Audio Review: The Good, the Bad and the Undead by Kim Harrison

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead 

by Kim Harrison

(The Hollows #2)

Narrated by Marguerite Gavin

Rachel Morgan is back and in more trouble than ever!

Former bounty hunter Rachel Morgan has it pretty good. She has left the corrupt Inderland Runner Service and started her own independent service. She's survived werewolves, shape-changing demons, bad-hair days, and sharing a church with her vampire roommate, Ivy. She even has a cute (if human) boyfriend-what more could a witch want? But living with a reformed vampire isn't all it's cracked up to be, particularly when your roommate's very bad ex-boyfriend wants her back and wouldn't mind you in the process. And especially when he's six feet of sheer supernatural seduction and you've got a demon mark that makes vampires literally hotter than hell.To save herself and Ivy, Rachel must confront the vampire master-and the dark secrets she's hidden even from herself.

A fish called....Rachel. Rachel is floundering her way through life post IS.

I am really surprised by the amount of humor in this series and we get a lot of it in the opening scene where Rachel is on her current job; to steal back a fish, a were team's mascot.

Rachel is learning that being on her own is not all rainbows. She's still dealing with Ivy's weird vampire emotions; never knowing if Ivy is going to kill her or vein rape her.

Then there's her consultant work with the FIB, where she's helping in a serial killer case. But after messing things up on a murder scene Rachel goes from trying to nail Trent as the killer to working with him. Speaking of Trent, we finally learn what he is.

With each book I find myself enjoying the world and characters more. With the exception of Nick, he is just too stupid to live when it comes to summoning demons. But with each summoning I find that I like "Al" and with the events in The Good, the Bad and the Undead we are sure to see more of him.

To sum up The Good, the Bad and the Undead it's a mix bag of humor, blood and intriguing characters and unique world building.


Narration Note: I'm enjoying Marguerite Gavin's narration of the books. Although she does make Rachel sound whiny at moments but honesty, Rachel can be a little whiny so it works. Her Jenks is great.

Review: The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells

The Mage in Black 
by Jaye Wells 

Sabina Kane #2 

 

Sabina Kane doesn't have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her own grandmother, the leader of the vampire race, just tried to kill her. When she arrives in New York to meet the mage side of her family, the reunion takes the fun out of dysfunctional.

On top of that, the Hekate Council wants to use her as a pawn in the brewing war against the vampires. Her mission will take her into the bowels of New York's Black Light district, entangles her in mage politics, and challenges her beliefs about the race she was raised to distrust. And Sabina thought vampires were bloodthirsty

1st Rule of Demon Fight Club...Don't talk about it. 2nd Rule of Demon Fight Club...read this freaking book for the Demon sidekick alone and you won't be disappointed.

That's right the lovable Mr. Giggles is back bitches. I absolutely love Giguhl, Sabina's demon familiar. He's great for a laugh and we find out that he can hold his own when it comes to a fight. His and Sabina relationship is funny and touching. They have each others back and Sabina learns to let her big boy demon out on his own. Sabina has to stop being a stage mother when Giguhl gets into an underground Demon Fight Club that is ran by The Shade, a vampire from Sabina's past.

Sabina, Adam and Giguhl starts out on a cross country trip from L.A. to New York. From page one we get a hilarious action scene at a gas station where Sabina and Adam have to fight for their lives against three vamps that was sent to take her out.

After the group makes it to New York, Sabina is thrown into the Mage life. She meets her twin sister and whole host of other Mages. Sabina is out of her element while she tries to learn to use her magic from her Mage heritage.

There a little bit of romance in the works but with the supe world on the brink of war it gets push aside for the time being.

I'm enjoying the world and characters that Jaye Wells has created. She does an excellent job of balancing the action and snark. The Mage in Black is another winner in the urban fantasy genre and feel like the next book, Green-Eyed Demon is only going to be even better as Sabina wages war on her evil grandmother.

Part of:

Make sure you head over to Goldilox and Three Weres 

for this month's discussion post.

Read-a-Long Schedule:

1/25/2013: Red-Headed Stepchild
review/discussion at The Book Nympho

 2/22/2013: The Mage in Black
review/discussion @  Goldilox and the Three Weres 

3/29/2013: Green Eyed Demon
review/discussion @  The Book Nympho  

 4/26/2013: Silver Tongued Devil 
review/discussion @ Readers Confession

5/31/2013: Blue-Blood Vamp
review/discussion @ The Book Nympho

Review: Tempest's Legacy by Nicole Peeler

Tempest's Legacy 

by Nicole Peeler 

(Jane True #3)

After a peaceful hiatus at home in Rockabill, Jane True thinks that her worst problem is that she still throws like a girl - at least while throwing fireballs. Her peace of mind ends, however, when Anyan arrives one night with terrible news . . . news that will rock Jane's world to its very core.

After demanding to help investigate a series of gruesome attacks on females -- supernatural, halfling, and human -- Jane quickly finds herself forced to confront her darkest nightmares as well as her deepest desires.

And she's not sure which she finds more frightening.

Jane's world keeps sucking me in with every book. Tempest's Legacy is even better than the last two books. The reason might be that we get a lot more of Anyan this time around.

Anyan comes back to town after being gone for two months only to give Jane some bad news. Jane being up step that she hasn't seen him for so long and now he is bring her the horrible news, she goes off on him. Later she apologizes for shooting the messenger.

True to Anyan's caring nature he forgives her and reluctantly lets her join his and Ryu's investigation into some horrible crimes that has taken place. Speaking of Ryu, he is a real douche bag in this one. If I wasn't team Anyan before I am now. I would totally find if we never saw Ryu again after this book.

But I think our days of a love triangle is over and thank goodness for that. But I think Jane has a long road to go with Anyan. I think she is the one that will have to seduce him. Not that he's not interested but that he is either too shy or thick headed to know what to do with Jane. But it's safe to say that he doesn't see her as a little girl like Jane always thought he did.

To sum up Tempest's Legacy - Ryu, bye bye. Hello Anyan. Jane learns some family secrets that will sure to make for interesting times in the books to come.

Fans of "lighter" Urban Fantasy stories will love Jane and her world.


Narration Note: Still didn't care for the narration so I'm glad that I have the rest of the series in paperback. Because I can't take Anyan's voice from the 12 year old sounding narrator if sexy times are coming.

Audio Review: Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

Dead Witch Walking 

by Kim Harrison 
(The Hollows #1)

Narrated by Marguerite Gavin

The underground population of witches, vampires, werewolves—creatures of dreams and nightmares—has lived beside humans for centuries, hiding their powers. But after a genetically engineered virus wipes out a large part of humanity, many of the "Inderlanders" reveal themselves, changing everything.

Rachel Morgan, witch and bounty hunter with the Inderland Runner Services, is one of the best at apprehending supernatural lawbreakers throughout Cincinnati, but when it comes to following the rules, she falls desperately short. Determined to buck the system, she quits and takes off on the run with an I.S. contract on her head and is reluctantly forced to team up with Ivy, Inderland's best runner . . . and a living vampire. But this witch is way out of her league, and to clear her name, Rachel must evade shape-changing assassins, outwit a powerful businessman/crime lord, and survive a vicious underground fight-to-the-death . . . not to mention her own roommate.

REVIEW:

I've had this series on my TBR pile for years now after seeing people rave about it in one of my Shelfari groups. So when I saw books 1-5 in a used bookstore I picked them up for a cheap price. And they sat on my bookshelf for over two years. I figure I'll get to them one day. I loaned out Dead Witch Walking to two friends and when they both brought me the book back saying they could not finish it I pushed it down my reading list. But after challenging myself to read as many of the books on my physical as possible in 2013 I decided it was time to finally start this series.

I thought since most people have warned me that Dead Witch Walking was a little slow due to all the world building that I would give it a try on audio to see if I could get through it faster than reading it. And I'm glad I did listen to it. I think if I read it I would not have liked as much. The narrator took a little getting use to because at times she made Ivy sound like a drag queen, she made her voice too deep in some places. But I learned to just over look her Ivy voice and I enjoyed the audio more once I did.

Honestly I didn't really know what to expect going into Dead Witch Walking other than the main character was a witch. I was pleasantly surprised by how much snark and humor was in the book. It really helped lighten the dark mood from time to time. One of the best sidekicks I've enjoyed was Jenks, the pixie that works with Rachel and Ivy.

The three team up to make their own company after Rachel and Ivy quit their jobs as runners for the I.S. Rachel's boss is now happy when she quits and takes Ivy with her. In fact her ex-employer is so unhappy that they put a hit out on Rachel. Ivy was able to pay off her employment contract so she's safe but Rachel spends the whole book evading attempts on her life while trying to take down the bad guy in hopes that if she can take him down that it will cancel her contract and the I.S. will leave her alone.

Dead Witch Walking was a nice mix of action and snarky humor. I'm excited to continue the series to see what other trouble Rachel and her gang can get into.


Narration Note: It took a few chapters for me to start enjoying the narration but by the end of the book it grew on me and I will listen to the next book on audio.

Review: Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Red-Headed Stepchild 

by Jaye Wells

(Sabina Kane #1) 

In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina Kane has the only profession fit for an outcast: assassin. But, her latest mission threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races and Sabina must scramble to figure out which side she's on. She's never brought her work home with her---until now.

This time, it's personal.

Red-Headed Stepchild is a fantastic start to the Sabina Kane series. Jaye Wells does a great job of balancing humor and action in this fast pace urban fantasy novel with a hard-ass heroine that grows a heart by the end of the book.

The book almost read like two for me. The 1st half we have a tough as nails heroine that would rather just do her job as an assassin for Domina, the vampire council, than have any down time and friends. In fact in the opening scene we see Sabina kill her friend because her grandmother, a member of the Domina told her to. No real questions asked.

Lavinia, Sabina's grandmother, is a total bitch and has treated Sabina as a second rate citizen all her life because she is half mage. But Sabina is good enough to carry out the death sentences that Lavinia is too good to do herself.

The second half of the book we Sabina change when she starts to realize that she has made friends with the small group of people that is helping her with her undercover assignment that the Domina has sent her on. She doesn't know how to act seeing as she's never really had any friends.

Among the group of friends is a super sexy mage named, Adam. Sabina learns about the mages' way of life from Adam, including how to use magic. Adam comes off as a stalker at first until his story unfolds. Then he is someone that Sabina is glad to have around.

Another person that Sabina finds herself being friends is the demon, Giguhl that was summoned to "test" Sabina by trying to kill her but one funny thing after another happens and Sabina finds herself with a house quest she can't get rid of. Giguhl is an AWESOME side character and helps bring humor to the story and I can't wait to see more of Mr. Giggles (the pet name that Sabina gives him).

All in all Red-Headed Stepchild is an urban fantasy book with everything, action, humor and a budding romance and an evil bad guy looking to take ove the paranormal world. If you like kick ass herione with a surprising soft side and Demons that are addicted to the home shopping network you should give  Jaye Well's Red-Headed Stepchild a go.

Dual Review: Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost

Once Burned

by Jeaniene Frost

Night Prince #1

She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.br />


Jennifer's Thoughts:

I've been a fan of Vlad ever since he step on to the pages of the third Night Huntress book, At Grave's End. I was so happy when Frost announced that he would have his own spin-off series (looks like 3 books in all). After the last two Cat & Bones books being a little on the slow side for me I was ready to read about Vlad and he did not disappoint.

Vlad is the boogie man of the vamp world so no wonder he is the cocky bastard that he is but he has the swagger and power to back it up. Don't make the mistake of calling him Dracula, you just might find yourself bursting into flames.

Speaking of flames, I knew once we got a look into Vlad's bedroom game it would be all heat and fireworks. Have a fire extinguisher handy while reading the smexy scene.

But when Vlad is outside the bedroom he can be a bit cold to the heroine, Lelia. He makes no bones about letting her know that he will never love her (the death of his wife really screwed him up in that dept). But Vlad is very loyal and will protect anyone that he sees as his and he sees Lelia as his.

I really like Lelia, she's tough and can take care of herself. But she still has a soft side to her. Despite not wanting to get her heart broke she still fell for Vlad by the end of the book and she is not going to back down from Vlad vow about not ever loving her. And I can see Vlad breaking that vow by the time the three book series is over.

All in all Vlad's first book was great and I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel, Twice Tempted. I have a feeling that Lelia is going to break Vlad's hard candy coating soon.

Narration Note: 

I own this book both in paperback and ebook but I decided to check the audio out from the library so I could listen to it a work. The narrator was ok but how she pronounced Vlad's name drove me nuts and I didn't care for her voice for Bones. But over all the narration was good but I would prefer to read the next book unless my library has it on audio and I want to make my work day go by faster with a little Vlad in my ear.

Jonetta's Thoughts:

Leila ended up with telepathic and electrical powers following an accident as a young girl that also left her scarred. The experience changed her life forever, relegating her to a life of loneliness and solitude until the night she was kidnapped and asked to channel the world's most famous...and dangerous...vampire, Vlad Tepesh, known as the Prince of the Night.

Vlad is his typical arrogant, intimidating self in this story and as always, he has the goods to back all that attitude up! He becomes intrigued by the innocent but plucky Leila, enough to keep her around until he has a chance to determine her usefulness and if she's being straight with him. Someone is trying to get to Vlad and Leila's powers provide assistance in identifying and tracking the foe. The interplay between these two sizzle with electricity...literally and figuratively and Vlad seems to have found someone up to the challenge of being with him.

I've looked forward to this book since it was announced and it delivered. Leila is an interesting young woman and she seems to be holding her own with the difficult Vlad. He's not sure of his feelings because it's been a long time since he's had to or wanted to care about anyone so Vlad's not on sure footing. Their romance is erotic and charged and I liked them together. The action is exciting and the characters surrounding them are equally interesting (anyone else pulling for a separate story for Maximus?).

This is a great start to this spinoff series and there's promise that there may be more than one or two books going forward. If so, I'm in.

Next book in the series:

March 26, 2013