book review

Magic Bleeds – Kate Daniels #4 – Urban Fantasy Book Review

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Synopsis: Kate Daniels works for the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle—especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community.

When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar midway between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years—and rode to war at the side of Kate’s father.

This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family… 

This book didn’t begin the quite the way I would have expected. It started with a bit of an emotional hit on our poor heroine.

This book was pretty action packed, and a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. I felt bad for Kate many times. Her life isn’t easy and trouble has a way of finding her.

There was a part of me that really wanted Kate to walk away from everything. I wanted her to pack a bag, grab her new attack poodle and just disappear somewhere beyond all the politics and random messes that surround her. I thought it would be an interesting way to go but of course, Kate isn’t that kind of person. She will never abandon people who need her.

My opinion of Curran fluctuated a great deal in the book. I went from mildly disliking him to outright hating him to actually liking him. Will I continue to like him? Maybe. We’ll see.

A great deal happens in this book. Quite a few things change for Kate. The eventual confrontation with her biological father is looming on the horizon. 7 more books to go. What will happen next?

Get 50% off on an ebook on Book Lovers when you use my promos code JEANA50.

Magic Strikes – Kate Daniels #3 – Review

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Synopsis:

Drafted into working for the Order of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems than she knows what to do with these days. And in Atlanta, where magic comes and goes like the tide, that’s saying a lot.

But when Kate’s werewolf friend Derek is discovered nearly dead, she must confront her greatest challenge yet. As her investigation leads her to the Midnight Games – an invitation only, no holds barred, ultimate preternatural fighting tournament – she and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, uncover a dark plot that may forever alter the face of Atlanta’s shapeshifting community…

I devoured this book in two days and loved every second of it! From the first word, I was engaged and didn’t want to put it down. If it wasn’t for the fact that I had to work the next morning, I probably would have stayed up the entire night reading.

I continue to love Kate as her character builds and her secrets are slowly revealed. In this book, we get some glimpses into her past and what her childhood was like.

Curran is still an arrogant alpha male, but his behaviour has become a little less “I’m going to get in her pants because she said no” to “I’m going to get in her pants because I like her”. I feel confident Kate and Curran are going to end up together. Poor Kate, she knows logically why she shouldn’t get together with him, but her body has other ideas.

More of an overall plot to the series is developing, and I’m really pumped to see how it all plays out. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I won’t say much more there.

I give Magic Strikes 5/5 stars! I highly recommend it to anyone who love urban fantasy, especially series like Mercy Thompson. The relationship between Kate and Curran reminds me a bit of Mercy and Adam near the beginning.

Have you read this series? What did you think? Do you agree with my love?

Urban Fantasy Book Review – Magic Burns – Kate Daniels #2 by Ilona Andrews

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Synopsis:

Down in Atlanta, tempers – and temperatures – are about to flare…

As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one.

When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more is at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest – and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive…

I think I might be in love with this series. yes, I know this is only book 2, but wow, it is awesome! If it keeps on the way it started, this series is going to be a wild ride.

Kate is definitely a new favourite character of mine. She is a smart ass who can kick ass and also be empathetic. In this book, we get to see a bit of a different side of her when she encounters a 13-year-old girl, Julie, in need of her help. The way Kate refers to Julie as “my kid” is great! They barely know each other but they form a bond quickly, one that I think will continue throughout the series.

Curran is a character I can’t decide if I like or not. He is something of a stereotypical alpha male. He’s strong, arrogant and used to be in charge. He does well by the Pack, but not so much by Kate. Circumstances brought them together again in this book without her actually reaching out to him. Then, he blames her for bringing chaos into his life, while also taking every available opportunity to tease her in a sexual manner. I can’t decide if he truly likes or if he’s just an ass. Beast Lord or not, he really needs to be punched in the nose, preferably by Kate.

I’m sure their paths are going to cross again. His lion form is on the book covers after all.

There a quite a few little hints dropped about Kate, how powerful she could be and who her father really is. We learn a few little tidbits in this book and I can’t wait to find out more about her.

Thank for reading!

Urban Fantasy Book Review – Magic Bites – Kate Daniels # 1 by Ilona Andrews

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Magic Bites

Synopsis (from Goodreads): 

Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for the magic…

When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.
Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles.

The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate’s guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she’s way out of her league—but she wouldn’t have it any other way…

Buy Now: Amazon

Reread: August 31, 2020

I just finished rereading this book in anticipation of reading the rest of the series. I’m glad i did.  In the 3 years it’s been since I read it, I seem to have forgotten almost all of it.

On my second time around, I loved it just as much as the first time, and my original review (below) stands. There’s little else I can say about this book that I haven’t said below.

Other than that, I am pumped to keep on with the series.

Original Review: June 14, 2017

Many Urban Fantasy novels begin with a main character who is seemingly ordinary, a college student or waitress or private investigator, etc. Suddenly, this ordinary person is thrown into a situation that changes their whole world, everything they ever believed to be true and they discover they are somehow special and possibly needed to save the world.

This novel isn’t like that.

Kate, our lovely protagonist, has known about magic her entire life. She grew up being taught about magic and the different types of magical creatures that exist. In the world of this novel, magic isn’t a secret. Some might think that the world building in this novel is flawed, that it doesn’t explain how the world works properly. Personally, I liked the way things were presented. The novel is narrated from Kate’s point of view so she already knows how the world works. It would seem out of place if she were suddenly to start explaining things to the reader. Read between the lines (as the saying goes) and the workings of this world aren’t difficult to figure out.

The plot may seem a bit generic at first. Kate’s Guardian and mentor (the last person she considers family) has been murdered and she volunteers to investigate for her own personal sense of justice. Murder and revenge is a common story, but this plot doesn’t unravel the way you might think. During her investigation, she gets tangled up with Necromancers and Shapechangers while also being pursued by a human doctor. Despite the short length of the book, nothing feels rushed and there’s more than enough action to keep a reader satisfied.

Kate is a strong, independent, kick-ass female character. She knows exactly what she’s capable of and, more importantly, what she’s not. Though, that’s not going to stop her from trying. She may not be able to defeat 8 shapechangers at once but that doesn’t she won’t take down as many of them with her as she can. She will kick ass and shoot her mouth off at the same time.

As evidenced by the fact that the series is still ongoing, there is still a lot to learn about Kate and the world she lives in.

Overall, I give Magic Bites 4.5 stars out of 5. I would have given it 5 but some of the overbearing alpha male characters were a little stereotypical.

Have you read Magic Burns? What did you think?

Codex Alera – Series Review

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I have decided to review this series overall instead of going back and reviewing each book by itself. Though I did review Furies of Calderon after I first read it.

I have decided to review this series overall instead of going back and reviewing each book by itself. Though I did review Furies of Calderon after I first read it.

The story follows series protagonist Tavi, beginning when he is 15 years old and living on his uncles steadholt as an apprentice sheepherder.

This world’s magic comes from creatures called furies. These furies inhabit everything imaginable and are a huge part of every day life for the people of Alera. The people usually have their own fury, or furies, associated with a specific element (earth, air, etc) and that person is generally strong in that area. The people can also use the furies that live around them to assist in other types of fury crafting.

Tavi has no ability to use any kind of fury craft, therefore, he has no furies of his own and is considered to be a freak among his kind. Because he is also small for his age, he is constantly bullied.

Tavi is a classic underdog type character. You really can’t help rooting for him. Although he lacks the very thing that defines his people, he doesn’t let it hold him back. Instead, he has learned to adapt and has become extremely clever when facing his problems. What most people would resort to using fury craft for, Tavi has to find a whole different way. His resourcefulness serves him well throughout his journey and makes him a formidable opponent to those who would seek to do him, or those he cares about, harm.

This series is full of political intrigue, action, love and lots of little twists and turns.

I really enjoyed the characters in these books. Each one is unique, deep and complex. As the reader, I empathized with them, hate them, and loved them. Even the “bad guys” are interesting, with unseen motives that make you wonder once you discover them.

The magic system is a unique one and such an integrated part of the culture of Alera, the people and social structure are defined by it. I always love reading new and unique magic systems.

There wasn’t much I dislike about this series. The first book is a little slow in comparison to the rest but it lays good groundwork for what follows.

Jim Butcher is an amazing author. I’m sure he’s best known for his Harry Dresden series, which is a magnificent series. It was wonderful to see the switch in tone and setting, which seemed effortless. Maybe one day Jim Butcher will grace the world with further tales in world of Alera.

My overall rating for this series is 4 out of 5 stars. It is excellent and I would recommend it to any one who enjoys fantasy.

Have you read the Codex Alera series? If so, what did you think?

Book Review – Furies of Calderon – Codex Alera #1 by Jim Butcher

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Furies of CalderonSynopsis (from Goodreads): For a thousand years, the people of Alera have united against the aggressive and threatening races that inhabit the world, using their unique bond with the furies – elementals of earth, air, fire, water, and metal.

But now, Gaius Sextus, First Lord of Alera, grows old and lacks an heir. Ambitious High Lords plot and maneuver to place their Houses in positions of power, and a war of succession looms on the horizon.

Far from city politics in the Calderon Valley, the boy Tavi struggles with his lack of furycrafting. At fifteen, he has no wind fury to help him fly, no fire fury to light his lamps. Yet as the Alerans’ most savage enemy – the Marat – return to the Valley, he will discover that his destiny is much greater than he could ever imagine.

Caught in a storm of deadly wind furies, Tavi saves the life of a runaway slave named Amara. But she is actually a spy for Gaius Sextus, sent to the Valley to gather intelligence on traitors to the Crown, who may be in league with the barbaric Marat horde. And when the Valley erupts in chaos – when rebels war with loyalists and furies clash with furies – Amara will find Tavi’s courage and resourcefulness to be a power greater than any fury – one that could turn the tides of war.

Buy on: Amazon

My first impression of this book was that it was a little formulaic. You have a magic system that everyone possesses expect for one person, who is considered a freak for not having that magic. There is a plot to overthrow a ruler and the person who is abnormal becomes embroiled in it.

But, formulas exist for a reason. They work.  Plus, Jim Butcher is an amazing story teller. He may have started off with a formula, but this story quickly took on a life of it’s own, with Butcher’s excellent writing skills.

The magic system in this book (series) is a unique one. People bond with elemental spirits called furies, which then allows them to “craft” in various ways depending on the element of the fury. I’m been an avid reader of fantasy for the majority of my life and I always love the different types of magic that fantasy encompasses.

The world building in this book was somewhat lacking, but I credit that to the story taking place in a valley kind of on the outskirts of the kingdom. We don’t get to see much of the world beyond that valley, so there isn’t much opportunity to expand on the various peoples of this world.

The characters in this book were all very interesting. Indeed, I like almost all of them, even the “bad guys” with the exception of Kord and his son, but I don’t think anyone is actually meant to like those two. Tavi, the main character,  is a fifteen-year-old boy who has no fury and no skills with furycrafting. By most people, he is considered a freak or at least abnormal. What Tavi lacks in fury skills he more than makes up for in other ways. Not only is he clever, but he cares about other people and his willing to put his own life in danger to save others.

Jim Butcher does amazing at descriptions, making the reader feel like they are there in the thick of things. The battle scenes were especially vivid.

This book could have been a stand alone and the reader would be satisfied with the ending. The immediate conflict of the plot is wrapped up, but the author leaves some strings dangling for the sequel to pick up. I have some questions and suspicions that I hope are addressed in book 2.

My rating for this book is 4 out of 5 stars and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys fantasy.

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Book Review – Descendant Omnibus – The Complete Nikki Glass Series by Jenna Black

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DescendantSynopsis (from Goodreads): For Immortal Huntress and cunning private investigator Nikki Glass, vengeance trumps all in this complete collection of acclaimed author Jenna Black’s addictive urban fantasy series!

The omnibus edition of all four Descendant novels, as well as the e-novella Pros and Cons that takes place between the events of Deadly Descendant and Rogue Descendant, is a must-have for all urban fantasy fans.

Buy Now: Amazon

Originally I had intended to review each novel within the omnibus on it’s own. However, I got too into reading this and didn’t want to pause to write individual reviews. Instead, I’ll review the entire thing and do my best to avoid spoilers.

I really liked Nikki. She is a very relatable character. It’s easy to empathize with her and understand where she’s coming from. Not only does she have a thick skin, she’s also a self proclaimed bleeding heart. She sympathizes with others even when logic says she shouldn’t.

The majority of the other characters are male. At first, none of them are likable, but considering the situation in which Nikki meets them, I don’t think it’s possible to like any of them. Only Jamaal and Anderson get much in the way of character development. I found Anderson to be a really interesting character. I didn’t have particularly strong feelings about Jamaal.

I would really have liked to find out more about the other characters. Many of them have been alive for centuries. There’s got to be some good stories there.

I didn’t particularly like the way the romance aspect went. As always, I can live without the sex scenes, although there were little details there that added to character development.

The one thing I really don’t like is the fact that the series is over! There is so much potential for this series to keep going. There’s plenty of characters that can be developed and so much that could be used for plot points. The book ends with a really great lead into another book. I don’t know why the author chose not to write more. I think I will always keep an eye out for a new book in this series.

I rate this book 4/5 stars. I would recommend it to anyone who likes urban fantasy, especially if you want a supernatural creature that isn’t the typical vampire, werewolf or fae.

Have you read this series? What did you think? Have you any other book by Jenna Black?

Review – Moon’s Fury – A Tale of the Sazi #5 – C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp

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moons furySynopsis (from Goodreads): Cara Salinas has been leading the small Mexican red wolf pack in Tedford County, Texas, since she was thirteen.

Adam Mueller, formerly a beat cop from the toughest part of Minneapolis, must find a way to integrate his exiled Minnesotan wolves with Cara’s red wolves.

Cara and Adam clash in the way only fated mates ever do–and both refuse to accept their destiny. But when a pack of vicious Sazi raptors start to feed on the wolf-children of both packs, Cara and Adam must learn to respect each other, and embrace their future together to save the future of the Texan wolves.

Buy Now: Amazon

I would say this is a pretty basic paranormal romance. There isn’t much surprising in the way of the “romance”. I actually wasn’t too drawn in until Tony Giambrocco showed up. Tony was the star of the first two books in the series, an attack victim who turned into a werewolf as well as a former mafia hitman.

Tony showing up was awesome and probably the best part of the book. Tony was a character I really liked. You don’t see a lot of mafia assassins in Paranormal Romance. At least not that I’ve read.

Cara and Adam were ok characters. I didn’t feel any strong connection with them but I didn’t dislike them either. I did like the little details about Texas that were inserted smoothly, as well as the Spanish that was sprinkled in their speech. It was believable that they were native Texans by the way they spoke.

One thing I really disliked was the final sex scene. When reading PR I know perfectly well that there will be at least one sex scene, but this one was a little too pornographic for me. Others might think of it as being “steamy” but not me. Reading it was just uncomfortable.

There is an underlying plot that goes across different book in the series, which I am interested in finding out more about.

Overall, I rate this book 3/5 stars. It was alright, but not great.

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Alpha – Shifters #6 – Rachel Vincent – Review

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AlphaSynopsis (from Goodreads):
The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder and treason. Yeah, we’ve been busy. But now it’s time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother’s death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.
It’s not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I’m heading for a final showdown that will change everything forever. A showdown I’m not sure I’m ready for.
But life never waits until you’re ready.

Buy now: Amazon

I very nearly stopped reading this book after about 100 pages. Why? Well, this stupid love triangle is getting on my nerves more than i can explain. The first 100 pages is all about the 3 of them. The guys want to kill each other, Faythe wants to stop them from killing each other. She also wants to have them both and that just can’t happen.

I can’t empathize with her at all in this situation. The whole time it’s being talked about I want to roll my eyes and bitch slap all of them. I could care less about Jace, Marc needs to rein in his temper and Faythe needs to grow the hell up!

I really wanted her to just walk away from both of them, especially with the things Marc keeps saying to her. I get that he’s pissed off, but some of his comments cross a serious line.

Thankfully, the actual story picks up after the first 100 pages and the love triangle-ness calms down. I wish I could say the rest of the book was amazing, but that would be a lie. Even when the actual plot is the focus, the love triangle is still there, irritating me.

There were certain things I expected to happen that did and things that I didn’t see coming, so it wasn’t completely predictable. I had a pretty solid idea of how it was going to end and  I wasn’t wrong.

Honestly, I just sort of powered through this book to know how things turned out. I enjoyed parts of it, but not the book as a whole.

I rate this book 2.5/5 stars.

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Shift – Shifters #5 – Rachel Vincent – Review

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ShiftSynopsis(from Goodreads): Being the first female werecat enforcer isn’t easy. Scars accumulate, but I’m stronger in so many ways.

As for my personal life? It’s complicated. Choices worth making always are. Ever since my brother’s death and my father’s impeachment, it’s all I can do to prevent more blood from spilling. Now our Pride is under attack by a flight of vicious thunderbirds. And making peace with our new enemies may be the only way to get the best of our old foe.

With the body count rising and treachery everywhere, my instincts tell me to look before I leap. But sometimes a leap of faith is the only real option…

Buy Now: Amazon

Thinking about reading these books gives me anxiety. While I’m reading the books I’m so into it that I can’t read fast enough.

While I am really enjoying the story that is going on, Faythe’s personal life is getting on my nerves. I’ve always kind of liked love triangles, but this one is ridiculous. I’m pretty confident I know how it’s all going to end, so getting through all this drama to get to the resolution is killing me.

Faythe and her love life aside, this book is really good. The Pride’s enemy, Malone, is trying new underhanded methods to weaken them before the coming war. It’s fun watching Faythe navigate her way through the situations she gets into and actually becoming a responsible adult.

The next book, Alpha, is the last in this series and I can’t wait to read it. If my pattern for these book holds, I should have it done by tomorrow night! Then maybe my anxiety will go away.

I rate this book 4/5 stars.

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