Chaos Bites (Phoenix Chronicles, Book 4) by Lori Handeland

 

I'm conflicted about this series. I like the characters, I mostly like the worldbuilding. I've talked about pacing issues in the past, but I'm pleased to say that the pacing was mostly okay in Chaos Bites.

But (you knew there was a but coming, right?) I've ranted before about cliffhangers, haven't I? And there are a lot of cliffhangers at the end of this book. I'm not talking "unanswered questions" here. I'm saying that the main plot of the book wasn't resolved. Several plots, actually. Major issues. More of a cliffhanger than "Who shot JR". This felt like the first half of a book, not an entire book. And that's really too bad, because I liked Chaos Bites, right up until the point that I realized that none of the plots of the book were going to be resolved.

Here's the blurb:

It’s not the end of the world—yet. But Doomsday once again lies in wait for demon-slayer Elizabeth Phoenix. Several weeks ago she had no choice but to kill a man she loved. Sawyer was a witch and shape-shifter, a sorcerer of incredible strength. And now he’s started to invade her dreams…in the most dangerous and sensuous ways imaginable.

Through her nighttime visits with Sawyer, Liz has acquired a new set of paranormal powers. She has also received a special new gift in the form of Sawyer’s baby. Now nothing is as it seems as Liz combs through the chaos of her new life while trying to outrun death at every turn. She’s going to need all the help she can get—even if that means dealing with her embittered ex-lover Jimmy Sanducci. He may be the only one left she can trust…since every other demon on earth is hell-bent on her destruction.

I'm giving Chaos Bites a 6 of 10. If the plots had been wrapped up it would have been a 9 of 10.

Lori Handeland's site says the next book will be called Demons at the Gates and is due out in 2011. I'm assuming that means we'll have to wait about another year for it. If the next book were due out in three or four months then I might have given Chaos Bites a 7 instead of a 6. Still annoying, but not so bad since there would already be hype about the next book, and not long to wait for the rest of the storyline.

I wasn't sure if I'd continue with the series after Doomsday can Wait, and I almost didn't. I will likely wait for some reviews of Demons at the Gates before I decide whether to read it or not. I like most of the characters and I'm interested in what happens to them, but I don't need the frustration of cliffhangers without promise of the next book any time soon. Books in the Urban Fantasy genre are read for enjoyment and escape, not frustration. Authors can resolve the plots in their individual books and still have multi-book arcs stretching through the series that keep people anticipating what may happen next. The key is that an author needs to resolve the main plot in each book.

Book Rating: Chaos Bites: 6 of 10
Series Rating: Phoenix Chronicles: 6 of 10

1. Any Given Doomsday
2. Doomsday Can Wait
3. Apocalypse Happens
4. Chaos Bites
5. Demons at the Gates

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

.

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

I've been reading Doomsday Can Wait for days. I want to know what happens, but the temptation is there to just put the book down and not pick it up again. I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Any Given Doomsday, but this book just isn't doing it for me.

I won't rate it until I've either read the whole thing or decided it is a DNF. But I normally read about a book a day, or every other day. And I've been reading this book for five days because I keep putting it down to do something else.



1. Any Given Doomsday
2. Doomsday Can Wait
3. Apocalypse Happens

Any Given Doomsday (Phoenix Chronicles Book 1) by Lori Handeland

This book is due to be released November 4, 2008. I managed to get my hands on an ARC though, and I liked it. Quite a bit.

The premise is a psychic who has had some job troubles because of her gift. Liz was once a cop but is working as a bartender when we meet her.

We learn that she grew up in a foster home, with a wonderful foster mother. When her foster mother is murdered Liz gets thrown into the middle of things and discovers that humans aren't as close to the top of the food chain as she'd believed.

This book has werewolves and vampires and dhampirs and skinwalkers and a whole host of creatures from the bible and various mythologies and even a few fairy tales just for good measure.

Plenty of action and adventure, some violence, some gore, some mystery, some romance, and some sex. I appreciated the characters. And I really enjoyed learning things as Liz learned them. This is a new series, so we're learning the rules of this universe at the same time the main character is learning about things she would really rather not know. I enjoyed watching her learn, since the teaching process here was a good bit different than we've seen in other series.

Series Rating: This is the first book of the series so I can't give it a level yet. The first book had a great plot, and I can see a million different ways for the author to continue on with this series and keep things fresh and new. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Book Rating: 8 out of 10 

Books in The Phoenix Chronicles

1. Any Given Doomsday November 2008

2. Doomsday Can Wait   May 2009