Urban Fantasy

Review: The Eternal Kiss

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13 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire

The Eternal Kiss ed. by Trisha Telep

Title: The Eternal Kiss: 13 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire
Editor: Trisha Telep
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: RP Teens (6th August 2009)
Blurb:

It’s hot. It’s irresistible. It’s dangerous. It’s an Eternal Kiss.

Supernatural forces and desires come alive in these thirteen vampire tales. Like love, the adventures are never safe and hungers never die. And chances are taken. If you are seduced by the mystery of the heart, beating for a destiny unknown, you will helplessly follow the characters in this collection – longing for one to call their own.

Rating:**** (4 stars)

Review:

The Eternal Kiss is an interesting collection of vampire tales brought together in one brilliant volume – twelve of which are original to the anthology.

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Review: Fair Game

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Alpha and Omega #3

Fair Game by Patricia Briggs

Title: Fair Game (Alpha and Omega #3)
Author: Patricia Briggs
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher:  Orbit (6th March 2012)
Blurb:

Death stalks the night.

They say opposites attract, and for werewolves Anna and Charles, this is certainly true. Charles, the pack enforcer, is a dominant alpha – whereas Anna has the power to calm others of her kind. Now that werewolves have dared to reveal themselves to humans, it’s their job to keep the pack in line.

The pressure mounts when the FBI requires Charles’s assistance. He’s sent on a mission to Boston with Anna, and they quickly realise that a serial killer is targeting werewolves. And that they’re next on the killer’s list.

Rating:***** (5 stars)

Review:

Fair Game is the third book in Patricia Briggs’s Alpha and Omega series, which is a spin-off from her Mercy Thompson series. This means that there is some crossing over of characters, but the two series don’t converge – they are very definitely separate stories.

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Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

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Bloodlines by Richelle Mead, UK edition cover.

Title: Bloodlines
Author:  Richelle Mead
Genre:  Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher:  Razorbill (25th August 2011)
Source: Local library
Blurb:

Sydney protects vampire secrets – and human lives.

Sydney belongs to a secret group who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the world of humans and vampires.

But when Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, she fears she’s still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. What unfolds is far worse. The sister of Moroi queen Lissa Dragomir is in mortal danger, and goes into hiding. Now Sydney must act as her protector.

The last thing Sydney wants is to be accused of sympathizing with vampires. And now she has to live with one. . .


Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

Bloodlines is the first book in a new series by Richelle Mead, and is a spin-off her previous series Vampire Academy; it is set within the same world.

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Review: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

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Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins, UK edition

Title: Hex Hall
Author:  Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
Publisher: Simon and Schuster (1st April 2010)
Source: Local library.
Blurb:

When sixteen-year-old Sophie Mercer discovers she’s a witch, she imagines life will be full of magic, fun and . . . well . . . broomsticks! But her first attempt at a love spell goes disastrously wrong and, as punishment, Sophie is shipped off to Hecate “Hex” Hall, a reform school for witches, shapeshifters, and faeries.

By the end of the first day among her fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tag-along ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person on campus and the only vampire.

Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students and her only friend is the number one suspect . . .


Rating: *** (3 stars)
Review:

Hex Hall is Rachel Hawkins debut novel, and tells the story of Sophie Mercer a 16-year-old with magical powers. Things go a little wonky, and Sophie finds herself shipped off to reform school and a world she knows little about.

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Melissa Marr – Faery Tales, Nightmares, & Graveminders Competition

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Graveminder by Melissa Marr, UK edition cover.

In case you didn’t know, on her LiveJournal Melissa Marr is holding a give-away of 6 books – Graveminder US and UK paperbacks are up for grabs, as well as Faery Tales & Nightmaresis US hardback.

Faery Tales and Nightmares by Melissa Marr

If you are interested in taking part in the contest, or just want to find out more, then follow the link: http://melissa-writing.livejournal.com/413823.html

Graveminder was published 2nd February 2012 in the UK.
Faery Tales & Nightmares will be published 1st March 2012 in the UK.

You can find out more about both book my visiting Melissa Marr’s website.

Review: Drink Deep by Chloe Neill

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A Chicagoland Vampires Novel 5

Drink Deep by Chloe Neill, UK edition cover.

Title: Drink Deep (A Chicagoland Vampires Novel)
Author:  Chloe Neill
Genre: Paranoraml Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Gollancz Fiction (10th November 2011)
Blurb:

Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire Merit can’t tell if it’s the darkness before the dawn or the calm before the storm. With the city itself in turmoil and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, things haven’t been this precarious for vampires since they came out of the closet. If only they could lay low for a bit, and let the mortals calm down.

That’s when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch black, and things really start getting ugly.

The mayor insists it’s nothing to worry about, but Merit knows only the darkest magic could have woven a spell powerful enough to change the very fabric of nature. She’ll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who’s behind this, and stop them before it’s too late . . .

Rating: ***** (5 stars)
Review:

This is the fifth book in Chloe Neill’s exciting Chicagoland Vampires series, and it is a very exciting read. Drink Deep starts not long after the end of Hard Bitten, the previous book in the series, with everything slowly starting to settle back into place. Unfortunately it would seem that Merit is not destined to have a quite life (but then if she was, we wouldn’t be reading about her).

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Review: Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

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A Psy-Changeling Novel 10

Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh, UK edition cover

Title: Kiss of Snow (A Psy-Changeling Novel)
Author:  Nalini Singh
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Publisher:Gollancz Fiction (11th August 2011)
Blurb:

SINCE THE MOMENT OF HER DEFECTION FROM THE PSYNET AND INTO THE SNOWDANCER WOLF PACK, SIENNA LAUREN HAS HAD ONE WEAKNESS. HAWKE. A DANGEROUS ALPHA, THE RESPONSE HE DRAWS FROM HER COULD ALMOST COMPEL HER TO MADNESS.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would’ve been his mate. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules and, suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other’s secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight.

A deadly enemy is out to destroy the SnowDancer pack, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna’s darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home . . . and the alpha who is its heartbeat . . .

Rating: **** (4 stars)
Review:

Kiss of Snow is the tenth book in Nalini Singh’s brilliant A Psy-Changeling Novel series, so by this point I know pretty much what to expect. However, although the book follows the same formula as previous books in the series, it was still a brilliant and entertaining read.

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