By Carrie Vaughn
Oh goody, it’s always nice when you find a favorite new author and don’t have to wait too long for the next book. I just finished the SFBC edition, Long Time Listener, First Time Werewolf, an omnibus of Carrie Vaugh’s first 3 books, Kitty and the Midnight Hour, Kitty Goes to Washington, and Kitty Takes a Vacation, when I discovered her fourth Kitty and the Silver Bullet.
I was eager to continue the story of Kitty Norville, radio DJ and reluctant werewolf who seems to always get herself in trouble despite her best efforts to avoid it and lead a normal life.
This time her mother is ill and she returns to Denver despite the fact that the leaders of her old pack have promised to kill her on sight if she ever returned. But keeping out of sight isn’t an option when she is pulled into the local vampire political struggle and dead bodies start turning up.
Carrie Vaughn continues to show her ability to tell a captivating story. This book is going to find a place on my “must own” shelf next to Jim Butcher, Kim Harrison, Charlaine Harris, Laurell K. Hamilton. I can hardly wait to learn more of Kitty’s story, and I was pleased to see a new one is coming out this fall.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane October 14, 2008
KITTY AND THE SILVER BULLET
Carrie Vaughn
Grand Central Publishing
2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
A Stroke of Midnight
By Laurell K. Hamilton
In some ways I liked this book better than the previous ones, but I absolutely hated the ending. Or rather the lack of an ending. It is as though the author wrote a certain number of words and then just quit leaving the story in the middle. In the previous book SEDUCED BY MOONLIGHT, Merry and her body guards “slash” harem returned to the faerie sithen, foiling several assassination attempts against herself and even the Queen of Air and Darkness, Andais.
This book starts the next day with a press conference, followed by the murder of a demi-fae and a human reporter. Merry convinces Andais to let her bring in human police and CIS investigators hoping that they can discover clues with science that magic might hide.
But that isn’t the only problem Merry has. The Goddess is determined to restore the power to the fae using Merry. Because Merry is descended from five fertility deities, it of course involves sex, and it doesn’t matter if it is inconvenient for Merry to stop what she is doing and fuck someone new.
Suddenly her bodyguards are being attacked. When Galen almost dies, it brings home to Merry just how important he and the others have come to her.
Merry just doesn’t have time for all that is going on, but the newly awaken sithen helps by speeding time up within its confines.
This book becomes more and more fantastical as new powers or rather old powers are restore, like the way Merry gets a tattoo. Laurell K. Hamilton’s imagination is beyond creative, as are her sex scenes. Each one is different and highly erotic. It is no longer so much about getting her pregnant, but about being a vessel that the Goddess will use. It is good that she really isn’t adding any more lovers too her roster of handsome, broody men. We have enough to keep tack of.
As I said, I enjoyed this book because although there was a lot of sex, there didn’t feel as though there was a lot of gratuitous sex. Some but not all. There was a purpose to the sex, it wakened powers, made things happen. Besides there was just too much other stuff going on that crowded out some of the sex.
And there lies the problem. There is so much left hanging at the end of the story, there is no sense of completion or satisfaction. Sort of like Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back and just like then, we have a long wait until the next installment. Ugh!
Reviewed by Linda Suzane June 14, 2005
A Stroke of Midnight
By Laurell K. Hamilton
Published by Random House
Copyright 2005
ISBN#: 0-345-44357-8
Series: Merry Gentry #4
Genre Subgenre: Paranormal
In some ways I liked this book better than the previous ones, but I absolutely hated the ending. Or rather the lack of an ending. It is as though the author wrote a certain number of words and then just quit leaving the story in the middle. In the previous book SEDUCED BY MOONLIGHT, Merry and her body guards “slash” harem returned to the faerie sithen, foiling several assassination attempts against herself and even the Queen of Air and Darkness, Andais.
This book starts the next day with a press conference, followed by the murder of a demi-fae and a human reporter. Merry convinces Andais to let her bring in human police and CIS investigators hoping that they can discover clues with science that magic might hide.
But that isn’t the only problem Merry has. The Goddess is determined to restore the power to the fae using Merry. Because Merry is descended from five fertility deities, it of course involves sex, and it doesn’t matter if it is inconvenient for Merry to stop what she is doing and fuck someone new.
Suddenly her bodyguards are being attacked. When Galen almost dies, it brings home to Merry just how important he and the others have come to her.
Merry just doesn’t have time for all that is going on, but the newly awaken sithen helps by speeding time up within its confines.
This book becomes more and more fantastical as new powers or rather old powers are restore, like the way Merry gets a tattoo. Laurell K. Hamilton’s imagination is beyond creative, as are her sex scenes. Each one is different and highly erotic. It is no longer so much about getting her pregnant, but about being a vessel that the Goddess will use. It is good that she really isn’t adding any more lovers too her roster of handsome, broody men. We have enough to keep tack of.
As I said, I enjoyed this book because although there was a lot of sex, there didn’t feel as though there was a lot of gratuitous sex. Some but not all. There was a purpose to the sex, it wakened powers, made things happen. Besides there was just too much other stuff going on that crowded out some of the sex.
And there lies the problem. There is so much left hanging at the end of the story, there is no sense of completion or satisfaction. Sort of like Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back and just like then, we have a long wait until the next installment. Ugh!
Reviewed by Linda Suzane June 14, 2005
A Stroke of Midnight
By Laurell K. Hamilton
Published by Random House
Copyright 2005
ISBN#: 0-345-44357-8
Series: Merry Gentry #4
Genre Subgenre: Paranormal
Friday, November 21, 2008
Kitty takes a Vacation
By Carrie Vaughn
Kitty has run away from all the notoriety that Washington caused. She is staying in a
mountain cabin. Then someone leaves a dead rabbit on her porch, painting a cross in
blood on her door. Who is trying to place a curse on her and why?
Then Cormac shows up with her lawyer, Ben. Ben has been bitten by a werewolf. Ben
and Cormac grew up together, cousins, and best friends. Cormac had been hired to
take out a werewolf, and asked Ben to back him up, but something went wrong and Ben
got bitten. Cormac is guilt-ridden but can’t bring himself to follow through on his
promise to kill Ben if something should happen.
Kitty nurses Ben through the trauma, helps him during his first full moon, and realizes
that Ben is now her pack. As well as her lover.
But trouble is brewing. Something evil is slaughtering cattle. The sheriff thinks it is a
werewolf, Kitty. But it isn’t. It is something far worse.
Carrie Vaughn has captured me, I am totally enamored with the story of Kitty Norville
and can hardly wait until the next in the series.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane
Kitty takes a Vacation
Warner Books Copyright 2007
Kitty has run away from all the notoriety that Washington caused. She is staying in a
mountain cabin. Then someone leaves a dead rabbit on her porch, painting a cross in
blood on her door. Who is trying to place a curse on her and why?
Then Cormac shows up with her lawyer, Ben. Ben has been bitten by a werewolf. Ben
and Cormac grew up together, cousins, and best friends. Cormac had been hired to
take out a werewolf, and asked Ben to back him up, but something went wrong and Ben
got bitten. Cormac is guilt-ridden but can’t bring himself to follow through on his
promise to kill Ben if something should happen.
Kitty nurses Ben through the trauma, helps him during his first full moon, and realizes
that Ben is now her pack. As well as her lover.
But trouble is brewing. Something evil is slaughtering cattle. The sheriff thinks it is a
werewolf, Kitty. But it isn’t. It is something far worse.
Carrie Vaughn has captured me, I am totally enamored with the story of Kitty Norville
and can hardly wait until the next in the series.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane
Kitty takes a Vacation
Warner Books Copyright 2007
Monday, November 17, 2008
Second Sight
By Amanda Quick
Victorian England, Venetia is a wellbred young woman, left penniless when her parents die. But unlike so many stories of its ilk, she doesn’t become a governess. No, Venetia earns a livelihood for herself and her younger sister and brother as a photographer. To give herself respectability she assumes the role of a widow, taking the name of Jones, in honor of the one night of exquisite passion she experienced with Gabriel Jones, before he was killed in an accident. But Gabriel isn’t dead and suddenly she has a husband to contend with.
Second Sight is a nice piece of fluff, with a paranormal touch. Venetia can read auras. Gabriel Jones is a member of the Arcane Society, and possess his own psychic abilities. And of course there is a villain and lots of danger. As I said a nice piece of fluff, with a happy ever after ending.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane, September 3, 2008
Second Sight
Amanda Quick
An Arcane Society Novel
G.P. Putnam
2006
ISBN: 0-399-15352-7
Victorian England, Venetia is a wellbred young woman, left penniless when her parents die. But unlike so many stories of its ilk, she doesn’t become a governess. No, Venetia earns a livelihood for herself and her younger sister and brother as a photographer. To give herself respectability she assumes the role of a widow, taking the name of Jones, in honor of the one night of exquisite passion she experienced with Gabriel Jones, before he was killed in an accident. But Gabriel isn’t dead and suddenly she has a husband to contend with.
Second Sight is a nice piece of fluff, with a paranormal touch. Venetia can read auras. Gabriel Jones is a member of the Arcane Society, and possess his own psychic abilities. And of course there is a villain and lots of danger. As I said a nice piece of fluff, with a happy ever after ending.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane, September 3, 2008
Second Sight
Amanda Quick
An Arcane Society Novel
G.P. Putnam
2006
ISBN: 0-399-15352-7
Friday, November 14, 2008
Kitty goes to Washington
By Carrie Vaughn
As a self proclaimed werewolf, Kitty is called as an expert witness to testify before a Congressional committee overseeing a government agency The Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology, which has just released a report that claims that lycanthropy and vampirism are diseases and real. But it is a trap. The head of the committee is Senator Joseph Duke who is rabidly against werewolves and vampires, especially Kitty. Things smell wrong to Kitty and she and her lawyer Ben start investigating the head of the Center, trying to figure out what is really going on behind the scenes. Too late, Kitty discovers that she is the focus of the plot and ends up totally exposed as she transforms on live TV.
Again Carrie Vaughn has created a sympathetic picture of the difficulties of being a werewolf and the same time telling a complex, fast paced story, this time taking advantage of all the sleeze that makes up politics. If Kitty thought pack politics could be deadly, she’s learning that Washington politics are even more so.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane
Kitty goes to Washington
Warner Books Copyright 2006
As a self proclaimed werewolf, Kitty is called as an expert witness to testify before a Congressional committee overseeing a government agency The Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology, which has just released a report that claims that lycanthropy and vampirism are diseases and real. But it is a trap. The head of the committee is Senator Joseph Duke who is rabidly against werewolves and vampires, especially Kitty. Things smell wrong to Kitty and she and her lawyer Ben start investigating the head of the Center, trying to figure out what is really going on behind the scenes. Too late, Kitty discovers that she is the focus of the plot and ends up totally exposed as she transforms on live TV.
Again Carrie Vaughn has created a sympathetic picture of the difficulties of being a werewolf and the same time telling a complex, fast paced story, this time taking advantage of all the sleeze that makes up politics. If Kitty thought pack politics could be deadly, she’s learning that Washington politics are even more so.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane
Kitty goes to Washington
Warner Books Copyright 2006
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Smoke Thief
By Shana Abe
I’m not quite sure how this book made it out of the romance paperbacks and into hardback, and into the fiction section, rather than romance, because it is one of those Alpha Male finds the only woman who can complete him and it becomes a battle to make her submit. Christine Feehan and other have made this kind of romance very popular, but it isn’t vampires this time, but dragons.
Over the centuries, the dragons to protect themselves have learned to masquerade as human. The Drakon, the remnant of the once proud species lives in hiding in England, living in villages upon the rural estate of the Marques of Langford. To keep the dragons’ secret, they are forbidden to leave the confines of Darkfirth, although a few have gone rogue to be hunted down and returned. But now the new Marques of Langford, Kris, has a problem. There is a jewel thief in London who sounds suspiciously like one of them, but there is no one missing. Kris must discover who this rogue is and bring him home.
Rue grew up despised by the Drakon, a halfling, whose father was human. On her seventeenth birthday, Rue discovered she could turn, turn into a dragon with wings. She is the first female in several generations to be able to turn, which makes her the alpha female. She knows that she will be forced to marry Kris. While she has loved Kris from afar, as has every girl in the shire, she refuses to be forced to submit and stages her own death, escaping to London. There she uses the inherent dragon skills, especially the ability to turn into smoke, to become a master thief and leads a life full of adventure and role playing, knowing that one day, the Drakon will come for her.
Kris sets a trap for her by bring their greatest treasure, a huge violet diamond, to London to put on display. Unable to resist, she visits the museum and is caught by Kris. Kris is shocked to realized that she is a woman, and in the instant she turns to smoke, he realizes that she is his future mate. Then someone steals the jewel. In the confusion, Rue escapes. Kris has her scent and tracks her down and she is returned to Darkfirth.
Rue makes a bargain with Kris and the Council. She will recover the diamond and lead them to the other runner hiding in London, in return for her freedom. She and Kris set off to London and exciting adventures, Kris planning on using the time to win her love. She already loves hm but is determined not to give away her independence.
The story is interesting, the twists and turns intriguing if somewhat predictable. The dragons are shapeshifters, shifting first to smoke and then to dragon form. When the regain human form, they have left their clothes behind, and are naked, which causes Rue some problems and some interesting possibilities between the two of them. The setting is rather generic England, supposedly around 1740, but there wasn’t enough to set it as a particular period. The heroine, as is often the case, was too modern in her attitudes for the period.
Do I recommend it? Yes and no. If you are like my husband, looking for a good fantasy novel, you probably won’t like it. The romantic elements are way too strong. But romance readers will definitely enjoy it. I was reminded of the Regency romances I used to read, but way more interesting.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane, October 25, 2005
The Smoke Thief
Shana Abe
Published by Bantam Books
Copyright 2005
ISBN: 0-553-80448-0
Genre Subgenre: Fantasy Romance
I’m not quite sure how this book made it out of the romance paperbacks and into hardback, and into the fiction section, rather than romance, because it is one of those Alpha Male finds the only woman who can complete him and it becomes a battle to make her submit. Christine Feehan and other have made this kind of romance very popular, but it isn’t vampires this time, but dragons.
Over the centuries, the dragons to protect themselves have learned to masquerade as human. The Drakon, the remnant of the once proud species lives in hiding in England, living in villages upon the rural estate of the Marques of Langford. To keep the dragons’ secret, they are forbidden to leave the confines of Darkfirth, although a few have gone rogue to be hunted down and returned. But now the new Marques of Langford, Kris, has a problem. There is a jewel thief in London who sounds suspiciously like one of them, but there is no one missing. Kris must discover who this rogue is and bring him home.
Rue grew up despised by the Drakon, a halfling, whose father was human. On her seventeenth birthday, Rue discovered she could turn, turn into a dragon with wings. She is the first female in several generations to be able to turn, which makes her the alpha female. She knows that she will be forced to marry Kris. While she has loved Kris from afar, as has every girl in the shire, she refuses to be forced to submit and stages her own death, escaping to London. There she uses the inherent dragon skills, especially the ability to turn into smoke, to become a master thief and leads a life full of adventure and role playing, knowing that one day, the Drakon will come for her.
Kris sets a trap for her by bring their greatest treasure, a huge violet diamond, to London to put on display. Unable to resist, she visits the museum and is caught by Kris. Kris is shocked to realized that she is a woman, and in the instant she turns to smoke, he realizes that she is his future mate. Then someone steals the jewel. In the confusion, Rue escapes. Kris has her scent and tracks her down and she is returned to Darkfirth.
Rue makes a bargain with Kris and the Council. She will recover the diamond and lead them to the other runner hiding in London, in return for her freedom. She and Kris set off to London and exciting adventures, Kris planning on using the time to win her love. She already loves hm but is determined not to give away her independence.
The story is interesting, the twists and turns intriguing if somewhat predictable. The dragons are shapeshifters, shifting first to smoke and then to dragon form. When the regain human form, they have left their clothes behind, and are naked, which causes Rue some problems and some interesting possibilities between the two of them. The setting is rather generic England, supposedly around 1740, but there wasn’t enough to set it as a particular period. The heroine, as is often the case, was too modern in her attitudes for the period.
Do I recommend it? Yes and no. If you are like my husband, looking for a good fantasy novel, you probably won’t like it. The romantic elements are way too strong. But romance readers will definitely enjoy it. I was reminded of the Regency romances I used to read, but way more interesting.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane, October 25, 2005
The Smoke Thief
Shana Abe
Published by Bantam Books
Copyright 2005
ISBN: 0-553-80448-0
Genre Subgenre: Fantasy Romance
Friday, November 7, 2008
Kitty and the Midnight Hour
Long-time Listener, First-Time Werewolf
By Carrie Vaughn
SFBC edition 2007
Kitty and the Midnight Hour
Warner Books Copyright 2005
Kitty Norville is a werewolf who is also hosts a radio show called the Midnight Hour, “the show that isn’t afraid of the dark or the creatures that live there...” Almost by accident she starts taking calls about the supernatural, and her down-to-earth advice to werewolves, vampires, and wannabes, believers and disbelievers, turns her show into a rating success. But not everyone is happy with her popularity. Her pack leader wants her to quit, so does the head of the local Vampire family. But Kitty loves her show. It is hers, something important, that helps her hold her life together. Then someone sends a bounty hunter after her. Cormac, a man who makes his living killing werewolves, has been hired to kill her while she is on air. In a bold move she keeps him talking, convinces him hold off killing her, but in the meantime announces on live radio that she is a werewolf. Everyone, even her mother now knows. Her life is changed forever.
She has to find out who wants her dead, hates her enough to hire Cormac. Not only that, someone is out killing people and it looks like a werewolf. As the only confessed werewolf, Kitty ends up the police prime suspect, and she ends up turning to Cormac to help her clear her name and put the end to the murderous rampage.
Being a werewolf isn’t easy, Carrie Vaughn makes Kitty a sympathetic character, one you want to root for. Her world is interesting and captivating and full of surprises.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane
Kitty and the Midnight Hour
By Carrie Vaughn
Warner Books Copyright 2005
Long-time Listener, First-Time Werewolf
SFBC edition 2007
By Carrie Vaughn
SFBC edition 2007
Kitty and the Midnight Hour
Warner Books Copyright 2005
Kitty Norville is a werewolf who is also hosts a radio show called the Midnight Hour, “the show that isn’t afraid of the dark or the creatures that live there...” Almost by accident she starts taking calls about the supernatural, and her down-to-earth advice to werewolves, vampires, and wannabes, believers and disbelievers, turns her show into a rating success. But not everyone is happy with her popularity. Her pack leader wants her to quit, so does the head of the local Vampire family. But Kitty loves her show. It is hers, something important, that helps her hold her life together. Then someone sends a bounty hunter after her. Cormac, a man who makes his living killing werewolves, has been hired to kill her while she is on air. In a bold move she keeps him talking, convinces him hold off killing her, but in the meantime announces on live radio that she is a werewolf. Everyone, even her mother now knows. Her life is changed forever.
She has to find out who wants her dead, hates her enough to hire Cormac. Not only that, someone is out killing people and it looks like a werewolf. As the only confessed werewolf, Kitty ends up the police prime suspect, and she ends up turning to Cormac to help her clear her name and put the end to the murderous rampage.
Being a werewolf isn’t easy, Carrie Vaughn makes Kitty a sympathetic character, one you want to root for. Her world is interesting and captivating and full of surprises.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane
Kitty and the Midnight Hour
By Carrie Vaughn
Warner Books Copyright 2005
Long-time Listener, First-Time Werewolf
SFBC edition 2007
Monday, November 3, 2008
Midnight Never Come
by Marie Brennan
I had a hard time classifying MIDNIGHT NEVER COME. I suppose it falls in the category of a paranormal romance. But it lacks the steam or the erotica that we have come to expect from paranormal romances. I’m not even sure I would classify it as a romance, for it lacks the typical structure of romance novels, even thought the love story between Deven and Lune is an integral part in the story. Then is it a historical novel? Set during Queen Elizabeth I reign, it does indeed stand the test for a historical novel. The historical details are rich and vibrant and the characters literally step out of the pages of history. But it is more than just a historical novel. The author Marie Brennan has added to the convoluted machinations of the Royal Court another player or rather group of players. The fairy Queen Invidiana and the fae of the Onyx Court, which exists beneath the city of London in a parody of Queen Elizabeth’s own court. Deven, one of the Queen Elizabeth’s own Gentlemen Pensioner, (fancy term for guards), is also in the service of Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth’s Principal Secretary. He is a spy. And he is set the task to discover the identity of the secret player who has been influencing the Queen and English politics. Deven doesn’t expect that his search will lead him to the woman that he loves and wants to marry, or that all she appears to be is a lie, and she herself is a fairy, the Lady Lune, and a spy for the Onyx Court. Now perhaps we could call it a historical mystery, for the two of them must uncover a secret that threatens both Courts.
I found myself enjoying the slow pace of the book, that followed more the pattern of historical mystery novels than the usual paranormal fantasy. I enjoyed the richness of the historical detail, but I also enjoyed the glittering made up world of the fae.
So what is MIDNIGHT NEVER COME? I guess you could call it a paranormal fantasy - historical - romantic - mystery. That’s quite a mouthful to describe an unusual and interesting blending of genres, Marie Brennan has managed to make it all come together and work. MIDNIGHT NEVER COME is well worth reading.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane, October 14, 2008
Midnight Never Come
Marie Brennan
Paranormal Romance / Historical
Orbit
June 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0-316-02029-9
ISBN-10: 0-316-02029-X
I had a hard time classifying MIDNIGHT NEVER COME. I suppose it falls in the category of a paranormal romance. But it lacks the steam or the erotica that we have come to expect from paranormal romances. I’m not even sure I would classify it as a romance, for it lacks the typical structure of romance novels, even thought the love story between Deven and Lune is an integral part in the story. Then is it a historical novel? Set during Queen Elizabeth I reign, it does indeed stand the test for a historical novel. The historical details are rich and vibrant and the characters literally step out of the pages of history. But it is more than just a historical novel. The author Marie Brennan has added to the convoluted machinations of the Royal Court another player or rather group of players. The fairy Queen Invidiana and the fae of the Onyx Court, which exists beneath the city of London in a parody of Queen Elizabeth’s own court. Deven, one of the Queen Elizabeth’s own Gentlemen Pensioner, (fancy term for guards), is also in the service of Walsingham, Queen Elizabeth’s Principal Secretary. He is a spy. And he is set the task to discover the identity of the secret player who has been influencing the Queen and English politics. Deven doesn’t expect that his search will lead him to the woman that he loves and wants to marry, or that all she appears to be is a lie, and she herself is a fairy, the Lady Lune, and a spy for the Onyx Court. Now perhaps we could call it a historical mystery, for the two of them must uncover a secret that threatens both Courts.
I found myself enjoying the slow pace of the book, that followed more the pattern of historical mystery novels than the usual paranormal fantasy. I enjoyed the richness of the historical detail, but I also enjoyed the glittering made up world of the fae.
So what is MIDNIGHT NEVER COME? I guess you could call it a paranormal fantasy - historical - romantic - mystery. That’s quite a mouthful to describe an unusual and interesting blending of genres, Marie Brennan has managed to make it all come together and work. MIDNIGHT NEVER COME is well worth reading.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane, October 14, 2008
Midnight Never Come
Marie Brennan
Paranormal Romance / Historical
Orbit
June 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0-316-02029-9
ISBN-10: 0-316-02029-X
Friday, October 31, 2008
What do I call it?
I just added a new author and character to my list of favorites, which includes Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake and gang and Merry Gentry and her men of fae, Jim Butcher and the Dresden Files, Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire series, and Kim Harrison and her witch, Rachel Morgan. To the list I now add Carrie Vaughn and her creation, Kitty Norville. Kitty is a reluctant werewolf and a radio D.J..
I started to wonder how to classify these new stories. Paranormal romances? No. Mysteries? No. Science Fiction? No. Fantasy? Maybe, but not really. Perhaps we need a new name, a new sub-genre.
The first Anita Blake stories by Laurell K. Hamilton were originally sold as romances. But from the very beginning, they didn’t quite fit. I seem to remember that Laurell K. Hamilton belonged to a writers’ group called The Alternate Historians or something like that. Could Anita Blake fall into the Science Fiction sub-genre Alternate History, where an event changes history? In this case, the event was vampires coming out of the closet. Her books were also mysteries. Anita Blake is often referred to as a paranormal investigator. When you look Laurell K. Hamilton up, she is classified as a Science Fiction/Fantasy author.
So what do Anita Blake, Merry Gentry, Harry Dresden, Sookie Stackhouse, Rachel Morgan all have in common? They have to do with the paranormal.
Dark fantasy is another term I’ve heard used, since they are fantasy, but with the dark side of vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night. But Dark Fantasy has been linked with horror, and usually these books tend to be on the light, often humorous side.
Paranormal romances have become extremely popular with ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, even angels. People can’t seem to get enough of them. But although each of the above mentioned series have romantic elements, even erotica, they don’t really fit into the classic romance. Or even paranormal romance.
They also had mystery elements, but as the stories progressed, the relationships and the world became more important and often overshadowed the mystery. So they really don’t fit the term mystery, or even paranormal mystery.
I came across another term, Magic Realism. That certainly sounded like a possibility. But I did some research. It is narrowly defined, to represent first a style of art and later a particular kind of literature, in Latin America in the 1940's. While in most ways, these books don’t match the criteria for Magic Realism, they do in one area, that the supernatural is considered real by the characters.
Bruce Holland Rogers says, “If a magazine editor these days asks for contributions that are magical realism, what she's really saying is that she wants contemporary fantasy written to a high literary standard.” It is a marketing term.
There is one other term that I have heard used to describe them -- Urban Fantasy. Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series is referred to as an urban fantasy on her website.
According to Wikipedia, Urban Fantasy is a subset of contemporary fantasy, consisting of magical novels and stories set in contemporary, real-world, urban settings. Either in what is called open, where the magic and paranormal events are accepted to exist or closed, where they exist, but remain hidden. It has also become a term used in films, which include movies and TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, and the Dresden Files, a show based on Jim Butcher’s books.
So I guess Urban Fantasy is best fit.
I started to wonder how to classify these new stories. Paranormal romances? No. Mysteries? No. Science Fiction? No. Fantasy? Maybe, but not really. Perhaps we need a new name, a new sub-genre.
The first Anita Blake stories by Laurell K. Hamilton were originally sold as romances. But from the very beginning, they didn’t quite fit. I seem to remember that Laurell K. Hamilton belonged to a writers’ group called The Alternate Historians or something like that. Could Anita Blake fall into the Science Fiction sub-genre Alternate History, where an event changes history? In this case, the event was vampires coming out of the closet. Her books were also mysteries. Anita Blake is often referred to as a paranormal investigator. When you look Laurell K. Hamilton up, she is classified as a Science Fiction/Fantasy author.
So what do Anita Blake, Merry Gentry, Harry Dresden, Sookie Stackhouse, Rachel Morgan all have in common? They have to do with the paranormal.
Dark fantasy is another term I’ve heard used, since they are fantasy, but with the dark side of vampires, werewolves, and other creatures of the night. But Dark Fantasy has been linked with horror, and usually these books tend to be on the light, often humorous side.
Paranormal romances have become extremely popular with ghosts, vampires, werewolves, witches, even angels. People can’t seem to get enough of them. But although each of the above mentioned series have romantic elements, even erotica, they don’t really fit into the classic romance. Or even paranormal romance.
They also had mystery elements, but as the stories progressed, the relationships and the world became more important and often overshadowed the mystery. So they really don’t fit the term mystery, or even paranormal mystery.
I came across another term, Magic Realism. That certainly sounded like a possibility. But I did some research. It is narrowly defined, to represent first a style of art and later a particular kind of literature, in Latin America in the 1940's. While in most ways, these books don’t match the criteria for Magic Realism, they do in one area, that the supernatural is considered real by the characters.
Bruce Holland Rogers says, “If a magazine editor these days asks for contributions that are magical realism, what she's really saying is that she wants contemporary fantasy written to a high literary standard.” It is a marketing term.
There is one other term that I have heard used to describe them -- Urban Fantasy. Laurell K. Hamilton’s Merry Gentry series is referred to as an urban fantasy on her website.
According to Wikipedia, Urban Fantasy is a subset of contemporary fantasy, consisting of magical novels and stories set in contemporary, real-world, urban settings. Either in what is called open, where the magic and paranormal events are accepted to exist or closed, where they exist, but remain hidden. It has also become a term used in films, which include movies and TV shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, and the Dresden Files, a show based on Jim Butcher’s books.
So I guess Urban Fantasy is best fit.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
NaNoWriMo
What is that? National Novel Writing Month begins November 1st, and challenges over 110,000 authors to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.
I have accepted the challenge. So I've posted reviews ahead for the next 4 weeks, so that I can focus on my writing. I'll check back in December.
I have accepted the challenge. So I've posted reviews ahead for the next 4 weeks, so that I can focus on my writing. I'll check back in December.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Tell Me, Pretty Maiden
by Rhys Bowen
We readers have been following the adventures of Molly Murphy, an extraordinary Irish immigrant to New York City in the early 1900's. Forced to flee Ireland, she arrives penniless. Unwilling to succumb to the drudgery of being a maid, or working in the sweat shops, definitely not interested in being kept in a brothel, she happens upon a job with a private detective. When he dies tragically, she just keeps on as a detective. Her Irish luck brings continuing success to her career.
This time she is dealing with multiple cases. A malignant ghost haunting a theater, a background check of a prospective groom, and an investigation of a robbery. In the robbery, the evidence is overwhelming against a young man, a nephew of a friend, who is missing. Can she find him and prove his innocence? Not to mention it, Molly found a young girl lying in the snow, catatonic. Molly takes her in, determined to discover what terrible trauma has robbed her of speech. Then there is Molly’s boyfriend, Daniel Sullivan, who continues to brood over his unjust dismissal from the police force and keeps treating her without respect for her independent nature. For Molly won’t be shoved into the prison of being what society expects women of that era to be.
My major complaint about this story is the author attempted to keep the reader in the dark, by keeping Molly clueless on things she should have questioned or figured out. Unfortunately, it wasn’t much a mystery to me what had happened and I found it irritating that Molly wasn’t smart enough to have a clue. Despite that weakness, I enjoyed the characters and the setting very much. This time we get to see backstage at the theater and the insides of the horrid insane asylum and meet the famous Nelly Bly. Hopefully next time out, the author will allow Molly to show her native brilliance. And please get Daniel over his depression, he broods way too much, not to mention his male chauvinistic behavior is really irritating. He either needs to grow up or Molly needs to kick him out.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane
TELL ME, PRETTY MAIDEN, A Molly Murphy Mystery
Rhys Bowen
St. Martin’s Minotaur 2008
ISBN 13: 978-0-312-34943-1
We readers have been following the adventures of Molly Murphy, an extraordinary Irish immigrant to New York City in the early 1900's. Forced to flee Ireland, she arrives penniless. Unwilling to succumb to the drudgery of being a maid, or working in the sweat shops, definitely not interested in being kept in a brothel, she happens upon a job with a private detective. When he dies tragically, she just keeps on as a detective. Her Irish luck brings continuing success to her career.
This time she is dealing with multiple cases. A malignant ghost haunting a theater, a background check of a prospective groom, and an investigation of a robbery. In the robbery, the evidence is overwhelming against a young man, a nephew of a friend, who is missing. Can she find him and prove his innocence? Not to mention it, Molly found a young girl lying in the snow, catatonic. Molly takes her in, determined to discover what terrible trauma has robbed her of speech. Then there is Molly’s boyfriend, Daniel Sullivan, who continues to brood over his unjust dismissal from the police force and keeps treating her without respect for her independent nature. For Molly won’t be shoved into the prison of being what society expects women of that era to be.
My major complaint about this story is the author attempted to keep the reader in the dark, by keeping Molly clueless on things she should have questioned or figured out. Unfortunately, it wasn’t much a mystery to me what had happened and I found it irritating that Molly wasn’t smart enough to have a clue. Despite that weakness, I enjoyed the characters and the setting very much. This time we get to see backstage at the theater and the insides of the horrid insane asylum and meet the famous Nelly Bly. Hopefully next time out, the author will allow Molly to show her native brilliance. And please get Daniel over his depression, he broods way too much, not to mention his male chauvinistic behavior is really irritating. He either needs to grow up or Molly needs to kick him out.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane
TELL ME, PRETTY MAIDEN, A Molly Murphy Mystery
Rhys Bowen
St. Martin’s Minotaur 2008
ISBN 13: 978-0-312-34943-1
Thursday, October 23, 2008
What is ISBN?
ISBN, what is it? When I noticed a book listing an ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 number, I found myself asking what was going on.
So I did a little investigation. In 2007, they switched from an ISBN-10 to an ISBN-13, but recommended that books published in the transition period carry both.
But what is an ISBN? It stands for International Standard Book Number. Supposedly every book, professionally published, has been given a unique 10 digit ISBN, since the system started in 1970. Now that has been changed to 13 digits. Why? To better conform with the 13 digit EAN code, which is a bar code for all products.
So what does the code mean?
For example: ISBN# 978-81-7525766-0
978 - Is the EAN code for books.
81 - Is group code, such as identifying it as an English speaking country.
7525 - Identifies the publisher. A publisher may have more than one code.
766- Product number.
0 - Check sum. This number is arrived at by following a complex mathematical formula. You multiply all the numbers by a predetermined amount, add together the totals, and divide them by 11 or 10 depending if it is 10 or 13 ISBN. The number that remains is then added to the check sum number to equal 11 or 10. This is supposed to assure that there are no errors when typing numbers so that no invalid ISBN are issued.
So now you and I know a little bit more.
So I did a little investigation. In 2007, they switched from an ISBN-10 to an ISBN-13, but recommended that books published in the transition period carry both.
But what is an ISBN? It stands for International Standard Book Number. Supposedly every book, professionally published, has been given a unique 10 digit ISBN, since the system started in 1970. Now that has been changed to 13 digits. Why? To better conform with the 13 digit EAN code, which is a bar code for all products.
So what does the code mean?
For example: ISBN# 978-81-7525766-0
978 - Is the EAN code for books.
81 - Is group code, such as identifying it as an English speaking country.
7525 - Identifies the publisher. A publisher may have more than one code.
766- Product number.
0 - Check sum. This number is arrived at by following a complex mathematical formula. You multiply all the numbers by a predetermined amount, add together the totals, and divide them by 11 or 10 depending if it is 10 or 13 ISBN. The number that remains is then added to the check sum number to equal 11 or 10. This is supposed to assure that there are no errors when typing numbers so that no invalid ISBN are issued.
So now you and I know a little bit more.
Monday, October 20, 2008
The Right Hand of Amon
by Lauren Haney
From the time I was a teenager, I have been fascinated by ancient Egypt. One of my all time favorite series is Amelia Peabody by Elizabeth Peter. I was very pleased when I found the Lord Meron series by Lynda S. Robinson and sorely disappointed when it ended after six books. Now I have found Lauren Haney series about Lieutenant Bak, commander of the Medjay police during reign of Queen Maatkare Hatshepsut.
THE RIGHT HAND OF AMON is a beautiful mystery, the kind where the characters and clues are unfolded slowly and with exquisite precision against a backdrop that is at both exotic and yet realistically familiar. She has brought ancient Egypt alive with great skill.
My only regret is that there are only eight books in the series. From what I read, her publisher dropped the series and she hasn’t found a new publisher. One can only hope she does, for if the rest are as good as THE RIGHT HAND OF AMON, it is a series worth owning, one that shouldn’t be dropped because it is midlist. I better stop before I start a rant. If you enjoy mysteries and Egypt, this is definitely a book you want to read.
THE RIGHT HAND OF AMON
By Lauren Haney
Avon Books Inc
1997
Reviewed by Linda Suzane October 18, 2008
From the time I was a teenager, I have been fascinated by ancient Egypt. One of my all time favorite series is Amelia Peabody by Elizabeth Peter. I was very pleased when I found the Lord Meron series by Lynda S. Robinson and sorely disappointed when it ended after six books. Now I have found Lauren Haney series about Lieutenant Bak, commander of the Medjay police during reign of Queen Maatkare Hatshepsut.
THE RIGHT HAND OF AMON is a beautiful mystery, the kind where the characters and clues are unfolded slowly and with exquisite precision against a backdrop that is at both exotic and yet realistically familiar. She has brought ancient Egypt alive with great skill.
My only regret is that there are only eight books in the series. From what I read, her publisher dropped the series and she hasn’t found a new publisher. One can only hope she does, for if the rest are as good as THE RIGHT HAND OF AMON, it is a series worth owning, one that shouldn’t be dropped because it is midlist. I better stop before I start a rant. If you enjoy mysteries and Egypt, this is definitely a book you want to read.
THE RIGHT HAND OF AMON
By Lauren Haney
Avon Books Inc
1997
Reviewed by Linda Suzane October 18, 2008
Monday, October 13, 2008
Savannah's Secret
By Marie HeldSAVANNAH'S SECRET is a romantic spy thriller. And thrilling it is. Reporter Serena Watson begins researching the mysterious destruction of an old mansion, the Peck House, in Savannah, Georgia. Curious about the strange lack of information about the explosion, she initiates a title search. Suddenly someone breaks in to her apartment, then a stranger bumps into her, someone who claims to know her, yet won't explain how. Brent warms her that she must stop her investigation. When it seems that there are men watching her, she reluctantly agrees. For Brent makes her feel safe and protected, and she finds herself definitely drawn to him. Then Brent steals all her notes and disappears without telling her what is going on. Angry, she goes on with her investigation and into life-threatening-danger.
This is a better spy thriller than a romance, if only because the romance follows my least favorite plotline. The conflict results from neither party bothering to communicate, when one simple question or an honest answer would have resolved the issues. Brent thinks he is protecting Serena by not telling her what is going on. Wrong! Serena assumes that Missy is Brent's girlfriend. Wrong! Brent assumes Serena is still in love with her ex-boyfriend, Randall. Wrong! Neither one will let the other know that they love one another and so suffer. While there are many fans who enjoy this romantic formula, I find myself frustrated at the characters for not speaking out.
I also found Serena a little too weak for a reporter. She let her father and Brent keep her in the dark too much. I know this is what I would classify as a sweet romance, with a very young heroine, but again I would prefer a stronger heroine.
Those of you who are fond of the old fashioned, sweet romance will love SAVANNAH'S SECRET. Marie Held has turned her first novel into a wonderful blend of romance and spy thriller. She has made a good beginning.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Offshore Threat
by Nancy A. Lindley-Gauthier
Happy, an odd child, often misunderstood, in love with the sea.
Ollie, standing at the moment where one life must end and another begin.
Corwin, a Coast Guard Commander, charged with homeland security, whose biggest problem isn’t foreign terrorists but among his own ranks.
When the body of a young girl bound in chains is discovered stuffed in a culvert, the “chain” of events entangles the lives of these three.
This is old fashioned suspense at its very best.
Whether well researched or personal experience, the author brings a strong sense of reality to this complex tale. The work of the Coast Guard, which deals with national security, checking incoming shipping, and protecting the safety of boaters makes an interesting background. But it was the richness of details, such as the thrill of sailing through a raging storm, the smell of the sea, the waves brushing against the sand, and a child’s joy of simple things like a gull on the wing, that makes this book special.
OFFSHORE THREAT
by Nancy A. Lindley-Gauthier
Wings ePress Inc.
ISBN 978-1-59705-352-5 eBook
Available from Wings ePress http://www.wings-press.com
Learn more about Nancy at her website www.amomentincrime.com
Reviewed by Linda Suzane August 15, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
Maze of Secrets
By Norma SeelyI was lucky enough to spent a “cozy” Sunday with Norma Seely’s great mystery MAZE OF SECRETS. It has everything a lover of the Cozy could want, gardens, tea, cats, and an intrepid older detective, Imajean.
Imajean is a gardener extraordinary whose passion is restoring the Rosewood mansion and the adjacent gardens to their original glory. Reclaiming gardens from over-grown blackberry and brambles is hard enough, but when those around her hide old truths, it makes her all the more determined to find the maze supposedly hidden on the property. Then Imajean’s friend and Rosewood’s director is found lying dead at the bottom of a set of secret stairs.
There is a cast of wonderful quirky characters. According to the author, “Every great detective needs a devil’s advocate.” Imajean has that and a great husband, too, in Glenn. Then there is the bridge play sheriff. And Rosewood’s Board of Directors, one who is definitely a thief, and one who is probably a murderer. The author obviously loves gardening and is an expert at Northwest gardening. She knows more than just the names of the Oregon’s native plants, she makes the gardens vividly real, whether it is the sun-dappled shade garden or the heavenly scent of the rose bower. She has made Rosewood and its gardens come alive. I almost expect to
find them listed on the Register of Historic Homes and Gardens.
Don’t miss MAZE OF SECRETS!
MAZE OF SECRETS
By Norma Seely
Wings ePress Inc.
ISBN 978-1-59705-344-0 eBook
ISBN 978-1-59705-691-5 Trade Paperback
Order it direct from Wings ePress
Reviewed by Linda Suzane July 30, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
Ancient Secrets
By Billie Williams
I had the opportunity to read an early, unedited version of Billie A. Williams, ANCIENT SECRETS. Even in that form, despite the typos and wandering plotline, it shone. The author has a true poetic flair with language as well as a talent to tell a dramatic story. ANCIENT SECRETS revolves around a necklace, mysterious beads of power, whose origins Daringer must discover before they can destroy him and his whole family. A mystery and puzzle worthy of Indiana Jones. A story that like Indiana Jones leads us from the ivy covered halls of a Michigan University to deepest darkest Africa and takes us readers on a wild ride. Don’t miss this exciting adventure.
ANCIENT SECRETS
By Billie A. Williams
Wings ePress Inc.
ISBN 978-1-59705-396-9 eBook
ISBN 978-1-59705-647-2 POD
ANCIENT SECRETS available at Amazon.com, Fictionwise.com, or buy direct at discount from www.Wings-Press.com
To learn more about Billie visit her website at www.BillieWilliams.com
Saturday, August 16, 2008
From Dead to Worse
By Charlaine Harris
I was a fan of Charlaine Harris before Sookie Stackhouse, but now I’m an avid fan, totally hooked, eagerly waiting next installment. In this case, the eighth. I wasn’t disappointed. Each of Sookie Stackhouse’s forays broadens her and our own knowledge of the supernatural world. It must be truly a challenge for the writer to come up with something new and different for each book, but she succeeds. Turns out Sookie has got a very interesting surprise in her family tree. In addition, Sookie is dealing with boy friend problems, were wars, and vampire hostile takeovers. Sookie’s life is just so darn interesting and she is just so down-to-earth that you’ve just got to love her. Although this series started as a mystery, it has taken on a life of its own, like Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series. We are more interesting in following Sookie’s life than solving any mystery. While Charlaine does a good job of explaining past events, I would suggest you start the series from the beginning if possible. That sounds like a good suggestion, give me something to do while I am eagerly awaiting number nine.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane
From Dead to Worse
Charlaine Harris
Ace Hardcover; (May 6, 2008)
ISBN-13: 978-0441015894
I was a fan of Charlaine Harris before Sookie Stackhouse, but now I’m an avid fan, totally hooked, eagerly waiting next installment. In this case, the eighth. I wasn’t disappointed. Each of Sookie Stackhouse’s forays broadens her and our own knowledge of the supernatural world. It must be truly a challenge for the writer to come up with something new and different for each book, but she succeeds. Turns out Sookie has got a very interesting surprise in her family tree. In addition, Sookie is dealing with boy friend problems, were wars, and vampire hostile takeovers. Sookie’s life is just so darn interesting and she is just so down-to-earth that you’ve just got to love her. Although this series started as a mystery, it has taken on a life of its own, like Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake series. We are more interesting in following Sookie’s life than solving any mystery. While Charlaine does a good job of explaining past events, I would suggest you start the series from the beginning if possible. That sounds like a good suggestion, give me something to do while I am eagerly awaiting number nine.
Reviewed by Linda Suzane
From Dead to Worse
Charlaine Harris
Ace Hardcover; (May 6, 2008)
ISBN-13: 978-0441015894
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sunday at Rosewood
What did I read last? I spent Sunday reading my fellow Wings author Norma Seely's book MAZE OF SECRETS. It made for a very "cozy" afternoon, for MAZE has everything, gardens, tea, cats, and a wonderful heroine-detective that a "cozy" lover like me could want. Unfortunately, you won't be able to read this wonderful book until September when it is published along with mine. So I will save my full review until then. But if you like "cozies" be sure to put it on your to-buy list for September.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Blood Noir
BLOOD NOIR is Laurell K. Hamilton's latest in the Anita Blake series. This one is similar to MICAH in that it focuses mainly on developing the relationship between Anita and just one of her men. This time Jason asks her as a friend to accompany him home so that he can reconcile with his Dad, before his Dad dies. But nothing is ever easy. It turns out that Jason is mistaken for the wealthy son of the ex-Governor who is about to run for President. And they get stuck in a media storm, as well as a kidnap threat. Marmee Noir is also playing tricks again with Anita, causing a two day orgy that Anita can't remember, and for which I was glad the reader wasn't subjected to.
I found this book enjoyable, partially for its simplicity. The storyline isn't so complex, the cast, not so large. It focuses mainly on the development of the relationship between Anita and Jason. Jean-Claude remains in the background. But for those of us who still love Richard, there is a new and interesting twist. No, I won't give you a hint about that. Just read it for yourself.
While the sex was hot and steamy, it wasn't the focus of the whole book and I didn't end up feeling like she was just trying to top herself with something new and more erotic in each chapter. Which is good, since I don't think she could top the first union between Anita, Jason, and Nathaniel, which certainly turned me on.
Yes, if you are a fan, it is a definite read. If you haven't found the series, it might be a good start, since it isn't quite so complicated as some of the other books.
I found this book enjoyable, partially for its simplicity. The storyline isn't so complex, the cast, not so large. It focuses mainly on the development of the relationship between Anita and Jason. Jean-Claude remains in the background. But for those of us who still love Richard, there is a new and interesting twist. No, I won't give you a hint about that. Just read it for yourself.
While the sex was hot and steamy, it wasn't the focus of the whole book and I didn't end up feeling like she was just trying to top herself with something new and more erotic in each chapter. Which is good, since I don't think she could top the first union between Anita, Jason, and Nathaniel, which certainly turned me on.
Yes, if you are a fan, it is a definite read. If you haven't found the series, it might be a good start, since it isn't quite so complicated as some of the other books.
Let's Get Started
I tried to figure out what sort of blog I should have. I really don't want to do an online diary for everyone to read.
But I finally I came up with what I could do.
What am I reading now!
I like writing reviews, but I haven't for awhile. Midnightblood.com was my original review site, but I would like to turn that into a database run site, but I don't have time right now. So instead, I will start blogging my comments and reviews about the books I read.
So here we go.
But I finally I came up with what I could do.
What am I reading now!
I like writing reviews, but I haven't for awhile. Midnightblood.com was my original review site, but I would like to turn that into a database run site, but I don't have time right now. So instead, I will start blogging my comments and reviews about the books I read.
So here we go.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
