a mark in the story.

I enjoyed the short story, despite the economic apocalypse it predicts in the near future, so I read the excerpt of Demon Trappers Daughter that came with it. 

 

http://www.demontrappers.com/

The Demon Trapper's Daughter
Excerpt on Amazon Kindle

By Jana Oliver

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (February 1, 2011)

 

Demon Trapper Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself—and that’s exactly what Lucifer is counting on…
It’s the year 2018, and with human society seriously disrupted by the economic upheavals of the previous decade, Lucifer has increased the number of demons in all major cities. Atlanta is no exception. Fortunately, humans are protected by Demon Trappers, who work to keep homes and streets safe from the things that go bump in the night. Seventeen-year-old Riley, only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing attraction to fellow Trapper apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving citizens from Grade One Hellspawn. Business as usual, really, for a demon-trapping teen. When a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood, she realizes that she’s caught in the middle of a battle between Heaven and Hell.

My Words on This
Man, how numb am I that I was not even aware of this entire series? Live, learn and throw another series on the TBR.

Poor Riley can't catch a break. Her mom died, leaving her dad with huge medical bills. That's why she is training with her father, to make ends meet. The council doesn't like the idea of girls being Trappers. That probably goes double for 17-year old girls. Well, you know what I would tell the council, humph!

And, people are blaming the poor kid for everything that went wrong. So, now she is embarrassed, bitten, and covered in nasty green demon urine AND she has to go face this misogynistic council. So, that is as far as I have gotten. And, I have a pre-order in for the book coming out on February 1.

www.demontrappers.com

Check out the freebie. Even if you don't have a kindle, download the FREE software to your laptop, desk top, phone or iPad. It is a  great way to read the first chapter of almost any kindle book to see if the book is worth he cold, hard cash you will have to plunk down for it!

- The vampire's kiss

- The vampire's kiss, originally uploaded by Juliana Coutinho.

The Perfect Vampire Valentine!

#11- Little Fingers
Uploaded by Juliana Coutinho

One Foot in the Grave,...But Wearing Awesome Stilettos

One Foot In The Grave

Night Huntress, Book Two

by Jeaniene Frost

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Avon (April 29, 2008)
• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 355 KB
• Print Length: 384 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins e-books (April 29, 2008)
• Sold by: HarperCollins Publishers 
• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks; Unabridged edition (January 2011)

You can run from the grave, but you can’t hide…


Half-vampire Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She’s still using everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the vampire she left behind.


Being around Bones awakens all her emotions, from the adrenaline rush of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless passion that consumed them. But a price on her head – wanted: dead or half-alive – means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no matter how hard Cat tries to keep things professional between them, she’ll find that desire lasts forever … and Bones won’t let her get away again.


My thoughts
Love, love, loved this book. And, so far I am thrilled with the series. I have been married a long time and we old women need our fantasies too. There are some really funny moments, there is a lot of action, and the other kind of action, there's plenty of that as well.


I realize I am a bit late to the Cat and Bones party. So, if you know the series, I am sorry. If you have not read the series stop reading what I think and go buy it, all together or one at a time, drive or download, but just do it!


SPOILER ALERT, text in black on a black background, select text to read:

In the first book in this super series, Halfway to the Grave, we find Cat, doing her thing until she meets Bones. They don't start off with a stellar relationship but they end up in a good place until Cat is forced to leave him to get out of trouble for, oh, killing the Governor of Ohio who was in league with bad, bad vamps making blood slaves. They make her promise to toil for a period of time, I think it was five years, building a special anti-bad-vampire division of Homeland Security.

As a half-vampire born as the product of  her mother's rape, Cat has grown up hating her vampire side. That would be because her Mom really can't accept her. That hasn't stopped in this book. Cat has more self esteem as a leader at work who quakes in her Mother's presence.  Years at a real job and dealing with the loss of her lover have helped her grow up. The rest of the Homeland Security people aren't really well-developed but more than they were in the first book. Tate, the assistant who was with the director in the first book does undergo some big changes.

Well constructed, some twists delivered by a certain devastating vampire. There are some fantastical things at the office—some inventions which are hard to believe, but we are talking about vampires and half-vampires so what are a few James Bond-ian tricks up Cat's sleeve?   

A character, Cat's best friend Denise is introduced and has a love-at-first sight wedding to a computer ace who Cat is in touch with later, but we don't hear from or about her much for the rest of the book.  A huge pivot point in the plot is around Denise so maybe she is just a device to have that thing happen.


Bones is back, hot, with some new tricks up his sleeve. Do he and Cat get back together?  That is the point of the book.  Yes, we meet some other important characters.  Actually, it is a bit like Oprah's mystery surprise was today, family stuff.


Jeaniene Frost has a way of hooking you on the first page with action and emotion and that hook keeps going to the end. 
Now, I want to dive right into the next one and forget all about the too tall TBR pile. Soon, I will go on in the series soon. I want to be caught up when the next book, This Side of the Grave, comes out on February 22. 
 










 

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A Quick Look through My Glassicals at Steampunk

My best laid plans of reading One Foot in the Grave and reviewing it were smashed by a migraine and now I am playing catch-up.I have been doing a lot of reviews lately so I wanted to do a more general piece on a topic. It is amazing what happens when you google something. But, this really started with Net Galley offering a preview of a new book coming out:

The Art of Steampunk:  Extraordinary Devices and Ingenius Contraptions from the Leading Artists of the Steampunk Movement
by Art Donovan
Publisher: Fox Chapel Publishing

I can't review it yet, but the book is based on an exhibit at the Museum of the History of Science in Oxford, England. By itself the museum is a fascinating online collection. But, they had an exhibit of Steampunk last year. It brings out more of the reasons for and aesthetics behind Steampunk so it is understandable as more than the superficial view of it as people playing dress-up and writing like Jules Verne.

Imagine the technology of today with the aesthetic of Victorian science. From redesigned practical items to fantastical contraptions, this exhibition, curated by Art Donovan, showcases the work of eighteen Steampunk artists from across the globe. Expect ‘steam-powered’ computer mice, clockwork hearts, brass goggles and the latest state-of-the-Steampunk-art eye-pod… (http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/exhibits/steampunk/)

The exhibit is available online at http://www.mhs.ox.ac.uk/exhibits/steampunk-intro/ 

And the video below is a great bit with a fantastic explanation of Steampunk:

I think Steampunk is fun and fascinating, but hard for me to access emotionally; this exhibit and the video goes a long way to making it more accessible.

STEAMPUNK MAGAZINE!

From their Website:

Who is involved with this project so far?

At the moment, SteamPunk Magazine is published by the retro-futurist publishing collective Vagrants Among Ruins. However, it is also printed and distributed in the US by Strangers in a Tangled Wilderness. Finally, our writers, artists and contributors all have a voice in how the magazine is produced.

Are you all anarchists? Can you direct me to more information?

Not everyone involved in the magazine identifies as an anarchist, but a large number are. Strangers, our US distributors, is an anarchist-run project, and Vagrants (who publish the magazine), are a collective composed of activists, anarchists and non-anarchists alike. There are, however, a diversity of political opinions in our ranks. http://www.steampunkmagazine.com/faq/

Now as a  disclaimer: I am not an anarchist, the political opinions expressed by Steampunk Magazine and its collective are not known to me nor are they mine. I do not support any philosophy which advocates violence.


 NOW THIS is a fun website. looking at many areas of SP: The Steampunk Workshop
I note that there is a posting on the Magnolia Pearl. A lushly decked out Airstream trailer. It makes me think of Seth's flat in Melissa Marr's Wicked lovely.  Probably not for any reason other than my romantic old noggin.


So that is my quick post du jour just a few bites worth but that gives you more time in your day!

Shadowfever

Shadowfever

by Karen Marie Moning

Excerpt

Hardcover: 608 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press (January 18, 2011)

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1264 KB

Age Range: Adult for sexuality, language, violence.

Evil is a completely different creature, Mac.
Evil is bad that believes it's good."

MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.

Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister's murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals that have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.

What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief, while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh--a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King that contains the power to create and destroy worlds.
In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac, and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves.

Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman that haunts her dreams? More importantly, who is Mac and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?
From the luxury of the Lord Master's penthouse, to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover, to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac's journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and make a choice that will either save the world...or destroy it.

http://www.karenmoning.com/kmm/shadowfever.html (as well as cover image, above - fair use for review)

What an epic tale. 

Many books are strong in one way or another, plot, writing, character development, suspense, romance. But it is rare that all those variables are done well in one book; especially one as exciting as Shadowfever. 

It is a tough story to review. The series is beloved, and the readers are very devoted. It has also been anticipated for quite some time. Often, with a book I am eager to read, I find my expectations shattered. I was not disappointed here. This is a great read, and it is more than just a read.

Shadowfever is a hard story to talk about without being overly revelatory; each page has something pivotal to plot or character.  will discuss the story as little as possible.There are a couple of themes in the book. Of course, all epic fantasy deals with good battling evil. When immortal, or nearly immortal beings come into the picture, the perspective on good versus evil changes from the short-term, human view. Another theme is truth versus illusion. Seeing what is true, is an  extension of seeing through fae glamour. The themes give rise to substantive involvement in issues that reach past who's sleeping with whom. It is almost existential. It certainly is for the characters. You cannot zip through this book without thinking, without wondering about the issues brought out through the themes.

Dreamfever (DF) , Moning's last book in this series came out in 2009. As with Shadowfever  I read it as if it were a coconut cream pie, but darn it all it was 2009 and I have read over 200 books since then. Smarter bloggers, I have noted, reread DF in preparation for Shadowfever. I did not. Therefore, when MacKayla would exhibit one or another ability I found myself thinking, "When did that happen?"  But that wasn't a problem with the book. That was a problem with my recall, and length of time between books. The book is not really stand alone. I recommend reading the first four books in the series before jumping in here.

The plot is a continuity of the greater story line where Mac, and groups of seelie and unseelie, sidhe-seers, and collectors of rare objects whose intention is uncertain are seeking the Sinsar Dhu, an ancient text of spells, in order to use the book with ill intent of enslaving or eradicating humanity, or with the positive intents of either reinterring the book or using it to reconstruct the delicate balance between humans and fae, as well as seelie or unseelie. Moning's Highlander series overlaps beautifully without over-incursion.

The journey is essentially Mac's, told in first-person. Once in a while the voice turns into Barrons' or Dani's.  We had left her, in DF, trying to get through a myriad of dimensions to rescue her parents. Finally returning to Dublin, trying to get the book now for her own intent. Much, much happens, in a dizzying progression. Twists and unexpected events constantly keep the reader on edge. And, the twists do not stop until the end. It does ramble a bit, but then, that may be a result of the first person telling of the story. Periods of intense growth are likely to be somewhat chaotic. But then the climax seemed a bit rushed. And, a few times I read eloquence from MacKayla I couldn't imagine her saying.

Moning's greatest strength is in her descriptive writing is able to eloquently describe the emotions of her characters, especially MacKayla, with a modern beauty: 

 Innuendo and invitation. Eternal as the rain in Dublin. I was the one the dangerous lion licked. And I liked it.(Shadowfever)

Through the writing her characters come to life. In Shadowfever the characters grow, change, become more "human," even they who are other. We learn more about Ryordan, about Barrons, Dani, Jack and Rainey Lane, and Mackayla as  goes from a not unintelligent but somewhat unschooled, bar-tending, Southern girl* with long, blond hair, wonderful nails, and a great tan to a lean-mean female warrior for humanity. MacKayla's growth is born of loss, desire, and having seen and experienced things no one ever should.

Relationships are resolved as the characters are revealed. We see Barrons in a completely different way, almost gentle, possessive and loving:

Jericho Barrons was telling me to use my heart. Could life get any stranger? (Shadowfever)

If there is anything that felt off-key to me it was Barrons' transformation; his growth and well, total personality transplant. In rereading , the change does appear justified through near-tragic events. Apparently there are some things, some people, even Barrons is not willing to live without. While not a mantra, he does say that several times, and since is not prone to long speeches, it must have meaning. 

There are mysteries left in the book. Hopefully in the future we'll learn them. There  is a bit of a tumbling progression through  the story, possibly necessary for Mac's voice and also for setting up the twists and reveals. But, the characters grow and learn, some are the characters we like. The characters we don't like are also here and several meet the end we would like them to.

I really enjoyed the book. It is not short so you certainly get a good reading value. It has substance far greater than whether MacKayla and Barron's get together without her being stricken with fae induced nymphomania. The  writing is lovely, the suspense is edge of your seat exciting, and it keeps on to the end. What more could we want from a story and what more can I tell you without giving it all away?  Recommended.

* Southern United States: A region of the US extending from Virginia southward and west to the Mississippi. Southerners have a different and more noticeable accent from other Americans and are strongly regional in their traditions and behaviors. 

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa is About to Ascend her Throne

 MY NAME IS MEGHAN CHASE.

  I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who’s sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I’m not sure anyone can survive it.

THERE WILL BE NO TURNING BACK.

THE IRON QUEEN

February 2011

In less than twenty-four hours Meghan Chase will be seventeen. Although, technically, she won’t actually be turning seventeen. Having spent the past year in Faery gives her the benefit of not aging.

However, Meghan’s been banished from Faery for choosing her dark prince, Ash, over the will of her powerful father, Oberon, King of the Summer court. Now Meghan, her winter prince and prankster best friend Puck try settling into a normal human life, first near New Orleans and later in a magical cottage provided by Leanansidhe, Queen of exiles.

But her time in this makeshift home, and more important her time with Ash, doesn’t last as the feys of Summer, Winter and Iron courts soon track them down. She thought they’d left Faery behind forever, but pressing matters cause the three exiles to be summoned to war.

But her time in this makeshift home, and more important her time with Ash, doesn’t last as the feys of Summer, Winter and Iron courts soon track them down. She thought they’d left Faery behind forever, but pressing matters cause the three exiles to be summoned to war.

A new alliance is made, along with a few contracts, of course, and Meghan, half Summer faery princess, half human, is pressed to choose Fey over her mortal beginnings. Will she abandon her human heart for an iron will that will help her survive?

For as Meghan Chase can confirm—in real life, unlike books, faery tales don’t necessarily have happy endings

(above, including title, are marketing copy)

Watch the Iron Fae Trailer

Details from Amazon
Author Julie Kagawa
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (January 25, 2011) 
Iron Fae Website
Provided by publisher through netgalley.com. No remuneration was made.

I finished reading the Iron Queen back in November while my husband was making breakfast. I was glad he was down stairs because I was crying through the last few chapters. The marketing copy is right, there are no sure happy endings in YA Paranormal romance. Usually the end is not entirely tragic, and in this case it isn't either. Thank goodness, or I would have been crying still when he brought breakfast into the room. I originally posted this review on November 13, but as Julie's book is about release I am thrilled to have an opportunity to re-post my review.

I read this book thinking of various ways in which I could critique it, YA appropriateness, Character development, plot, timing, emotional realism, etc.,

YA Appropriateness:
At Harlequin, unlike several other publishers, they have seemed to realize that teenagers have sex, or if they aren't having it they are wrestling with the concept. That is certainly the case in this book. For that reason, as well as some of the more gruesome violence, I would put this at the older end of the young adult scale. After all pretending that teens are not at least wrestling with sexuality is not going to make t disappear.


Emotional realism
Emotional realism doesn't really work here. How would a teen behave in these circumstances? Events in Meghan's life may certainly cast the important aspects into high relief. And the characters react to that immediacy, but in real life, I have no idea how they would go about dealing.  I know that at 16/17 I wouldn't have had the chops to go through the circumstances that Meghan has to conquer. 

And, I wonder if we can expect any sort of realism in a "grown-up" faery tale; after all, in a place where natural laws have been displaced, emotional reality may be an unrealistic (ironic word choice) standard.

The romance between Ash and Meghan Chase (why are so many characters in paranormal lit. named "Ash?") is compelling and filled with the teenage angst imagined of Romeo and Juliet or visualized from Twilight. As with many YA books of the moment we have a love triangle, independent, headstrong girl, Meghan; steady, upstanding citizen guy, Ash; and mischievous "puck-like" Puck. And, again, thinking realistically is not realistic in a story built on the suspension of reality.

Plot and Timing:
This plot is pretty direct. The main plot is saving the world of the fae from the encroachment of human technology and its detritus. An obviously green story line about how our technology and plastic, smelted ores, cars, etc., is destroying the world and how the technology is creeping in to make everything in magic reductive to a scientific theory.  Since Julie Kagawa grew up in California and Hawaii, green is probably something she comes by naturally. One look at the highways of California, and areas that even 40 years ago were orchard and wood and which are now strip malls, condos or high tech office buildings, makes one understand the value of some sort of environmental awareness. And, there is nothing like life on an Island to make one see that as well. So, I don't think Kagawa is capitalizing on the current green trend, but the plot is well timed. Yet, it certainly gives one a reason to think about our habits.

The more secondary plot is reunifying Meghan and the man she thought of as her dad, missing for many years while in the park with Meghan. Previously Meghan had discovered him, vacuously playing the piano in a place between human reality and faery, being kept as a pet by Leanansidhe. the queen of the exiled fae.

Yet a third plot is the resolution of the love triangle, her romance with Ash and her friendship with Puck. Remember Puck and Ash may look like teens but they are hundreds, maybe even over a thousand years old.

The pace is pretty quick. I felt a bit of a lag as the group journeyed towards their destiny, but if one can call a lag "short" this one was and from there the pace once again moved at just the right speed and in this series I never felt the plot rushed.  Interaction between characters advances at least one of he story lines. Nothing swoops in at the end to change the outcome, kiss it and make it go away. 
Character Development:

I protested in the last book about Meghan's sometime wimpy, waiting-for-the-white-knight attitude. In this installment in the series we see she has evolved, and is not as self-involved as she was. Both she and Ash note it several times. While she longs for her previous life, and so wants to go home, she recognizes that it would endanger  them.

May I mention that her existence prior to her discovery that she was half-fae,  her life may not have been paranormal, but in many respects it was surreal. Her mother sort of floated through life, noone else saw her best friend and she had never been to his house, and her step-father couldn't see her to such an extent that one would think he had been bespelled. This may have been due to unwitting interaction with the fae world or it may be just how it was in Ms. Kagawa's head.

And, I found the characters to be pretty well developed and fairly complex. They are not the cookie cutter "heroine and hero" to which we have become accustomed.


All in all, it was hard to find many flaws in the book. Throughout it tips its hat to other classics in the Fantasy-YA world, LOTR, Twilight, Romeo & Juliet. These homages are nice; instead of denying the influence of her reading, Kagawa recognizes and salutes it. My only complaints: it was not long enough, and I wanted it to become an hot Adult PNR, Darn!

If I had a rating system, this would have earned my highest score!