Available at Amazon.com

Kelley Armstrong
Men of the Otherworld (Anthology)
Random House

Families in the American Pack have deadly agendas in Kelley Armstrong’s collection of werewolf tales, Men of the Otherworld.

Out of the two novellas and two short stories here, I’d already read three in previous incarnations, when they were available free on the author’s website. Now they can only be found in this anthology, with the proceeds going to World Literacy of Canada.

“Ascension” is a fine short, focusing on Jeremy Danvers’s birth. The racist, unlikable Malcolm Danvers manages to attract a quiet Japanese lass, but she has a definite plan to keep the resulting baby from his father.

Though Malcolm is a character you’ll want dead, or at the very least slapped, he at least has somewhat of a unique voice. I’ve read the Otherworld novels and short stories – Clay Danvers, Lucas Cortez and Jeremy all have very similar voices. And when these are written in first person, it becomes even more obvious. The same with the female characters, though when we first met Jaime Vegas as a secondary character, she at least seemed to be drunken and clumsy. But once she starred in her own novel, her distinguishing characteristics faded. I love these books’ intriguing plots, but the characters aren’t quite standing out as different from one another.

“Savage” traces Clay’s back story – how he was bitten, and became Jeremy’s “son”. I still don’t understand why Clay wanted to become a werewolf, and why Malcolm bit him instead of just killing him. It’s kind of tedious.

“Ascension” tells of how Jeremy became Alpha. There’s a lot of political faff, bitchiness, and killing people to raise your own status – and that’s just Malcolm, let alone his followers. This has a more engaging plot than “Savage”, but still seems to plod along.

Then there’s a new short story, “Kitsunegari”, where we learn the mysterious origins of Jeremy’s ancestors. It deals with paranormal beings I hadn’t heard of before, so yay for something new and interesting. But see above for character notes. I preferred Jeremy and Jaime when they were both single. Now a lot of scenes end with a saucy sentence, and closed-door shagging. Gets old fast.

Whilst World Literacy of Canada is a worthy organisation, I still wouldn’t recommend paying hardcover price for this anthology. Luckily for those in the UK and Australia, this is being released first as a paperback. Those in the US and Canada will have to buy the hardcover now, or wait months for a paperback.

I still very much plan to follow any and all of Kelley Armstrong’s works, but reading the Otherworld series (adult, not the YA’s Darkest Powers) doesn’t seem to enthuse me as much as it once did. I’ve become far too picky in my old age…

Review by Tez Miller

Related posts:

1. Waking The Witch Fiction Review
2. Wolfsbane and Mistletoe Fiction Review
3. The Summoning Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Cassandra Clare
City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, Book 2)
Simon & Schuster

Demons are more personal when one’s father is summoning them, in Cassandra Clare’s second Mortal Instruments novel, City of Ashes.

Shadowhunters (Nephilim) can defeat antags by carving runes on their skin and surroundings, and by using various blades and whatnot. But Clary Fray’s and Jace Wayland’s father Valentine has stolen a Mortal Instrument or two, using them to summon demons. Why? I’m not sure. Will the teens hunt down their dad and destroy him? There’s definite hunting, but we’ll have to wait for the final installment in the trilogy, City of Glass, for closure.

Meanwhile, Clary’s BFF Simon really likes her – a little too much. She tries to give him a chance, but ultimately they can’t stay in the more-than-friends category. And it’s not just that Simon’s getting to know werewolf Maia. After all, the one Clary really wants is…Jace. Yes, INCEST ALERT. You’ve been warned. Are they full siblings, or just half? I’m not sure who Jace’s mum is, but Clary’s mother Jocelyn is in a coma. Clary tries to avoid Jace, but he has no such care – he just wants to go for it, damn the repercussions. Out of all the people in New York they could’ve chosen…

The Shadowhunters seem rather up themselves, and that’s evident in their name for others: those without paranormal abilities are “mundane”, whilst vampires and werewolves are “Downworlders”. Will someone please take the Nephilim off their freaking pedestal? They have yet to understand the concept of “everyone is equal”.

An emo vampire acknowledges one’s own emoness, so at least he/she (don’t want to spoil) has humour. This is important, and well done on the author’s behalf, for emo vampires who don’t admit to being emo are just no fun. Also, look out for the delightfully creepy Silent City, a haunting setting to remember – awesome.

I can’t recollect much of the first book, City of Bones, but I enjoyed it more, so City of Ashes comes as somewhat of a disappointment. Alas, there is still one book to go, and hopefully it’ll engage more than this angsty middle.

Review by Tez Miller

Related posts:

1. City of the Damned: New Orleans Review
2. At Graves End Fiction Review
3. Embraced by Darkness Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

S. J. Day
Eve of Darkness (Marked, Book 1)
Macmillan Tor (US: 28 Apr 2009)

Religion is real in S. J. Day’s Eve of Darkness.

Cain and Abel are pseudonymously known nowadays as Alec Cain and Reed Abel. Lifelong brothers and enemies, they have lots to fight over, including Evangeline Hollis. Agnostic Eve has been Marked as a sinner, and has gone from interior designer to demon-killer-in-training. Alec and Reed want her to accept her fate, but Eve wants the mark removed and her life back. God, however, has other plans.

The first chapter is a stunner, combining the normalcy of a football game with…what lurks in the men’s toilets. The rest of the novel is six weeks of backstory, with flashbacks to ten years ago when Alec deflowered Eve. Though the publisher has labelled this urban fantasy, more likely it’ll appeal to paranormal romance fans because of the relationship stuff going on. Brothers fighting over a woman: Alec and Reed seriously need to get over themselves, and play nice for the sake of humanity. Okay, for Heaven’s sake. (I really didn’t want to make a pun in this review, but look what you made me do.) Mind you, if they haven’t grown up properly during the however many thousand years they’ve been alive, they’re hardly going to start now.

I’m not entirely sure why Eve was Marked. Since sinners are drafted to kill demons, her sin must be…rooting Reed in the stairwell after they just met, and maybe didn’t know each other’s names. I’m not quite clear on that, or maybe because she “tempted” both brothers. I must have forgotten this detail, or it wasn’t explained well enough, which is a problem when your protagonist is a “chosen one” – readers want to know why.

The series concept seems so obvious in hindsight, it’s actually a surprise that no one thought to do it before. The author’s angels and demons are well-crafted and original, as is the world-building. But then when witches and werewolves come into the picture…it seems a bit kitchen sink. The dogs and Eve communicating via thought seemed a little too easy, but I’d just come off reading Jeanne C. Stein’s first two novels, where vampires communicate that way. Seems too much like telling than showing.

I like Eve’s relationship with neighbor Mrs Basso. It’s nice for Eve to have a friend, and Eve’s mum Miyoko is really intriguing. Born in Japan, she later became a naturalized American, but I’d love to read about American life through Japanese eyes. It gives me hope that S. J. Day will move on to feature other religions, such as Shogun and Shinto (if I remember eighth grade social studies correctly, which I probably don’t). Eve is a breath of fresh air in that she’s biracial. Usually in paranormal fiction characters are half-vampire or half-werewolf, so it’s just splendid to have someone who’s human on both sides with parents from different countries. This may make it easier for readers to connect with Eve, and urban fantasy protags can definitely do with more ethnicity. (It goes without saying that Eve is hot: particularly on the cover of the upcoming second book in this series, Eve of Destruction. Just so you know.)

Overall the concept seems better than the execution thus far, but now that the backstory is out of the way we can get to the good stuff. We haven’t met God yet, or Lucifer. And since there are other firms in the world, hopefully we’ll have some international action. There are a lot of possibilities, so this series could end up longer than just the three (so far) contracted novels. I hope so.

Review by Tez Miller

Related posts:

1. A Brush of Darkness Review
2. Embraced by Darkness Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Kelley Armstrong
The Summoning (Darkest Powers, Book 1)
HarperCollins

Puberty brings more than periods and acne in the first book of Kelley Armstrong’s new young adult Darkest Powers trilogy, The Summoning.

At fifteen, Chloe Saunders still hasn’t menstruated. But the day it hits coincides with the ghost of a custodian haunting Chloe at school, until she finally breaks down. Told she has schizophrenia, she’s sent to live in a group home for other teens dealing with mental illness. Or are they?

But Lyle House’s patients are here by no happy accident, judging by the supernatural happenings. As Chloe comes to terms with her necromancy, she learns her powers are much stronger than they should be. Ghosts have been more hindrance than help in the past, but there’s one particular ghost who could provide information the group needs. If only Chloe can figure out how to contact her…

Though this is a new supernatural YA series, it has the same “world rules” as the author’s adult Otherworld series. Yet on the whole this is the freshest, most compelling novel Kelley Armstrong’s written for quite some time, reinvigorating my passion for her books. This was mainly helped by the claustrophobic setting of Lyle House, which isn’t haunted per se…

The author’s stepped her characterisation up to a new level. While at first Chloe’s film-directing obsession and stuttering are annoying, I soon understood that these are coping mechanisms, and we all have them in one variety or another. And a particular character’s supernatural ability (appearing late in the novel) is a far cry from the glamorous versions usually populating paranormal fiction.

Then there’s the scientific element that I can’t wait to read more about. Indeed, there are a lot of unanswered questions, and a cliffhanger ending. But with two more books left in this trilogy, hopefully all will be explained. Now to be patient for the second installment, The Awakening…

Review by Tez Miller

Related posts:

1. Virals Fiction Review
2. Waking The Witch Fiction Review
3. Men of the Otherworld Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

L. A. Banks
Undead on Arrival (Crimson Moon, Book 3)
St Martin’s Press

There’s a war brewing between Shadow Wolves and Werewolves in L. A. Banks’ Undead on Arrival.

Genetics, the military and the paranormal all feature in this third instalment of the Crimson Moon series. Newcomers will easily get lost trying to figure out the differences between clans and packs, Shadow Wolves and Werewolves, and who’s related to whom. In addition, some characters have different names for their different forms (human and wolf), and others are simply referred to as “Hunter’s mother” or “Shogun’s mother”. And since relations are a big issue here, this is rather confusing.

The third-person narrative traces various characters’ points-of-view, but none seem to really grab. Perhaps first-person with Sasha Trudeau throughout would’ve been more successful.

But there’s an interesting question to ponder here: if your shadow shags someone else’s (not belonging to your significant other), does it still count as cheating? The characters seem to think it doesn’t, but I’m not so sure, because the parties in question had to change into new pants, because the shadow-shagging obviously affected them physically, too. A particular Family Guy episode took a similar situation (does it still count as abstinence if you have sex…in the ear? No, it does not), but made it far more entertaining.

It’s not all bad: in fact, the syn-DNA stuff is intriguing. And I mostly paid attention in the first half, but after the all-important tea house scene, my concentration faded.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, but all-in-all I’m unsatisfied. Mind you, I’d just come off reading two fabulous Dante Valentine novels by Lilith Saintcrow, and that’s one hell of a hard act to follow.

Review by Tez Miller

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Lilith Saintcrow
Dead Man Rising (Dante Valentine, Book 2)
Hachette Orbit

Dante Valentine’s past comes back to haunt her in Lilith Saintcrow’s Dead Man Rising.

Rigger Hall, a hellish school that damaged much more than it taught its students, was mentioned in the first novel of this series, Working for the Devil. It’d be an interesting (but too much like snuff) setting for a spinoff YA series, but instead it’s the plot for this novel.

The physical raping, mind raping, whipping, torturing… Needless to say Rigger Hall’s former students have tried desperately to forget their time there, Dante included. But a serial killer is targeting former alumni, and so Dante must investigate the place – and its former inhabitants – responsible for countless nightmares over so many years.

Working for the Devil began with some injected humour that seemed out of place, but that novel turned serious and stayed so. Though Dead Man Rising is utterly depressing, it has good reason to be: Lilith Saintcrow doesn’t shy away from writing true darkness; she makes other writers’ demons seem flimsy.

Though missing the fascinating sci-fi from its predecessor, this is still a good read, though a trying one. It’s frustrating that Dante keeps moping about Japhrimel, and Jace tolerates that…I preferred Dante when she was single. But praise the author for creating a female secondary character, Gabriele Spocarelli, who isn’t at odds with the protag. They’re actually best mates, and Gabe and Eddie are steadfast people whom I’m glad Dante has for support.

This futuristic urban fantasy is perfect for readers fed up with cutesy-faff paranormals. Don’t expect to smile and be merry, but do expect to read something of great merit. Lilith Saintcrow is awesome, and I’m glad I already have the next three books in the series on my shelf awaiting me.

Review by Tez Miller

Related posts:

1. Personal Demons Fiction Review
2. Fiction at Flames Rising
3. Prom Dates from Hell Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Riley Jenson hunts evildoers—and does it with a style all her own. With vamp blood coursing her through her veins, and a werewolf’s uncanny instinct for danger, Riley wears snakeskin stilettos and pure, in-your-face attitude when she plunges into her latest case: hunting down a killer whose victims are high-society strumpets—and the rich and powerful men they’ve dated.

Keri Arthur
The Darkest Kiss (Riley Jenson, Book 6)
Random House Dell Spectra

Riley Jenson hunts down two serial killers, in Keri Arthur’s The Darkest Kiss.

One of the murderers is targeting Melbourne’s rich and powerful; including the infamous Toorak Trollops (they’re not prostitutes, just skanks). The other murderer is hitting closer to Riley.

All their security systems can’t save the high society types from gruesome deaths. Among the charity functions and whatnot, I almost expected Lillian Frank to pop up and spout something about polo.

Instead, we get Quinn O’Conor, the vampire Riley was emoing over in the previous novel, Embraced by Darkness. Their relationship seems rather superficial, so why they seem so tied to one another, I don’t quite understand. But Riley’s relationships have never been a series drawcard for me: the mysteries are. And this one’s a cracker…

The high-end murderer is like nothing I’ve read before, yet the other killer case is more intriguing. A vampire that’s invisible in daylight? Well, it sure beats sparkling.

This new and interesting type of vamp is intriguing, and though the victims’ connection seems lame, the murderer’s methods are quite memorable. The Yuroke property is one of the most fascinating I’ve come across, and I feel kind of guilty for having never heard of the suburb before.

This series may be flawed, but it’s definitely addictive. Problem is the next instalment isn’t out until March in the US, April in the UK, and who knows when in Australia. I’m also awaiting the UK/Commonwealth (excluding Canada) rights for Destiny Kills to be sold…

Review by Tez Miller

Related posts:

1. Kiss of Frost Review
2. Amazon Ink Fiction Review
3. Embraced by Darkness Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Keri Arthur
Embraced by Darkness (Riley Jenson, Book 5)
Random House Dell Spectra

Riley Jenson needs all her supernatural abilities to hunt down a particularly eerie serial killer, in Keri Arthur’s Embraced by Darkness.

Riley Jenson is one of the Directorate of Other Races’ guardians, trained to hunt and destroy her prey. With both vampire and werewolf genes, she is mostly werewolf, but has a host of other paranormal skills: she can switch her vision to infrared, is clairvoyant, and can wrap shadows around herself. Mixing searching for a missing pack member and investigating recent serial murders, Riley’s on the hunt.

Set in Melbourne, this series was first published in the US, thus there are terms that don’t seem to fit with the Australian characters. “Cell phone” is used instead of “mobile phone”. “Mom” is used instead of “mum”. “Ass” is used instead of “arse”. North American readers shouldn’t find this a problem, but for Aussie me it’s jarring, and took me out of the story. Mind you, it had been over a year since I’d read a Keri Arthur novel (I read the first four quickly and consecutively), so reading the novels back-to-back probably won’t make the issue too distracting.

Be sure to read this novel before The Darkest Kiss, as the latter’s first chapter deals with a spoiler from the former.

The narrative flows easily, and the final hunt is particularly engrossing – Keri Arthur improves with each novel. Riley usually has numerous sexual partners, but now she’s considering going solo with Kellen. Though his name was familiar, I didn’t remember much about him. He throws Riley’s phone out the window of a limo, and from there on I didn’t like him. The move had “control freak” written all over it, not to mention the careless waste of money. Riley deals with the situation rather calmly, but in real life losing a phone means losing all your contacts and perhaps important files. I don’t find Kellen romantic; rather an ungrateful shite. It says something about him that Riley keeps pining for vampire Quinn, though I don’t think he’s any better.

And that whole mother thing in the book’s summary? While that bit is featured, we don’t actually end up meeting Riley’s mum. But another issue from Riley’s childhood comes to light, and a new supernatural ability saves the day. That she has so many powers gets her out of jams a bit too easily, and I don’t care for her private life, but the rest of the book is fabulously intriguing and entertaining. That it’s set in places familiar to me makes it all the more worthwhile.

Review by Tez Miller

Related posts:

1. Vampire Zero Fiction Review
2. City of Ashes Fiction Review
3. The Darkest Kiss Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Kelley Armstrong
Living with the Dead (Otherworld, Book 9)
Random House Spectra

An innocent human learns of the supernatural amongst us in Kelley Armstrong’s Living with the Dead.

Robyn Peltier’s client has been killed, and she’s being set up for murder. Still recovering from her husband’s death, the last thing she needs is her pal Hope Adams and her guy Karl Marsten parading their coupleness in her face, but they’re the only ones who have insight into who the murderer really is…and with whom she’s in cahoots.

But Robyn doesn’t know that Hope is a half-demon and Karl is a werewolf. And when she does find out, Hope and Karl are less than civil to her. It’s easy to relate to Robyn, who’s in over her head, and struggling with her grief. Hope and Karl, meanwhile, are rather annoying with their relationship, which takes a distinctly emo turn.

Adele Morrissey, however, is a fascinating antagonist, thanks to the new world she brings to this series. Clairvoyants are not entirely unlike werewolves – they both stick with their respective groups, and try to get work in human society. The kumpania specialises in celebrity photography, as their remote-viewing skills help them anticipate a subject’s moves, and therefore arrive before other paparazzi. This in itself isn’t interesting, but what happens in the kumpania surely is…

There are strict rules and regulations to make sure their kind doesn’t die out, which means carefully arranged pairings. To avoid birth defects from in-breeding, occasionally outsiders with clairvoyance are brought in, like Adele was when she was five. Kumpania life doesn’t suit her at all, but if she leaves they’ll murder her.

But what’s most disturbing and intriguing about the kumpania is who’s living underground – and why. It truly makes you step back and look on in awe of the author’s ideas. Wow.

Told in third-person from six points of view, if you’ve missed reading the previous books in the series, this might be the easiest (minus the first, Bitten) to read as a standalone. There’s information that’ll clue you in to what’s happened previously, but I’ve been fortunate enough to read this series in the correct order (which rarely happens with a series as long as this). And scattered amongst this novel are plenty of loose ends from various books that can, and should, be picked up later in the series. A character will be going on business to Australia, and I dearly hope my country gets some decent story time…though the “opera house” comment should’ve been revised. Try to avoid the obvious, people – there’s more to Oz than Sydney and its icons. But I’m from Melbourne

Also, if you can believe that someone can survive a bullet to the brain, best keep tuned to the rest of this series, as I certainly hope this situation is explained and that the character gets more story time in future novels. The author clearly has plenty of ideas to share…all we can do is hope she chooses to write about the ones we want.

Review by Tez Miller

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1. Zombie Week: Genesis of the Living Dead
2. Night of the Living Dead: Behind the Scenes Review
3. Road Trip of the Living Dead Review

Available at Amazon.com

Laurell K. Hamilton
Swallowing Darkness (Merry Gentry, Book 7)
Random House

Pregnant with twins, Princess Meredith NicEssus embarks on her biggest battle yet in Laurell K. Hamilton’s Swallowing Darkness.

With impending motherhood, Merry knows the safest thing for her unborn children, her lovers/guards and she is to escape faerie to Los Angeles. After all, her cousin Prince Cel desperately wants her – and her nearest and dearest – dead. Or maybe just maimed.

But escaping safely to the Western Lands means working with humans, who may not be fully aware of the deadly task they face of protecting Merry and her posse. Old wounds will bleed again…

The first half of the novel plods. The scenes are long, and things may seem to be happening, but it’s difficult to care. I don’t remember Gran, and Merry’s cousin Cair, being in the books before, so they seemed to be here as a plot device, and not on their own account. But bless Gran; she does bring up intriguing things: His mother was a hell hound, his father a phouka who bedded the bitch when in dog form. You could ha’ puppies inside ya. Though I’m pretty sure this won’t happen, it would make for innovative fiction, indeed, for sidhe-human Merry to give birth to puppies.

Sholto, king of the sluagh, has a bigger role in this novel. But the author seems to write as if we should all know exactly what sluagh, goblins, brownies and sidhe are. And the differences between Seelie and Unseelie. I don’t. And if the thought of puppy birth wasn’t bizarre enough, there’s tentacle foreplay. One can’t deny that the author has quite the imagination…

The second half is much better as the gang starts traveling to the Western Lands, where all hell breaks loose and magic rules for better or worse. There’s death and destruction, blood and gore…and a happy ending. But to find out whether Merry’s womb-inhabitants are puppies or not, we’ll just have to wait for the next installment.

Review by Tez Miller

No related posts.

Available at Amazon.com

Gena Showalter
Savor Me Slowly (Alien Huntress, Book 3)
Simon & Schuster Pocket Star

A beautiful, newly discovered alien race is spreading a virus that turns its victims into cannibals, in the third part of Gena Showalter’s Alien Huntress series.

They’re called the Schön, and both Alien Investigation and Removal and Mishka Le’Ace’s boss want them investigated, captured and killed. As always with this series, the world-building is outstanding and the Schön case is intriguing…but it’s only a subplot. And if you’d read the back cover copy, you wouldn’t know about this storyline at all.

Savor Me Slowly is clearly a futuristic romance – with emphasis on the romance. It’s worth reading for the aliens and investigation, but my word the characters are annoying. I had no issue with A.I.R. agent Jaxon Tremain in Awaken Me Darkly, in which he was a secondary character. But bringing him to the forefront and giving him romance changes his personality – and jeopardises the case he’s investigating. And puts him at odds with his fellow agents, who rightfully tell him to pull his head out of his arse. Of course he doesn’t take their wise advice because God forbid anyone in love to do anything intelligent.

Mishka Le’Ace is part machine, with a metal arm and a chip in her brain that keeps her informed…but also gives her pain if she doesn’t follow her boss’s orders. Clearly she needs liberation and independence – but instead shags Jaxon. Though it kind of makes sense (she just wants to be loved and experience multiple orgasms, oh my!), it will piss off non-romance readers who were hoping for an in-depth exploration of aliens on Earth, their motivations, and how they interact with humans and other alien races.

The Schön only get minor screen time (in which they’re killed), and as for the Delenseans who were torturing Jaxon in the first place…why were they doing so? And why didn’t they reappear later? Because it was to hook readers in with action, but really just to have Jaxon and Le’Ace meet. And are instantly attracted.

I love the world-building this series has to offer, but the characters…leave a lot to be desired. Not with their shagmates, of course. But otherwise.

Review by Tez Miller

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1. Contagious Fiction Review
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Available at Amazon

Anya Bast
The Chosen Sin
Penguin Berkley Heat

Vampires in space make for a bizarre but intriguing read in Anya Bast’s futuristic/paranormal/erotic romance mash-up.

Circa a thousand years from now, The Chosen Sin is mostly set on the desert planet, Darpong. Earth-born Daria Moran is an Allied Bureau of Investigation agent whose mission in life – both personal and professional – is to bring down Christopher Sante, who killed Daria’s best friend, and others, and may be guilty of other ghastly deeds.

But in order to infiltrate Sante’s vampire commune, Daria has to become Chosen – and Alejandro Martinez will Choose her. But first Daria must break through the succubare, which could make her a sex vampire instead of a blood one. For an erotic romance, you’d assume Daria would become succubare, but for the sake of plot she enters the blood coven.

Daria’s a strong-willed, pissed-off, kick-arse woman who wants revenge. Alejandro will teach her to love again, and release her inhibitions. But like a toddler who claims ownership incessantly, Alejandro plays the “mine” game repeatedly. I’m not a fan of Alpha males like him; don’t like how he claims ownership of Daria, instead of her belonging to no one but herself. And Daria doesn’t trust Brandon Nichols, thinks he’s shifty, and yet chooses to sleep in the alcove of his door. Christopher Sante, however, is the most well-written character, all shades of grey and neither totally good nor completely evil.

Even if vampires and romance aren’t your thing (they’re not really mine), stay tuned for what happens around the time of the meteor shower and beyond, because this is where the action really kicks in. Keep an eye out for the show-stopping, devastatingly heartbreaking scene that alerts this is not just an escapist read: it’s a reminder that contemporary society has horrors that most would like to pretend don’t exist. It’s memorable, emotional, and I don’t remember ever having a scene in any book remain with me so long after the book’s over. (I won’t spoil it for you here, but feel free to contact me privately.)

Futuristic fans may want more about the Nabovsky Galaxy, its planets and citizens, and how they relate to Earth and other worlds. But romance fans may be wholly satisfied.

Review by Tez Miller

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Available at Amazon.com

Jeff Somers
The Electric Church (Avery Cates, Book 1)
Hachette Orbit

Religion is electrified in the snappy first book of Jeff Somers’ cyber-noir series featuring Avery Cates.

John Lennon might have imagined a world without religion, but this futuristic tale features a church gone mad, where to convert means sacrificing your brain to a cyborg’s body. And if you don’t want to convert…well, the Electric Monks want to kill you. (I think. I read a lot of this in front of the TV, and thus didn’t pay as much attention as I should have.)

If your mission is to kill the head of a legalised-yet-suspicious religion, where might they live? In England, apparently, in Westminster Abbey – only what Avery Cates finds there is mind-blowing. But before that he has to build up a team to help him take down Dennis Squalor – which is nice, but I got tetchy waiting for the assassination to begin.

Although the cities are still named New York and London, the world seems to be run by the System. Travelling by hover instead of cars, the police are deadlier. And everything’s digitised, including a chip – if you can afford one – in your brain that will allow you to receive medical treatment. If you’re poor (which most folk are) you’re on your own. Dead, really – nutrient tablets can only do so much. It’s a bleak vision of the future, yet it’s definitely believable – the brain chips and a religion that corrupts, that is.

But that’s the great thing about the futuristic genre: it has apt social commentary for contemporary society. If religion’s supposed to be good for you, then why are you one who’s always forking out? The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.

In any case, this novel might leave you wondering just what exactly people are hiding behind their sunglasses.

Review by Tez Miller

Look for more Sci-Fi fiction at DriveThruSciFi.com.

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Available at Amazon.com

Gena Showalter
Awaken Me Darkly (Alien Huntress, Book 1)
Simon & Schuster Downtown Press

Fascinating world-building and a unique serial killer make Gena Showalter’s Awaken Me Darkly an engrossing read.

In New Chicago, Mia Snow works for Alien Investigation and Removal, hunting out predators and protecting humans. Not every alien is evil, but the ones who are keep Mia in business. The latest serial killer’s identity has been narrowed down to one of the Arcadian females, and on the chase Mia’s partner is near-deathly wounded. To survive, he needs special blood, and the only provider is the brother of the case’s lead suspect. Kyrin en Arr’s ultimatum is to set his sister free, or else he won’t keep Mia’s partner alive, but letting loose the most likely serial killer is hardly ideal for Mia.

I’d read the two teen Alien Huntress books prior, but with the months that have passed since, my memory faded. I remembered Mia being in the teen novel, but couldn’t remember her history. And it’s an absolute ripper, so it’s probably wise to read Awaken Me Darkly first. I know “this time it’s personal” sounds so cliché, but that’s basically the situation here, and the author does a magnificent job with it.

The killer’s motives are intriguing, and the investigation is thrilling stuff. I was enjoying this book, but then it took a turn for the worse. Namely, the romance subplot, and if you want to be specific: destiny, meant-to-be. I’m not much of a romance fan, but this kind pisses me off the most. (My suspension of disbelief only goes so far.) I’m hesitant to use the term “alien abduction”…yet it seems oddly appropriate. Does it count as Stockholm syndrome if you kind of fancied someone before they kidnapped you?

Romance aside, this is a corker of a novel, and I plan to now dive straight into the second Alien Huntress book, Enslave Me Sweetly.

Review by Tez Miller

Related posts:

1. Demon Inside Fiction Review
2. Embraced by Darkness Fiction Review
3. Savor Me Slowly Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Kevin J. Anderson (ed.)
Blood Lite
Simon & Schuster Pocket (US: 21st October 2008)

Horror’s not so scary in this humorous horror anthology presented by the Horror Writers Association, and edited by Kevin J. Anderson.

Let’s not deny it: anthologies are often a mixed bag containing mostly so-so stories, with a few outstanding contributions. Blood Lite is no different in that respect. Here’s the story breakdown:

Kelley Armstrong’s The Ungrateful Dead: Solid story.

Joe R. Lansdale’s Mr. Bear: I’ve never read anything by this author before, but this story is head-and-shoulders above the rest in this collection. You know how Brian Griffin is a dog with a lot of human traits? The bear in this short is also rather human, an ex-icon of sorts just wanting a friend. He meets human Jim on a plane, and the trouble starts there. And unlike the rest of the stories here, this one actually had something frightening: the threat of a “weenie pull”. It goes to show that so-called “horror” is really just a distraction from the true horrors of real life. But this is one cracker of a read.

Christopher Welch’s The Eldritch Pastiche from Beyond the Shadow of Horror: I think I’m the only person reading this without having read Lovecraft previously.

Matt Venne’s Elvis Presley and the Bloodsucker Blues: I was too distracted pondering the legalities of using a real (though deceased) person as a character, but giving him an alternate history…as a vampire.

Mark Onspaugh’s Old School: Only three pages of story, whilst most others wrote at least twenty. Reckon they were paid according to word count, or a set amount per story?

J. A. Konrath and F. Paul Wilson’s The Sound of Blunder: Was going great until the horror element kicked in.

Charlaine Harris’s An Evening with Al Gore: Only got good when the horror element kicked in.

Will Ludwigsen’s A Good Psycho Is Hard to Find: Best part: “That’s what we call it when we sneak into buildings with the chainsaw and scare the shit out of someone. It’s best in neighbourhoods with a lot of Bush stickers: they tend to be gun owners, and there’s nothing as invigorating as a pistol levelled at you by an angry Republican anxious to prove the Second Amendment works.”

D. L. Snell’s Love Seat Solitaire: Guess who wants to play Street Fighter with you.

Jeff Strand’s The Bell…FROM HELL!!!: Yes, the title’s really written like that.

Sharyn McCrumb’s Dead Hand: The idea is more fascinating than the actual story. All I know is I have the urge to write a humorous paranormal NASCAR short story. Do any publishers specialise in this? Send me an email. (Note to self: Must find out who the “Ganassi team’s new Hispanic driver” is. Someone who joined after Juan Pablo Montoya???)

Jim Butcher’s Day Off: Solid story.

And filed under Meh:
Lucien Soulban’s Hell in a Handbasket
Don D’Ammassa’s No Problem
Steven Savile’s Dear Prudence
Janet Berliner’s High Kicks and Misdemeanours
Eric James Stone’s PR Problems
Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Where Angels Fear to Tread
Mike Resnick’s A Very Special Girl
Nancy Holder’s I Know Who You Ate Last Summer
Nancy Kilpatrick’s Bitches of the Night

Review by Tez Miller

Look for more horror anthologies at DriveThruHorror.com.

Related posts:

1. This is My Blood Fiction Review
2. Living with the Dead Fiction Review
3. Blood Price Review

Available at Amazon.com

Jes Battis
Night Child (OSI, Book 1)
Penguin Ace (US: 27th May 2008)

The mystical is also believable in Jes Battis’s ace début novel.

An Occult Special Investigator for Vancouver’s Mystical Crime Lab, Tess Corday arrives at a crime scene where a vampire is dead. A note and photo on the vamp lead Tess to Mia Polanski, a thirteen-year-old in danger but whom also possesses great power, and Lucian Agrado, a necromancer who’s liaison to the vampire community. And the action heats up as the investigation deepens…

Vancouver is a welcome diversion from the seemingly endless stream of American cities in urban fantasy. Jes Battis gives a right good dose of Canadian flavour that makes the setting all the more enjoyable. (Even necromancers have to love the Canucks.) Tess may kick arse with her athame, but she also makes mistakes in life, which make her instantly relatable. Fellow investigator Derrick Spiegel may be gay, but he’s not the cliché type who discusses men, shoes and fashion with the straight heroine – in other words, Derrick is refreshingly real. Children in fiction commonly are precocious, and in that circumstance Mia is no different. But unlike others, Mia doesn’t grate on the nerves.

Then there’s Lucian…he’s rare, a character actually worth fancying. Many a time I’ve come across love interests whom readers are supposed to like, but I just don’t get the hype. Lucian, however…yes, he’s hot. But he also teaches Tess about the world at large, and herself. And he doesn’t overdo that alpha male thing, either.

It’s so nice to have an author willing to go the extra mile to make their world more realistic. Most writers will explain things simply as “magic”, and leave it at that. But Mr Jes goes further to explain the magic, and investigative procedures, which makes the book worthier. Even demons’ skulls aren’t ordinary. And how necromancers came about is fascinating. Then there’s the subtle, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it social commentary: We monitored the police lines twenty-four hours a day for any calls that might relate to paranormal activity. Kind of like how the USA’s Patriot Act monitors alleged terrorism – only less evil.

I actually did hug this after reading, and not just figuratively. I read a lot of books, both bestsellers and mid-lists, and Night Child stands above most of them. Definitely one of my favourite books of the year, and one of only a few in the urban fantasy genre. Get your hands on Night Child now, but you’ll have to wait until June 2009 for a sequel.

Review by Tez Miller

Look for more urban fantasy fiction at DrivethruFantasy.com.

Related posts:

1. Dog Days Fiction Review
2. Backup (Dresden Files) Fiction Review
3. Taste of Night Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1)
Penguin Ace (US: 1st February 2006); Hachette Orbit (UK: 5th June 2008)

There’s more to paranormal creatures than mechanics in the opener of Patricia Briggs’s popular urban fantasy series.

Mercedes “Mercy” Thompson is a hereditary walker, brought up in a werewolf foster home. Now Mercy runs her garage specializing in German vehicles, and takes on a new assistant – who happens to be a werewolf with a lot of trouble on his back. But it’s hard to make friends when you’ve been kept in a cage, and experimented on.

When a corpse is dumped on her front step, and next door there’s more destruction, and a teenage girl is missing…it all leads to Mercy working with werewolves, vampires and fae to get everything resolved.

This series has its fans, and there’s reasonable enough evidence in the world-building and class structure. But yet these are also its downfall. All urban fantasy requires some form of suspension of disbelief, but this involved too much – Mercy doesn’t experience pain when she “walks” into coyote form and back, because for her it’s magic. But at least I was cool with the werewolves actually changing shape and experiencing pain.

The fae have been public for quite some time now, but are still discriminated against in many ways. And they live on a reservation. This is good world-building as it demonstrates social commentary…but bad because I would’ve felt more connected with the characters had they been gay and/or Native American (as the “coming out” and “reservation” seem to refer to), and not mythological creatures. This is a matter of personal taste, however, and shouldn’t bother your average reader.

But for me this book was very easy to put down, and I was never in a rush to get back to it. It wasn’t bad, but it just didn’t work for me. However, I own Book 2 in the series, Blood Bound, so I’m willing to give the author another chance.

Review by Tez Miller

Look for more urban fantasy fiction at the Flames Rising Amazon Shop.

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1. Dead To Me Fiction Review
2. Amazon Ink Fiction Review
3. Cry Wolf Fiction Review

Available at Amazon.com

Vicki Pettersson
The Taste of Night (Signs of the Zodiac, Book 2)
HarperCollins Eos (US: 27th March 2007); HarperCollins Voyager (UK: 2nd June 2008)

Science and magic come together to decimate Las Vegas’s population in the second volume of the Signs of the Zodiac series.

Joanna Archer is still living a double life as a superhero and a socialite heiress, going under her sister Olivia’s name. But someone else knows her as Joanna: a Shadow initiate whose metamorphosis isn’t far away. Regan DuPree seems both a helper and a hindrance, and Jo trusts her when she probably shouldn’t. As a result, she unintentionally spreads the deadly virus that the Tupla let loose, and things worsen from there.

The Neon Boneyard is a brilliant setting as always, and Joaquin’s underground lair is genuinely creepy. The melding of science and magic is a big part of what makes this series a winner, and the plague steps this up a notch. And it goes to show that orders by troop leaders are issued for a reason: because defying them will only worsen things for everyone, as Joanna learns. I wanted to slap her a few times, and it’s rather annoying when she approaches her human lover as her true self. A high point of this series is that you don’t see readers fangirling over the love interests, because the real focus – as it should be – is on Jo coming to terms with her Light and Shadow sides. So bringing in Ben Traina is frustrating, and Jo’s jealousy over his new girlfriend seems over-the-top.

There’s clever plotting and foreshadowing – everything Jo learns early in the novel becomes important later. But there’re plenty of unfinished plot threads that’ll hopefully be picked up in latter installments. Why didn’t teenaged Joanna abort her foetus instead of fulfilling the pregnancy and adopting out the child? When will Jo and her mother Zoe finally meet again, and what might happen?

Review by Tez Miller

Related posts:

1. Shadow Chase Fiction Review
2. Undead on Arrival Fiction Review
3. Night Child Fiction Review

Available at Amazon

Keri Arthur
LifeMate Connections: Eryn
ImaJinn Books (31st March 2007)

An alternate universe is ripe for one-night stands until love strikes in Keri Arthur’s novella.

NOTE: There a multiple typing errors in this 145-page book. Admittedly, it’s a small press who may not be able to afford a copy-editor, but there are so many – and even a slightly different name is used once – that it really becomes annoying.

Put simply, it’s a paranormal erotic romance with a mystery. Women outnumber men ten to one, though this isn’t explained. However, there is a one-child policy, but I’m not sure if that’s the reason. Long-term relationships are frowned upon, yet bars are set up for fertile women looking for a life mate. Both women and men are screened for fertility and diseases first. LifeMate Connections is kind of like a brothel, but without prostitutes. In the bar, you can meet people, and if things are going well you can root upstairs (though some don’t wait that long). Since there’s a lot of unprotected nookie, I’d imagine abortion rates would be high, yet the A-word is never mentioned. Do you only become pregnant when you want to be? Why isn’t this explained?

Eryn James is a medical secretary by day who the police have asked to become bait. Five women who’ve been to LifeMate have been murdered; Eryn looks similar and she’s a shifter – though I’m not sure if it was explained how she met the police and how they know she’s a shifter. But Eryn’s not just a shifter – she’s a beagle shifter. Okay, that’s something new, and it causes for perhaps unintentional hilarity:

“Tough. I’m not a screamer.” Though she had been known to yodel on occasion. It was an unfortunate side effect of being a beagle shifter.

The only beagle I know is Brian Griffin, and I don’t remember him ever yodelling, so this was news to me. Seemingly it can happen during climax – who knew? The man who might be able to make Eryn yodel is Grey Stockard, who could well be the murderer. Not that this stops Eryn from shagging him – after all, she figures he’ll answer her questions while he’s vulnerable. But do you really think that someone with great physical control during teh secks won’t spill his secrets? Hmm…

The problems I have with this novella are obvious, but the mystery itself is actually quite interesting. The author brings in some originality that saved a story that otherwise wouldn’t have worked for me. To say more would be spoiling. Is it worth the high cover price? Not for a novella, dude – try to find a discount somewhere, and then you’re talking…

Review by Tez Miller

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1. Amazon Ink Fiction Review
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Vicki Pettersson
The Scent of Shadows (Signs of the Zodiac, Book 1)
HarperCollins Eos (US: 27th February 2007); HarperCollins Voyager (UK: 2nd June 2008)

Vicki Pettersson brings fresh ideas, deep psychology and Las Vegas’s underbelly in this flashy first volume in the Signs of the Zodiac series.

Since her almost-deadly assault about nine years ago, Joanna Archer has been tough and hard, with an empty façade that keeps even her nearest and dearest away. A blind date ends in violence and death, and Jo’s not just an innocent bystander. Turning twenty-five has awakened powers that have made her a target of the warring Zodiac factions, Light and Shadow. With a parent from each faction, Jo could go either way, and though she chooses to align with the Light, a traitor walks among the troop and exposes them all to the Shadow agents…including Jo’s father.

Having become disenchanted with the genre of late, Vicki Pettersson’s début enlivened my passion with much needed originality (the Tulpa!), vibrant settings and intriguing psychology in a thrilling tome her urban fantasy peers can only dream of writing. Those fed up with vampires, psychics, witches, fae and whatnot will rejoice that superheroes take the stage here. Though the Australian publisher is marketing it towards fans of the TV series Heroes, the Signs of the Zodiac books seem more appealing than the show could ever be. (I don’t watch Heroes, and don’t intend to.)

At the start of the book, the writing itself makes me truly appreciate this. The flashy turns of phrase and such lessen as the action progresses, but science enforces the magic, there’s deep character development, and it all comes together in a ripping yarn.

But what stands out is this could’ve been much worse, had the author and editor not been so cluey. With romance featuring early on, I feared this could’ve been about Jo and Ben Traina trying to have a relationship throughout all the life-and-death. But thankfully Vicki Pettersson and Diana Gill realised that for Jo to fully find herself she had to be alone. How many books in the genre would do that nowadays?

I highly recommend The Scent of Shadows, and I’m already onto Book 2. This is one series thriller fans should not miss.

Review by Tez Miller

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1. The Darkest Kiss Fiction Review
2. Taste of Night Fiction Review
3. Blood Price Review