Review: Dexter series (the first four books) by Jeff Lindsay

My husband and I have been big fans of the television show Dexter. When I discovered there were books, my first thoughts were that this would be the opposite of the Sookie Stackhouse Series. With Sookie, I read the books years before True Blood became a TV show. With Dexter, I saw the TV show first, then read the books. Somehow, I thought this would give me some sort of answer about whether it's better to see it in video format first, or in book format first. It didn't. In both cases, the television versions stray far enough from the books that they are more like Fan Fiction than the original. So, it's apples and oranges. I think it's less frustrating to watch it on TV first though, because the books give you more insight into the character than a TV show can possibly give you.

But, enough of that, you want to hear what I thought of the books, right?

In Darkly Dreaming Dexter we first meet our favorite Sociopath. I have to say that I don't think he's quite as lovable in the books as he is in the show. The books are a bit darker, I think. The first book has the same basic plot as the first season of the TV show: The Ice Truck Killer. Things end differently though. A lot differently. People die in the book that are still alive much later in the television series. I give the first book in the Dexter series an 8 of 10.

In the second book in this series, Dearly Devoted Dexter, things veer sharply away from the television plotlines. I think that is probably because the subject matter in book two is too dark for the television show. There is a monster loose in Miami who does not kill people, he does something much worse. He cuts off arms, legs, genitals, eyelids, and tongue. He does it over a long period of time (sometimes cutting off toes, then feet, then up to the knees, then at the hip). And he keeps his victims alive (and awake) throughout the process. I give the second book in this series a 9 of 10.

The third book, Dexter in the Dark, is (gasp) an Urban Fantasy, drawing on ancient mythos, and bringing them into the present. I had no idea that this series was going to head off into areas that I happen to like. While most of the reviewers at Amazon seem to hate this book, I liked it. Mostly. Dexter in the Dark once again veers sharply away from the television series. I don't really like the Rita in the books, but I love her kids. I'm actually a bit disappointed that the television show didn't pick up on the mentor thing. I give Dexter in the Dark an 8 of 10.

The fourth book of this series, Dexter by Design, brings us back to the Dexter of books one and two. Well, except he's married now. I really do not like the book Rita, and I'm not sure if that's the author's intention or not. The storyline in this fourth book deals a bit more with Deb and with Dexter's feelings about Deb - I like that Deb knows about Dexter in the books, and I have to wonder if the TV series is ever going to take us there. I enjoyed the travel and the experiences, and felt the pacing and plotline were very well done. This one gets a 9 of 10 from me.

I will give the Dexter series so far a 9 of 10.

The fifth book in the series, Dexter Is Delicious, is due out in September of 2010. There is a blurb for it already:

Everything's changing for our friendly neighborhood serial killer. As if getting married wasn't enough to complete his nice-guy persona, Dex is now the proud father of a baby girl.

And disconcertingly, he actually seems to care. But even if fatherhood is distracting Dexter from his midnight excursions to rid Miami of a few more lowlifes, there's no let-up at work.

Two young girls are missing - and it's not long before one of the bodies turns up, partially eaten. But as Dexter and Miami PD's finest investigate, Dex can't shake the feeling that somebody's watching him... And at home, there's no rest for the wicked.

His stepchildren are clamouring to learn how to control their bloodlust, and Dexter must train up his young apprentices. But to do that, he'll have to find the missing girl, find out who's tailing him, and survive a dark journey into an underground community that really has a taste for death.

Cannibalism. It sounds to me like things are only going to get darker.

Now if I could just get a blurb for Season Five of Dexter.


1. Darkly Dreaming Dexter 8 of 10
2. Dearly Devoted Dexter 9 of 10
3. Dexter in the Dark 8 of 10
4. Dexter by Design 9 of 10
5. Dexter Is Delicious (coming September 2010)

Lay Down My Sword and Shield by James Lee Burke

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. It is part of a series, the next book is Rain Gods, due out in May of this year. However, Lay Down My Sword and Shield is not a book I would have chosen to read. It was not an entertaining read, nor a pleasant read.

The author is talented - the prose is beautiful where it is supposed to be beautiful, and ugly where it is supposed to be ugly. The voice is comfortable and fairly easy to read. But there really isn't that much of a plot here, it mostly just rambles around. Even with the rambling, the pacing wasn't all that bad. Like I said, I can tell this is a talented author. But this book just didn't work for me.

Who do I think would like Lay Down My Sword and Shield? I think if you are interested in the conditions during the Vietnam war, if you are interested in the differences in Class distinctions, or if you enjoy reading about people who follow society's expectations and are miserable for it, then you might enjoy Lay Down My Sword and Shield. I had to skim through some of the Prisoner of War stuff because I didn't want some of that snaking it's way into my nightmares. I can handle fantasy horror, but true life horror doesn't work well for me. If it does for you, then you'd like this book.

Before I read the epilogue I would have given the book a 4 of 10. The epilogue raises it to a 5 of 10. If you start reading the book and realize you don't want to finish it - at least read the epilogue at the end. Actually, perhaps the last 20 or so pages and then the epilogue. I didn't much like Hack through most of the book... but then, I don't think he liked himself very much, either. I think he finds a way to like himself in the end, so I'm glad I stuck it out to find that, if it's not a totally happy ending, it does show that life goes on and things can be better.

Book Rating: Lay Down My Sword and Shield: 5 of 10

Again, I will give the caveat that some people will like this book. The author is a talented author, and it's possible I would enjoy him telling a different story. But I didn't care for this particular story.

Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter Book 2) by Nalini Singh

I've been looking forward to Archange's Kiss, and as always, Nalina Singh did not let me down.

We watch Elena as she regains her strength, as she learns to fight as an angel, as she learns to deal with having wings. Apparently, there is a lot more to this wing thing than I'd thought about. First, there are all of these brand new muscles she has to learn to control, and she has to build those muscles up, too. Then, she has to learn to draw a knife without cutting herself. She has to learn to roll on the ground (to get away from, say, a knife thrown at her, or a bolt shot out of a crossbow) without hurting her wings. We also get to watch her learn to fly.

And we get to watch her and Raphael figure out their relationship. Raphael is used to always getting his way, Elena isn't about to roll over and let him be her master. But Raphael is used to being "Master" or "Sire" over everyone under him. Elena's response? "I'd rather die as Elena than live as a Shadow".

There are several plots running through this novel, and most of them get tied up neatly by the end of the book. Of course, there are a few loose ends, if there weren't then we wouldn't look forward to what happens next. But for the most part, I like that Ms. Singh neatly ends her books, with no major cliffhangers.

We also meet more of Raphael's trusted people, some of them like Elena but many of them think Raphael would be safer if she were dead. She is a weakness to an Archangel who previously had no weaknesses. They can't kill her because of their loyalty to Raphael, but some of them are charged with teaching her to fight immortals, and those sparring matches were pretty interesting with the added irony. It would have been simpler (and would have kept Raphael safer) to kill her, or to let her be killed. But they had to teach her to fight, and they had to act as bodyguards at times, because Raphael very much wanted her alive. So, while their loyalty to him made them want her dead, their loyalty to Raphael also made them have to teach her to fight, and to help keep her alive when danger was present. I think she won a few of them over during the course of the book... but probably not all of them.

I loved the descriptions of The Forbidden City in Beijing. I've been there, as a tourist, but the idea... no, the fantasy... of attending a ball there, of having your own quarters and staying there a few days... that was a nice fantasy. (Or it would be if there weren't so many people wanting you dead.) I had actually hoped we'd see just a bit more of Beijing, but that's okay, the story line didn't really need for them to wander around the city. I'm not thrilled that Beijing was destroyed, "just a memory". I have friends there. But, this is fiction, so we'll all survive. (Select the spoiler text to view it. It's just a minor spoiler, not a major one, but still.)

I rated Angel's Kiss a 10 of 10, and I gave the short story, Angel's Judgment (in Must Love Hellhounds) a 10 of 10. I've wavered back and forth between a 9 and a 10 for Archangel's Kiss, and in the end I think it gets a 10 of 10, in part for the lighthearted moments we are gifted with. And in part because so many of the characters are so multidimensional. We are given such glimpses into even some of the minor characters, that they become more real to us. Nalina Singh is such a gifted author and storyteller. I can't wait for the next installment of the Guild Hunter series. Unfortunately, we do not know when that will be. The author's website does say there will be a #3 and a #4, but they are apparently unnamed at this point, with no scheduled release date.

So, we'll have to make due with the next Psy/Changelings book, Bonds of Justice, due in July.

I have a feeling that at some point each of Raphael's Seven will probably each get their own book. I hope that we continue to get Elena and Raphael stories, but as intrigued as I am with the secondary characters we've met, I wouldn't mind seeing more of their stories, either. But, I'm really interested in seeing how Elena continues to grow and change as she gains Angelic powers. I want to see her hold onto her humanity as she becomes more of an Angel. I want to see how she and Raphael grow and change together.

Book Rating: Archangel's Kiss: 10 of 10
Series Rating: Guild Hunter: 10 of 1o




1. Angels' Blood
*. Must Love Hellhounds (short story: Angels' Judgment) (Sept 09)
2. Archangel's Kiss (Feb 2010)

Review: Flirt (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 16.5) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Flirt has been billed as another in-between-novella, and has been compared to Micah. I'm not sure that's terribly accurate. I'm pretty sure you could skip the Micah novella and not be lost in the series. But if you don't read Flirt then I think you're going to be wondering about a few pretty important things when Bullet comes out.

I am not part of the crowd that thinks the Anita Blake books all went in the crapper years ago. The only book so far that I absolutely didn't like was Micah. There have been a few others that I didn't love, but none besides Micah that I'd say I felt like I'd wasted my time by reading them.

I'm still figuring out how I feel about Flirt. There were a few things that got on my nerves this time, kind of a same-old-same-old annoyance, but that doesn't mean it wasn't an entertaining read. There is not much sex in this one, but lots of very detailed sex has never really bothered me. Maybe what is bothering me is that this plot felt so contrived? I mean, plots are contrived, but I guess this one just felt a bit too contrived.

One positive thing, it seems Anita is getting better and better at not fighting her powers. She's been her own worst enemy at times in the past, so it was a little refreshing that in Flirt she has no problems using her powers as a tool, and she doesn't feel guilty about it later. Also, a big plus for this book: No Richard. I seriously wish he could die and be put out of our misery at this point. Either that or make him grow the hell up.

To look at the mechanics of the book for a minute, the dialogue was good and the pacing was good, but as I said earlier the plot felt too mechanical. I'm used to plots that come out of left field and slap you upside the head from Ms. Hamilton, but this plot was pretty textbook.

Without giving spoilers, I will say that there has been kind of a loose end flying in the wind for years now, and I'm thinking that we're finally about to see that loose end tied off. I don't know that we'll like the way it gets tied off, but the events of this book bring it back into focus, and since I've really wanted that particular loose end dealt with, I'm really interested in seeing what happens in Bullet.

So now the big question: What do I rate Flirt? I have to be honest and say I don't think this 192 page book is worth the $12.00 price tag Amazon is currently selling it for, and certainly not the $23.95 list price. Is it wrong that I feel like I could rate it one point higher if this were a $7.00 paperback? I don't know, I just feel like, for the price they are asking, they are claiming it's a much better (and longer) book than it really is. I'm going to give the book a 5 of 10. But I will leave the series at a 9 of 10.

Book Rating: Flirt: 5 of 10
Series Rating: Anita Blake: 9 of 10

The worldbuilding, the complexity of the relationships, the complexity of the metaphysics - all of these things make this a really interesting series. Some of the books are better than others though, and this one was not one of the best.

I currently have Flirt listed as 16.5 in the series, even though Amazon is listing it as book 18. I've done that based on some thinks LKH has stated on her blog, but if it looks like everyone is going to settle on this being a part of the series and not just an in-between book then obviously I'll have to change that.


1. Guilty Pleasures
2. The Laughing Corpse
3. Circus of the Damned
4. The Lunatic Cafe
5. Bloody Bones
6. The Killing Dance
7. Burnt Offerings
8. Blue Moon
9. Obsidian Butterfly
10. Narcissus in Chains
11. Cerulean Sins
12. Incubus Dreams
12.5. Micah
13. Danse Macabre
14. The Harlequin
15. Blood Noir (2008)
16. Skin Trade (2009)
16.5 Flirt (Feb 2010)
17. Bullet (June 2010)

Anxiously Awaiting as of early February 2010

February has a whole lot of books I'm really excited about: Archangel's Kiss, Flirt, First Drop of Crimson, and Black Magic Sanction. March and April look pretty promising, too.

02/02/10 Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter, Bk 2) Nalini Singh
02/02/10 Flirt (Anita Blake novella) by Laurell K Hamilton
02/02/10 Laced with Desire (Anth) by Jaci Burton, Jasmine Haynes, Joey W. Hill, etc.
02/09/10 First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, Bk 1) Jeaniene Frost
02/12/10 Branded Sanctuary (Nature of Desire series) by Joey W. Hill
02/23/10 Black Magic Sanction (The Hollows Rachel Morgan, Book 8) by Kim Harrison
03/02/10 Roadkill (Cal Leandros book 5) by Rob Thurman
03/09/10 Werewolf Smackdown (Felix Gomez 5) Mario Acevedo
03/16/10 The Spellmans Strike Again (Spellman Files, Book 4) Lisa Lutz
03/16/10 Voices of Dragons (new YA series) by Carrie Vaughn
03/16/10 Warriors (Anthology) George RR Martin, Carrie Vaughn, etc
03/30/10 Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, Book 5) Patricia Briggs
04/06/10 Crimes by Moonlight (Anthology) edited by Charlaine Harris
04/06/10 Changes (Dresden Files book 12) Jim Butcher
04/06/10 A Witch In Time (Bewitching Mysteries Book 6) by Madelyn Alt
04/13/10 Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong
04/20/10 Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely Book 4) Melissa Marr
04/27/10 Chaos Bites (Phoenix Chronicles, Bk 4) Lori Handeland
05/04/10 Vampire Mistress (Vampire Queen, Book 5) by Joey W. Hill
05/04/10 Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse Bk 10) by Charlaine Harris
05/25/10 Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels Book 4) by Ilona Andrews
05/25/10 Moon Sworn (Riley Jensen Bk9) by Keri Arthur
05/29/10 Running with the Pack (Anth) by Carrie Vaughn, Laura Anne Gilman, C. E. Murphy
05/??/10 Mercy Burns (Myth & Magic Bk 2) by Keri Arthur
06/01/10 Bullet (Anita Blake Book 18) by Laurell K Hamilton
06/08/10 Infinity (Chronicles of Nick Book 1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
06/22/10 Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum 16), by Janet Evanovich
07/06/10 A Glimpse of Evil (Abby Cooper Bk 8) by Victoria Laurie
07/06/10 Bonds of Justice (Psy/Changeling #8) (Max's Book) by Nalini Singh
07/06/10 Undead and Unfinished (Queen Betsy book 9) by MaryJanice Davidson
07/27/10 Eternal Kiss of Darkness, Mencheres' book (Night Huntress World, #2) Jeaniene Frost
08/03/10 Waking the Witch (Savannah) (Women/Otherworld Bk 11) Kelley Armstrong
08/03/10 Death's Excellent Vacation (Anth) by Charlaine Harris, Jeaniene Frost, Greg Herren, etc.
08/03/10 Burning Up (Anth) Nalini Singh, Angela Knight, Virginia Kantra, Meljean Brook
08/03/10 No Mercy (Dark Hunters #19) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
08/??/10 unnamed Between the Numbers (Stephanie Plum) by Janet Evanovich
10/??/10 Bayou Moon (The Edge series Book 2), by Ilona Andrews
FALL/10 Vicious Grace (Black Sun's Daughter Book 3) by M.L.N. Hanover
11/??/10 Psy/Changeling #9 (Indigo's Book) by Nalini Singh
??/??/?? Supernaturals on Vacation (Anthology)
Spring/11 (Mercy Thompson, Book 6) Patricia Briggs
??/??/11 Psy/Changeling #10 (Hawke's book) by Nalini Singh
FALL/11 Alpha and Omega series, Book 3 Patricia Briggs
??/??/?? Not That Innocent (Anthlgy) Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kresley Cole...
??/??/12 Unnamed Jaime story (Women/Otherworld Bk 13) Kelley Armstrong


Not all of the series I keep up with have another book listed as coming out. The authors have stated there will be more, but to my knowledge they haven't said when, or given a title name. I've listed those series below.

* Caruthers Sisters series by Candace Havens
* Nightcreature / Moon series by Lori Handeland
* Delilah Street by Carole Nelson Douglas
* Meredith Gentry series by Laurell K Hamilton
* Succubus Diaries by Jill Myles
* Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn
* Immortals after Dark series by Kresley Cole

Below are series I follow, but it is unclear whether there will be more books in the series:

* Bronwyn the Witch series by Candace Havens
* Nadia Stafford series by Kelley Armstrong
* Daughters of Arianne series by Joey W. Hill

You can read an excerpt of many of these books, to see my list of excerpts please go here. Or if you arrived on the main page, it's the post right below this one.

If someone wants to send me an ARC of one of the books on my Anxiously Awaiting list, I will read it within a day or two of it arriving (assuming I'm home and I'm not sick or anything), and will get a blog post up of it as soon as I've finished reading it. You may send me a digital version at chained lightning at g mail dot com, or to send a hard copy you may contact me at that email address to ask for a shipping address. If you have an ARC you would like to send that is not on my Anxiously Awaiting list I will attempt to read and review it in a timely manner but it may not be placed topmost in my TBR pile. Feel free to email me to see if I'd be interested in reading something, as well. I've found a few authors that way that I may not have read had I not received a review copy from the publisher. And now I'm hooked on a few of those series, just waiting for the next book.

* Excerpts, First Chapters, and Sneak Peeks

Some of the books on my Anxiously Awaiting list have excerpts available at the author's or publisher's websites.

* Chapter 1 of Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter, Bk 2) Nalini Singh 2/2
* Excerpt of Flirt (Anita Blake novella) by Laurell K Hamilton 02/02
* Excerpt, excerpt, and excerpt of Laced with Desire (Anth) by Jaci Burton, Jasmine Haynes, Joey W. Hill, etc. 02/02
* Snippet and first 20% of First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, Bk 1) Jeaniene Frost 2/9
* Excerpt of Branded Sanctuary (Nature of Desire series) by Joey W. Hill 2/12
* Excerpt of Black Magic Sanction (Hollows / Rachel Morgan, Bk 8) by Kim Harrison 2/23
* Chapter 1 of Werewolf Smackdown (Felix Gomez 5) Mario Acevedo 3/9
* Chapter 1 of Voices of Dragons (new YA series) by Carrie Vaughn 3/16
* Excerpt and excerpt of Warriors (Anthology) George RR Martin, Carrie Vaughn, etc. 3/16
* Prologue, Chapter 2, & trailers of Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely Bk 4) Melissa Marr 4/20
* Chapter 1 (pdf form) of Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse #10) by Charlaine Harris 5/4
* Excerpt of Vampire Mistress (Vampire Queen, Book 5) by Joey W. Hill 5/4
* Prologue of Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels Book 4) by Ilona Andrews 5/25
* Excerpt of Infinity (Chronicles of Nick Book 1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon 6/8
* Excerpt of Bonds of Justice (Psy/Changeling #8) (Max's Book) by Nalini Singh 7/6
* Snippet, Snippet, Snippet, Snippet, Cover, and Discussion of Bayou Moon (The Edge series Book 2), by Ilona Andrews

Rob Thurman's site says that she will post an excerpt to Roadkill (Cal Leandros book 5) on her Livejournal page on February 1st. Book release 3/2.

Lisa Lutz has a blurb up for The Spellmans Strike Again (Spellman Files, Book 4). Book release 3/6.

Patricia Briggs generally puts excerpts up before books are published, but she doesn't have the excerpt up yet for Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, Book 5) at her website. Based on what she's done in the past, there should be one any day now. Book release 3/30.

Jim Butcher has a page up for Changes, (Dresden Files book 12), no blurb or excerpt yet but you can see the cover. Book release 4/6.

Lori Handeland has a page up for Chaos Bites, hopefully she'll post an excerpt in the near future, until then, there is a blurb up at the MacMillan site. Book release 4/27.

Keri Arthur has a page up for Moon Sworn (Riley Jensen Bk 9), but so far there is only an image of the cover. Just knowing the title of this book kind of gives us an idea of what may happen, though. Book Release 5/25.

The Ilona Andrews writing team does not yet have a page up for Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels Book 4). However, they talk about what is in the book here and here, and they give us a teeny little snippet here. Book Release 5/25.

Janet Evanovich's website says they will begin posting excerpts to Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum 16) on March 1st. Book release 6/22.

Kelley Armstrong has a page up for Waking the Witch (Savannah story, Women/Otherworld Bk 11), so far there is just a blurb and cover art. Book Release 8/3.


In case you haven't read them yet, there are also some excerpts up for books released in 2009, and so far in 2010:

* Chapter 1 of At Grave's End (Night Huntress, 3) Jeaniene Frost, 12/30/08
* Excerpt of Kiss of a Demon King (Immortals after Dark, 6) Kresley Cole 1/20
* Excerpt of Kitty & the Dead Man's Hand (Kitty Norville, 5) Carrie Vaughn, 1/27
* Excerpt of Men of the Otherworld Kelley Armstrong, 1/27
* 1st chapter of Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson, Bk 4) Patricia Briggs, 2/3
* 3 chapters of Made to Be Broken (Nadia Stafford) Kelley Armstrong, 2/24
* Excerpt of White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison, 02/24
* Excerpt of Kitty Raises Hell (Kitty Norville, 6) Carrie Vaughn, 2/24
* Excerpt of Jailbait Zombie (Felix Gomez) Mario Acevedo, 2/24
* Excerpt of Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter, Bk 1) Nalini Singh, 03/03
* Excerpt of Deadly Desire (Riley Jensen, 7) Keri Arthur 03/24
* Excerpt of Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, 3) Ilona Andrews, 03/31
* Five chapters of Turn Coat (Dresden Files, 11) Jim Butcher 04/07
* 2 chapters of Curse the Dawn (Cassandra Palmer, 4) Karen Chance, 4/7
* Excerpt of Doomsday Can Wait (Phoenix Chronicles, Bk 2) Lori Handeland 4/28
* Chapter One of Skin Trade (Anita Blake) Laurel K Hamilton, 6/2
* Excerpt of Undead and Unwelcome (Queen Betsy, Bk 8) MaryJanice Davidson 6/2
* Excerpt of Finger Lickin' Fifteen (Stephanie Plum) Janet Evanovich 6/23
* Excerpt 1 and Excerpt 2 of Branded by Fire (Psy-Changelings), Nalini Singh, 7/7
* 1st chapter of Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, Bk 4) Jeanine Frost 7/28
* Excerpt of Bad Moon Rising (Dark Hunter Series) Sherrilyn Kenyon, 8/4
* Excerpt of Beloved Vampire (Vampire Queen) Joey W. Hill, 8/4
* First two chapters of Hunting Ground (Alpha & Omega, Bk 2) Patricia Briggs, 8/25
* Excerpt, excerpt, & excerpt - Must Love Hellhounds (Anth) Ilona Andrews, Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh 9/1
* First chapter of On the Edge (The Edge bk 1) Ilona Andrews, 9/29
* Prologue, Chapters One & Two of Frostbitten (Otherworld) Kelley Armstrong, 10/27
* Excerpt of Bound to Shadows (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 8) Keri Arthur 10/27
* Excerpt of A Deep Kiss of Winter (Anthology) Kresley Cole, Gena Showalter, 10/13
* Excerpt of Blaze of Memory (Psy-Changelings, Dev's book), Nalini Singh 11/3
* Excerpt of Skin Game by Ava Gray, 11/03
* Excerpt of A Mermaid's Ransom (Daughters of Arianne Bk 3) Joey W Hill 12/1
* Chapter 1 (pdf) of Divine Misdemeanors (Meredith Gentry #8) Laurell K. Hamilton 12/8
* Excerpt of Kitty's House of Horrors (Kitty Norville Bk 7) by Carrie Vaughn 1/4/10

Succubi Like It Hot (Succubus Diaries #2) by Jill Myles

Book two of the Succubus Diaries, Succubi Like it Hot, continues shortly after the ending of of the first book, Gentlemen Prefer Succubi. Jackie has had a few more weeks to get used to being a succubus, and she's switching out the days and nights with her two guys. Life seems to be going pretty good. But then:

With a hot new figure, her dream job as an archaeologist, and two gorgeous boyfriends to scratch her seductive Itch -- an angel and a vampire -- Jackie Brighton is totally getting the hang of life as a succubus. Then she accidentally knocks the pizza guy unconscious with her touch. Great -- she's cursed. After striking a deal to get the curse lifted by a crafty demon, Jackie and her best friend Remy take a road trip to deliver a cryptic message to the nation's oldest succubus. Unfortunately, neither of her jealous lovers is talking to Jackie right now, and due to the curse, she's desperate to get her Itch scratched very soon. Their journey gets weirder with every mile -- demonic possession, a charming stalker, a cryptic warning -- and when they get to New Orleans, Jackie discovers a dangerous catch to her supernatural bargain. Someone wants her dead -- again. Can a brainy vixen in a miniskirt outsmart the forces of evil?

The pacing in Succubi Like it Hot is again done really well, the dialogue is good, and the plot is good. Not as good as the first book, but this was still a very entertaining book. I can see that there are things we haven't learned yet, quite a few things about Noah, and some more things about Zane (though we learn a few things of interest about him in this book). We've been told in both books that they have a history with each other that they aren't telling Jackie, and I find it interesting that they've both taken to calling her Princess as a nickname.

We are given an excerpt from the third (apparently unnamed) book in the series at the end of Succubi Like it Hot. I think that some of this is going to go more into romance than action in the future, so we'll have to see how that plays out.

I will give Succubi Like it Hot a 9 of 10. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite as good as the first book.

Book Rating: Succubi Like it Hot: 9 of 10
Series Rating: Succubus Diaries: 9 of 19

I will be keeping an eye out for book three.

Gentlemen Prefer Succubi (Succubus Diaries #1) by Jill Myles

Were it not for the offer of Gentlemen Prefer Succubi for a blog tour, I'm not sure I'd have read this book. The cover and the title combined make you think this is a lighthearted romance, and this book is not a lighthearted romance. It's an urban fantasy with worldbuilding that is really well done. The author has drawn from biblical and Egyptian histories and myths (oh, and a bit of apocrypha) to create a world that makes sense, so you can see that this is a (fantasy) reality that could be believable based on the mythologies that are out there.

The basics to this world include angels, fallen angels, vampires (fallen angels who have made a deal with the devil, sort of), and demons (though we haven't met any demons yet, that appears to come in book two). And amongst the immortal (well, sort of immortal) we have succubi. I say sort of immortal because a succubi is created, and if her creators die, then she dies. Or, if she refuses to "feed" (have sex on a very regular basis), then she can die. Other than that? Stuff can hurt her, but apparently can't kill her.

That feeding thing? What happens when a human who is a prude gets turned into a succubus who has to have a whole lot of sex? Well, that's pretty much what happens here. Which means our main character, Jackie, doesn't jump into bed with everyone right off the bat. It also means when she does jump into bed with someone, she feels bad about it. But, once she starts getting the hang of things, she stops beating herself up over it. Jackie is nothing like Anita Blake. Nothing at all. And I know that's what people will think when they hear "has to have sex or she dies", and I suppose there was that danger there, but the author has successfully sidestepped the danger, and this storyline and character steer a good ways away from the the other one.

Which brings me to a discussion of how the sex is handled... and that is, quite well. Some of the sex scenes are glossed over, but others give us a very descriptive play by play that is smokin'. But, the book is not mostly about sex. I didn't do a page count, but I'd guess the sex takes up maybe 10% or less of the book. The book is mainly about a woman who is turned into a succubus without knowing it, and then who is used as a pawn by the angels and vampires. She has a fallen angel and another succubus in her corner, but she's still mostly in a pretty tight spot while she's trying to figure out the "rules" to her new body and her new life.

So don't let the cover and the title fool you: This is not a lighthearted romance. There is some romance in the book, but the parts of the book that reeled me in were the worldbuilding and the plot.

Gentlemen Prefer Succubi has great dialogue, a nice plot with appropriate twists and turns, good sex, solid worldbuilding, and perfect pacing. I give it a 10 of 10.

Book Rating: Gentlemen Prefer Succubi: 10 of 10

The minute I finished Gentlemen Prefer Succubi I went onto Amazon's site and ordered Succubi like it Hot. I can't wait for it to arrive. The author's blog says she's still working on book three, which means it's going to be a while before we see the third book.

Scarpetta series Books 15-17 by Patricia Cornwell

I have gone from really enjoying this series, to being glad I've read the last book. When another is released I do not believe I will buy it. If someone else offers it to me to borrow, I'll read it, but I won't buy another one. The first books were incredibly well done. And the last two books in the series were getting close to the enjoyment level of those first books. But, not enough to make me anticipate the release of the next book.

I said in my last review of this series that I wasn't convinced that these books are being written by the same author who wrote the first four books of the series. The voice is different, the dialogue is different, the plots aren't anywhere near as well thought out, the procedures aren't being handled the same way within the text... they don't feel like the same series. Is that because the author has changed so much in the time since she wrote the first book? Probably.


Book Rating: Book of the Dead: 7 of 10
Book Rating: Scarpetta: 7 of 10
Book Rating: The Scarpetta Factor: 8 of 10

Series Rating: Kay Scarpetta Series: 6 of 10

As you can see, these latter books are getting higher ratings than some of the previous books in the series. But I didn't raise the series rating. Considering that the first six books in the series had five 9's and one 8 - that tells you that the series has gone through some drastic changes.

I do enjoy reading about how computers are being used to solve crimes. I've also enjoyed reading about various other crime fighting tools. And I love that Ms. Cornwell sometimes makes people's names fit their profession, and how Marino always points that out. There are parts of the books that I really enjoy. Unfortunately, the storytelling part has changed, and that's a pretty big part of why we buy books.. the author's voice, the character's dialogue, how many "threads" we are expected to keep up with at once. I suppose it's a given that as an author grows and changes that her work will as well. I've seen it with the Anita Blake series and with the Stephanie Plum series, too. Of course, I'm mostly okay with the changes in the Anita Blake series... but the Stephanie Plum series has gone from funny to silly, which hasn't worked for me. So, I guess it's just one of those things: Any series that spans 15 or 20 years of an author's life is going to go through changes, because the author is not the same person now that he or she was 15 or 20 years ago.


1 and 2. The Scarpetta Collection Volume I: Postmortem and Body of Evidence
3 and 4. Scarpetta Collection Volume II: All That Remains and Cruel & Unusual
5. The Body Farm
6. From Potter's Field
7. Cause of Death
8. Unnatural Exposure
9. Point of Origin
10.Black Notice
11.The Last Precinct
12.Blow Fly
13.Trace
14.Predator
15.Book of the Dead
16.Scarpetta
17.The Scarpetta Factor

Vampire Sunset (Delilah Street Bk 3) by Carole Nelson Davis

Vampire Sunset is the third Delilah Street book by Carole Nelson Davis. The second book, Brimstone Kiss, left us with a huge cliffhanger that really bothered me. It felt like she didn't finish the book, and I don't like it when an author does that. So, I waited a while to read the third book, as I wanted to make sure we weren't going to be left with another cliff hanger like that.

Once I decided to read it, I enjoyed Vampire Sunset. There are still some pacing issues, and some places where the writing is a touch awkward, but all in all, it was an entertaining book.

Here's the blurb:

WHEN THE STAKES ARE DEAD -- OR UNDEAD!

Werewolf mobsters and vampires run Vegas, but that's yesterday's news for Delilah Street, paranormal investigator. What's truly fearsome is her bloody discovery of an undead evil rooted in ancient Egypt. Now, with her lover Ric fighting for life after a grim battle, the chips are down.

But Delilah is a born winner who has never let a little danger throw off her game, and she's been learning fast since she came to Sin City. Her affinity for silver is making mirror-walking a real breeze, and being forced to accept the albino rock star sorcerer Snow's Brimstone Kiss has ramped up her powers to a startling new level. With the help of her trusty uber-wolfhound Quicksilver, not to mention the orange demon parking valet Manny, Delilah is determined to solve even more paranormal secrets, and hopefully save the few innocents left in town. But can Delilah win her high-stakes gamble for life and love against ancient gods and lethal supernatural odds?

I'm not sure the blurb actually tells us much of what happens in the book. I will say that some of it is far out there, even for something in the Urban Fantasy genre - but that's okay. It's a very different perspective on the genre, and I've enjoyed the concepts that the author explores.

Vampire Sunrise doesn't give us a whole lot of answers. We learn more about Ric's childhood, but we don't learn much more about Snow, and the breadcrumbs we pick up about Lilith don't really tell us anything, either. The plot is not a plot just for this book, it's a continuation of the same plot from previous books. In fact, these three books seem to me to be one book in three parts, more than three books. And it's possible that the next book will make it seem like one book in four parts.

I've given this series a 5 of 10 in the past. I'll give Vampire Sunset a 7 of 10, and I'll raise the series rating to a 6 of 10.

Book Rating: Vampire Sunset: 7 of 10
Series Rating: Delilah Street: 6 of 10







1. Dancing with Werewolves
2. Brimstone Kiss
3. Vampire Sunrise (Nov 24, '09)

Kitty's House of Horrors (Kitty Norville, Book 7) by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty's House of Horrors, the 7th book in the Kitty Norville series, is very aptly named. This book would make a nice horror movie. I hate horror movies, but I liked this book. Maybe it's because there was no suspenseful music?

I believe that Kitty's House of Horrors is setting us up for a longer plot arc that will likely span several books. The stage is being set for an eventual showdown, one that is probably many books away.

Kitty spends most of her time away from Ben in this book, which means there is almost no relationship stuff going on.

Before I get too much further, here's the blurb:

REALITY BITES Talk radio host and werewolf Kitty Norville has agreed to appear on TV's first all-supernatural reality show. She's expecting cheesy competitions and manufactured drama starring shapeshifters, vampires, and psychics. But what begins as a publicity stunt will turn into a fight for her life. The cast members, including Kitty, arrive at the remote mountain lodge where the show is set. As soon as filming starts, violence erupts and Kitty suspects that the show is a cover for a nefarious plot.

Nefarious plot, indeed. As is always the case with the Kitty books, this was an entertaining read. Pacing was mostly good, dialogue was good, funny moments were great, horrific moments were suitably horrific.

I'm giving Kitty's House of Horrors an 8 of 10, and the series will stay at a 9 of 10 for me. I have high hopes for the next book, as something happens at the end of House of Horrors that sets us up for some interesting stuff in future books.

Book Rating: Kitty's House of Horrors: 8 of 10
Series Rating: Kitty Norville Series: 9 of 10





1. Kitty and the Midnight Hour (2005)
2. Kitty Goes to Washington (2006)
3. Kitty Takes a Holiday (2007)
4. Kitty and the Silver Bullet (2008)
5. Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand (January 2009)
6. Kitty Raises Hell (February 2009)
7. Kitty's House of Horrors (2010)

* Anxiously Awaiting as of early January 2010

The next book I'm super excited about is Kitty's House of Horrors that releases next week. And then February has a whole lot of books I'm really excited about: Archangel's Kiss, Flirt, First Drop of Crimson, and Black Magic Sanction. February will be good.

01/04/10 Kitty's House of Horrors (Kitty Norville Bk 7) by Carrie Vaughn
01/05/10 Inked (Anth) by Karen Chance, Marjorie M. Liu, Yasmine Galenorn
01/19/10 Pleasure of a Dark Prince (Immortals after Dark) Kresley Cole
02/02/10 Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunter, Bk 2) Nalini Singh
02/02/10 Flirt (Anita Blake novella) by Laurell K Hamilton
02/02/10 Laced with Desire (Anth) by Jaci Burton, Jasmine Haynes, Joey W. Hill, etc.
02/09/10 First Drop of Crimson (Night Huntress World, Bk 1) Jeaniene Frost
02/23/10 Black Magic Sanction (The Hollows Rachel Morgan, Book 8) by Kim Harrison
03/02/10 Roadkill (Cal Leandros book 5) by Rob Thurman
03/09/10 Werewolf Smackdown (Felix Gomez 5) Mario Acevedo
03/16/10 The Spellmans Strike Again (Spellman Files, Book 4) Lisa Lutz
03/16/10 Voices of Dragons (new YA series) by Carrie Vaughn
03/16/10 Warriors (Anthology) George RR Martin, Carrie Vaughn, etc
03/30/10 Silver Borne (Mercy Thompson, Book 5) Patricia Briggs
04/06/10 Crimes by Moonlight (Anthology) edited by Charlaine Harris
04/06/10 Changes (Dresden Files book 12) Jim Butcher
04/06/10 A Witch In Time (Bewitching Mysteries Book 6) by Madelyn Alt
04/13/10 Tales of the Otherworld by Kelley Armstrong
04/20/10 Radiant Shadows (Wicked Lovely Book 4) Melissa Marr
04/27/10 Chaos Bites, (Phoenix Chronicles, Bk 4) Lori Handeland
05/04/10 Vampire Mistress (Vampire Queen, Book 5) by Joey W. Hill
05/04/10 Dead in the Family (Sookie Stackhouse Bk 10) by Charlaine Harris
05/25/10 Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels Book 4) by Ilona Andrews
05/25/10 Moon Sworn (Riley Jensen Bk9) by Keri Arthur
05/29/10 Running with the Pack (Anth) by Carrie Vaughn, Laura Anne Gilman, C. E. Murphy
05/??/10 Mercy Burns (Myth & Magic Bk 2) by Keri Arthur
06/01/10 Bullet (Anita Blake Book 18) by Laurell K Hamilton
06/08/10 Infinity (Chronicles of Nick Book 1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
06/22/10 Sizzling Sixteen (Stephanie Plum 16), by Janet Evanovich
07/06/10 A Glimpse of Evil (Abby Cooper Bk 8) by Victoria Laurie
07/06/10 Bonds of Justice (Psy/Changeling #8) (Max's Book) by Nalini Singh
07/06/10 Undead and Unfinished (Queen Betsy book 9) by MaryJanice Davidson
07/27/10 Eternal Kiss of Darkness, Mencheres' book (Night Huntress World, #2) Jeaniene Frost
08/03/10 Waking the Witch (Savannah) (Women/Otherworld Bk 11) Kelley Armstrong
08/03/10 Death's Excellent Vacation (Anth) by Charlaine Harris, Jeaniene Frost, Greg Herren, etc.
08/03/10 Burning Up (Anth) Nalini Singh, Angela Knight, Virginia Kantra, Meljean Brook
08/03/10 No Mercy (Dark Hunters #19) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
08/??/10 Alpha and Omega series, Book 3 Patricia Briggs
08/??/10 unnamed Between the Numbers (Stephanie Plum) by Janet Evanovich
09/??/10 On the Edge series Book 2, by Ilona Andrews
FALL/10 Vicious Grace (Black Sun's Daughter Book 3) by M.L.N. Hanover
11/??/10 Psy/Changeling #9 (Indigo's Book) by Nalini Singh
??/??/?? Supernaturals on Vacation (Anthology)
??/??/11 Psy/Changeling #10(Hawke's book?) by Nalini Singh
??/??/?? Not That Innocent (Anthlgy) Sherrilyn Kenyon, Kresley Cole...
??/??/12 Unnamed Jaime story (Women/Otherworld Bk 13) Kelley Armstrong


Not all of the series I keep up with have another book listed as coming out. The authors have stated there will be more, but to my knowledge they haven't said when, or given a title name. I've listed those series below.

* Caruthers Sisters series by Candace Havens
* Nightcreature / Moon series by Lori Handeland
* Delilah Street by Carole Nelson Douglas
* Meredith Gentry series by Laurell K Hamilton

Below are series I follow, but it is unclear whether there will be more books in the series:

* Bronwyn the Witch series by Candace Havens
* Nadia Stafford series by Kelley Armstrong
* Daughters of Arianne series by Joey W. Hill

You can read an excerpt of many of these books, to see my list of excerpts please go here.

If someone wants to send me an ARC of one of the books on my Anxiously Awaiting list, I will read it within a day or two of it arriving (assuming I'm home and I'm not sick or anything), and will get a blog post up of it as soon as I've finished reading it. You may send me a digital version at chained lightning at g mail dot com, or to send a hard copy you may contact me at that email address to ask for a shipping address. If you have an ARC you would like to send that is not on my Anxiously Awaiting list I will attempt to read and review it in a timely manner but it probably won't be placed topmost in my TBR pile.