Brimstone Kiss (Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator) by Carole Nelson Douglas

The emotion I felt at the end of Brimstone Kiss? Anger. Lots of anger. Seriously, don't put that kind of cliffhanger on a book when another book isn't due out for a year. It's not nice. It doesn't show respect for the reader. Tie up the major loose ends from a book while leaving enough loose ends to make us want the next book right now. But don't give that kind of cliffhanger.

Here is the blurb for the book:

Paranormal Investigator Delilah Street--in her quest to identify the long-buried embracing skeletons she and sexy ex-FBI agent Ricardo Montoya discovered-- has to deal with a lecherous vampire, a ghoulish producer, celebrity zombies from classic films, a mysterious albino rock star who bestows addictive kisses on his groupies, and a dead girl in her mirror--and those are just her clients! Post-Millennium Revelation Las Vegas is teeming with supernaturals and run by a werewolf mob, but even the unhumans can't conceive of what Delilah discovers hidden under its damnable desert sands: unspeakably powerful evil rooted in ancient Egypt...

Brimstone Kiss continues the story from the first book. The pacing is better in Brimstone Kiss than it was in Dancing with Werewolves, and I was mostly enjoying the story. Right up until the end. Have I mentioned the cliff hanger?

I still like Delilah, I still wonder what Snow is and whether he likes Delilah or is using her (he seems to be a good guy where she is concerned, but he could just as easily be a bad guy), I'm still fascinated by the concept of the CinSims. But with the pacing problems from the first book, with the cliffhanger of the second book... there are a lot of problems even though the concept of the books is a good one.

Will I read Vampire Sunrise? I don't know. It's not due out until the end of November, over five months away. By then, I may not care what Ric is when he wakes up. (Select the spoiler text to view it.) And I may not care what Snow is, or whether he's a good guy or a bad guy. I've put it on my Anxiously Awaiting page so I can make that decision when the time draws near, but as of now I'm just not sure. I will probably read some reviews before I make the decision, to make sure we aren't handed another cliffhanger.

I gave Dancing with Werewolves a 5 of 10. If Brimstone Kiss hadn't given us the cliffhanger it could have been a 7 of 10. But with the cliffhanger, it also gets a 5 of 10. The series is going to be a 5 of 10 for me as well.

Book Rating: 5 of 10
Series Rating: 5 of 10




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

Doomsday Can Wait (Phoenix Chronicles, Bk 2) by Lori Handeland

A few days ago I said that I was having trouble finishing Doomsday Can Wait. After finally finishing it, I'm ready to talk about it.

The problem with Doomsday can Wait is not the plot, or the characters, or the world building. All of those things are well done.

The problem with this book is pacing. I think. The characters just kind of wander around without a plan. Other books have their characters do that, too, so that by itself isn't a bad thing. But it doesn't work in this book.

Before I begin talking about specific things, I should give you the official blurb:

It took the near annihilation of humanity for Liz Phoenix to understand the true meaning of her premonitions. Liz is one of the sacred few on earth who has the psychic powers to fight the malevolent forces that have tried to wipe out the human race since the beginning of time. She battled these beings once, thwarting Doomsday but losing most of her soldiers in the massacre. Now she must replenish her troops quickly—because the supernatural war isn’t over yet.

As the new leader of the federation, Liz is marked for death by a Navajo witch with a link to her past. To survive, she must rely on her few remaining allies—her mentor, a shaman with too many secrets, as well as ex-lover, Jimmy Sanducci. Bringing Jimmy into the mix is a dangerous move, for Liz’s darkest desires are razor-sharp—and her longing for Jimmy is at a fever pitch. But can Liz afford to give into the cravings that burn inside her, with the next shot at Doomsday just around the corner? This time, if evil wins, chaos will reign—and the world as we know it will be lost forever…

The big question right now is whether I will read the next book, Apocalypse Happens, when it is released in November. The answer is that I don't know. I will leave it on my Anxiously Awaiting list for now, but I'm not sure if I'll read the next book or not.

I gave the first book in this series an 8 of 10. I'm going to have to give this book a 4 of 10, and the series a 5 of 10.

Book Rating: 4 of 10
Series Rating: 5 of 10






1. Any Given Doomsday
2. Doomsday Can Wait
3. Apocalypse Happens
4. Chaos Bites

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