tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56294189819932946002024-03-13T10:55:47.987-04:00 Book Series ReviewsReviews of books in a series, with a focus on urban fantasy. <br>
Other genres include mystery, paranormal romance, and crime thrillers.Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.comBlogger428125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-42885431773560697362012-08-14T15:28:00.002-04:002012-08-14T15:29:31.645-04:00Back from the Undead (The Bloodhound Files, Book 5) by DD Barant
It's taken me a while to get around to reading Back from the Undead, and I wish I'd gotten to it sooner. Of course, it ends in a cliffhanger, so perhaps it's a good thing there's only around three months until Undead to the World comes out.
Here's the blurb for Back from the Undead:
Another work day, another case for the Bloodhound Files. But this time, Jace is truly stumped: How is Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-78282529508061909952012-03-23T23:49:00.002-04:002012-03-23T23:49:22.481-04:00By a Thread (Elemental Assassin Book 6) by Jennifer Estep
I assumed Ms. Estep was ready to head into the next story arc, having wrapped up the previous story arc in book five. However, as it turned out, there were still a few things to wrap up, and she manages to wrap them up nicely in By a Thread.
She wraps them up so nicely, in fact, that I would worry this was the last book in the series... except we get an excerpt of the next book at the Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-66172546378612092222012-02-19T08:46:00.000-05:002012-02-19T08:46:34.036-05:00Virtual Virgin (Delilah Street Bk 5) by Carole Nelson Davis
I wasn't sure where Virtual Virgin was going to go, as the last book in this series left so many things up in the air.
To be honest, I'm not sure what keeps drawing me back to Delilah Street. The first two books in the series were a 5 of 10 for me, and the third and fourth were a 7 of 10. And yet, there is something so bizarre about the settings, so intriguing about the idea of the Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-80818985707352882882012-01-14T08:46:00.003-05:002012-01-14T08:52:18.040-05:00Shiver Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater
I read the Shiver Trilogy because my nine year old daughter asked me if she could read it, and I thought it might be a bit too old for her.
I expected to like the story, as it seems fairly popular. However, I wasn't really all that impressed.
As I was reading Shiver, I kept wanting her to get on with the story. It rambles and swerves and goes off on side tangents and it just Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-52779355956998919462011-12-23T18:00:00.000-05:002011-12-26T18:24:50.454-05:00Raven Cursed (Jane Yellowrock, Book 4) by Faith Hunter
I've been looking forward to Raven Cursed since I finished Mercy Blade, and Faith Hunter did not disappoint.
There is a lot going on, and Jane is pulled in a zillion directions. It was a bit of a gamble, because it could easily have been too much, too frantic, too confusing. But it wasn't. Jane deals with the things thrown at her, mostly by choosing whatever her next step is going to Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-83541753235773585012011-11-29T07:27:00.001-05:002011-11-29T07:27:00.783-05:00* Anxiously Awaiting as of late November 2011
Listed below are the books I'm anxiously awaiting. Anything with new information is shown in red. New information could be a link to the book's page on Amazon, a release date, an excerpt, etc. I've also put an (e) next to the books that have an excerpt out, clicking the (e) will take you to my list of excerpts.
11/29/11 Killing Rites (Black Sun's Daughter Book 1) byKirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-75175776857940800192011-11-28T14:30:00.004-05:002011-11-28T18:03:29.919-05:00* 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. I've listed the excerpts and snippets below.
I would love to have an ARC for any of the books on this list, or on my Anxiously Awaiting list. See my Review Policy for more information about sending books for review.
Chapter One of Killing Rites (Black Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-39571310970928220652011-11-27T02:12:00.002-05:002011-11-27T17:40:33.463-05:00Review: Explosive Eighteen (Stephanie Plum series) by Janet Evanovich
Explosive Eighteen continues to tease us along in the Ranger vs Morelli lust triangle.
The beginning of the book is particularly annoying, as we are strung long, not knowing who she went on vacation with, or what happened.
Once we get beyond that and find out what happened, I have to wish the story had been made into a book. I think it would have been a much better story than the oneKirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-83850272009542198452011-11-25T00:04:00.002-05:002011-11-25T09:36:43.874-05:00Killing Rites (Book 4 of The Black Sun's Daughter) by M.L.N. Hanover
There will be information at the bottom for how to win a set of The Black Sun's Daughter: Unclean Spirits, Darker Angels, Vicious Grace, and Killing Rites.
We've known the series is called The Black Sun's Daughter from the beginning, but we haven't really known what that meant. I had assumed that Jayné's mom was The Black Sun, that Jayné's uncle had entered the whole occult/Rider Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-63384477158689856282011-11-15T06:50:00.007-05:002011-11-15T09:26:12.894-05:00Magic on the Line (Allie Beckstrom Book 7) by Devon Monk
Magic on the Line was a disappointment for me. I almost didn't finish it, and considering this series has been a 9 of 10 for me, that's not what I expected when I picked up the book.
Here's the blurb:
Allison Beckstrom has willingly paid the price of pain to use magic, and has obeyed the rules of the Authority, the clandestine organization that makes-and enforces-all magic policy. But Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-44246962137864730772011-11-14T23:20:00.001-05:002011-11-14T23:20:00.897-05:00Chaos in Death (In Death, Book 33.5) by JD Robb
Chaos in Death is a short story whodunit where you basically know the killer is one of a group of people and have to watch Eve figure out which of the group is the killer.
Most of the anthology pieces have had some sort of supernatural current running through -- seers, ghosts, vampires. Some have been supernatural, some have only had a supernatural theme. Chaos in Death is pure sci-fi. Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-21626675159211288382011-11-12T05:51:00.000-05:002011-11-12T05:51:00.453-05:00New York to Dallas (In Death, Book 33) by JD Robb
New York to Dallas is the first book in this series to not have the "in Death" moniker. And the promise, this time around, is that Eve will find out more about her history. She has to go back to Dallas.
There were some things that were really good in this book. Her relationship with Roarke, of course, is one of the biggest. But also, the cops in Dallas welcomed her, treated her with Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-55639804819619700242011-11-11T10:51:00.000-05:002011-11-11T10:51:00.277-05:00Treachery in Death (In Death, Book 32) by JD Robb
Treachery in Death is a slam dunk of a novel. It's got everything - excellent plot, intrigue, danger, a love story, another love story that shows what comes after the happily ever after, twists and turns, and some hard looks at friendship, command, and responsibility.
I mentioned a few books back that we hadn't see Eve being a Lieutenant much in the earlier books. We saw the detectiveKirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-36269089896270346522011-11-10T05:38:00.000-05:002011-11-10T05:38:01.354-05:00Possession in Death (In Death, Book 31.5) by JD Robb
Possession in Death is a nice short that once again explores the paranormal. I'm thinking this is becoming a pattern now. I'm fine with that, with there being elements of (as Eve says) woo-woo stuff spaced out here and there in the series, but I do wonder why it now seems to be relegated to the anthology pieces. Unless perhaps it has more to do with the themes of the anthologies? PerhapsKirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-21597897960715060372011-11-09T05:51:00.001-05:002011-11-09T05:51:00.695-05:00Indulgence in Death (In Death, Book 31) by JD Robb
Indulgence in Death runs a very close parallel to an earlier plot in this series, and it will lose a point for that.
Another problem here is that JD Robb's book listing page shows that Indulgence comes after Possession in Death, when it should be the other way around. That messed the continuity up for me, and it told me exactly who the killers were, before I read this book. It spoiled Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-55710883768458119842011-11-07T05:51:00.000-05:002011-11-07T05:51:00.550-05:00Fantasy in Death (In Death, Book 30) by JD Robb
Fantasy in Death takes advantage of the fact that this book takes place in the future. It's an ingenious plot that is partially destroyed by telling us up front how the murder is being done. Not who, but how. I would have rather had that explained later, as I found myself annoyed with the fact that I knew things Eve didn't know.
I appreciated watching Eve struggle with the e-stuff, Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-55415702398315530782011-11-06T05:04:00.000-05:002011-11-06T05:04:00.567-05:00Better Off Undead (Bloodhound Files book 4) by DD Barant
Since Jace seems to be the only Human in law enforcement, and one of the rare humans on the planet she is now inhabiting... I've wondered if the author may eventually need to make her a supernatural. I didn't expect it to come this soon, but the title of the book,Better Off Undead, made me think it was going to happen.
I did not read the blurb before I read the book. And I'm glad I Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-73983776149047553352011-11-05T19:24:00.002-04:002011-11-09T08:43:23.645-05:00Killing Rocks (Bloodhound Files book 3) by DD Barant
Killing Rocks came out last year, and once I began reading it I realized I had already read it, but I couldn't remember what happened until I read it. So, I suppose it's a good thing I read it again. I have no idea why I didn't review it when I originally read it, either. It's a mystery.
The premise of this series is intriguing, but I worry that as we begin exploring alternate universesKirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-53860430360069829302011-11-04T05:47:00.038-04:002011-11-04T05:47:00.392-04:00The Bite Before Christmas (Anthology) by Jeaniene Frost and Lynsay Sands
The Bite Before Christmas is yet another anthology, though this one only has two stories. I read the Cat and Bones story but not the Argeneau story, so I'll just be reviewing half of the book.
After reading Down These Strange Streets, I wasn't really expecting much from yet another anthology. I was pleasantly surprised by Jeaniene Frost's entry, Home for the Holidays.
Fair warning, I Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-29587802961397932382011-11-03T06:00:00.004-04:002011-11-03T06:00:00.627-04:00Down These Strange Streets by Patricia Briggs, Carrie Vaughn, Charlaine Harris, etc.
I'm not a fan of anthologies, and while Down These Strange Streets did have one really good story and two decent stories, I'm not sure it was worth the hardcover price. I wish I'd waited for the paperback. Granted, I only read four of the stories, but those were the four I was interested in. Here are the stories:
Dead By Dahlia by Charlaine Harris
The Bleeding Shadow by Joe R. Lansdale
Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-85672411818434253152011-11-02T06:36:00.002-04:002011-11-02T06:36:00.352-04:00Heat Rises (Nikki Heat book 3) by Richard Castle
Heat Rises is the third Nikki Heat book, written by the fictional Richard Castle.
I think it's clear that some of the writers of the show must have a hand in the actual ghost writing of the Nikki Heat books. Either that, or the ghost writer has a hand in some of the scripts. Castle's humor comes through the same way in the written word as it does from Nathan Fillion.
If you are one Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-84279091304296005612011-11-01T05:17:00.001-04:002011-11-01T05:17:00.626-04:00Missing in Death (In Death, Book 29.5) by JD Robb
Missing in Death is a brain teaser of a short story.
Here's the blurb:
A female tourist disappears during a ferry ride. Lieutenant Eve Dallas wonders... if she didn’t jump, and she’s not on board, then where in the world is she?
There isn't much to say without spoiling this one. The ending has a twist that leaves one pondering how much Lieutenant Dallas has grown in the two years Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-84030737646463378742011-10-31T05:51:00.001-04:002011-10-31T05:51:00.555-04:00Kindred in Death (In Death, Book 29) by JD Robb
Kindred in Death gives us yet another serial killer. With yet more mommy issues. And Eve once again has no time to sleep.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book. I did. Not only for the murder plot, but for the team Eve puts together, for the personal stuff here and there, and for once again making Summerset a bit more human.
Here's the blurb:
When the newly promoted captain of theKirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-84617771147584382402011-10-30T05:51:00.003-04:002011-10-30T05:51:00.304-04:00Promises in Death (In Death, Book 28) by JD Robb
Promises in Death was a hard book to read, in places. When death hits closer to home, it's not so easy to just "work the case". Eve manages it, mostly, but she has a tough time of it, emotionally.
Many of the books in this series could be stand alone murder mysteries, but I'm not so sure this one could be. It ties in with the villain from a previous book, and there are also ties to EveKirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-41293217671131086882011-10-29T10:51:00.002-04:002011-10-29T10:51:00.378-04:00Salvation in Death (In Death, Book 27) by JD Robb
Salvation in Death is one of the most complicated and twisted murder mysteries I believe I've ever read. Through the 26 novels and 30 plus stories (including shorts) of this series I've kept it at a 9 of 10, but Salvation in Death propels the series to a 10 of 10.
Here's the blurb:
In the year 2060, sophisticated investigative tools can help catch a killer. But there are some Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0