Sometimes offbeat works. Unusual characters, out of the ordinary worldbuilding, all those touches that capture the imagination and make a story feel like it’s not the same old thing. Sealed With a Curse has some of these elements, but they just don’t fit together smoothly. The book has its promising points, but it feels too…
Of all the books that I have read by Sharon Shinn there are only two that I don’t recommend, and one of the two was the first book in this series. So I was anxious to see if that was a fluke or if it was her shape-shifter world. Even with my ambiguity over the…
Fans of the Kate Daniels series have long been familiar with her fellow knight and best friend Andrea Nash. This is the first novel, though, that is told wholly from Andrea’s point of view. I hope it won’t be the last. Andrea is in a time of transition. She has been kicked out of the…
In a market glutted with paranormal romances and vampires, I really didn’t have high expectations of Nightborn being able to stand out. But I was very happy to be wrong. It has a great story and compelling characters that made it a book I really struggled to put down. Korvel is a Darkyn seneschal for…
I was always Team Edward in terms of the Twilight books, but in all other series I root for the wolves. Werewolves that is. There is something about their hot blooded nature that makes them far more romantic than the icy vamps. And let’s not forget the mating bond. You have to love a creature…
Ms. Shinn is one of my favorite authors. One of her books is a Desert Island Keeper for me. But this new book didn’t work for me on so many levels. Now thirty-five, Maria Devane has been in love with Dante Romano for fifteen years. She is grateful for the time she can spend with…
Sometimes I read a book and I’m left wanting more. The Last Slayer was one of those books. Nadia Lee’s world of demons, demon hunters, and dragonlords was convincing, and I’m so glad that it’s part of a trilogy because I can’t wait to read more about Ashera’s quest. This is one of those books…
In this latest entry in the Bloodhound Files series, Jace Valchek is back in Seattle after her battles in Las Vegas in Killing Rocks. In this book the focus is much more on character development than on threats to end the world. I didn’t like this one quite as much as the previous book, but…
I was surprised when I found out that this book was the first in a new series, and even more surprised to find that it was her first mass market book. Events in the story were so well wrapped up at the end that I assumed it was the last book in a new-to-me series,…
As a reviewer, I sometimes select a book for review that’s part of a long series. This is the fifth entry in the author’s Cassie Palmer series, and the first I’ve read. I didn’t feel confused reading this as a standalone. But, while I found the characters and world interesting, the action sequences were excessive…