Two new books arrived

Silence Fallen
Patricia Briggs
Ace
Copyright Date: January 2018
978-0425281284

The amazon.com product description:

In the #1 New York Times bestselling Mercy Thompson novels, the coyote shapeshifter has found her voice in the werewolf pack. But when Mercy's bond with the pack--and her mate--is broken, she'll learn what it truly means to be alone...

Attacked and abducted in her home territory, Mercy finds herself in the clutches of the most powerful vampire in the world, taken as a weapon to use against Alpha werewolf Adam and the ruler of the Tri-Cities vampires. In coyote form, Mercy escapes--only to find herself without money, without clothing, and alone in a foreign country.

Unable to contact Adam through their mate bond, Mercy has allies to find and enemies to fight, and she needs to figure out which is which. Ancient powers stir, and Mercy must be her agile best to avoid causing a supernatural war.

I've got to play catch-up with this series! I'm sure I haven't read the last book, but I'm not sure about the one before that (though technically it's part of the Alpha and Omega spin-off and not the main line of the series, the Mercy Thompson books).

Nonetheless, I think it's time to do a re-read and catch-up - this has been one of my favorite urban fantasy series since I picked it up (around the time Bone Crossed came out I think).

The other book I picked up yesterday was one by Ursula K. Le Guin:

The Left Hand of Darkness
Ursula K. Le Guin
Ace Books
Copyright: 1987
978-0441478125

The amazon.com product description:

Ursula K. Le Guin's groundbreaking work of science fiction—winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards.A lone human ambassador is sent to Winter, an alien world without sexual prejudice, where the inhabitants can change their gender whenever they choose. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. But to do so he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the strange, intriguing culture he encounters...

Embracing the aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness stands as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction.

I've not read much of Ursula K. Le Guin's books, other than the first three or four of the Earthsea series, and that was so long ago that I've forgotten all of it. So, after hearing of her death last month, I ordered several of her books - ones I'd meant to read, but have yet to get around to. This was the first of those orders to arrive.

A Lick of Frost - Laurell K. Hamilton

A Lick of Frost (Merry Gentry #6)
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2008
978-0345495914

The amazon.com product description:

I am Meredith Gentry, princess and heir apparent to the throne in the realm of faerie, onetime private investigator in the mortal world. To be crowned queen, I must first continue the royal bloodline and give birth to an heir of my own. If I fail, my aunt, Queen Andais, will be free to do what she most desires: install her twisted son, Cel, as monarch . . . and kill me.

My royal guards surround me, and my best loved–my Darkness and my Killing Frost–are always beside me, sworn to protect and make love to me. But still the threat grows greater. For despite all my carnal efforts, I remain childless, while the machinations of my sinister, sadistic Queen and her confederates remain tireless. So my bodyguards and I have slipped back into Los Angeles, hoping to outrun the gathering shadows of court intrigue. But even exile isn’t enough to escape the grasp of those with dark designs.

Now King Taranis, powerful and vainglorious ruler of faerie’s Seelie Court, has leveled accusations against my noble guards of a heinous crime–and has gone so far as to ask the mortal authorities to prosecute. If he succeeds, my men face extradition to faerie and the hideous penalties that await them there. But I know that Taranis’s charges are baseless, and I sense that his true target is me. He tried to kill me when I was a child. Now I fear his intentions are far more terrifying.

Remember when I was commenting on the lack of resolution a couple of books ago? They were all building up to this one! And what a resolution! I couldn't put A Lick of Frost down for long. I just had to come back and read some more.

This time, because I'm back-to-back reading the series, I found that I didn't have the problems I did reading it last time (probably with a year or so gap from reading the previous book).

A Lick of Frost is the sixth book in the Merry Gentry series, following on Mistral's Kiss. The first book in this series was A Kiss of Shadows.

Some of the many plot threads were tied up in A Lick of Frost, but not all of them, and I can't wait to get into the next book to find out how things are going to play out next. Intercourt politics are definitely becoming a big issue for Merry and her guards, and we're seeing how it plays out in the human world. It was rather nice being back in the human world for this one, after a couple of books that were almost entirely set in Faerie.

I also really enjoyed getting some more hints at the impact an openly known of magical world has had on history. There have been quite a few references to fears of another Seelie/Unseelie war, and now I know why. Apparently, somewhere in Europe in that world there is still a massive crater left from the last one! Yikes!

Not suited for everyone, but by now, that should be clear about almost all of Laurell K. Hamilton's books as she tends to be both explicit and graphic at times. However, if that's not going to bother you, these are turning into great reads for the most part.

I know I felt that Mistral's Kiss was too short in my last review, but this one didn't feel that way at all. It's not as long as the first four books in the series, but A Lick of Frost was still longer than Mistral's Kiss by a little bit. I think the difference might have also been due to the amount going on in the book.

Definitely a read that I enjoyed, and I'm looking forward to starting the next book in the series, Swallowing Darkness.

Mistral's Kiss - Laurell K. Hamilton

Mistral's Kiss (Merry Gentry #5)
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2006
978-0345443618

The amazon.com product description:

I am Princess Meredith, heir to a throne of faerie. My day job, once upon a time, was as a private detective in Los Angeles. Unfortunately, princess has now become a full-time occupation.

My aunt, Queen Andais, will have it no other way. And so I am virtually a prisoner in faerie–trapped here with some of the realm’s most beautiful men to serve as my bodyguards . . . and my lovers. For I am compelled to conceive a child: an heir to succeed me on the throne. Yet after months of amazing sex with my consorts, there is still no baby. And no baby means no throne. The only certainty is death at the hands of my cousin Cel, or his followers, if I fail to conceive.

Now Mistral, Queen Andais’s new captain of the guard, has come to my bed–defying her and risking her terrible wrath in doing so. But even she will hesitate to punish him in jealous rage, because our joining has reawakened old magic, mystical power so ancient that no one stands against it and survives. Not even my strongest and most favored: my Darkness and my Killing Frost. Not even Mistral himself, my Storm Lord. But because Mistral has helped to bring this magic forth, he may live another day.

If I can reclaim control of the fey power that once was, there may be hope for me and my reign in faerie. I might yet quell the dark schemes and subterfuges surrounding me. Though shadows of obsession and conspiracy gather, I may survive.

Mistral's Kiss is the sequel to A Stroke of Midnight and is the fifth book in the Merry Gentry series. This one I remember reading before, back when it first came out. However, I don't remember much about it from that time other than my annoyance at how short the book was. When all the previous books were at around 400 pages or more each, and this one finishes up in only 330 (according to Amazon), it's quite noticeable! I also remember it being a very quick read (in that I was able to finish reading it in a couple of times waiting at the bookstore).

This time, I was reading Mistral's Kiss on my Kobo - and yes, I still found the book to be much shorter than the previous books. That's actually one of my frustrations with a few series - consistent book lengths, then the author starts sneaking in novellas (at the same price as the regular books), either as shorter books with the same size font or what looks to be regular length books but padded with large line-spacing, font-size and margins. I don't know if it's just me that feels cheated when I get a book and it turns out to be much shorter than it originally looked, but I do.

As I noted in my post on A Stroke of Midnight, very little time actually passes within this book. In fact, I think it's still the same day that was the subject of the last book! On the other hand, we do see more of the goblins and the Sluagh, and we learn a bit more about how magic works in this world. Also, this was another book that kept me turning the pages until the last page of the book.

Again, I noted in the previous book the quantity of sex to be found in the latest Merry Gentry books. That is a theme that holds true in this one as well. On the other hand, anyone surprised at the amount of sex needs to take another look at the end goal for these books (or at least one of the end goals) - which is for Merry to be pregnant. The only way for that to happen is via intercourse. Still, it seems like the major subject of the last two books has been sex.

I've noted in previous reviews the way the open existence of something like Faerie can impact the world's history - and we get some more hints at that in Mistral's Kiss - something I found to be quite fascinating.

No vampires, werewolves or other werecreatures that I'm aware of in this world - just Faerie (in all it's variations) and human psychics/magicians. It's one of the things that makes the world of Merry Gentry quite unique in my reading experience. The other is how widely known/unhidden the world of magic is. One of the main plot-points I know of in most urban fantasy novels is the need for secrecy, if not for all of the supernatural/magical elements, at least for some of them in varying amounts.

Overall, I'm definitely enjoying reading this series. I just hope the books get longer again.

A Stroke of Midnight - Laurell K. Hamilton

A Stroke of Midnight (Merry Gentry #4)
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2006
978-0345443601

The amazon.com product description:

I am Meredith Gentry, P.I., solving cases in Los Angeles, far from the peril and deception of my real home–because I am also Princess Meredith, heir to the darkest throne faerie has to offer. The Unseelie Court infuses me with its power. But at what price does such magic come? How much of my human side will I have to give up, and how much of the sinister side of faerie will I have to embrace? To sit on a throne that has ruled through bloodshed and violence for centuries, I might have to become that which I dread the most.

Enemies watch my every move. My cousin Cel strives to have me killed even now from his prison cell. But not all the assassination attempts are his. Some Unseelie nobles have waited centuries for my aunt Andais, Queen of Air and Darkness, to become weak enough that she might be toppled from her throne. Enemies unforeseen move against us–enemies who would murder the least among us.

The threat will drive us to allow human police into faerie for the first time in our history. I need my allies now more than ever, especially since fate will lead me into the arm of Mistral, Master of Storms, the queen’s new captain of her guard. Our passion will reawaken powers long forgotten among the warriors of the sidhe. Pain and pleasure await me–and danger, as well, for some at that court seek only death.

I will find new joys with the butterfly-winged demi-fey. My guards and I will show all of faerie that violence and sex are as popular among the sidhe as they are among the lesser fey of our court. The Darkness will weep, and Frost will comfort him. The gentlest of my guards will find new strength and break my heart. Passions undreamed of await us–and my enemies gather, for the future of both courts of faerie begins to unravel.

Another book by Laurell K. Hamilton that I more or less raced through - at least when I was actively reading it. I did stop part-way through to finish reading The Crown companion volume and review it. Still, this series has me captivated right now (I don't think I've been reading books at this kind of speed for a few years now, though I can't say for sure).

A Stroke of Midnight is the sequel to Seduced By Moonlight, and the first book in the series is A Kiss of Shadows.

By this point in this series, I don't think it'll be spoilers to say that there is a lot of sex in this book - and a fair bit of violence too. The fact that a 400+ page book covers only a few days (at best, some estimates I've seen suggest that it's less than a day in real time), rather says something along those lines. Nonetheless, I couldn't stop turning the pages, although I do agree with some of the reviews I've seen elsewhere suggesting that the wrap-up of the book came along a bit too fast at the end, and didn't really resolve anything either. However, that opinion comes along only after reading the book. While I was reading A Stroke of Midnight I wasn't thinking about any of that at all. I just wanted to know "what happens next?".

These days it's pretty rare for me to read more than about two books in a series without taking a break to read another author or book in between. I'm on to book five now - with the only break being to finish the last third of an already in-progress book. For a series to hold me this long, I really have to say  "Bravo!" to the author!

I also want to note that while I'm reading this series, I'm also wanting to read more on the "real-world" legends of Faerie in our world, to get a feeling for the way legends, fairy-tales and myths take on the Seelie/Unseelie divide and faerie magic. I do know that the other author/series that's used the two courts in novels have had a very different take on them (That being the SERRAted edge series co-written by Mercedes Lackey). I find - and this is probably more of a personal thing for me - that when I see different authors displaying very different takes on the same topic, I often want to know more about the reality/source materials and what they show.  Yeah, I'm an amateur historian, and maybe that shows in this tendency of mine.

Despite the muttering I did earlier in the review, I want to repeat that A Stroke of Midnight kept me turning the pages, and I'm heading right into Mistral's Kiss next.

Seduced By Moonlight - Laurell K. Hamilton

Seduced By Moonlight (Merry Gentry #3)
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2004
978-0345443595

The amazon.com product description:

 I am Meredith Gentry, P.I. and Princess Merry, heir to the throne of Fairie.
Now there are those among me who whisper I am more.
They fear me even as they protect me. And who can blame them?
I’ve awakened the dazzling magic that’s slumbered in them for
thousands of years. But the thing is, I can’t figure out why.

My aunt, the Queen of Air and Darkness, is no longer distracted by her usual sadistic hobbies. Her obsession has turned unwaveringly to me. The mission to get me pregnant and beat my cousin Prince Cel to the crown is taking longer than expected. Even though I spend each night with the Queen’s Ravens, my immortal guards, no child has come of our decadent pleasures. But something else is happening. My magic courses through me uncontrollably. And as I lock my half-mortal body with their full-Sidhe blooded ones, the power surges like never before.

It all began with the chalice. I dreamed of it, and it appeared, cool and hard, beside me when I awoke. My guards know the ancient relic well—its disappearance ages ago stripped them of their vital powers. But it is here with us now. My touch resonates with its force, and they’re consumed with it, their Sidhe essences lit up by it. But even as they cherish me for this unexpected gift, there are those who loathe me for it. Me, a mongrel, only half fey and part mortal. The Unseelie court has suffered for so long, and there are some who would not have it weakened further by an impure queen. My enemies grow in number every day. But they do not know what I am capable of. Nor, for that matter, do I. . . .

In Seduced by Moonlight, Laurell K. Hamilton brings the dark, erotic reign of the immortal fey to a startling new depth. Full of sensuality and the consuming anticipation of latent powers unleashed, this world of gods, shapeshifters, and immortal souls is unveiled in all of its supreme magnificence and its treacherous deceits. 

Remember back when I reviewed A Kiss of Shadows, the first book in this series and I noted the lack of violence compared with the Anita Blake books? Forget I said that. Forget I even thought it. I'm shaking my head at myself on that one after reading Seduced By Moonlight.

At any rate, Seduced By Moonlight, the third book in the Merry Gentry series, following on A Caress of Twilight was another "couldn't put it down" book - up to the point where I was forced to by the need to recharge my Kobo. Then it was right back into the read.

This book has very little to do with the "real" world as it were, being much more focused on the politics of the Seelie and Unseelie courts and also on the interpersonal relationships centering around Merry. And believe me, that is enough to keep the book going and fascinating! However, I'd say this series might not be for everyone. There are quite a few points where it gets pretty graphic - both sexually and in terms of violence. By this point though, that shouldn't be much of a surprise to fans of Laurell K. Hamilton's writing.

As I said, this book is quite focused on the interpersonal relationships and politics of the Faerie courts. On top of that though, there's other things and powers at work. Merry doesn't have a clue what's going on and neither do her guards - or us for that matter. That was one of the aspects of the book that really gripped me on this read through - watching the lot of them coping with the unexpected.

Lots of questions left for the next book too (A Stroke of Midnight). I really want to get into reading that one, but at the same time I'm kind of feeling like I should go back to some of the other books I've got on the go, so no idea of what I'm going to be reading next.

One thing I found really neat at the end of Seduced by Moonlight - this one may just be me and my love of research though - is that Laurell K. Hamilton has included a list of the books she's used in researching the Merry Gentry series. Given that I'm currently hunting (or trying to) down material on British mythological creatures and beings for an idea/project of my own, I'm very happy to see this right now. The next thing on my to-do list is going to be googling the various titles and finding more information on some of those books. Thanks!

Believe it or not, one of my favorite things to see in a novel (esp. historical fiction) is a listing of research sources when appropriate. All too often for me, reading a novel with a basis in fact (or mythology as in this case), I get quite curious about the reality of the situation - such as it is. Seeing what the author has used for source material can be quite intriguing.

A Caress of Twilight - Laurell K. Hamilton

A Caress of Twilight (Merry Gentry #2)
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2003
978-0345423429

The amazon.com product description:

“I am Princess Meredith, heir to a throne—if I can stay alive long enough to claim it.” After eluding relentless assassination attempts by Prince Cel, her cousin and rival for the Faerie crown, Meredith Gentry, Los Angeles private eye, has a whole new set of problems. To become queen, she must bear a child before Cel can father one of his own. But havoc lies on the horizon: people are dying in mysterious, frightening ways, and suddenly the very existence of the place known as Faerie is at grave risk. So now, while she enjoys the greatest pleasures of her life attempting to conceive a baby with the warriors of her royal guard, she must fend off an ancient evil that could destroy the very fabric of reality. And that’s just her day job. . . .

After finishing my read-through of A Kiss of Shadows the other day, I rolled right into A Caress of Twilight, ending up finishing this one in just over a day as well. Currently I'm well into the third book in the series, Seduced By Moonlight, with books four through seven waiting on my Kobo.

On this one I found myself comparing main characters - mostly Merry Gentry - to the lead characters in some other urban fantasy novels I've been reading lately: the Anita Blake books, Mercy Thompson from Patricia Brigg's books and to some of the female leads I remember from a few different paranormal romance novels. Of course, the one she's the most like is Anita Blake - it makes a lot of sense as both characters are written by the same author. And yet, in some ways the world Merry Gentry lives in feels closer to that of the Mercy Thompson books than the world Anita Blake lives in - probably the wider presence of the Faerie world.

The other things I kept thinking about as I was reading A Caress of Twilight were about how much the need for secrecy can change the story-plots. In most urban fantasy novels/series the supernatural is either completely secret or sometimes partly known about, but public knowledge is still a newer thing. The Merry Gentry novels are really the first series I've seen where it seems that the supernatural side of the story has been publicly known about from the distant past, and it's interesting how that knowledge changes the whole fabric of the story. Trust/distrust, politics (current and past) along with treaties, again current and past all shape the world the characters move through. However, much of the human politics is at a very very background level. Most of the politicking going on in these books - at least in these first ones - is inter-fey, and the lengths they'll go to can be quite shocking.

I'm also enjoying watching Merry figure things out about herself, her past, those around her and her ever-varying relationships - something I've grown rather used to from Laurell K. Hamilton is the variety of relationships her characters engage in - and what they're willing to do at need. However, I suspect that this aspect of her books is not for everybody.

Definitely though, I recommend reading A Kiss of Shadows before reading A Caress of Twilight or any of the later books in this series - the background knowledge is more or less a requirement.

Any book I've bought more than once has to be at the very least a decent read - and this is my second purchase of A Caress of Twilight. I last read it back when the book first came out. Long enough ago now that the read was almost as though I'd never read it before.

A Kiss of Shadows - Laurell K. Hamilton

Well, the first book read and reviewed in 2018 is not one I would have expected. I'd have thought the first book might have been either David Weber's The Honor of the Queen or the companion book to The Crown.

A Kiss of Shadows
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
Copyright: 2002
978-0345423405

The amazon.com product description:

Meet Merry Gentry, paranormal P.I., and enter a thrilling, sensual world as dangerous as it is beautiful, full of earthly pleasures and dazzling magic, and ruled by the all-consuming passions of immortal beings once worshipped as gods . . . or demons.

Merry Gentry, princess of the high court of Faerie, is posing as a human in Los Angeles, working as a private investigator specializing in supernatural crime. But now the queen’s assassin has been dispatched to fetch her—whether she likes it or not. Suddenly Merry finds herself a pawn in her dreaded aunt’s plans. The job that awaits her: enjoy the constant company of the most beautiful immortal men in the world. The reward: the crown—and the opportunity to continue to live. The penalty for failure: death. 

I know I read this back when it first came out. I can't say if I ever reread it. It's definitely been a while though - there's no review for a previous read here. It's also been long enough that while I remembered the occasional scene from the book, I couldn't remember any of the story beyond the very broadest of strokes. At any rate, I got the itch to reread and bought the first two books in the series (A Kiss of Shadows and A Caress of Twilight) from Kobo a couple of days ago. I started reading yesterday and finished the last twenty pages or so today. In other words, I couldn't put the book down for long at all.

It's not as important with e-books but I remember the original cover, red and black, and I distinctly prefer it to the new cover shown here. It was a cover less likely to raise eyebrows and garner comments from those around I think (part of the reason I've gone e-book for Laurell K. Hamilton's books this time).

On this read I found myself comparing the world that Laurell K. Hamilton has created with the similar(ish) world created for the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. Very similar, and yet very different. Both start from a similar mythological base but they take the worlds in such different directions. I do think that if you like the one you'll like the other however.

I'm definitely enjoying the window into a world generally viewed as the "bad guys" and "evil" in a lot of other books (Mercedes Lackey's SERRAted Edge series comes to mind). A world where they're not entirely good, but not all evil, just trying to live as anyone else would be.

The one thing about this series (which is also true of the Anita Blake books by the same author) which might not be to everyone's tastes is that the books are very frank about  sex and relationships. Or maybe it's just me that found that a bit shocking the first time I read the series. On the other hand, at least with the first book there weren't quite as many "vivid/gruesome" scenes as I noted in my review of Guilty Pleasures (from the Anita Blake world).

Either way, I really enjoyed the read this time. Honestly, I can't remember the last time I more or less read a book in one day like that. I think it's been a while though, at least based on the last couple of years worth of reviews I've posted here. More often I've been having trouble finishing books - or if I do finish them, it's been after such long breaks that I've forgotten the first half of the story.

Laurell K. Hamilton has created an interesting world to go along with Meredeth Gentry, one where we've only just scraped the surface and there are depths yet to be discovered, both in the characters and the world they inhabit.

Almost immediately on finishing A Kiss of Shadows I've rolled into A Caress of Twilight, and also bought the third book in the series, Seduced by Moonlight. Definitely enjoying the re-reads.

Guilty Pleasures - Laurell K. Hamilton

Guilty Pleasures 
Laurell K. Hamilton
Berkley
Reprint edition: 2004:
978-0425197547

The Amazon.com product description:

Published over ten years ago by Ace, Guilty Pleasures marked the debut of a series that was destined to grow from cult favorite to a major New York Times bestseller. Now, for long-time Anita Blake junkies and newfound fans, Guilty Pleasures makes its trade paperback debut. Readers will learn how Anita Blake started raising the dead-and killing the undead. And how she met Jean Claude, the master vampire destined to become not only her biggest nemesis, but her greatest lover...

It's been long enough since I read Guilty Pleasures that when I began rereading it a few days ago, it was almost like I'd never read the book before. The entire plot felt more or less unfamiliar to me. Interestingly though, I do remember that at that time it wasn't one of my favorite books in the series. Now, I really couldn't say why that was - unless because I started reading at Burnt Offerings if I remember correctly, I was looking for characters I had become familiar with in the later books. This time though, there was none of that. I simply kept turning the pages until I'd finished reading the book.

Are you looking for a female character who isn't afraid to do what she needs to and who takes charge of her life without simply waiting for circumstances to come to her? That's Anita Blake, sometimes called "The Executioner" for her role as a vampire hunter - mostly on the correct side of the law when doing so too. And she's only one of the cast of characters. We also meet up with some other characters who will play larger roles in future books, such as Edward.

For all that Guilty Pleasures is the first book in the series, it both stands alone and serves as an introduction to an interesting world. One where the supernatural is known about and has a legal place. In that, this series is similar to the books by Patricia Briggs, except that most of the legal wrangling has already happened here. That's one of the things about this series that I remember enjoying the last time around - that rather than complete secrecy being one of the driving elements of the story (for example the J.R. Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood books, or Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunters series), there are actual legal procedures to follow and things are more open. Perhaps not all the details, but the broad strokes are known about - not that that erases all the prejudice.

My one caution with this series is to be prepared for some fairly vivid scenes. One of the things Anita does in the course of her work is to work with the police - sometimes on murder scenes. And then there's her "day" job, where she works as an animator - which is also a somewhat gruesome job it seems.

In terms of the series overall, I believe I stopped reading around the time Bullet was released, so I definitely will have some catching up to do, but I'm looking forward to it. However, I'm finding the way that I've chosen to buy the books this time to have one minor downside: I've gone for the five-book bundle for the first five, and that makes it harder to judge where I am in any particular book - they come as one large file on the e-reader. Not that that's going to deter me. In at least one way it's actually going to be an advantage rather than a disadvantage - keeping the books in order will be a whole lot simpler!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is one of the longest lasting book-memes I know of. I've been a participant since the days it was hosted over at J Kaye's Book Blog, and then on Book Journey. Now It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted at Book Date.

The idea of It's Monday! What Are You Reading is to share the books you read last week and also what you are currently reading. I've discovered the hard way that it's a dangerous meme for your TBR piles as frequently I end up adding books to my wishlist thanks to the intriguing descriptions and reviews that others share.

The last week has been a busy one by my recent reading standards.

I finished reading one book:

Stray (Shifters - Vol. 1)
Rachel Vincent
MIRA
Copyright: 2010
978-0778329077

The amazon.com product description:

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays—werecats without a Pride—constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back…for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever—and whoever—I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays—'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them….

An excerpt from my review:

I've had a copy of Stray on my e-reader for the last few years but never got more than about five pages into the book prior to this weekend. I have to say though, while I liked the read, I'm not absolutely raving to read the next books in the series.

Other than that, I put up the sign-up post for my Valdemar Reading Challenge last week.

I'm currently reading two books as well:


The Fiery Cross
Diana Gabaldon

The amazon.com product description:

The dazzling fifth volume of Diana Gabaldon’s extraordinary Outlander saga, featuring 18th-century Scotsman James Fraser and his 20th-century time-traveling wife, Claire Randall.

The year is 1771, and war is coming. Jamie Fraser’s wife tells him so. Little as he wishes to, he must believe it, for hers is a gift of dreadful prophecy—a time-traveler’s certain knowledge.

Born in the year of Our Lord 1918, Claire Randall served England as a nurse on the battlefields of World War II, and in the aftermath of peace found fresh conflicts when she walked through a cleftstone on the Scottish Highlands and found herself an outlander, an English lady in a place where no lady should be, in a time—1743—when the only English in Scotland were the officers and men of King George’s army.

Now wife, mother, and surgeon, Claire is still an outlander, out of place, and out of time, but now, by choice, linked by love to her only anchor—Jamie Fraser. Her unique view of the future has brought him both danger and deliverance in the past; her knowledge of the oncoming revolution is a flickering torch that may light his way through the perilous years ahead—or ignite a conflagration that will leave their lives in ashes....

Grand, sweeping, utterly unforgettable, The Fiery Cross is riveting entertainment, a vibrant tapestry of history and human drama.

I had a bit of an amusing experience with this one over the weekend. We went to see a choir concert on Saturday and when we got back, I picked up The Fiery Cross again, only to come across one of the songs I had been listening to in the book: The Flower of Scotland.

The other book I'm currently reading is one I've read and reviewed here a few times now:

Hand of Isis
Jo Graham

The amazon.com blurb:

Charmian is handmaiden to Cleopatra. She is also an oracle, gifted with ancient memories that may hold the key to preserving Egypt. Through blood and fire, war and peace, love and death, she will face a desperate struggle that will remake the future of the world.

Shortlisted for the Locus Best First Novel Award, included in The Amazon Editors' Top Ten List in Science Fiction and Fantasy for 2008 and the Locus Recommended Reading List, with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Kirkus Reviews, Jo Graham is one of the most exciting new voices to come out of historical fantasy in recent years.

This has been one of my favorites for a few years now and I've lost count of the number of times I've re-read it.

As usual, I'm not planning any books for my "To-Read" list for the coming week. I think what I'm already reading will fill my plate quite nicely.

Stray - Rachel Vincent

Stray (Shifters - Vol. 1)
Rachel Vincent
MIRA
Copyright: 2010
978-0778329077

The amazon.com product description:

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays—werecats without a Pride—constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back…for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever—and whoever—I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays—'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them….

I've had a copy of Stray on my e-reader for the last few years but never got more than about five pages into the book prior to this weekend. I have to say though, while I liked the read, I'm not absolutely raving to read the next books in the series.

I agree with some of the other reviews I've seen. Faythe is stubborn - too stubborn, and the romantic interest picked out for her - no thanks! No relationship needs to be filled with that much drama. Even after finishing the read I don't have a feeling for the werecat culture - unlike with some other urban fantasies I've enjoyed.

She does have agency though. I'll say that for sure! Faythe is certainly not the type to just wait around for things to happen to her - she's going to do them herself, thank-you-very-much! At the same time, the choices she makes and her reasoning for them.... Let's just say that they could be better. A lot better. I got fairly tired of some of the repeating fights she had. And at the end of the book, I didn't feel like anything at all had been resolved.

If' I'm comparing Stray with other urban fantasy novels I've read - mostly Patricia Brigg's Mercedes Thompson series, as it's the one I'm most familiar with, every time Stray comes out behind. I'm also thinking back to the Anita Blake series, even though it's been years since I read any of them, and they come out far ahead too.

Fantasy and Science Fiction Characters Reading

Last week L.E. Modesitt wrote a post about the lack of characters reading/writing books in fantasy and science fiction novels particularly. I just read his post yesterday, so I may be late to the discussion, but I just wanted to add my own comments. I think he's got a point there, however, maybe there are more than he might guess (his guess is about 5% of fantasy and science fiction books).

Here's what I've come up with:

1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
   It's alleged to be the Red Book of Westmarch, which was written by Bilbo and Frodo particularly, but also including selections from Merry's work, Herblore of the Shire (IIRC, my Tolkien books are downstairs).
2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
   Bilbo's account of his adventures.
3. The Diana Tregarde novels by Mercedes Lackey
   Not so much for books mentioned in the series, but if my memory isn't playing tricks, the main character is a romance writer.
4. Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey
   The book opens with Talia reading a book, and later in the book discusses the size of her father's library in contrast to the palace library.
5. Dies The Fire by S. M. Stirling
   Numerous Tolkien references, and also as I noted in my first review, some references to Mercedes Lackey's books and other classic fantasy and science fiction. I'm not sure though if I really should be including this one in the list as I can't recall if there's actually anyone ever reading the books in the story - as you can see, it's been a while since I've read it.
6. Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon
   There is one amusing scene in this book where one of the characters phones another one to ask her to do something, saying that she's sure said character is only reading the latest Kinley MacGregor novel - which she is. Where it gets amusing is that Kinley MacGregor is the other name that Sherrilyn Kenyon writes under.
7. Time Enough For Love by Robert Heinlein
   Quite a few references to characters reading and even to specific books such as the Oz series.
8. The Adept series by Katherine Kurtz
   I've forgotten just which book has the reference to The Temple And The Lodge - might be the third one, The Templar Treasure - but that's only one of several book references in the series.
9. In Her Name: Empire by Michael R. Hicks
   There are a couple of scenes where Reza, the main character is discussing the benefits of reading - clearly he's a lover of books.
10. Two Crowns For America by Katherine Kurtz
    If I'm not mistaken, there's a scene in this one where one of the characters falls asleep while reading.
11. The Harry Potter series
    I've been reminded about the numerous references to books and reading in this series.
12. The Fire Rose by Mercedes Lackey
    Mercedes Lackey seems to write a lot of characters that love books, either reading or writing them. I wouldn't mind the library described in this book - but then you could say the same thing about Adam Sinclair's library in the Adept series by Katherine Kurtz.
13. Exile's Honor and Exile's Valor by Mercedes Lackey
    One of the secondary characters in these two is the Herald-Chronicler Myste. While the chronicles are mentioned in some of the other books, this is the first time we see the one of the Heralds filling the position. There are a couple of reading scenes in these two books as well if my memory isn't playing tricks
14. The Blood series by Tanya Huff
    Again, if my memory's not playing tricks, one of the main characters is an author.
15. So You Want To Be A Wizard by Diane Duane
    It's been a while, but I seem to recall that the opening scenes of this book are set in a library. A series of books for kids, but overall a very good read and ties in well with her other two books in the same world: Book of Night With Moon and To Visit The Queen.
16. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
    I'm not quite sure if the Outlander series counts as fantasy, however there is time travel in the series, as well as a ghost showing up in one scene. If it does count, you can add at least two more scenes where Jamie Fraiser is found reading - and that's just in the first two hundred or so pages of the book.
17. Some of the Pern books by Anne McCaffrey
    Although the primary form of teaching and entertainment is through songs, there are still quite a few mentions of reading and writing - if not books, then at least music and song lyrics. Especially true of both Dragonsong and Dragonsinger IIRC - scoring music, copying lyrics and record-hides. The rediscovery of paper comes to mind as well. 
18. The Bardic Voices books by Mercedes Lackey
    Tal Rufen in Four and Twenty Blackbirds is an avid reader, as are some of the other characters. Some of the characters in the other books are also literate, although their reading tastes seem to run more to sheet music.
19. Books by Jordan Hawk*
20. K. J. Charles' books*
21. Books by Jordan Castillo Price - mentions of Stephen King's books*
22. Barbara Hambly's books*
    The Magpie Mind books in particular, but also others.
23. Anne Bishop's Others series*
24. The Temeraire books by Naomi Novik*
    Dragons reading or being read to.
25. The Black Gryphon by Mercedes Lackey
    IIRC, there's a scene in there with Skandrannon, the title character, reading. I remember a comment about his being able to see the indentations of the pen strokes or something like that.
26. The Soulwood series by Faith Hunter*
    Characters reading banned books.
27. On Basilisk Station by David Weber*
    Honor Harrington can be found reading Horatio Hornblower. And other scenes where she has to interrupt her reading time.
28. The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
    Both Rand and Tam are readers - there's a shelf of books in their home, there's another shelf of books to be found in the Two Rivers inn, and there's also a brief mention of the scarcity of books.
29. Exile's Song by Marion Zimmer Bradley
    There's a few references to explicitly lay out the fact that Darkover is mostly a pre-literate society, but about half-way through we find Margaret Alton in a small library (about 40 books), looking for something to read - as well as some space to collect her thoughts. Some musings on subject matter and reading tastes too.

Has anyone else got any titles they could add to this list?

Entries marked with an asterisk* have been contributed by others. In particular I've got to thank the Mercedes Lackey group on Facebook.

Fair Game - Patricia Briggs

Fair Game
Patricia Briggs
Ace Hardcover
Copyright: March 6, 2012
978-0441020034

The amazon.com product description:

Patricia Briggs, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson novels, "always enchants her readers." (Lynn Viehl, New York Times bestselling author) Now her Alpha and Omega series-set in a world of shifting shapes, loyalty, and passion- brings werewolves out of the darkness and into a society where fear and prejudice could make the hunters prey...

They say opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.

Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can't afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.

Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights...

This is a re-read occasioned by the mass-market paperback release of Fair Game, and also the hardcover release of Frost Burned, the latest book in Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series. My last review of Fair Game is here.

As with my previous review, I found that I absolutely couldn't put the book down, reading it even when I was telling myself I needed to be reading my textbooks instead. This is one of my favourites of the books in this world - and the cliff-hanger at the end was just as compelling. It's really going to be rocking the world in the upcoming Mercy Thompson book as well as in future Alpha and Omega books (the spin-off series).

Anna and Charles are both extremely compelling characters and even on a re-read I was hoping everything would work out well for them, something I find myself saying with nearly every book set in this world.

The world of Mercy Thompson is one of my favourite urban fantasy series, and I know I've said this before, but if you haven't given any of the books in the series a try, you should, starting with Moon Called, the first book in the main series.

Blood Bound - Patricia Briggs

Blood Bound
Patricia Briggs
Ace Fantasy
Copyright: 2007
9780441014736

From the back of the book:

Under the rule of science, there are no witch burnings allowed, no water trials or public lynchings. In return the average law-abiding solid citizen has little to worry about from the things that go bump in the night. Sometimes I wish I was an average citizen...

Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places - and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind.

But this new vampire is hardly ordinary - and neither is the demon inside of him...

This is a re-read of Blood Bound, so there probably won't be much that's new and different from my previous reviews of this second book in the Mercy Thompson series, found here and here. Re-read or not, this is one of my favourite urban fantasy series.

Blood Bound follows on Moon Called, the book that introduces us to the world of Mercedes Thompson, walker and mechanic. Where Moon Called focused on the werewolves, although the other supernatural communities had a presence, this book involves the vampires more, and there werewolves and fae move more to the background.

What makes the whole series so different in my mind is that the supernatural is in the process of becoming openly known about, although some segments are still hidden, others have exposed themselves to the public. I can't think of any other urban fantasy where this process is depicted as being in progress. Usually, the paranormal and supernatural are staying as deeply hidden as possible. The other common option is that they've come out of hiding at some point in the past, but are accepted by the time the book has been set. You don't usually get to see the growing pains in progress.

Even on a reread Blood Bound was a riveting read, keeping me turning the pages as though it had been the first time I read the book. Not too many books and series manage this in my mind.

The Mercy Thompson books are a series I highly recommend to any readers of urban fantasy and paranormal romance (although most readers seem to have already given them a try).

Moon Called - Patricia Briggs

Moon Called
Patricia Briggs
Ace Fantasy
Copyright: 2006
9780441013814

From the back of the book:

Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me too.

Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.

She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercedes Thompson is not exactly normal herself... and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

Yes, this is yet another re-read. I've read Moon Called a couple of times in the past, along with the rest of the series (Blood Bound, Iron Kissed, Bone Crossed, Silver Borne and River Marked to date) and loved it every time.

Mercy Thompson is quite the character, and involved with a very interesting world. Where in most of the paranormal worlds (either in the romance genre or the urban fantasy) the supernatural is either well known about or completely kept secret, in the world Mercedes Thompson lives in, it's in that middle-state. At the moment, the Fae are out (for the most part, anyway) and werewolves are something of an open secret, although not officially known about as yet. Not even a hint of vampires or anything else, although they do exist.

All of that adds a whole new set of tensions to the normal set. How to keep these secrets, how to maintain the image that is needed. Dealing with bigotry and prejudice, etc. The whole series (and the spin-off series Alpha and Omega) keep me turning the page, even on re-reading.

From the start, we're thrown right into her world with a bit of a mystery, and we're kept going from there. Who is Mac, who's after him and why? What do they want? The pace never really lets up, although there are plenty of funnier moments to lighten things up - Mercy's parts car, for example. Every time she's annoyed with her neighbor, it gets funnier. I think, by the end of the series, it's missing three of the four wheels and has graffiti scribbled all over it.

If you're an urban fantasy fan and you haven't given Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson series a try, you really should. It's one of my favourites and I can't recommend it enough.

The Enchantment Emporium - Tanya Huff

The Enchantment Emporium
Tanya Huff
DAW Books
Copyright: June 2010
978-0756406059

The amazon.com product description:

First in a brand-new urban fantasy series from the author of The Blood Books

The Gale family can change the world with the charms they cast, and they like to keep this in the family. Alysha Gale is tired of having all her aunts try to run her life, both personally and magically. So when the letter from her Gran arrives willing her a "junk" shop in Calgary, Alysha jumps at the chance. It isn't until she gets there that she realizes her customers are fey. And no one told her there's trouble brewing in Calgary-trouble so big that even calling in the family may not save the day...

One of the funniest books I've read in a long time! The Enchantment Emporium is right up there with the Blood Books and the Keeper series for leaving me laughing out loud. And both those series have lines that I still laugh at, years after I read them. Examples include that first rainstorm in Summon the Keeper - the line about it being not significantly drier. I've forgotten the exact wording, but still laugh at the image it invokes.

I'm wishing I'd read the book back when it first came out, now. Oh well, better late than never as they always say. I have to say thanks to the customer who told me how good it was, as that was the incentive I needed to read The Enchantment Emporium.

The whole book is set around a very different style of magic, one I still, even after finishing, don't really understand much about. On the other hand, that doesn't make a difference as to how enjoyable the read was.

I really think it was the characters that made the book for me: Alysha and her family are an absolute hoot - especially the various Aunties, but you can't forget her cousin Charlotte (who stars in the sequel: The Wild Ways) and her antics.

Tanya Huff sets her books in Canada, which is a refreshing change when it comes to urban fantasy novels. This one's set in Calgary, but her other series have included Toronto and Vancouver among other places.

As I said at the beginning, this is one of the funniest books I've read in a long time, and it holds marker as being my favourite book for the month of July. Definitely recommended.

Lover Reborn - J.R. Ward

Lover Reborn
J.R. Ward
NAL Hardcover
Copyright Date: March 27th, 2012
978-0451235848

The amazon.com product description:

#1 New York Times bestselling author J. R. Ward’s novels of the Black Dagger Brotherhood continue as a vampire warrior crosses the line between life and death…and ventures into an erotic world of dark dreams and darker desires.

Ever since the death of his shellan, Tohrment has been unrecognizable from the vampire leader he once was. Physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair, he has been brought back to the Brotherhood by a self-serving fallen angel. Now, fighting once again with ruthless vengeance, he is unprepared to face a new kind of tragedy.

When Tohr begins to see his beloved in his dreams—trapped in a cold, isolated netherworld far from the peace and tranquillity of the Fade—he turns to the angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. But because Lassiter tells him he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed....

Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past and a very hot, passion-filled future…but can his heart let go and set all of them free?

Lover Reborn is the tenth book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, which starts with the novel Dark Lover. To be honest, although I've been waiting for Tohr's story, this wasn't my favourite of the books to date. I just didn't feel that the focus was there on his story as much. There were just too many other things going on at the same time, and new characters being introdued: Issues between John and Xhex, Layla, Quhinn, Saxton and Blay. Not to mention the main event storyline, a new contender in the realms of "bad guy".

J.R. Ward is heading more in the direction of urban fantasy rather than paranormal romance with this series, I think, coming up with storylines that span several books at a time. Not that that's a bad thing, it just seems to be pushing the "happily ever after" that a romance novel requires slightly out of the center focus. Of course, there hasn't been any real firm boundaries between the two genres at all.

I did like Lover Reborn, despite my grumbling, it's just that it took just over half of the book for the story to really take off. But, once it did, I couldn't put it down - as per normal for the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

The whole series has reached a point in the last few books where it's no longer possible to really read the individual novels out of order, which I think you could do fairly easily with the earlier books. Too much of the story now revolves around the events from the previous books.

Which might be where my frustration with this book came from - I don't want to give any spoilers of any sorts, but I didn't feel as though much of the story was resolved - aside from the requisite happy ending for the two main characters.

Still, as I said, I did enjoy this instalment of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and I'm looking forward to the next.

Fair Game - Patricia Briggs

Fair Game
Patricia Briggs
Ace Hardcover
Copyright: March 6, 2012
978-0441020034

The amazon.com product description:

Patricia Briggs, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mercy Thompson novels, "always enchants her readers." (Lynn Viehl, New York Times bestselling author) Now her Alpha and Omega series-set in a world of shifting shapes, loyalty, and passion- brings werewolves out of the darkness and into a society where fear and prejudice could make the hunters prey...

They say opposites attract. And in the case of werewolves Anna Latham and Charles Cornick, they mate. The son-and enforcer-of the leader of the North American werewolves, Charles is a dominant alpha. While Anna, an omega, has the rare ability to calm others of her kind.

Now that the werewolves have revealed themselves to humans, they can't afford any bad publicity. Infractions that could have been overlooked in the past must now be punished, and the strain of doing his father's dirty work is taking a toll on Charles.

Nevertheless, Charles and Anna are sent to Boston, when the FBI requests the pack's help on a local serial killer case. They quickly realize that not only the last two victims were werewolves-all of them were. Someone is targeting their kind. And now Anna and Charles have put themselves right in the killer's sights...

This latest book in the Alpha and Omega series sucks you right in from page one. Following on from Cry Wolf and Hunting Ground, it's intriguing to see how Anna and Charles are getting on, not to mention how things are going with the Werewolves' entry into public life.

Unlike the previous two books in this spin-off from the Mercy Thompson series though, Fair Game was released in hardcover - and there's no new Mercy Thompson novel waiting that I'm aware of. Still, this story definitely fits my hardcover criterion. Captivating and thrilling, I found that I couldn't put it down easily. And what a twist at the end...

That's definitely something that's going to affect the next book in either series, and personally I can't wait to see what's going to happen.

As with any series though, despite how much I recommend this book, I also suggest starting with the first book. In this case, that's either Moon Called in the Mercy Thompson series or Cry Wolf from this series. If you're a fan of urban fantasy or paranormal romance and you haven't tried either of these series, you should. They've honestly become two of my favourites.

Blue Dragon - Kylie Chan

Blue Dragon (Dark Heavens book three)

By Kylie Chan
HarperCollins
Release Date: October 25th 2011
978-0061994135

The amazon.com product description:

Martial arts, magic, demons and science
The forces of Hell are poised to strike . . .
When Emma’s relatives come to visit her, they are totally freaked out by what they learn . . . Emma’s beloved, John Chen, is a 3,000-year-old Chinese god. Not only that, John is becoming weaker by the day. Demons pursue him relentlessly, hoping to use Emma and his child, Simone, as bargaining tools against him.
Emma battles to defend Simone as John’s energy is drained by the effort of both living in the mortal world and protecting them. While Emma is nagged by doubts about her own nature, she must find the courage to go on . . . 

Blue Dragon is the spectacular sequel to White Tiger and Red Phoenix, and ties up the Dark Heavens trilogy very well. I know I was looking forward to reading this one after finishing the previous two books, and I wasn't disappointed in the slightest.  The only slightly frustrating part is it's clear that Kylie Chan has more books planned (and written) for after this one, but I have no idea when they're going to become available for me. I suspect that they might be available in Australia, but not North America yet. And no idea when, either. I may have to see if I know anyone in Australia...

Anyway, aside from all that, Blue Dragon picks up where Red Phoenix left off, with Simon Wong attacking Emma, John and Simone in ever greater numbers and strength, while they are weakening in their ability to fight him off. On top of that problem, Emma's parents are finding out about the life she's been leading, causing more friction. We see more of Louise and April, from the first book, although there are definitely some mysteries there - and what has Kitty Kwok been up to? More details are being discovered all the time, and none of them are pleasant! I really don't want to say too much in case I spoil the book or the previous books for other readers.

The everlasting question involving these books is "what on earth is Emma?" I certainly don't know, and I'm getting the feeling that we won't be finding out for a few more books either.

I'm really enjoying this series for several reasons: The characters are engaging and interesting, for one thing. Secondly, the setting is so very different from most of the urban fantasy I've read - being based around eastern mythologies rather than the typical vampires and werewolves and fae of Europe and North America. That just makes it refreshing to say the least. And, you don't have to be familiar with the eastern set-up or geography. I'm not, and the books explain enough as you go along that it's possible to figure things out - an d there's a thorough glossary at the end of the book.

Most definitely a five star read. I know I'm going to be re-reading this series again, and probably fairly soon.

Red Phoenix - Kylie Chan

Red Phoenix (Dark Heavens book two)
Kylie Chan
HarperCollins
Copyright: September 2011
978-0061994098

The Amazon.com product description:

Immortals, martial arts, gods, and demons
The intrigue deepens as the demon threat closes around mortals and gods alike . . .
When Emma Donahoe took the position of nanny to John Chen’s daughter Simone, she never expected to be caring for the child of a Chinese god, and she didn’t expect that demons would want him dead. Nor has moving from nanny to partner in his heavenly realm made Emma’s life any easier. Now a powerful race of demons has been created to hunt her and her family from Hong Kong to Europe. And she and Simone have become targets— pawns to be used in a deadly celestial power play. 

Red Phoenix is the sequel to the book White Tiger which I was raving about last week. It's also one of the novels I was talking about in my last post: Wanting and Not Wanting To Finish A Book. Well, I finally finished reading it, and I'm now waiting very eagerly for Blue Dragon, the third book in the trilogy to be released. Less than a month to wait...

Kylie Chan has created a wonderful world in this series. One that's very different from the standard Urban Fantasy type place - mostly because she's using the mythology from a completely different part of the world. There's no Fae or Werewolves here, instead it's nearly all from the oriental mythologies. And, you don't have to be familiar with it at all. I'm certainly not. Enough is explained within the context of the story to understand what's going on and who's who.

Red Phoenix picks up where White Tiger left off more or less and thoroughly sucks the reader in. Throughout the book, we find out more details about John and also about the other characters from the first book. It all melds together wonderfully, although it's hard to say anything without risking spoilers for both books. Suffice it to say that some of the questions I had from the first book were answered, but others were left for later, and new questions were raised to which I really want answers.

I'm definitely going to recommend this book and I can't wait for the next one, as I've already said.

White Tiger - Kylie Chan

White Tiger (Dark Heavens book one)
Kylie Chan
HarperCollins
Copyright: August 2011
978-0061994050

The amazon.com product description:

Action, intrigue, demons and dragons
Kylie Chan creates a fast and furious story balanced between the celestial and the mortal, the powerful and the innocent . . .
Emma Donahoe has just started her new job as nanny to Simone, the daughter of John Chen, a very rich Hong Kong businessman.
She understands that Simone may be a target for kidnappers but she does not expect to be drawn into a world of martial arts, magic and extreme danger, where both gods and demons can exist in the mortal domain.
When John and his American bodyguard, Leo, teach Emma their particular style of martial arts, they begin to realize that Emma herself is more than she seems . . . 

White Tiger is one of those unexpected books that just grabbed onto my mind and refused to let me go until I had turned the last page. I say "unexpected" because I picked up the novel on an impulse. It looked neat and I like a lot of urban fantasies. Not to mention that the setting is unusual. Maybe I just haven't read a lot of urban fantasy/paranormal novels, but this is the first one I've seen where the setting is not North America. Instead, the book is mostly set in Hong Kong.

From the first pages I just had to keep reading, to find out more about the characters and what was going to happen next. Emma's introduction to the world of her employer and his secrets worked really well for me, introducing me to a world I knew nothing about. And, knowing nothing about Chinese myth and culture is no barrier to enjoying White Tiger either. Enough is explained in the course of the book to make sense of it, and Kylie Chan has included a good glossary at the end.

The author has included something else I really like seeing in a book (though usually I make this comment about a historical novel, rather than a contemporary one): a list of sources for more information and further reading.

White Tiger is good value for your money too. It's a substantial book which took me several days to read (and believe me, I was putting a lot of my time into it). No four hour read here. Instead, it's a book that will grab you for several days and keep you intrigued and waiting for the next book in the series.

That's another bonus with this series. The second book, Red Phoenix is out now, and the third comes out at the end of next month, so it's not going to be too long a wait. Whether there's going to be more books after that, I don't know.

Right now, that doesn't matter too much to me. I just want to know what's going to happen next to the characters. Maybe I've been reading too much paranormal romance, but I've gotten into the habit of wanting everything to be resolved by the end of the book. Not happening here. Enough is resolved for a good ending, but also a lot isn't and you're left waiting for the next book. I'm still wondering about Emma's former employer, and why she keeps calling her. If you've read the books though, don't tell me. I want to find out for myself while I'm reading.