Recap: S.J. Harper at Mysterious Galaxy Redondo Beach

Hi, everyone. As you may remember, a few weeks ago I mentioned that I went to Mysterious Galaxy Redondo Beach and happened upon a book signing for S.J. Harper's new book, Cursed. S.J. Harper is the pen name for Jeanne C. Stein (Anna Strong) and Samantha Sommersby (Forbidden). Both are established names in urban fantasy and I decided to sit in on the signing to learn more about their new book. (Side note that I already read the book and really enjoyed it. I am excited for book 2!)

The signing got off to a bit of a late start due to a misunderstanding about the start time, but it was all good and I got to catch up with some fun people that I had met previously at the Nalini Singh signing. Sam came out first and read a little bit from the book.

sam reading from cursed

Jeanne was nearing the end of her Anna Strong series and her publisher asked her to come up with some ideas for a new series. Sam had an idea for an urban fantasy series that she thought would work well with Jeanne's knack for writing police procedurals and her knack for romance. They pitched the idea to Jeanne's publisher and they quickly picked it up.

sam and jeanne

The two mapped out each scene of the book in detail. They would write at the same time, each taking a different scene. When they were done, they swapped scenes and critiqued each other. They said that the method worked well and the process was a lot faster with two people writing. 

They have already turned in book 2 of the series and, at the time of the signing, the cover to the book was being discussed.  Hopefully this means that it will be coming out soon and not a year from now. The two discussed how happy they were with the cover model for Cursed and how she ended up getting in touch with Sam. 

that's suzanne lazear's adorable daughter in the background

They said that the S.J. in their pen name stood for their real names (Sam and Jeanne) but that the H was made up because they found out that the letter H was usually at about eye level at the bookstore. Harris and Hamilton were already taken so they decided on Harper.

Both of these ladies were lovely in person. It's clear that they are good friends and it was fun listening to them both. Like I said above, I already read the book and liked it a lot. I would definitely recommend this series for urban fantasy fans. 

If you stuck through this whole post, gold star for you! Let me know if you end up picking this one up and what you think of it. Thanks for stopping by. :)

Meet FBI Agents Emma Monroe and Zack Armstrong.She's cursed. He's damned. Together, they make one hell of a team.

Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.

Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.

Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal, and forces them to use their own supernatural abilities. But that leaves each of them vulnerable, and there are lines partners should not cross. As secrets are revealed and more women go missing, one thing becomes clear: as they race to save the victims, Emma and Zack risk losing themselves.

---

Review: Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead Ever After (Sookie Stackhouse #13)

Author: Charlaine Harris
Publication Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Ace
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy
Find It: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Book Depository
Source: Library

There are secrets in the town of Bon Temps, ones that threaten those closest to Sookie—and could destroy her heart...

Sookie Stackhouse finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough.

Dead Ever After is the final installment of the long running Sookie Stackhouse series. This series has been steadily going downhill for me for a while now but I knew that I wanted to finish it and get some closure. After the previous book, I didn't have very high expectations for this one.

After 13 books, Harris definitely had her work cut out for her. There were a lot of loose ends to figure out and you can never really please everyone with a series as popular as this. I expected Sookie to go out with a bang, but the ending surprised me .

The book starts when a body is found behind Merlotte's.  The body conveniently has a piece of Sookie's clothing on it and she becomes the number one suspect. Harris goes back into familiar territory here as Sookie tries to unravel the mystery, while trying to stay alive. A lot of characters pop up in this book. While some of them do add to the plot, I can't help but feel that some of them are there just to make a goodbye appearance.

Of course, the big question is - which guy does Sookie end up with? Without spoiling it I have to say that I am not surprised by the outcome. Harris has been hinting in the last few books which way this might go. I think a lot of fans might be disappointed but I didn't have a strong feeling about it. In many ways I think she ended up with the right person but I also would have been OK had it gone in another direction. I guess I just didn't have that much invested in Sookie's romantic life anymore.

While I was expecting some kind of epic ending for the series with revelations and battles galore, what I got was just another Sookie book. There were more guest appearances than usual by characters I imagine Harris wanted to say goodbye to but didn't have much bearing on the plot. Harris does wrap up the major plot points. For the most part though, it really didn't feel like an ending, but just another crazy day in Bon Temps. While I was a bit underwhelmed by the whole thing, I wasn't particularly upset about the ending. Would I have liked to have seen some things resolved differently? Sure, but this is Harris's baby, this is how she wanted to end it.

Even though I wasn't a huge fan of the last few books, I will always think of this series fondly, and am interested to see what Harris will do next.

---

Visit the author online at www.charlaineharris.com and follow her blog.


Please note that this post may contain affiliate links. For more details, please see our full disclosure policy here. 

Review: Magic Rises

Magic Rises (Kate Daniels #6) 
by Ilona Andrews

Publication date: 30 July 2013 by Ace

ISBN 10/13: 1937007588 | 9781937007584
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound

Category: Adult Urban Fantasy
Keywords: Urban fantasy, weres, magic
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook
Source: Purchased

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Atlanta is a city plagued by magical problems. Kate Daniels will fight to solve them—no matter the cost.

Mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate, Curran, the Beast Lord, are struggling to solve a heartbreaking crisis. Unable to control their beasts, many of the Pack’s shapeshifting children fail to survive to adulthood. While there is a medicine that can help, the secret to its making is closely guarded by the European packs, and there’s little available in Atlanta.

Kate can’t bear to watch innocents suffer, but the solution she and Curran have found threatens to be even more painful. The European shapeshifters who once outmaneuvered the Beast Lord have asked him to arbitrate a dispute—and they’ll pay him in medicine. With the young people’s survival and the Pack’s future at stake, Kate and Curran know they must accept the offer—but they have little doubt that they’re heading straight into a trap.

Review:

The Kate Daniels series has quickly become one of my favorite urban fantasy series of all time. I can't believe that only a few short months ago, I hadn't read any of these books. A series can often get stale the longer it goes on, but that's not the case with this series. I always feel like there are new things to learn about the characters and Andrews always manages to keep things interesting.

In Magic Rises, Curran and Kate are called away to a remote European island to be impartial parties in a precarious situation that has them guarding a pregnant shapeshifter. It is most likely a trap, but Kate and Curran must go because their prize is panacea, a magical substance that will ensure that the rate of loupism in their young dramatically decreases. Navigating through the political waters of three shifter packs hoping that they fail is hard enough when an unexpected new threat reveals itself.

Magic Rises has everything you'd expect from a Kate Daniels novel - action, mystery, suspense, drama, sexy times, and Kate putting her foot in her mouth more than once.  There is a lot of political intrigue in this one as well as more insight into Kate's past. Magic Rises is also a bit of a departure for the series in that it has a lot of emotional angst in it. This might annoy some readers but I was really drawn into it and I got pretty emotional reading this book. Kate and Curran are both very strong personalities and a relationship between the two is bound to have its ups and downs. In the end though, I think they are stronger for all of their struggles.

Besides Kate and Curran, a lot of other series favorites appear in this book. We get Andrea and Raphael as well as Aunt B, Mahon, Doolittle, Derek and even Saiman. This story focuses a lot on the meaning of family and what it means to be Pack. One of the things that I also love about this series is that the characters are very real. They make mistakes and have doubts and insecurities, just like anyone else.

Magic Rises is another fantastic addition to the Kate Daniels series. It's smart, funny, emotionally intense and full of fantastic action. I don't think fans of this series will be disappointed. It feels like things are coming to a head with Kate's father as well and I can't wait to see where Andrews takes us next.

---

Visit the author online at www.ilona-andrews.com and follow on Twitter @ilona_andrews and Facebook.


Please note that this post may contain affiliate links. For more details, please see our full disclosure policy here. 

Magic Bites - Review

Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1) 

by Ilona Andrews

Publication date: 01 April 2007 by Ace

ISBN 10/13: 0441014895 | 9780441014897
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Indiebound

Category: Adult Urban Fantasy
Keywords: Urban fantasy, weres, shifters, vampires, mercenaries, magic
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook
Source: Purchased

Synopsis:

When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.

Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate's guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta's magic circles.

The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate's guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she's way out of her league—but she wouldn't have it any other way.

Review:

I've had this book on my shelf for a couple of years now. It's been patiently waiting for me while I flitted about with other books, all the while biding its time. I have no valid excuse for why it took me this long to finally read it except for the fact that perhaps my unconscious brain knew how much I would like it and the obsession that would ensue and was allowing me time to fully prepare. Once I started, I simply could not stop and I read my way through five books in the series as well as one spin-off book in a little over a week.

Magic Bites drops us right into the middle of a future Atlanta where magic and technology fight for dominance and magic is winning. It's a world in which vampires and shapeshifters exist but where horses are a favored mode of transport. While there is a lot of information to process and it took me a while to remember all of it, I liked that Andrews is content to let the reader figure it out themselves. There's no obvious info-dumping and the world and its rules are revealed in a very natural way. I also liked her unique take on vampires. Instead of the glamorous, sexy creatures we're used to, they are horrible, grotesque creatures that are the stuff of nightmares.

Kate Daniels is one of my favorite urban fantasy heroines to date. If you looked up "badass" in the dictionary, you would probably find a picture of her. Kate is the first person to run into a fight, swinging her sword and smack-talking the whole way. The upbringing that honed her into a fierce fighter has left her with some emotional scars and she's not always the friendliest person. But there's more to Kate than meets they eye and she is extremely loyal and kind. She is also hiding a BIG SECRET which I am sure we will learn more about as the series goes on.

Now we get to Curran, aka the Beast Lord. He is arrogant but he has reason to be. Alpha of all of the shapeshifters, he is very powerful and protective of his people. He also annoys the hell out of Kate and she, in turn, is a thorn in his side. I don't know about you guys but insta-love is not my thing. I am all about the insta-hate, as my friends call it. I love it when two characters can't stand each other. If the level of dislike is any indication of how much chemistry two characters have, then Curran and Kate are combustible. Though there's no real romance in Magic Bites, you can feel it brewing and the fighting between Curran and Kate is just foreplay.

I really enjoyed immersing myself in this new world. The mystery was unexpected and smart, with lots of twists and turns along the way. If you like fantastic world building and kickass characters, then you need to read this series! I can't wait to see what trouble Kate gets into in the next book.

 

---

Visit the author online at www.ilona-andrews.com and follow on Twitter @ilona_andrews and Facebook.


Please note that this post contains affiliate links. For more details, please see our full disclosure policy here. 

Grave Peril - Audiobook Review

Grave Peril (The Dresden Files #3) 
by Jim Butcher, ready by James Marsters

Publication date: 01 September 2001 by Roc/audio by Buzzy Multimedia

ISBN 10/13: 0979074975 | 9780979074974
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Audible

Category: Adult Urban Fantasy
Keywords: Urban fantasy, warlocks, ghosts, revenge, vampires
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook, audibook
Source: Library

Synopsis:

*This review may contain spoilers for previous books in the series.*

Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden has had a rough couple of weeks. As the only openly practicing professional wizard in the Chicago area, he has squared off against a multitude of supernatural bad guys. Harry has won the day against demons, poltergeists, sorcerers, trolls, vampires, werewolves, and even an evil faerie godmother. You might think nothing could spook him. You would be wrong.

Something is stirring up angry apparitions all over town. Something that can break all the laws of supernatural physics. Something that doesnt like Harry.

His closest friends are being targeted. The net is closing in. Harry must find a solution soon or find this is one Nightmare from which he will never waken.

Review:

The Dresden Files is one of those series that everyone seems to love and I feel like I should love it, too. I diligently listened to the first two books and, while I found them entertaining, they didn’t wow me. I never wanted to rush out and read the next book and I always felt like something was missing. But I kept seeing the reviews and people said that it just took a little bit of time for the series to hit its stride and then you’d be hooked. With that in mind, I decided to give the third book in The Dresden Files a chance in the hopes that it would be the book that would convince me of this series’ awesomeness.

The book starts off well enough with Harry and Michael, a new character, fighting off an angry ghost wreaking havoc in the maternity ward of the hospital. Looks like someone powerful is going around and pissing off a bunch of ghosts, causing them to act out destructively. The mastermind of these attacks is more powerful than other demon Harry has ever encountered and he has a grudge against Harry.

At this point, I am on board and it seems like this story could be pretty fun and interesting. Then a girl, Lydia, appears and Harry loses all his common sense. This is a reoccurring theme for Harry and there seems to be an endless queue of damsels in distress just waiting to take advantage of him. Then Harry gets a call that Johnnie Marcone has been attacked. Then some vampires come and threaten Harry and invite him to a ball. And then Murphy is also attacked in the same manner as Marcone. Oh and did I forget to mention that Harry’s evil fairy stepmother is after him as well?

Sounds like a lot of crazy stuff, right? Well it was too much for me. I felt like there were 3 or 4 storylines going on at once and I didn’t care about any of them. The plot just kept getting more convoluted and ridiculous. Seriously, why is everyone trying to kill Harry and how does he manage to survive? I don’t think it’s by his awesome detective skills because he missed a lot of things that were staring him right in the face. And while I normally enjoy Harry’s somewhat martyred air, he comes off as pretty whiny in this one.

The one bright spot was Michael, whom I really liked and wouldn’t mind seeing more of. I also really liked his wife Charity. She had a razor sharp tongue and wasn’t afraid to use it.

As you can see, Grave Peril was not the book to put me on the Dresden Files train. While I like most of the characters and many elements of the books, they just don’t wow me enough to continue on with the series. This last book especially was very tedious for me. Even James Marsters’s wonderful voice is not enough incentive to continue.

 

---

Visit the author online at www.jim-butcher.com and his blog.

Dead Reckoning - Review

Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse #11) by Charlaine Harris
Publication date: 03 May 2011 by Penguin/Ace Roc
ISBN 10/13: 0441020313 | 9780441020317

Category: Adult Urban Fantasy
Keywords: Urban fantasy, vampires, weres, fae, shapeshifters
Format: Hardcover, eBook and audiobook

From goodreads:

With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows.

Thuy's review:

Sookie finds herself once again in a whole heap of trouble when she witnesses a fire bomb at Merlotte’s. The suspicion falls on the anti-Shifter groups in the area but Sookie has her own ideas about who might be behind it the attack. Throw in an assassination plot to kill the current vampire king and Sookie may have bitten off more than she can chew.

Charlaine Harris gets back on track with Dead Reckoning. The last book in the series was a huge disappointment for me. It was bogged down with way to many characters and dry explanations of vampire politics. This book returns to what I loved about the series in the first place - fun and interesting characters, drama and hot vampires! There was a little less Bill than I would have liked (Team Bill!) but Eric was definitely great. Some changes to Sookie and Eric’s relationship happen that I think were inevitable. There’s also plenty of sweet, sexy Sam in this one. Harris seriously needs to give him a girlfriend who isn’t mean or crazy (and yes, I volunteer).

We see the return of fan fave Bubba in a rare concert performance and Amelia the witch even makes a brief appearance. Sookie learns more about her fae heritage and the origins of her telepathic ability. This revelation wasn’t quite what I was expecting but it’s a nice piece of the Sookie puzzle to have.

Dead Reckoning is a quick, fun read that reminds me why I originally started reading this series and why I love Sookie. Looking forward to the next installment!

say "twee!"

---

Find Thuy on Twitter @fishgirl182

Moon Called - Review

Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1) by Patricia Briggs

Publication date: 31 January 2006 by Penguin/Ace Roc

ISBN 10/13: 0441013813 | 978-0441013814 

Category: Adult Urban Fantasy
Keywords: Urban fantasy, vampires, weres, fae, shapeshifter
Format: Hardcover, mass market paperback, eBook

From goodreads:

Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too.

Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.

She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself ... and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

Thuy's review:

Moon Called is the first book in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. Surprisingly, I hadn't heard much about this series until I spotted it earlier this year at the LA Festival of books (at the always awesome Mysterious Galaxy booth).  The covers were eye catching and I decided to give them a chance, and boy, am I glad I did.

Mercy Thompson, coyote shapeshifter and VW mechanic, is living a relatively quite life when runaway werewolf Mac shows up at her garage looking for work. Mercy decides that she can use the extra help while keeping an eye on him at the same time. Unfortunately, trouble follows Mac and all hell breaks loose. Mercy must work with the local werewolf pack, a vampire den and covert military ops to make it right.

I was really surprised by how much I liked Moon Called. Briggs does a great job of drawing a world full of its own unique characters and mythologies. Sure, you have familiar creatures like vampires and werewolves, but Briggs puts her own spin on them. Mercy feels like an old friend, someone you can have a beer and a laugh with.  She also likes to bake a lot, which made me like her even more.  She's a fascinating heroine - independent and stubborn , with a dry sense of humor and sarcastic wit. She's no invincible superhero but she's smart and loyal and manages to hold her own against some very scary creatures. I also love the chemistry  between Mercy and Adam.  There's not much romance happening just yet, but it promises to get steamier as the series goes on. There's a bit of a love triangle going on with Samuel in the picture, but I'm rooting for Adam. 

There are some great supporting characters in the book, too. Mercy's friend, Stefan, happens to be a vampire and a big Scooby Doo fan.  Adam's third in the pack, Warren, is probably the only gay werewolf I've ever met.  He and his boyfriend Kyle are adorable together. Jesse, Adam's human daughter is awesome as well and is funny as only a teenager can be.

There is plenty of action and intrigue to keep the book moving. Things did get confusing at the end with the double crosses and ulterior motives. I admit that I was confused about who was working for whom and what the end game of certain characters were. However, it all ends up working out and I am dying read the next book. This series promises to be a new favorite for me and I have already gone out and purchase the rest of the books in the series. Yes, I am that confident of its awesome-ness. If you haven't tried this series yet, get to it! You won't regret it.

---

Visit the author online at www.patriciabriggs.com and follow @Mercys_Garage on Twitter