[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Shadow's Claim

Kresley Cole  is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the electrifying Immortals After Dark paranormal series and the young adult Arcana Chronicles. She has also written five award-winning historical romances.

Since her first novel was released in 2003, Kresley has published nineteen books with Simon & Schuster and has seen her releases translated into more than eighteen foreign languages. She has traveled over much of the world and draws from those experiences to create her memorable characters and settings. Two of her favorite places to visit include the rain forests of Central America and the Queensland area of Australia.

Cole’s trademark action, sensuality, and humor are exemplified in her popular Immortals After Dark Series, which revolves around the Lore, a secret stratum of hundreds of immortal creatures--ranging from Vampires to Lykae, Furies to Shifters, and Fey to Valkyrie--that each have their strengths, weaknesses, and age old prejudices against the others. Though they secretly live among humans, they constantly war among themselves, which gives her a lot of material.

In 2007, Kresley won the prestigious Romance Writers of America RITA award for best paranormal for her novel A Hunger Like No Other, and in January 2009, she became a #1 New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller with her sixth IAD installment, Kiss of a Demon King. In 2010, Kiss of a Demon King earned Kresley her second RITA award. 2011 brought Cole her second #1 NYT bestseller with Dreams of a Dark Warrior.

She lives in Florida with her husband and far too many animals. She spends any free time traveling and enjoys all things related to boats and water. You can learn more about Kresley at www.kresleycole.com.

Shadow's Claim - THE DACIANS: REALM OF BLOOD & MIST Book #1
Author: Kresley Cole

Synopsis:
#1 New York Times bestseller Kresley Cole introduces The Dacians: Realm of Blood and Mist, a new paranormal series following the royal bloodline of Dacia, a vampire kingdom hidden within the Lore of the Immortals After Dark. Shadow’s Claim features Prince Trehan, a ruthless master assassin who will do anything to possess Bettina, his beautiful sorceress mate, even compete for her hand in a blood-sport tournament— to the death.

HE WON’T BE DENIED

Trehan Daciano, known as the Prince of Shadows, has spent his life serving his people—striking in the night, quietly executing any threat to their realm. The coldly disciplined swordsman has never desired anything for himself—until he beholds Bettina, the sheltered ward of two of the Lore’s most fearsome villains.

SHE’S BOUND TO ANOTHER

Desperate to earn her guardians’ approval after a life-shattering mistake, young Bettina has no choice but to marry whichever suitor prevails—even though she’s lost her heart to another. Yet one lethal competitor, a mysterious cloaked swordsman, invades her dreams, tempting her with forbidden pleasure.

A BATTLE FOR HER BODY AND SOUL

Even if Trehan can survive the punishing contests to claim her as his wife, the true battle for Bettina’s heart is yet to come. And unleashing a millennium’s worth of savage need will either frighten his Bride away—or stoke Bettina’s own desires to a fever pitch. . . .

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:
*ARC received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Shadow’s Claim was an amazing blend of the best of the IAD series.  It included some of my favorites of the Lore and overlaps beautifully with the timeline of the last release, Lothaire.

Unlike other ‘spin-off’ series that I’ve read recently, wherein the plot of the debut book picks up where the last book of the previous series left off, Shadow’s Claim takes a subset of characters and actually happens in parallel with the events of Lothaire. This was made even more enjoyable when the timelines mesh at the end of the book.

Our hero and heroine: Trehan and Bettina are phenomenal together and easily worked their way into my top 3 IAD power couples. Their journey is intense, riddled with emotion, sexy as sin, and full of surprises.  I loved how it wasn’t a foregone conclusion that things were going to work out and give us that “Happily Ever After” that we expect from Paranormal Romances, and I actually wondered if Kresley might make us wait for Book #2 to find out what would ultimately happen.

The world: The realm of blood and mist was magical and complex, and Shadow’s Claim was made even more intricate by the fact that it took place in several different locales. Kresley painted the set beautifully with her descriptive prose, impeccable timing, and enthralling character interaction.

Overall story: The book was chock full of danger, intrigue, action, and romance.  The multiple twists and turns that were introduced made things fabulously unpredictable and extremely entertaining.

Some of my favorite things...
1)  Simply put, the depth of Trehan! It was completely mystifying, and he may very well have become one of my favorite PNR heroes.  Yes he’s a ruthless, detached assassin, but he’s also a somewhat vulnerable, bookish introvert. He shows indications of being a closet romantic, an art aficionado, and a loyal family man, and somehow manages to perfectly balance being an uber alpha male with having a surprising and wonderful soft side.

2)  The fact that Bettina’s entire future hinged on the outcome of a gladiator style life and death tournament was unique and made for high anxiety reading. It also paved the way for some very interesting little surprises that Kresley introduced, as well as some wonderful dialogue.

3)  The supporting characters were solid and felt necessary to the story. I found myself finding favorites among them outside of our leading couple and hoping that we find out even more in future releases. In addition, we get cameos from some great IAD veterans and more storyline on a couple that were only briefly mentioned before, therefore making me yearn for the future releases because there is just so much potential with these characters in play.

All in all, LITERAL ADDICTION gives Shadow’s Claim 5 Skulls and would recommend it to ALL Kresley Cole IMMORTALS AFTER DARK fans.

While I don’t think it’s 100% necessary to read the entire IAD series before reading Shadow’s Claim, I do feel that having done so made Shadow’s Claim more enjoyable. Reading Lothaire before Shadow’s Claim was a definite plus. With that said, IMMORTALS AFTER DARK is an incredible series and should be devoured by paranormal romance lovers far and wide, so take the plunge and get lost in the Lore. You won’t be disappointed! :)

Shadow's Claim

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Personal Demon

Susan Sizemore's life and interests include such varied activities as medieval costuming and embroidery, being a chef, and working in the defense industry.She is owned by her spoiled rotten, beloved mutt dog, rather than the other way around, and this is just fine with her.Current hobbies include hiking and studying t'ai chi. She travels whenever she can, loves history, loud music, movies, good coffee, and writes constantly.She hopes readers enjoy her stories as much as she enjoys writing them.She has won the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart Award and has been nominated for two Romantic Times awards.

Personal Demon, LAWS OF THE BLOOD Book #6
Author:  Susan Sizemore

Synopsis:

Vampire Enforcer Christopher Bell is in Chicago to investigate rumors of a revolution, but when he comes across vampire hunter Ivy Bailey being followed through dark streets, what he finds is a ghost from his past. Over a century ago, Christopher fought the vicious London serial killer Jack the Ripper—and won. But now, the Ripper’s tainted soul is back—on the hunt once more.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer - Kathy M:

I wasn’t familiar with author Susan Sizemore’s work and so I was wonderfully surprised by how much I enjoyed Personal Demon.

Someone or something is committing horrifying murders with dark magic involved and Ivy Bailey, one of Chicago’s vampire hunters, is given the task of stopping the killings. Unfortunately, Vampire Enforcer Christopher Bell has his own investigation going on which keeps derailing Ivy’s mission.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is the bantering and bickering that goes one between these two.

Personal Demon has the perfect balance of darkness and snarkiness.

When I first started reading this book, I wasn’t aware that it was part of a series, The Laws Of The Blood Novels. Just a short way into Personal Demon, I knew that I would be getting the first 5 books of this series. It was just that good.

I happily give Personal Demon 5 skulls.

Personal Demon

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of The Dirty Streets of Heaven

Tad Williams has held more jobs than any sane person should admit to—singing in a band, selling shoes, managing a financial institution, throwing newspapers, and designing military manuals, to name just a few. He also hosted a syndicated radio show for ten years, worked in theater and television production, taught both grade-school and college classes, and worked in multimedia for a major computer firm. He is cofounder of an interactive television company, and is currently writing comic books and film and television scripts as well as novels.

Tad and his wife, Deborah Beale, live in the San Francisco Bay Area with their children and far more cats, dogs, turtles, pet ants and banana slugs than they can count.

The Dirty Streets of Heaven, BOBBY DOLLAR Book #1
Author:  Tad Williams

Synopsis:

Bobby Dollar is an angel—a real one. He knows a lot about sin, and not just in his professional capacity as an advocate for souls caught between Heaven and Hell. Bobby’s wrestling with a few deadly sins of his own—pride, anger, even lust.

But his problems aren’t all his fault. Bobby can’t entirely trust his heavenly superiors, and he’s not too sure about any of his fellow earthbound angels either, especially the new kid that Heaven has dropped into their midst, a trainee angel who asks too many questions. And he sure as hell doesn’t trust the achingly gorgeous Countess of Cold Hands, a mysterious she-demon who seems to be the only one willing to tell him the truth.

When the souls of the recently departed start disappearing, catching both Heaven and Hell by surprise, things get bad very quickly for Bobby D.End-of-the-world bad. Beast of Revelations bad. Caught between the angry forces of Hell, the dangerous strategies of his own side, and a monstrous undead avenger that wants to rip his head off and suck out his soul, Bobby’s going to need all the friends he can get—in Heaven, on Earth, or anywhere else he can find them.

You’ve never met an angel like Bobby Dollar. And you’ve never read anything like The Dirty Streets of Heaven.

Brace yourself—the afterlife is weirder than you ever believed.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer - Michelle M:

I have never really read a book about angels so I was definitely interested in reviewing this book. Although a little too detailed in some areas I did enjoy the story line. Heaven is a lot like our government in many ways and this is where I found there were too many details and I wanted to skip ahead. When a soul breaks away from the body it was in, an advocate from Heaven and Hell tell a judge the "good and bad" about this person so it is decided where they shall go following their death. This is where Bobby Dollar comes in.

Bobby Dollar is not your average angel, he cusses, drinks, loves women and is always getting himself into sticky situations. I honestly found him quite funny in a lot of the book and that was refreshing. The fact that he is an angel but in his "human" body and an average "bad boy" was a interesting concept. After a soul goes missing, Bobby questions the actions of both Heaven and Hell and it tends to bring some interesting characters to his door. You have his friend who can only talk while in pig form, a demon Countess that he is infatuated with and a guy that is a wanna be rapper/wanna be sidekick.

I tend to think of Urban Fantasy books as having a lot of action, this one didn't have as much as I would have liked. I would recommend this book to an Urban Fantasy lover and overall I give this book a 3 Skull rating.

The Dirty Streets of Heaven

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Dark Currents

Jacqueline Carey (born 1964 in Highland Park, Illinois) is an author and novelist, primarily of fantasy fiction.

She attended Lake Forest College, receiving B.A.'s in psychology and English literature. During college, she spent 6 months working in a bookstore as part of a work exchange program. While there, she decided to write professionally. After returning she started her writing career while working at the art center of a local college. After ten years, she discovered success with the publication of her first book in 2001.

Currently, Carey lives in western Michigan and is a member of the oldest Mardi Gras krewe in the state.

Dark Currents, AGENT OF HEL Book #1
Author:  Jacqueline Carey

Synopsis:

The Midwestern resort town of Pemkowet boasts a diverse population: eccentric locals, wealthy summer people, and tourists by the busload; not to mention fairies, sprites, vampires, naiads, ogres and a whole host of eldritch folk, presided over by Hel, a reclusive Norse goddess.

To Daisy Johanssen, fathered by an incubus and raised by a single mother, it’s home. And as Hel’s enforcer and the designated liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, it’s up to her to ensure relations between the mundane and eldritch communities run smoothly.

But when a young man from a nearby college drowns—and signs point to eldritch involvement—the town’s booming paranormal tourism trade is at stake. Teamed up with her childhood crush, Officer Cody Fairfax, a sexy werewolf on the down-low, Daisy must solve the crime—and keep a tight rein on the darker side of her nature. For if she’s ever tempted to invoke her demonic birthright, it could accidentally unleash nothing less than Armageddon.
Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer, Tanya C:

Dark Currents by Jacqueline Carey is the first book in her new series
Agent of Hel and it quickly became one of my favorite books of 2012.
Each character played an important part in the overall story but
Daisy, the main female character was by far my favorite because she
kept things from getting too serious with her sense of humor. The main
male character Cody evened things out with his alpha male personality.
I loved the relationship between Daisy and her mother because it was
so easy going and they almost seemed to be more like best friends
instead of mother and daughter.

This book has almost any paranormal/supernatural being you can think
of which is just one of the reasons I found it to be such an enjoyable
book. Most books of this genre focus on one paranormal/supernatural
being but Jacqueline Carey has given us an incredibly well written
book with these amazing characters you can't help to like. Another
thing that I thought was great was the fact that the story focused on
the case instead of a potential romance. I found that to be refreshing
and very different. The pace of Dark Currents was just right and
Jacqueline Carey made sure that the mystery lasted throughout the
entire story.

LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer gives Dark Currents 5 Skulls.

Dark Currents

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Alchemystic

When not plotting against his mortal enemy Patrick Rothfuss, Anton Strout is the author of the Simon Canderous urban fantasy series for Ace Books including Dead To Me, Deader Still, Dead Matter and Dead Waters.
His new series with Ace Books is entitled The Spellmason Chronicles. Alchemystic is first in the series with the upcoming second book Stonecast due out on 9/24/12.

He is also the host and curator of content for The Once & Future Podcast, a weekly show that focuses on discussions with other working writers.

His other writing has appeared in a variety of anthologies—some of which include Simon Canderous tie-in stories—including: Boondocks Fantasy, The Dimension Next Door, A Girl’s Guide to Guns & Monsters, Pandora’s Closet, Spells of the City, and Zombie Raccoons & Killer Bunnies, Spells of the City, Boondocks Fantasy, After Hours: Tales from the Ur-Bar, and the upcoming Human For A Day .

He currently lives outside New York City in the haunted corn maze that is New Jersey (where nothing paranormal ever really happens, he assures you). In his scant spare time, he is an always writer, sometimes actor, sometimes musician, occasional RPGer, and the world’s most casual and controller-smashing video gamer. He also works in the exciting world of publishing, and yes, it is as glamorous as it sounds.

You can keep up with Anton online his Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, & G00dReads.

Alchemystic, SPELLMASON CHRONICLES Book #1

by Anton Strout

Buy from Amazon | B&N

Synopsis:AN OLD FRIEND OF THE FAMILY…
Alexandra Belarus is a struggling artist living in New York City, even though her family is rich in real estate, including a towering Gothic Gramercy Park building built by her great-great-grandfather. But the truth of her bloodline is revealed when she is attacked on the street and saved by an inhumanly powerful winged figure. A figure who knows the Belarus name…

Lexi’s great-great-grandfather was a Spellmason—an artisan who could work magic on stone. But in his day, dark forces conspired against him and his, so he left a spell of protection on his family. Now that Lexi is in danger, the spell has awoken her ancestor’s most trusted and fearsome creation: a gargoyle named Stanis.

Lexi and Stanis are equally surprised to find themselves bound to each other. But as they learn to work together, they realize that only united can they save the city they both love…

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer, LadyTechnie:

Truly amazing book! I received an early copy of the paperback edition for review from Literal Addiction. I am already a fan of gargoyles. I was a fan of the cartoon and love seeing pictures of them and especially love seen buildings that have gargoyles carved into the architecture. Alchemystic was a great adventure. I loved every page of it. It was the story of Alexandra Belarus who comes from a family with a deep architectural history in Manhattan. The Belarus clan also has a secret which they were not even aware, Alexander Belarus was gifted in magic that could control stone. He did leave them protection from something they are not even aware is a danger to them, something from his past. This protection comes in the form of Stanis, the coolest gargoyle ever!

This book has some wonderful character development. There were times that I wanted to kick Alexandra. She had her moments of being obviously entitled, bossing her friends around as if they were her sidekicks until she was faced with how treating them that way might affect her relationship with them. We watch her grow as a person and as she comes into her gifts. Alexandra's parents have secrets of their own as do most people. What happens when family secrets come to light? Some serious tension which pushes this book's characters stand out more. Alexandra's relationship with her brother is best depicted by the opening scene of the book. Words cannot express my opinion of Devon. He has to be experienced by each reader for themselves.

The action and magic in this book was truly great. The fight scenes were very well written and they did not all involve Stanis, though he was truly bada**. We learn a lot about his background and what his desires and goals are and how he is driven to complete those goals. No other words describe it and I love a well developed action sequence. This book had several exciting action scenes and architectural exploration hunting for hidden items needed to solve a mystery. I loved being introduced to Anton Stout's creatures in this book and his own spin on alchemy and gargoyles. I am totally enthralled by this story and I am really ready to know when book two comes out because it promises to be a serious knuckle biter!

LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer gives Alchemystic 5 Skulls.

Alchemystic

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Cold Days

Jim Butcher is a martial arts enthusiast with fifteen years of experience in various styles including Ryukyu Kempo, Tae Kwon Do, Gojo Shorei Ryu, and a sprinkling of Kung Fu. He is a skilled rider and has worked as a summer camp horse wrangler and performed in front of large audiences in both drill riding and stunt riding exhibitions.

Jim enjoys fencing, singing, bad science fiction movies and live-action gaming. He lives in Missouri with his wife, son, and a vicious guard dog.

Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.

All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.

Cold Days, THE DRESDEN FILES #14
Author: Jim Butcher

Synopsis:HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!

After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard.He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill.
Guess which Mab wants first?Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday.
Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own…

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:
THE DRESDEN FILES is one of my absolute favorites and I don't wait long to read the installments when they're released, so to say that I was a bit giddy after receiving an ARC from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review would be an understatement.

I settled in as soon as I could with it, and 100 pages in I was already saying: "The brilliance of Jim Butcher & the fantastical world of Harry Dresden never cease to amaze me! 20 pages in I had counted no less than 3 pop culture reference, laughed audibly at least a handful of times, shook my head with wonder & wanted nothing more than to call in sick & read for the next 18+ hours straight"

Upon completion of the book 2 days later, my exact words were: "5 stars isn't nearly enough for a book that had me laughing, crying, gasping, and so much more. And only Jim Butcher could give me 515 pages of so much goodness that it was almost overwhelming, yet leave me desperately wanting more after the last page was turned. Just...wow!"

This release had it all and then some, and this review isn't going to begin to do it justice, but...

One statement could sum up this book: Harry's back - bigger and better than ever!

The reference humor was stellar, the action, as always, was intense and mystifying, the intrigue and mystery were compelling and gripping and every last page left me wanting more and there were more than enough surprises to go around.

In true Jim Butcher fashion, Cold Days starts quick, builds steadily, grows to an almost combustible crescendo and then closes with a sequence of events that literally had my heart racing and me screaming out loud in outrage, shock, and frustration.

Well over 10 books ago I would have said that I didn't think it could get any better. I'd have been wrong. It has, it does, and I have a feeling it will continue to do so.

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Cold Days a WELL deserved 5 Skulls and strongly urges anyone who hasn't read The Dresden files to start, and soon. This series is epic and will continue to be an easy favorite and an automatic auto-buy for me.

Cold Days

 

[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Dire Wants

Stephanie Tyler  New York Times Bestselling author Stephanie Tyler writes what she loves to read - romantic suspense novels starring military heroes and paranormal romance novels novels starring warrior heroes, all complete with happy endings. She also co-writes as Sydney Croft. She lives in New York with her husband, her kids and her crazy Weimaraner, Gus.

For more information on Stephanie, please visit www.stephanietyler.com or email her at stephanie@stephanietyler.com.
For more information on Sydney, please visit www.sydneycroft.com or email Sydney at sydney@sydneycroft.com

Dire Wants, ETERNAL WOLF CLAN Book #2
Author: Stephanie Tyler

Synopsis:
The supernatural world is rising up against the human one. The weretrappers want control, and only the immortal Dire wolves stand in the way of total destruction. Stray, a Dire, and his long-lost brother, Killian, emerge as the leaders of their pack. To keep themselves and the humans safe, the Dires need a witch as powerful as Seb, who betrayed the Dires to work for the weretrappers.
They find what they are looking for in Kate, a human who survived a horrible car accident that left her back scarred with a handprint no one else can see. Stray senses Kate's abilities as a witch and recruits her to help the Dires—all the while knowing she is so powerful they will need to kill her once she helps defeat the weretrappers.
Stray doesn't expect the powerful connection that he feels with Kate, or his irresistible need to protect her. They cannot hide their feelings or each other, and what once was taboo now seems inevitable…

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:
Dire Wants is the second book of the ETERNAL WOLF CLAN series, and is action packed, deep, intriguing & stuffed with goodness!

Soooo much happens in this installment, it might be a little difficult review to write a review keeping to my 'no spoiler' policy, but I will try...

Dire Wants picks up where Dire Needs left off, with the Dire wolves and their Were allies fighting against the Were Trappers and the demon possessed witch Seb and his Were minions in a race to save the world.

Stray, the newest and youngest of the Dire pack and his estranged older brother Killian are 2 parts of a prophecy that could either save all of the wolves and humans or utterly destroy everything. Together with a powerful witch who doesn't yet know that she IS a witch, they could defeat the Dire Ghost Army that Seb has called up AND save Jinx's twin brother Rogue from the curse he's been under. The problem is that all of this takes trust on everyone's part, and after the tortured histories these wolves have, trust doesn't come easily.

Dire Wants is Stray and Kate's story, but it also delves into the disfunctional family workings of Stray and Killian, as well as Jinx and the rest of the Dire pack, not to mention the Were brothers Cyd and Cain and their relationship with the FBI agent Angus Young. It also gives some background on Seb's lost love and introduces what previously would have been a very unlikely ally.

The ETERNAL WOLF CLAN series is very deep. It's a complex world with lots of different pieces, a plethora of characters who each play their respective roles, and several smaller storylines that integrate to create the plot as a whole. With that said, while Stephanie did a great job of recapping in Dire Wants, I would strongly suggest that you read the Dire Warning eNovella and Dire Needs before you take the plunge with Dire Wants.

For the sake of a complete review, I have to mention that there are some homosexual scenes in this installment. Stephanie did a beautiful job of writing them in and I was incredibly excited to see where she took that particular sub-story. Even if you're not generally a fan of m/m romance, this is so much more than that. It's the strugglings of a somewhat forbidden relationship, regardless of sex, and I'm really looking forward to reading more as the series progresses.

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Dire Wants 4 Skulls. I'm very eager to see where this series goes next!

Dire Wants