tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56294189819932946002012-01-27T05:58:16.438-05:00Reviews 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.comBlogger4251100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-80818985707352882882012-01-14T08:46:00.003-05:002012-01-14T08:52:18.040-05:00

  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 didn't

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-52779355956998919462011-12-23T18:00:00.000-05:002011-12-26T18:24:50.454-05:00

  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 be

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

  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) by M.L.N.

Kirstenhttp://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

  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 Sun's

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-39571310970928220652011-11-27T02:12:00.002-05:002011-11-27T17:40:33.463-05:00

  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 one we

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-83850272009542198452011-11-25T00:04:00.002-05:002011-11-25T09:36:43.874-05:00

  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 thing

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-63384477158689856282011-11-15T06:50:00.007-05:002011-11-15T09:26:12.894-05:00

  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 when

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-44246962137864730772011-11-14T23:20:00.001-05:002011-11-14T23:20:00.897-05:00

  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. So

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-21626675159211288382011-11-12T05:51:00.000-05:002011-11-12T05:51:00.453-05:00

  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 respect,

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-55639804819619700242011-11-11T10:51:00.000-05:002011-11-11T10:51:00.277-05:00

  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 detective

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-36269089896270346522011-11-10T05:38:00.000-05:002011-11-10T05:38:01.354-05:00

  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? Perhaps.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-21597897960715060372011-11-09T05:51:00.001-05:002011-11-09T05:51:00.695-05:00

  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 it for

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-55710883768458119842011-11-07T05:51:00.000-05:002011-11-07T05:51:00.550-05:00

  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, trying to

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-55415702398315530782011-11-06T05:04:00.000-05:002011-11-06T05:04:00.567-05:00

  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 didn't.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-73983776149047553352011-11-05T19:24:00.002-04:002011-11-09T08:43:23.645-05:00

  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 universes,

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-53860430360069829302011-11-04T05:47:00.038-04:002011-11-04T05:47:00.392-04:00

  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 have a

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-29587802961397932382011-11-03T06:00:00.004-04:002011-11-03T06:00:00.627-04:00

  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-85672411818434253152011-11-02T06:36:00.002-04:002011-11-02T06:36:00.352-04:00

  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 who

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-84279091304296005612011-11-01T05:17:00.001-04:002011-11-01T05:17:00.626-04:00

  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 since

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-84030737646463378742011-10-31T05:51:00.001-04:002011-10-31T05:51:00.555-04:00

  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 the

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-84617771147584382402011-10-30T05:51:00.003-04:002011-10-30T05:51:00.304-04:00

  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 Eve and

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-41293217671131086882011-10-29T10:51:00.002-04:002011-10-29T10:51:00.378-04:00

  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 questions

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-24720633417302481402011-10-28T05:14:00.002-04:002011-10-28T05:14:00.710-04:00

  Ritual in Death is a well paced short story that packs a punch. Eve and Roarke are at a swanky party when a bloody man with a knife stumbles in. Eve has experienced some paranormal things in previous books, and she tends to take a pretty logical and closed minded view about these things, as a general rule. However, Eve wants to be able to defend herself, so she has learned how to block her

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-37499032439397444412011-10-27T15:08:00.000-04:002011-10-27T15:08:57.255-04:00

  There are several new discoveries this month -- 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. 11/01/11 Magic on the Line (Allie Beckstrom Book 7) by Devon Monk

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-46340309081751611072011-10-27T05:51:00.001-04:002011-10-27T05:51:00.390-04:00

  One of the things I respect about this author is that when she borrows from another author, she gives credit where credit is due. We've seen an Agatha Christie paralel already, and in Strangers in Death we see an Alfred Hitchcock parallel. Eve is not pushed for time on this one, and that's a nice change of pace from the previous book in this series. She gets to sleep and eat, and there is

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-12880986850790676132011-10-26T15:25:00.001-04:002011-10-26T15:57:03.586-04:00

  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. Short Snippet from Magic on the Line (Allie

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-88880640583744493872011-10-24T05:52:00.028-04:002011-10-26T13:01:03.275-04:00

  Creation in Death shows us more of Eve's history with Feeney, and shows us a little more of who she was when she was younger. Eve is doing Feeney's old job, and he's usually good to follow her lead as Primary, but nerves are raw with this case, and we see some friction between Eve and Feeney. The pacing was off a bit here. On the one hand it was a frantic race to find the killer before he

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-58292976833256981352011-10-23T05:35:00.001-04:002011-10-23T05:35:00.498-04:00

  Eternity in Death gives us a vampire story. Sort of. This is Eve after all, so while Peabody and Roarke are doing the silver crosses and garlic, and Baxter is handing out wooden stakes... Eve is looking at the facts and is sure it is smoke and mirrors. The thing is, this author has given us a few paranormal things that have been actual paranormal things, and a few that have been "grifters"

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-62297832032648667042011-10-22T05:52:00.001-04:002011-10-22T05:52:00.326-04:00

  Innocent In Death gives us something I hadn't expected to see -- serious issues between Roarke and Eve. Not the little bumps they are used to, but a serious hurdle. And one where they are on different pages and not really listening to each other at all. It makes Eve understand just how much her life has come to depend on Roarke, and I think it does the same for Roarke, eventually. The

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-89726229950356199912011-10-21T06:52:00.000-04:002011-10-21T06:52:00.505-04:00

  Born in Death brings us back to an standard murder investigation. At first. Then it gets complicated. Then it gets even more complicated. I think that there may have been too many characters in this one, though I understand why it was done that way. Still, I found myself having to refresh my memory on who someone was more than a few times. And some of the coincidences in this one made me

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-23010085016662535072011-10-20T04:50:00.012-04:002011-10-20T04:50:00.556-04:00

  Memory in Death gives us more of Eve's past. We see Eve's first foster experience, and it's not a good one. Still, it was better than what she'd come from. The system truly did screw it up with Eve, and yet that's what made her who she is today. Her strong moral code, her views of what is right and what is wrong... these experiences molded her. And they created an child who worked hard to be

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-8975734002345255692011-10-19T05:05:00.003-04:002011-10-19T05:05:00.769-04:00

  Haunted in Death was a darn good short story.  There doesn't appear to be an official blurb for this one, so I'll just say that it once again involves two crimes, 80 plus years apart, and Eve manages to solve both of them. I enjoy the fact that when paranormal stuff comes up, Eve doesn't believe and Roarke does. I also enjoy the fact that the author allows both Eve and Roarke to keep their

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-86374408468645163182011-10-18T03:49:00.013-04:002011-10-18T03:49:00.750-04:00

  I'm not exactly sure how I feel about Origin In Death. It was a good story, and the futuristic stuff was certainly entertaining and thought provoking. But the pacing was horrible this time around, and there were a few places that felt a bit same-book different-bad guy. That's to be expected in such a long running series, but so far the author has done an excellent job of keeping it at bay.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-62631272315030640802011-10-17T03:49:00.026-04:002011-10-17T03:49:00.089-04:00

  Survivor In Death was riveting. I find it amusing that the stalwart and unshakeable Eve is scared of three things - children, farm animals, and Trina. I suppose that's three things and one person. At any rate, Eve ends up with a child living in her home during the events of Survivor in Death, and she doesn't deal all that well with it. I appreciated her frank honesty with the child, and her

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-1473377939860371912011-10-16T03:48:00.020-04:002011-10-16T09:04:46.085-04:00

  Visions in Death had pacing issues. A lot of pacing issues. Sorry, had to get that out there first thing. Overall it was a good book, a good story. Roarke and Eve had a lot of relationship trouble in the previous book, so it was good to see them back to being a strong unit once again. Several bad things happen in Visions in Death.  And the ending is, or rather, the chapter before the ending

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-35939900847417296632011-10-15T03:33:00.004-04:002011-10-15T03:33:00.751-04:00

  Divided in Death once again puts Roarke and Eve at odds against each other. This isn't the first time they've found themselves here, and they are getting better at dealing with it, but they are both very stubborn headed and when the sparks fly... they sometimes explode. One problem with any long series is that authors have to keep finding bigger and bigger villains for the hero to fight. LKH

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-27060697308552382562011-10-14T03:22:00.006-04:002011-10-14T03:22:00.136-04:00

  I wasn't sure if I was going to like Remember When or not for a good fifty or so pages. As it turns out, it was a darn good book Before I talk about it this time, I'll give the blurb: A thrill-ride of a novel that blends present-day romance and futuristic suspense, featuring novellas from Nora Roberts and J.D. Robb. New York City Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas comes to the aid of Laine Tavish

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-70741514222627129182011-10-13T03:13:00.001-04:002011-10-13T03:13:00.899-04:00

  Imitation In Death pulls in more of our world, the history of our world, into the futuristic one of Eve Dallas. Having our history as a root in her world helps to make it more real. I enjoyed the murder mystery this time, and I love watching Eve and Roarke together. I like the way Eve is evolving, and I am enjoying watching her realize she has friends, and what those friends mean to her.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-63302632365693691442011-10-12T15:14:00.000-04:002011-10-12T15:14:21.106-04:00

  Portrait in Death finally let's us see the human Roarke. We've seen it in bits and pieces, mainly when he's not sure if Eve's okay or not. But this... this is different. Roarke out of control of not only the situation, but of his responses to the situation. I'm not going to give spoilers, so that's all I can say about that. As for the murder mystery, it's creepy. Here's the blurb: Dallas

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-22483671814145019372011-10-10T07:36:00.001-04:002011-10-10T07:36:00.714-04:00

  Purity in Death plays into the futuristic parts of this world, and that's a nice change of pace from previous storylines. Since we're dealing with computers, of course that gives Roarke a reason to be involved yet again. Once again, Eve finds herself investigating cops. But not just cops, she's also investigating other public service workers as well, in many branches of service. She's

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-26291446214867335402011-10-09T07:23:00.018-04:002011-10-09T07:23:00.618-04:00

  Reunion in Death gives us several reunions. All of the titles explain the events of the book in some way, but this one is a bit more descriptive than the rest. When Eve was a new detective, she and Feeney worked  a case together and put someone away. Unfortunately, the court system didn't put her away for long enough. Eight years later the murderer is back, and wants a rematch with Eve.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-50087152680676378952011-10-08T07:11:00.001-04:002011-10-08T07:11:00.487-04:00

  Seduction in Death was creepy. No two ways around it. But it was also funny in places - laugh out loud funny that had my husband looking at me like I'd lost my mind. Peabody and McNabb are still at each other throats, though I hope that we may see things begin to smooth out between them in future books. Maybe. Who knows with those two, but I have hopes. The ongoing feud between Eve and

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-18872945536870688012011-10-07T08:02:00.001-04:002011-10-07T08:02:00.392-04:00

  Interlude In Death was originally published in the "Out of this World" anthology, and thus it takes place off of earth. Eve and Roarke are on Olympus, though this is work travel for Eve instead of Roarke. It's a police convention and Eve is going to have to give a lecture. It's a relatively short story, but it packs quite a punch. Once again, Roarke's past comes up during the events of the

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-66860555624760095422011-10-06T09:47:00.021-04:002011-10-06T09:47:00.466-04:00

  Betrayal in Death gives us a professional killer, more information about Roarke's death, and a mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat until the end. Anyone who has read my reviews knows that I'm fascinated by the idea of an assassin -- Anita Blake's friend Edward, Kitty Norville's friend Cormac, Gin Blanco, Nadia Stafford. Something about the mindset just sets my mind to spinning. But

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-8321240509350349532011-10-05T09:47:00.000-04:002011-10-05T09:47:19.225-04:00

  Judgment in Death once again lets us peek into Roarke's past. If the events of this book had happened earlier in the relationship I'm not sure the couple would have survived intact. But, Eve and Roarke's marriage is strong enough now that, while it was a bit rocky, they managed to deal with everything thrown at them. The mystery this time puts Eve into a tight spot, as she finds herself

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-70235661583417704082011-10-03T04:20:00.021-04:002011-10-03T04:20:01.059-04:00

  Witness in Death gives us an Agatha Christie-esque type murder mystery, and it was one I thoroughly enjoyed. I have complained of the series starting to reach the edges of being same-old same-old, but Witness in Death manages to be just different enough to escape that feeling. Here's the blurb: When a celebrity is killed right before her eyes, New York Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas takes a

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-91540715194408961982011-10-02T19:04:00.002-04:002011-10-02T19:04:00.238-04:00

  Loyalty in Death is the 9th novel and 10th story in this series, and I think I'm ready for the author to do something to change things up. I'm less than half way through the series at this point, and to be honest I'm sticking it out because I want to make it to New York to Dallas. There were some interesting side trips in this book - Peabody has a few things going on, one of those things

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-27762171071325239112011-10-01T06:47:00.001-04:002011-10-01T06:47:00.061-04:00

  Conspiracy in Death is tough to read. The official blurb doesn't tell us much, so I will say that this case shakes Eve's foundations. It almost breaks her. It becomes very personal, but it doesn't start out that way. It only becomes personal because she won't drop it, and because she is so good at her job. Here's the not-very-informative blurb: Eve investigates the sidewalk murders of

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-41581674464369958902011-09-30T07:22:00.001-04:002011-10-05T10:57:55.974-04:00

  Midnight in Death once again makes things personal for Eve. Very personal. I think I would like to see her solve some crimes that don't draw her into them on such an intimate level. I'm enjoying the series, but there is an obvious formula that I think is going to bother me if it continues much further. Also, as soon as a saw "the list", I knew how it was going to end -- how the big finale

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-5880636332997287842011-09-29T09:42:00.001-04:002011-10-05T10:58:15.646-04:00

  Holiday in Death is another creepy psychological thriller. One that once again hits a bit too close to home for Eve. She goes back to work sooner than she should (of course) and then gets hit with a rape/murder serial killer case. On top of that, some of her suspects have an (adult) incestual relationship... which means a whole lot of Eve's buttons are being pushed. Here's the blurb: No

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-10721179474590777702011-09-27T08:52:00.000-04:002011-09-27T08:52:16.398-04:00

  This series is getting better and better. Vengeance in Death lets us see more or Roarke's past, and it includes a trip back to Ireland. Eve must process how she feels about is past, and figure out how that relates to his present. She was pretty much all black and white when the series started, now she's seeing shades of grey. Here's the blurb: Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas finds the first

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-73016617938686192952011-09-27T05:50:00.002-04:002011-09-27T08:30:36.996-04:00

  Ceremony in Death came very close to being an urban fantasy a few times.  I generally like Urban Fantasy, but not when it's handled in this manner. I complained a bit that I knew who the killer was very early on in Rapture in Death. Things were handled much differently with Ceremony in Death. We knew who the killer was, but then doubts were cast and... in the end, knowing the killer or not

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-90230646484853611312011-09-26T05:54:00.000-04:002011-09-26T05:54:22.344-04:00

  Rapture in Death could easily be labeled a futuristic psychological thriller. Yes, it's still a murder mystery, but it wouldn't have taken much for the author to nudge it into the psychological horror category. Thankfully, she did not. It still scares me to think that we're not far from the technology of being able to do this sort of thing, though. Here's the blurb: Eve’s investigation into

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-19582471592687134482011-09-24T09:23:00.001-04:002011-09-24T09:24:25.053-04:00

  Immortal in Death is my favorite book in the series so far. Here's the blurb: She was one of the most sought-after women in the world—and then she was dead, the victim of a brutal murder. Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas put her professional life on the line to take the case when suspicion fell on her best friend, the other woman in a fatal love triangle. Beneath the facade of glamour, Eve

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-49331264737351753272011-09-24T08:59:00.003-04:002011-09-24T08:59:00.281-04:00

  Glory in Death continues a few months after the events of the first book in this series, Naked in Death. I enjoyed the second book a little more than the first book, in part because my brain was working pretty much the same as Eve's brain this time as she followed the trail to solve the mystery. I also enjoyed the progression of her personal relationships, as well as the symbolism that

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-76783126685502329702011-09-22T17:47:00.000-04:002011-09-22T17:47:00.308-04:00

  I realize I'm late to this series, but I've heard a lot about it so I figured I'd check the first book out. I enjoyed Naked in Death, and I'm going to read the second book, but I'm not so sure I'll want to keep going from there. I appreciated the futuristic descriptions, though I doubt we'll be quite as far along as she says we'll be in another fifty or so years. Back in the seventies we

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-26280710216727894732011-09-21T05:39:00.007-04:002011-09-21T05:39:00.141-04:00

.There isn't a whole lot of new discoveries this month - anything with new information is shown in red. New information could be a link to the books 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. I've already read and reviewed Spider's Revenge, and the next

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-58602252462737646722011-09-20T11:04:00.000-04:002011-09-20T11:04:39.442-04:00

. 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. Snippet, snippet, and blurb from Darkness

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-314173709729366872011-09-18T10:03:00.001-04:002011-09-26T05:55:04.244-04:00

  Spider's Revenge is a whirlwind of a book. The plot did not take a straight line reaching the end -- there were a lot of left turns, a few swan dives, and Gin was too close to this to be the normal stoic Gin with endless patience. It's the same Gin, but the tone of the book is a lot different than previous books. That is neither good nor bad, just an observation. This is personal, and she

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-63053164389566071202011-09-08T07:10:00.000-04:002011-09-08T07:10:14.267-04:00

  One Salt Sea was everything I had hoped it would be, and more. And then... less. But that's because things happened that I didn't want to happen, but I totally understand why the author took things in that direction. So, no points off for the "and less" part. I think that I know where things are eventually going to go. I think that several books from now we'll find out that Quentin is King

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-12346434382542606942011-09-05T02:34:00.017-04:002011-09-18T10:29:26.352-04:00

  I got Kitty's Greatest Hits for the Cormac story. I am fascinated by assassins -- Gin Blanco (Elemental Assassin), Edward (Anita Blake), Nadia Stafford, and Cormac. Something about the mindset just sets my mind to spinning. As it turns out, I enjoyed all of the stories in this compilation. The Cormac story was icing on the cake, so to speak. Il Est Né A werewolf turned and left alone, with

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-68442787843039755602011-09-04T05:03:00.001-04:002011-09-04T05:03:00.694-04:00

  While several of my favorite authors have stories in Home Improvement: Undead Edition, the truth is that I got this book for the October Daye story by Seanan McGuire. I'll talk about the stories I read: If I Had a Hammer by Charlaine Harris Another Sookie and Sam story. The short in the The Sookie Stackhouse Companion (reviewed yesterday) is also a Sookie and Sam story. I said yesterday

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-44982369934584673252011-09-03T10:42:00.000-04:002011-09-03T10:42:14.726-04:00

  I wasn't sure if The Sookie Stackhouse Companion was going to be worth it, but I think it probably was. There are two reasons for this, the first is that there is a pretty good short story in the front, and the second is that we get an outline of each book, followed by correspondence between Bill and Eric that happened in each book. For those of us wondering who Sookie is going to end up

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-34613159711538460162011-09-02T20:49:00.003-04:002011-09-02T20:52:30.501-04:00

  The first three books of this series put it at the top of my list - it was my favorite series for a long while. It's still in the top ten, but no longer my favorite.  With that being said, I enjoyed One Grave at a Time more than I thought I was going to.  I thought we were set up for the plot at the close of This Side of the Grave. I was kind of right, but that was actually a minor plot arc

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-49247280050819661642011-08-20T07:10:00.004-04:002011-09-18T10:37:33.740-04:00

  Blood Rock is one of the best books I've read this year. I need to come up with a category for the books that deserve something better than a 10 of 10. From what I can tell from his online information, Anthony Francis is a scientist as well as a computer geek. And it shows in his writing -- in a good way, of course. If magic were real there would be physics to it, and he gives us the

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-25247617357496141572011-08-18T01:03:00.000-04:002011-08-18T01:03:00.844-04:00

  The red text shows that something is new or changed since the last Anxiously Awaiting list -- a link to 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. I am pretty excited about One Grave at a Time, the next Cat and Bones book, though I'm much much much more excited

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-75919291350629899382011-08-17T13:51:00.000-04:002011-08-17T13:51:52.999-04:00

. 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. Chapters 1-3 and Trailer of  One Grave at a

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-32119522663721319752011-08-16T18:38:00.001-04:002011-08-16T18:39:00.029-04:00

  I love it when an author allows her character to grow and change and evolve. And Nicole Peeler has Jane growing up in many, many, ways. I also love what Ms. Peeler does with the metaphysics in Eye of the Tempest , the possibilities out there for someone who can do magic with water... very creative and somewhat mindblowing, at times. That's not to say I enjoyed the entire book. I don't enjoy

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-23798176410095879222011-07-28T15:44:00.003-04:002011-08-16T18:39:24.003-04:00

  I had a few ideas of where Jim Butcher was going to go with things in Ghost Story, and one of them was spot on. But I had no idea how he was going to get there.And getting there is quite a ride. The Dresden Files series has become not just a story of the grey areas between good and evil, but a thesis on choices and free will and consequences - both intended and unintended. I'm not sure I

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-31351634540156452662011-07-19T05:41:00.000-04:002011-07-19T05:41:00.817-04:00

If there is new information - a link to Amazon, a release date, an excerpt, or something has changed, then it's red.  I've also put an (e) next to the books that have an excerpt out, clicking the (e) will take you to my listing of excerpts. I'm really looking forward to Eye of the Tempest next week, as well as many of the other books that come out on the same day:  Ghost Story,

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-5569189455400007112011-07-18T13:21:00.000-04:002011-07-18T13:21:30.083-04:00

. 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, Two, Three, Four, and Five of

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-39244172217657998902011-07-17T08:50:00.001-04:002011-07-17T08:50:50.369-04:00

  Jim Butcher has put up the first five chapters of Ghost Story. You can read them at his site: Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Here is the blurb: When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn’t doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin. But being dead doesn’t stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-60456052663552438512011-07-09T19:40:00.003-04:002011-08-16T18:39:52.586-04:00

  Vision Impossible is a play on words, we're supposed to think of Mission Impossible... and the analogy is apt, in this case. Here is the blurb: Abby Cooper's next mission may truly be impossible... Abby Cooper, the FBI's newest Civilian Profiler, is adding Spy to her resume. The military's digital photography software that captures one's aura- just like Abby can - sits in a drone aircraft

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-6294246711642076342011-06-29T21:49:00.003-04:002011-06-29T22:02:12.260-04:00

  Kitty's Big Trouble gets a bit of a slow start, but once the action begins it's one of those can't-put-the-book-down-for-any-reason reads. Here is the blurb: Kitty Norville is back and in more trouble than ever. Her recent run-in with werewolves traumatized by the horrors of war has made her start wondering how long the US government might have been covertly using werewolves in combat.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-44968322280493941422011-06-21T15:36:00.001-04:002011-06-21T15:39:42.605-04:00

. I've rated the last couple of books in the Stephanie Plum series down in the six and seven range, which is a shame since books one through nine in the series were rated up in the nines and tens. Some of those first books had me laughing so hard I almost peed myself. There are a few laugh out loud moments in Smokin' Seventeen, but it doesn't really compare to the earlier books that way, as

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-78865973852307224512011-06-21T08:41:00.002-04:002011-06-21T08:46:07.522-04:00

  Apparently, Janet Evanovich has already written Explosive Eighteen and it is due to be released November 22. I'm just diving into Smokin' Seventeen, but if I had to guess, I'd say that we're probably going to have some sort of cliffhanger ending so the decision was made to put the second one out sooner rather than later. Or, I could be wrong and they might just be shifting the yearly

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-24747396299184438112011-06-14T02:46:00.005-04:002011-06-21T08:33:02.099-04:00

I've marked the new finds in red, in case you're just looking for the new stuff. If there is new information - a link to Amazon, a release date, an excerpt, or something has changed, then it's red.  I've also put an (e) next to the books that have an excerpt out, clicking the (e) will take you to my listing of excerpts. I'm really looking forward to Kitty's Big Trouble. My most

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-40013615172097907452011-06-13T13:57:00.005-04:002011-06-14T09:34:47.266-04:00

. 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, as well as a link to my review where I've had access to an ARC. I'm pretty excited about some of the excerpts I found this time around - they may be teasers, but they are good teasers. I would love to have an ARC for

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-12434936016300890572011-06-07T20:17:00.000-04:002011-06-07T20:17:14.701-04:00

  I liked it. Mostly. Sure, there were a few aggravations. There has to be a policeman of some sort in every book who is out to get her, some male in a position of authority over her who hates Anita just because she's a woman and she's killed more vampires than he has. It's well beyond old. And there were a few paragraphs all in a row where various men's hairstyles were discussed. It was just

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-50305975040711927762011-06-03T00:25:00.001-04:002011-06-03T00:27:16.024-04:00

  Magic Slays is only the fifth book in this series, but it feels like we are eight or nine books into it. The husband and wife team of Illona Andrews pack a whole lot into each of their books. There will be no spoilers for Magic Slays in this review, but if you haven't read previous books in the series then you probably won't want to read ahead. The Kate Daniels series is one of my all time

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-15054254331118643952011-06-01T16:10:00.007-04:002011-06-01T16:21:17.836-04:00

  Some of us have waited a long, long time for Kiss of Snow. We've watched Hawke take care of everyone else, be surrounded by a loving and loyal pack, and yet in some ways, be so very alone. But that's not the only reason we've anticipated this book - the PsyNet has issues, Silence is no longer a sure thing for the future, the Council is splintering, and we've known that war was a real

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-55887048125032947872011-05-25T07:12:00.000-04:002011-05-25T07:12:14.820-04:00

  Here is LKH talking about Hit List: You can read Chapter One here. Do you think Hit List is going to be getting back to the old crime fighting Anita? I'm happy we'll see her in that role again, and I'm pleased that it appears we get more Edward in this book.  

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-13285648381357902812011-05-15T19:40:00.002-04:002011-05-15T19:42:08.938-04:00

Listed below are the most recent ratings (shown to the left of the series name) for the series I've reviewed, listed in alphabetical order by genre. Click the series name to go to my reviews of the books in the series. This gives a good at-a-glance idea of what is out there and how I rate it, but to really get an idea of how a series has gone, you need to read more about

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-9117571787468362692011-05-07T09:53:00.007-04:002011-05-09T19:11:05.611-04:00

With only a few books left in the series, I was a bit disappointed with  Dead Reckoning. I was expecting the remaining books to be heavy hitters, but this one felt like more of a filler. We do get some interesting information, though some of it doesn't seem to to fit with previous books. Which is another problem all together. I complained in the past book, Dead in the Family, that I wasn't

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-14480643393890009162011-04-20T15:42:00.003-04:002011-05-15T19:39:06.107-04:00

I've marked the new finds in red, in case you're just looking for the new stuff. If there is new information - a link to Amazon, a release date, an excerpt, or something has changed, then it's red.  I've also put an (e) next to the books that have an excerpt out, clicking the (e) will take you to my listing of excerpts. Tangled Threads will be out next week, you can read my

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-83484545770274645452011-04-19T13:58:00.006-04:002011-04-25T15:02:28.140-04:00

. 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, as well as a link to my review where I've had access to an ARC. 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

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-58609995928555509002011-04-15T23:00:00.004-04:002011-04-16T09:51:18.868-04:00

  I adore Gin Blanco. Yeah, sure, she's an assassin. Assassins kill people, and that's generally considered to be a bad thing. But Gin has her own code of honor, and she's different. And besides, she's retired now. If you've been reading this series then you know that there is going to be a final showdown between Gin and Mab at some point. If you haven't been reading the series then stop

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-33555890921438729642011-04-08T21:48:00.000-04:002011-04-08T21:48:53.104-04:00

  What an entertaining book. Magic on the Hunt has lots of action, cool world building, a great romance, and intrigue out the ying-yang. I am seriously loving this series. I didn't care much for the first book in this series but stuck with it because so many people had said the series was so good once you got into the second book. After finishing the sixth book, all I can say is that I don't

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-86160475007565382812011-04-07T22:31:00.002-04:002011-04-07T22:32:12.137-04:00

  I read two stories in the Under Her Skin anthology. Pack by Jeaniene Frost captured me fairly quickly and held me. Ms. Frost usually writes vampires, but it turns out she is capable of writing werewolves, too. I give this story a 9 of 10. Grace of Small Magics by Ilona Andrews didn't grab me quite as strongly, though I was still intrigued by the characters. I'll give this story an 8 of 10.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-36356819152990129192011-03-23T02:06:00.013-04:002011-03-23T07:28:12.709-04:00

I've marked the new finds in red, in case you're just looking for the new stuff. If there is new information - a link to Amazon, a release date, an excerpt, or something has changed, then it's red.  I've also put an (e) next to the books that have an excerpt out, clicking the (e) will take you to my listing of excerpts. I am so excited about Tangled Threads and Magic on the Hunt

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-53770683339337511782011-03-22T13:47:00.000-04:002011-03-22T13:47:23.035-04:00

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, as well as a link to my review where I've had access to an ARC. 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

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-20622548025384231622011-03-14T16:57:00.004-04:002011-06-07T21:00:05.157-04:00

  Blackout is the 6th book in the Cal Leandros series, and one that fixes a problem I wasn't sure the author was going to be able to fix. Rob Thurman created a monster who happens to also be sort of human, but the monster bits have been winning out over the human bits, and I wasn't sure how Ms. Thurman was going to deal with that long term. I wasn't happy with where the series looked to be

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-12446109648734575212011-03-08T11:20:00.001-05:002011-03-08T11:23:00.239-05:00

  Late Eclipses is the fourth October Daye book, and this series just gets better and better. I loved the first book, didn't care so much for the second book, the third book blew me away, and the fourth book is even better than the third. Here's the blurb: With Blind Michael and his Hunt safely behind her, October "Toby" Daye is doing her best to settle back into a normal routine—or as

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-20290206877806688832011-03-03T09:50:00.004-05:002011-03-03T10:06:43.181-05:00

  River Marked is the sixth Mercy Thompson book, and after finishing it I'm salivating for the seventh. All in all, River Marked is a happy book. Mercy and Adam are getting along, they are there for each other, and they are both adults working to make their relationship work. It's not perfect, in real life there are arguments. And in real life both people talk and find a middle ground.  Don't

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-59680370615344969102011-02-26T22:15:00.000-05:002011-02-26T22:15:43.376-05:00

  The Night Huntress Series used to be my favorite series. Now it's struggling to stay in the top five, in large part because it's been so long since we've had a Cat and Bones book. Jeaniene Frost focused on books in the Night Huntress World over the past year and a half, giving Spade and Mencheres their own HEA book. I did not care as much for the NHW books as I do the Cat and Bones books.

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-76996622412565096952011-02-20T11:31:00.003-05:002011-02-20T11:45:02.539-05:00

  The Thieves of Darkness isn't exactly in my genre, as it isn't Urban Fantasy in the usual sense -- there are no werewolves or vampires. However, there are myths and legends that are based on fact, so it's close enough. The story is kind of a cross between Angels and Demons and a few Indiana Jones movies - with things that go boom used in place of the whip. It's a very long book, and there

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-81112577100660998552011-01-25T11:43:00.002-05:002011-02-01T19:50:54.331-05:00

  I've marked the new finds in red, in case you're just looking for the new stuff. If there is new information - a link to Amazon, a release date, an excerpt, or something has changed, then it's red.  I've also put an (e) next to the books that have an excerpt out, clicking the (e) will take you to my listing of excerpts. For the books I've already read and reviewed there is a link

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-49205148859592193972011-01-24T15:46:00.003-05:002011-01-25T11:38:30.145-05:00

  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, as well as a link to my review where I've had access to an ARC. 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

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-86325857346267271022011-01-08T19:48:00.002-05:002011-01-08T19:50:26.485-05:00

  Home for a Spell is the seventh book in the Bewitching Mystery series. I've enjoyed the books in this series, even though I haven't rated them especially high. There is a good voice, decent description of magick (the way it is spelled when it's "real" and not sleight of hand), interesting characters, and interesting town. I had hoped that A Witch in Time was a transition book, and that Home

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5629418981993294600.post-39327930211369824262010-12-30T10:26:00.006-05:002010-12-30T12:26:06.216-05:00

&nbspIt's the end of the year, time to look back on the best books of 2010. This list is not the best books I've read this year, but the best book I've read this year that were also published in 2010. Clicking on the numbered titles will take you to my review of that book. Clicking on the book images will take you to Amazon's page for that book. 1. Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, Book 4) by Ilona

Kirstenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09511772763692226291noreply@blogger.com0