I read Thrall the first book in the Daughters of Lilith Series some time ago and I remember thinking it was pretty good, so I readily agreed to read the second in the series. I wasn't disappointed, in fact, I was delighted to find a (for me) rare 5 star read. Incubus has everything needed to make a top book - strong, well-drawn characters with real relationships and motivations that tug at our heart-stings; a unique concept; immediate and engaging writing, and a riveting plot with an unexpected twist at the end.Braedyn is a Lilitu, a succubus demon, but she's not evil. Her father is a member of the Guard that protects human kind from the Lilitu, and Braedyn is on their side. She also has a boyfriend, Lucus that she has to keep her distance from because if she lets her Lilitu side take over when they kiss, she will drain his energy, which is, of course, a complete no no. Braedyn wants to become human so she can have a physical relationship with Lucas and eventually marry and have a … [Read more...]
Different & poignant: Secret Reflection by Jennifer Brassel
Secret Reflection Jennifer Brassel Escape Publishing, Harlequin Enterprises Australia Fantasy romance Secret Reflection is a good read for anyone who likes contemporary fantasy romance and gentlemen from the nineteenth century. The story of a man trapped in a mirror in the mid nineteenth century by a Druid sorcerer is unusual and poignant, in this case, especially because of the circumstances surrounding the incarceration. Kelly is an American reporter visiting her long time friend in England where she and her husband are in the process of turning an old English home into a hotel. They ask Kelly to investigate the ghost that is supposed to reside in the house. The idea being that an article proving the ghosts existence will bring customers. so Kelly sets out to disprove the ghosts existence. She soon discovers that he does exist, but not as a ghost. The magic that has imprisoned him means that only the person who sleeps in his bed can see him. And only for eighteen days every … [Read more...]
Most beautiful YA fantasy I’ve read in ages: ‘The Sweetest Dark’ by Shana Abé
The Sweetest Dark Shana Abe Random House Publishing Group, Bantam YA fantasy, historical paranormal This book is totally gush-worthy, the best young adult fantasy I've read in a very long time, perhaps ever. Why? Because it's heart-achingly beautiful. The prose is poetic, the words as ethereal as the girl who turns into smoke and then a dragon. The story is unique with a dreamy pace all of its own, and the characters are rich and endearing, particularly Jesse who as well as physical beauty has the beauty of a pure soul. It's a bittersweet tale, but oh, so sweet, and not the frivolous saccharine of some stories. The sweetness here is somehow soulful, the characters bearing witness to another layer of existence, not apart from our world, but hidden within, like a silken undergarment. Jesse, Lora and Armand share an existence where stones have their own melody, boys can belong to the stars and connections between people can be so deep that they communicate without words as easily … [Read more...]
“Honestly? It was awesome!” Another review of ‘Stalking Shadows’
Another stop on the blog tour. Today I'm at Crazy Four Books with the delightful Brenda. It seems that Stalking Shadows left her speechless. I quote, "I can't even begin to describe all of the action you'll find in this highly imaginative journey." Curious? Pop on over and see what else she has to say. You'll also get the opportunity to WIN A COPY of Lethal Inheritance, book one in the Diamond Peak series. http://crazyfourbooks.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/vbt-review-and-giveaway-stalking.html?show Some of my readers may have noticed that this is a very relaxed blog tour. I booked visits for every second day, so I'd have some breathing space, which was just as well because my computer crashed yesterday and I had to do some time consuming damage control. … [Read more...]
Paranormal romantic suspense review: Guardians of Stone by Anita Clenney
Title: Guardians of Stone Author: Anita Clenney Publisher: Montlake Romance Genre: Paranormal romantic suspense My Review Guardians of Stone is an Indiana Jones story with romance. Searching for ancient artifacts with magical properties is a classic theme, one that provides plenty of scope for bad guys—someone else is always after the goods too—supernatural intervention, a nice dollop of mystery and detective work, and getting the heroine into creepy places that throw her together with her body guard in ways that build intimacy. Clenney makes the best of all these aspects and weaves a great story around a couple of richly rendered characters. Clenney deserves her best selling author status. She writes well and delivers a good tale. Her books are tightly written, well plotted and paced and her prose immediate and engaging. I really enjoyed Guardians of Stone, though it isn’t different or heart-warming enough to make me rave about it the way I did with Awaken the Highland … [Read more...]
YA paranormal review: Fractured Soul by Rachel McClellan
Title: Fractured Soul Author: Rachel McClellan Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing Genre: Paranormal fantasy In this, the second in a series about Auras and their nemesis Vykens (basically vampires who need the blood of Auras to keep themselves looking human), the main character Llona has moved to a school for Auras (a dying race who have the power to wield Light). Her parents are dead and her aunt is one of the heads of the school. She is told that she must stay away from the boy she loves because he is a Guardian, (one who protects an Aura) and if their relationship continues, he will most probably die. (I didn't get exactly why.) The school teaches that the Auras are not capable of fighting to protect themselves, but Llona, who grew up outside the school (her mother was a rebel) knows this is untrue. She killed a Vyken at the end of the first book, Fractured Light. Now, going against the rules, she seeks them out in order to kill them and finds herself lusting after a fight in a … [Read more...]
Review: The Gathering Darkness by Lisa Collicutt
Title: The Gathering Darkness Author: Lisa Collicutt Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press Genrre: Young adult paranormal romance Description They say “third time’s the charm.” But for sixteen-year-old Brooke Day, they had better be right. She’s been here before - twice in fact - and an evil demon-witch wants her dead a third time. When Brooke is forced to leave Boston for the small town of Deadwich, she thinks her life is over. Before long, her new friends start acting strange - downright evil. Worse, the nightmares she’s had her whole life are becoming reality. Enter Marcus Knight; popular, hot, and the only person Brooke can trust. Not to mention, they’ve shared the same nightmares. With the discovery of an ancient Celtic amulet, Brooke and Marcus unravel the secrets of her past, in search of the key to her future. As the equinox approaches, darkness and light merge for the first time in a century, soul-mates reunite, and magic awakens! My review The Gathering Darkness is … [Read more...]
Review: Harbinger by Peta Crake
Harbinger Peta Crake Penguin Books Australia Destiny Romance The publishers call this a romance, but really it’s an urban fantasy. The book cover, designed to fit with Penguin’s Destiny Romance series, makes it look like a contemporary romance, not the hard hitting example of urban fantasy that it is. The cover and the romance label are misleading. It’s not that there isn’t romance, there is, but like any urban fantasy there is much more to the story than the relationship between two people. Harbinger is a gritty tale about a girl who works as a messenger for the fickle Athenian gods. Crake’s gods are as devious and arrogant as their ancient stories make them out to be, and her characterisation of said gods living modern lives is the most outstanding aspect of this book. She manages to combine modern sensibilities with the occasional display of godly powers that make you sit up and remember that these flawed beings are still gods. The writing can’t be faulted and the plot is … [Read more...]
Review: Covet by Melissa Darnell
Title: Covet (Book 2 of The Clann Series) Author: Melissa Darnell Publisher: HarlequinTEEN Genre: Young adult paranormal fantasy I love this series, and I truly can’t wait for the next instalment. But I will have to, because it’s not due out until next year. In a few words, the series is about forbidden love between a girl who is half witch and half vampire, and a boy who is a powerful member of the witch clan. Witches and vampires are enemies, kept from warring with each other only through a hard-won peace treaty, and flouting the rules in book one, Clann, only resulted in people getting hurt, so Tristan and Savannah’s relationship is doomed. Or is it? The blurb: Savannah Colbert knows she broke up with Tristan Coleman for the right reasons. Most of all, to keep from killing him with her new vampire abilities. But try telling her heart. Now, lost in a sea of hostile Clann faces, Sav tries to come to terms with what she’s becoming and what that means for her future. And that … [Read more...]
Review: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
Title: Shadow of Night Author: Deborah Harkness Publisher: Penguin Genre: Historical fantasy Shadow of Night is the sequel to the popular book A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. That novel introduced Diana Bishop, Oxford scholar and reluctant witch, and the handsome geneticist and vampire Matthew Clairmont; together they found themselves at the center of a supernatural battle over an enchanted manuscript known as Ashmole 782. At the end of the first book, which I enjoyed immensely (though I read the paperback and struggled with the tiny text), Diana and Matthew go back in time and we are left wondering where they end up. In this book we find them in Elizabethan London in a world of spies, subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew's old friends, the mysterious School of Night that includes Christopher Marlowe and Walter Raleigh. Here, Diana must locate a witch to tutor her in magic, Matthew is forced to confront a past he thought he had put to rest, and the mystery of Ashmole … [Read more...]
