Falcyn is a very, very old dragon who has dealt with his share of curses, loss, and tragedy. He largely wants to be left alone. Of course, that doesn'Falcyn is a very, very old dragon who has dealt with his share of curses, loss, and tragedy. He largely wants to be left alone. Of course, that doesn't happen, and it doesn't help that he's spending time in Sanctuary, the bar/home for wayward magical creatures in New Orleans.
Madea is an Apolite, descendant of the god Apollo, her entire race cursed by that same god. Now a plague ravages her people, and she's desperate to save her family and friends. One of the magical cure-alls in this world is a certain item called a dragon-stone. You can see where this is going...
The two meet, and almost at once get sent, along with a few allies, on a trip to several different worlds, crossing over into the territory of various pantheons and powerful groups. Along the way, they start to fall for each other, and many, many secrets about their pasts are revealed.
It's another fun addition to the Dark-Hunters series, as Kenyon expands her mythos. I don't think it's one of her best, but it was a fun read. ...more
I got this book as a giveaway at a con. If you been to enough of those, you know that can range from "Hey, this is pretty cool," to "How did this get I got this book as a giveaway at a con. If you been to enough of those, you know that can range from "Hey, this is pretty cool," to "How did this get published and why am I being punished?" This one far exceeded expectations.
Lee Striga is a stuntwoman who, after a really bizarre time on a recent film, is having trouble getting work. She's also a mortal descendant of Lilith, occasionally forced to fight the demons that come hunting for her.
She leaves LA for New Orleans when someone finally offers her work. She finds herself in the midst of a string of disappearing people, local legend, and some very intrusive memories of events from long before her time. How it all comes together is a surprise with a truly desperate battle at the end.
I loved the main character, the world building, and the concept of part of the movie making industry being done by supernatural beings. It really worked. I had a lot of fun with this, and am going to find the rest of the series when I get a chance. ...more
This is a series I am really enjoying. The concept is really cool, a cross between Quantum Leap and Supernatural. Vincent Graves wakes up in a recentlThis is a series I am really enjoying. The concept is really cool, a cross between Quantum Leap and Supernatural. Vincent Graves wakes up in a recently deceased body, generally needs to save himself from whatever killed said body, then figure out who killed him. Inevitably, there are some kind of supernatural monsters running around. Guided by his enigmatic handler Church and his own journals, which Church gives him back at the start of each case, Vincent has a deadline to solve the murder, indicated by a tattoo on his forearm that counts down the hours remaining.
After waking up underwater, with plenty of evidence it wasn't an accidental drowning, Vincent has to untangle the complicated relationships his new "host" has with other tenants in his building, and even Ortiz, the one person Vincent seems to keep bumping into from case to case and body to body. This time Ortiz brings more than just firepower and a kickass attitude as she introduces Vincent to Kelly, a talented computer hacker with a unique take on what she thinks Vincent is.
Things get really complicated as the investigation continues, and our hero has to avoid his own temptations as the mystery of what he really is gets dangled in front of him several times.
A very enjoyable read from a highly talented author. ...more
Quincy's story goes back to the original Dracula, although our titular hero isn't a vampire. Descended from two of the supporting characters in that sQuincy's story goes back to the original Dracula, although our titular hero isn't a vampire. Descended from two of the supporting characters in that story, Quincy Harker is a unique being on several fronts. In this collection of stories, we get to know him, his "uncle," and a few supporting characters who make up Quincy's world.
John Hartness is a skilled writer with a wicked sense of humor and some great pop culture references. From mortals who are doing things they most definitely shouldn't to monsters from the past, Harker and company face off with several different foes.
If you like urban fantasy with pop culture callbacks and some great humor, this is something you should check out. I really enjoyed this and will be hunting down the rest of the series....more
Quentin Coldwater and his friends discovered that Fillory, magical land from beloved kids books, was actually real. They found their way there, faced Quentin Coldwater and his friends discovered that Fillory, magical land from beloved kids books, was actually real. They found their way there, faced great perils, suffered losses, and then became Kings and Queens. Happily ever after, right?
Not quite.
Quentin is restless as a King, and finds himself a quest. At first apparently just the whim of a bored man, this turns into something much, much more as Quentin and Julia struggle through dangers and face some unique threats, including an unwelcome trip back to the real world. We also find out more about Julia's history after she didn't get into Brakebills.
This series isn't a light and happy one, and don't expect a happy ending. I was surprised at the end, and felt bad for most of the characters involved. ...more
Jane Yellowrock has changed a lot since she came to New Orleans. She's gone from hunter-for-hire with her bike, weapons, and clothes on her back to beJane Yellowrock has changed a lot since she came to New Orleans. She's gone from hunter-for-hire with her bike, weapons, and clothes on her back to being a vamp enforcer, having a house, a business, and close friends. She's also been accumulating powerful magical artefacts.
Now, things get ugly as some of Leo's, the Master of the City she serves, secrets are coming out and attracting the wrong kind of attention. Powerful vamps from Europe are taking an interest, and rogue ancient ones are coming to the city, causing chaos and leaving a bloody trail behind them.
Jane has a lot of hard choices to make, some desperate battles to fight, and a new kind of creature she'd never even heard of to deal with, as well as trying to make some sense out of her love life, such as it is.
There's lots of action, new powers for Jane and Beast, and the characters visit a few of my favorite places in New Orleans. It's another great addition to a series I'm hugely enjoying. ...more
When she was a girl, Harper Connelly was struck by lightning. She came away from that with a weakened leg and the ability to find bodies. She doesn't When she was a girl, Harper Connelly was struck by lightning. She came away from that with a weakened leg and the ability to find bodies. She doesn't talk to the dead, she can just locate bodies and usually see their last few moments. She and her brother, Tolliver, travel the country and get paid to use her odd talent.
The pair come to Sarn (I hope I spelled that right, I did this as an audiobook) and things get strange. Finding the first body (and a few extra, not related along the way) is easy enough. But the strange events around a double homicide get weirder as more bodies pile up and there's clearly a conspiracy of powerful people moving against Tolliver and Harper. What is finally revealed is a twisted person cleaning up after their own indiscretions.
I enjoyed this. Harper is a good, well-fleshed out character, and I liked her brother as well. The other characters were well done and believable. I liked the story and will read more of this series when I can.
One disclaimer/pet peeve: Throughout the book, Harper repeatedly uses police and sheriff terms interchangeably. They aren't. They are different things, which while it's forgivable for the general public to not know, someone who has done a lot of work with various law enforcement should really be aware of. ...more
The would building is something I really enjoyed about this book. There's magic and fantasy creatures everywhere, but there is also a very recognizablThe would building is something I really enjoyed about this book. There's magic and fantasy creatures everywhere, but there is also a very recognizable modern world with motorcycles, cell phones, and struggling to pay the cable bill. This is a fantasy noir with some great concepts.
Rune Saint John is the last child of a fallen house, who saw almost everything he knew and loved destroyed when he was just 15. He now makes a living, sort of, handing special inquiries for Lord Tower a powerful magic user who is one of the Arcanna, a major power in the world.
Rune gets hired to look into a missing person's case where no one seems to want to admit the person is missing at first. As he and his stalwart Companion Brand go along, they find surprising plots, an outcast teenager, a powerful seer, and a lot of major surprises.
There's powerful and creative magic, great characters, superb world building and some great concepts. .The mysteries and plot twists continue until the final pages. I really enjoyed this story a LOT and hope to read more in the near future. Strongly recommended to anyone who likes magic, urban fantasy, and some really original ideas. ...more
Jim Butcher has outdone himself. This book, the latest (as I write this) installment of the Dresden Files, draws heavily on what hWow. I mean... wow.
Jim Butcher has outdone himself. This book, the latest (as I write this) installment of the Dresden Files, draws heavily on what has come before. Butcher weaves together threads from the previous books, from the short stories (two collections worth at least), and gives a truly amazing story.
Peace Talks ended with the failure of, well, the book's title, and a war being declared from an unexpected source. Now Harry Dresden, Professional Wizard, has to draw together every heavy hitter he's ever met, use every trick he knows, and risk all his friends and allies to defend the city he loves.
Chicago is being invaded by the Formor and the Last Titan. This is a truly epic tale with amazing highs and lows. It's a war, and you lose people in war, and some of the losses here hit hard. Really hard.
Not everyone is coming back from this call to action. And, while it's absolutely a cliche, it's true in this case: Harry, and the world, will never be quite the same.
A truly staggering tale, but you really, really need to have read the other books, and at least most of the short stories, to appreciate the magnitude, and some of the nuance, of what happens.
Also attached is "Christmas Eve," a short story Butcher published on his website a while back.
Edit- on second reading, some of this hits harder....more
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