Review: One Salt Sea by Seanan McGuire

When I picked up Home Improvement: Undead Edition I didn't realize I was going to meet a new favorite author. After reading Seanan McGuire's Toby Daye short story, I just had to know more about this series. I was hooked. This lady knows how to write a great Fairy story for grown ups. If you have not read her previous novels, pick them up first. They are integral to understanding this one. Now, on to the book. One Salt Sea follows October Daye as she attempts to repay her debt to the Sea Witch. Her relationship with Conner adds spice, even as she becomes even more intrigued by the King of Cats. Funny, serious, and terribly sad by turns, I was up reading this all night. I had to know what was coming next. I am already impatient for the next book due out next year. Why oh why can't Seanan write these as fast as I can read them?

From Amazon.com: 

October "Toby" Daye is settling into her new role as Countess of Goldengreen. She's actually dating again, and she's taken on Quentin as her squire. So, of course, it's time for things to take a turn for the worse.

Someone has kidnapped the sons of the regent of the Undersea Duchy of Saltmist. To prevent a war between land and sea, Toby must find the missing boys and prove the Queen of the Mists was not behind their abduction. Toby's search will take her from the streets of San Francisco to the lands beneath the waves, and her deadline is firm: she must find the boys in three days' time, or all of the Mists will pay the price. But someone is determined to stop her-and whoever it is isn't playing by Oberon's Laws...

Five Stars!

Review: Ghost Story by Jim Butcher

There is one line in this, the newest Dresden Files, that made me do a happy dance. "Crombie," I said, "eat your heart out." If you are a fan of Piers Anthony, you will know what I mean. If you have never read his Zanth novels, get your tail over to Amazon and get started! It is always awesome when you read a favorite author pay homage to another favorite in their works. That being said, on to the review. I had never heard of Jim Butcher until early this year. I picked up the first one and was hooked. Ghost Story picks up where Changes leaves off, with Harry dead and about to be run over by a train. (I know, crazy huh?) How can there possibly be anything left to the series? By being sent back as a ghost to find your killer. I was really unsure how I would like this book. The first chapter or two were okay, but I mostly kept reading to see if the story would get any better. I never even realized when I became enthralled. It slipped up on me on little cat paws. I don't want to give anything away, I will just say that I am eager for the next book already!

From jimbutcher.com:

When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn’t doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin.
But being dead doesn’t stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has no body, and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spirits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own.
To save his friends — and his own soul — Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic…

Four stars!

Review: The Maker's Song Series (so far) by Adrian Phoenix

Holy moly are these books good. First off, I would like to say gobuythesenow!!! Second, give yourself some nice quiet alone time to devote to these books. Adrian has taken paranormal and urban fantasy to a whole new level of cool. Goth vampires, fallen angels, government conspiracy theories, mental illness, a hot younger man and the sexy older woman he falls for. This has a little bit of something for everyone...including some really sexy sex! Go buy the books, read them, and then get mad as hell when you reach the end of the fourth book, just like I did. (Yes, horribly suspenseful cliffhanger. Made me very antsy!)  I will attempt to console myself in the Hoodoo series, but I am watching you Ms. Phoenix!

Review: Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis

It is fairly rare to find a male protagonist in an urban fantasy book. Hard Spell is a breath of manly air. Markowski brings to mind Harry Dresden, a hard boiled, no nonsense kind of guy. The kind of man you expect eats a lot of pizza and kicks back with a beer when he finally goes home. Gutsainis has given us a world where the good guys are real, and the bad guys are really bad. The good doesn't always win, and the evil...well it is everywhere.

From the Angry Robots site:
“Like the rest of America, Scranton’s got an uneasy ‘live and let unlive’ relationship with the supernatural. But when a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that’s when they call me.
“My name’s Markowski. I carry a badge.
“Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.”

Five stars!!!

Review: Undead and Undermined by MaryJanice Davidson

Hurray for new Queen Betsy! I absolutely love this series, and I have been waiting on pins and needles after the ending of the last book. MJ does not disappoint her readers with this one. It may be a little confusing, but so it the situation we find Betsy in this time. If you find things seem a little wonky, take a second to reread the last sentence and you will get your head back in order. Even with the twists and turns this book earns a solid 4 1/2 stars!

Vampire Queen Betsy has it rough. She has just returned from the past, future, and hell to find that everything she thought she knew is different. Jessica is pregnant? Nick is a friend? Garratt is still alive? What else could happen? A twisty turny ride through hell (again) only adds more questions.