Latest and Greatest from Vicki Pettersson and Richelle Mead

So I've finished "Cheat the Grave: The Fifth Sign of the Zodiac" by Vicki Pettersson and it was entertaining. It wasn't as dramatic and "thrilling" as the rest of the series. I really felt like this was just a book to connect the previous storyline to the conclusion of the series. I really think the last quarter of the book is what drew me in and had me on the edge of my seat. Basically, as soon as I finally got hooked it was just about over and I have to wait until the next book. It's still entertaining though.


I also finished "Spirit Bound" by Richelle Mead. This is the latest book in the Vampire Academy series. I was really hooked on Blood Promise and Spirit Bound wasn't as well laid out as Blood Promise. This was also a connector book. The next book due out in Dec is the final book in the series and Spirit Bound is connecting the storylines and not really laying out too much new storyline. I also really hate when an author does a major cliffhanger. Most of the new storyline takes place at the end of the book and then it ends in the middle of a major conflict. If I had to wait more than a few months before the next installment came out I would be more irritated than I am with it.

Catch up time! Several books/series to review

So, I have a few additions to series and new series that I've read over the last month (almost 2).

Moon Sworn by Keri Arthur
I really love this series. It's a urban fantasy with a touch of romance. I really like all the characters and Arthur's writing style. This book is picking up where Bound By Shadows left off after Riley's coma. She is working through her issues, returning to work, deciding what her next move might be when she's kidnapped and her memories of who and what she is is wiped from her. She remains the strong character even in a state of limbo. I highly recommend this series. It's very well written.

Allie Beckstrom novels by Devon Monk

As far as I can tell Monk is a part time author and this is her only series but I really liked it. I would classify this as an Urban Fantasy and not the type I tend to read. I picked it up based on the cover art (I do this from time to time and usually I'm spot on). The world is fueled by magic. Everyone uses it for personal and business uses. It's also used in parts of crimes where Hounds (a person with stronger magic instincts) tracks what type of magic was used and who cast it. Allie Beckstrom is a Hound and the estranged daughter to Portland's most powerful, financially and magically, business man. There are lots of twists and turns in the storyline and characters that you wonder the whole way through whether they are friend or foe. I recommend this series.

Magic in the Bone
Magic in the Blood
Magic in the Shadows
Magic on the Storm
a new installment due in November.

Tales of an Urban Werewolf series by Karen MacInerney
Howling at the Moon
On the Prowl
Leader of the Pack

This is a light reading series. It's got some touches of mystery to it but it's got a lot of humor. I liked it and was kinda disappointed when I finished Leader in The Pack. I'm on the lookout for another installment to this series.

Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole

So, this series is fun. It's a paranormal romance. I really like how the author writes. She's good at making sure there's just enough detail to let the reader picture what's going on. No overkill with the details ( a big peeve of mine). She also is good with her character development. It's easy to relate and fall in love with some of the characters and then there are some you can just hate (bad guys, of course). It's almost sad that each book has a new set of characters that the story focuses on. I liked Emma and Lachlain so much I wanted to read more about them. They are mentioned in the other books but nothing like the book that "stars" them. Though this is a romantic series it's not a smutty book. There is more of a real storyline than just the characters falling in love and having sex all the time. I also liked the fact that there is very little vulgar language. I always find it more respectable when the author finds other ways for her characters to express themselves than simply cursing. Cole in particular just says the character is swearing oaths instead of being specific on what the character is saying.

So, I recommend this series. They are easy, quick reads that keep you entertained.

"Dead in the Family" by Charlaine Harris

I love this series but this one had some serious slow spots. It's definitely what I call a fluff book. It's basically just establishing the relationship between Sookie and Eric. If I weren't absolutely in LOVE with Eric Northman this book would have been very disappointing. Can't wait to see what she has in store for the next installment.

Burned- House of Night Novel by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

So, I finished this last night. I'm really not a fan of each chapter being told from a different character's POV. It's confusing and by the time you get back to the storyline that one character is telling you're like "Wait, what?" But, I do have to say it's MUCH better than Tempted. It's still a lot of fluff but it has more conflict and a real storyline than Tempted did. Oh and be prepared you'll be left hanging at the end of Burned just like you were at the end of Tempted


Stay tuned I've started the newly released Charlaine Harris-Sookie novel Dead In the Family

Latest reads in the Paranormal Romance genre

I recently started the "Brotherhood of Blood" series by Kathryn Smith. It's not bad. I like the overall story, it's not too smutty and the characters have some depth. Once again it's a series that each book is told from a different character's POV but what can you do? If you like Paranormal Romance in a classical vampire set you'll enjoy these. The first book really reminded me of a "Gone with the Wind" type time period. I certainly prefer modern settings more but this is a fun read.

Also, recently started the "Immortals After Dark" series by Kresley Cole. So far I've only read the first book but I liked it so much I couldn't put it down. It's the first time I've zoomed through a 350-400 page book in 24 hours in a long time. It kept me entertained through my glucose test at the OBs office :) I really liked the depth of the characters I think she could have gone a little deeper but the story was so different from others I've read that it kept me hanging on every word. I think the only other series I might be able to compare it to is Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series (also another I recommend).

Latest Patricia Briggs

So, I recently finished the latest Mercy Thompson novel by Patricia Briggs "Silver Borne" I have to say though I liked it I thought it was a little slow. I also thought I missed something between books. It definitely wasn't my favorite. There weren't any intense moments like the others in the series. I really just thought it was a "go between book"