Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name, and many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.

So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. Turns out this is not an isolated incident, and Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price . . .

*blurb taken from Goodreads*

I’ve been sitting on Magic Slays for sometime (a long time) because I was burnt out on the Urban Fantasy genre, and I knew if I read Magic Slays I would not have been able to read and enjoy the book like I had with the previous books. So sit on it I did with my self imposed ban on UF for a long time. During the Fantasy Appreciation feature we did in early April, I found myself getting a little excited about the genre once again so I read it before that excitement faded.

As soon as I started Magic Slays it felt as if I was visiting old friends again whom I hadn’t seen for a very long time. I knew that there would be a lot of ass kicking and fighting in this book, but what I wanted to read the most was seeing Kate and Curran settling down. This is why I love authors who progress and mature their characters as the series go on. When we first met Kate she was a loner who had no real friends and no family. Kate now has a loving mate in Curran who loves her back with possessive distraction, Julie her adopted ward, and a best friend forever in Andrea. Oh, and Grendal – the humongous black poodle!

Magic Slays really delves into Kate’s new role as the Alpha’s mate, making her Consort over the entire Atlanta shapeshifters pack. And with that comes new territory for Kate who has to deal with the politics within the pack, and deal with the wolf Alpha, Jennifer, who has serious madness for Kate after the events in the last book. In a way, we’re learning about a new facade of Kate as she’s never had to deal with these sort of issues before, and her and Curran have to navigate around themselves and learn that what independent decisions they made in the past before changes now that they’re together.

Curran is still as possessive and arrogant as before, but there’s a much softer side with him, and when he’s all loved up with Kate it was super romantic. Seeing Curran and Kate both vulnerable with one another really shows how much they’ve matured and changed, yet their snarky and ‘I keel you’ ways are still there.

I loved seeing Derek and Julie again, and a new young teen character introduced, Asciano who really made an impact and who I think will become a featured character in future books. It’ll be interesting to see how Derek, Julie and Asciano will interact as there was definitely tension between him and Derek. And I’m waiting on pins and needles to see if Julie and Derek will have a book of their own once they’re grown up. Derek is already matured way beyond his 19 years, yet there is still a boyish nature about him. Julie is like a mini Kate, and I can’t wait to see how she progresses as she gets older.

Whilst Roland, Kate’s father, never features in the book, he plays a massive part because you know that the big confrontation between them keeps building up and up with each book. I enjoyed that the baddies in this book were of a separate nature to the bigger story arc, though it showed just how ruthless Kate and the Pack can be. There is a lot of violence in these books, but I tend to skim those parts as I’m not a huge fan of violence.

Saying that, having Kate not lop off at least one head wouldn’t be the same! All in all, Magic Slays delivered on the emotional front for me big time and I’ll revved up for the release of Gunmetal Magic which is Andrea’s story, and hopefully her and Raphael will get their gears kicked into the right position.

I give Magic Slays a A-.

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Review: Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

As the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans, Drusilla Jaco’s job involves a lot more potion-mixing and pixie-retrieval than sniffing out supernatural bad guys like rogue vampires and lethal were-creatures. DJ’s boss and mentor, Gerald St. Simon, is the wizard tasked with protecting the city from anyone or anything that might slip over from the preternatural beyond.

Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans’ fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters.

While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the Otherworld crumbled. Now, the undead and the restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering the soldiers sent to help the city recover.

To make it worse, Gerry has gone missing, the wizards’ Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ’s new partner, and undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and for the serial killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love creates one bitter gumbo.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

I’ve long been a urban fantasy fan, and while this cover first struck me as a straight fantasy book, it definitely falls within the UF genre.

DJ is one of two wizards in the New Orleans area, and when the Hurricane Katrina comes she gets evacuated to safer lands. But when her uncle and head wizard goes missing, DJ must get back into the New Orleans area to investigate not only his disappearance, but also the influx of preternatural creatures coming from the beyond.

Then DJ gets assigned a new partner, Alex, tries to avoid her undead pirate stalker and sets up a famous dead guy as her spy. When she gets closer to solving a series of serial killings, will she find that her uncle and mentor has started working for the other team?

This is Johnson’s debut novel, and one that I thought was strong with a lot of promise. One of the things I really enjoyed about reading this book was that the authors feelings and heartbreak surrounding Hurricane Katrina and the city of New Orleans came through beautifully, but not in a nasty way. There was no pointing fingers, placing blame, instead there was a sadness for the situation as a whole, and a clear desire to move forward to regain the wonder that is New Orleans.

I thought the world building was really interesting as well. I can’t wait to find out more about the beyond and the different supernatural beings. I liked the twist on the undead, and how some famous people from history made an appearance in the book. One of my favorite characters in the book was the pirate Jean Lafitte. He was so funny and brought such a light comedic relief to the overall somber story.

One of the things that I wish would have been better explained and given more page time to was the serial killings that Alex and DJ were working on solving. It didn’t feel as if much time was spent on that aspect of the story, and once that sub-plot wrapped up, I felt as if there was something missing. While the case was eventually solved, they barely had a hand in solving it, and it was just touched on briefly toward the end of the book. I would have liked to see more work on that.

However, I thought the end did a good job of setting up the second book and continuation of the series. It’ll be interesting to see where things go with a secondary character who was turned into a loup-garou, the repercussions of a deal that DJ had to make, and what kind of impact her Fae blood will have to the series.

While the romantic in me wasn’t nearly as happy, we were given some great sexual tension between Alex and DJ. When Alex first stepped onto the page I fell hard. He is a badass enforcer with big guns and a cocky attitude. It was plain to see that he cared for DJ, and I hope that we will get the chance to see a relationship develop between these two over time.

All in all this was a strong urban fantasy debut. The world building is both fresh and exciting, the characters were fun and engaging. The city of New Orleans post-Katrina is a wonderful backdrop and I can’t wait to see what kind of adventures DJ and Alex, her stalker pirate and the rest of her rag-tag crew go on next.
I give Royal Street a B-

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Fantasy Celebration: Review – Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Secret McQueen has hunted vampires, werewolves, and every conceivable supernatural menace-to-society. Seen it all? Not even close. When the queen of the were-ocelots comes to her for help finding a missing girl, the half-vampire/half-werewolf soon realizes how much she has to learn about the things that go bump in the night.

The case of the missing cat is one thing. Pile it up with her new duties as a Tribunal Leader, her tenuous position as mate to the king of the Eastern werewolves, and a slew of new (and unwelcome) supernatural abilities, and Secret is once again in familiar territory. “Way” over her head. But for this multitasking half-breed, it’s business as “un”usual.

What knocks her for a loop, though, isn’t her lover’s intoxicating kiss. It’s the missing memories rushing at her from out of nowhere, signaling a rapidly approaching fork in her destiny. Her choice will affect not only her life, but her love.

Warning: Contains a werewolf king with wandering hands, a creepy English professor with nefarious plans, and one hell of an unexpected gala evening at Columbia.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

Oh Secret, I don’t even know where to start. I alternately love and sometimes hate you, and yet you’re like crack to the urban fantasy lover in me.

Secret’s life keeps turning upside down and right side up. She’s sitting on the vampire Tribunal, trying to make things work with Lucas and Desmond and continually gets wrapped up in more mystery than one girl can handle. She is committed to helping find a missing college girl, help her ex-boyfriend get exonerated on murder charges and navigate the murky waters of her personal life.

When she stumbles across a professor who doesn’t seem quite human, Secret’s whole existence will be put to the test with lost memories. Mix that in with Lucas acting selfishly at Desmond and Secret’s expense, they might not get out of this one alive, or with their hearts intact.

While I am an absolute sucker for the urban fantasy genre, the romantic at heart ultimately wants to know there will be a happily ever after, and with the Secret books, I find my inner romantic constantly let down. Secret’s romantic relationships are messy and ugly and nasty and make me want to open a can of whoop ass on Lucas and Holden, and even occasionally Desmond. I want there to be some kind of definitive love match, and Dean keeps throwing a wrench in my fantasy. I was a million times more pissed at Lucas in this book than ever before. He is an egotistical asshat who doesn’t take anyone else’s feelings into consideration. While I can see his reasons, it doesn’t make me want to hurt him any less.

That aside, Dean is an incredible UF story teller. The plot twists and turns and interweaves from the very first page. The action is constant and keeps me on my toes from the first page to the last. Her imagination and ingenuity in building the world and people in it continue to blow me away. I loved the demon aspect in this story, and the paranormal aspects seriously amaze me.

I enjoy the fact that the series is also moving along and unfolding even more with every book. Although I’m still not sure where Secret is headed in the overall series, I love the journey we are taking with her. Each book slowly unravels more about the vampire Tribunal, the ongoing werewolf politics and just how Secret will fit into both worlds. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

All in all the Secret McQueen series continues to provide for a fun, snarky and action-packed read. I love Secret’s sense of humor, the mystery in each book and overall direction of the series. While the romantic in me is still unbelievably frustrated (and I have a feeling that just isn’t going to end anytime soon), I will continue to pick up these books in hopes that Secret will tell Lucas where he can stick his precious pack, tell Holden to take a flying leap and live happily ever after with Desmond. A girl can hope right?
I give Deep Dark Secret a B-

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Review – Deep Dark Secret by Sierra Dean is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Publisher: Pocket
Publish Date: Feb 28th
How we got this book: ARC from publisher

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Just when her new life as a TouchStone – a mortal bound to help OtherFolk cross between Faery and human worlds – seems to be settling down, Abby Sinclair is left in charge when the Protectorate, Moira, leaves for the Faery Court. And when the Protectorate’s away…let’s just say things spiral out of control when a spell on Abby backfires and the Faery Queen declares the Doors between their worlds officially closed.

The results are disastrous for both sides: OtherFolk trapped in the mortal world are beginning to fade, while Faerie is on the brink of war with the daemons of Hell. Along with her brooding eleven prince Talivar and sexy incubus Brystion, Abby ventures to the CrossRoads in an attempt to override the Queen’s magic. But nothing in this beautiful, dangerous realm will compare to the discoveries she’s making about her past, her destiny, and what she will sacrifice for those she loves.

Review:

It is six months later and Abby Sinclair has a live-in Fae Prince bodyguard, a snarky unicorn that sleeps in her underwear drawer and is nanny to a half-fae/half angel baby. Abby’s life is as complicated as ever. With Moira gone, things become chaotic when the Queen closes the Doors between the worlds. Not only is Abby tasked with trying to reopen the doors but she is also forced to deal with her nightmares, the death of her mother and startling revelations about her family.

A Sliver of Shadow is a great follow up the A Brush of Darkness. While there’s still the resolute snarky humor, A Sliver of Shadow takes a more serious turn. With the Doors closed, the Fae are fading and everyone is looking to Abby to fix it. In the meantime, Abby has her own issues that she is dealing with and personal demons that she is fighting. Abby has matured a lot since the first book but still has insecurities about her abilities. She is constantly learning while on the job and because of this, tends to stick her foot in it a lot. I would think that the one thing that Abby has learned is that you can’t trust the fae. They cannot lie but they are some tricky people and she falls into their trap several times, revealing things that were later used against her.

Throughout the book, I felt that Abby was seriously getting the short end of the stick. I wanted her to stand up for herself but she was constantly being volunteered to be the one to save the fae. Her willingness to help is being taken advantage of and it aggravated me. At least Brystion had the balls to tell her that she needs to stop helping the fae even though she wasn’t very receptive to his advice.

I loved Brystion in book 1 and was weary of there being a new love interest in A Sliver of Shadow but Abby’s and Taliver’s relationship completely worked for me. They are both people who are not perfect; their bodies physically injured and scarred. They have a lot in common and I liked that their romantic relationship slowly grew over time, unlike Abby’s relationship with Brystion.  I am not a fan of love triangles and I’m not sure if Abby, Taliver and Brystion are headed in that direction. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

There is a lot going on in this latest installment and at times I felt like there was too much.  Abby’s stay in faerie slowed down the book a little and for awhile I lost interest. Being in faerie was integral to the overall plot arc, but I felt that it could have been condensed.           I found myself wishing they were out of faerie already. We learn more about fae politics and social hierarchy. There are a lot of plot twists and revelations that keep you on your toes and a cliff-hanger that has me anxious for the next book.

Overall, I enjoyed A Sliver of Shadow. I love the way Pang integrates snarkiness and humor with the seriousness of the plot. As usual, Phin steals the show. He has to be the best side-kick ever. I hope to see in the next book a stronger, more confident Abby who tells the fae to go suck it. She has already sacrificed more than enough for people who don’t give a damn about her.

Rating: B

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Guest Review – A Sliver of Shadow by Allison Pang is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

He lives to kill monsters. He keeps his city safe. And his silver hollow-points and back-from-the-dead abilities help him take out any kind of supernatural threat. But now an immortal evil has this bad-ass bounty hunter dead in its sights. . .

Ever since a monster murdered his family, Deacon Chalk hunts any creature that preys on the innocent. So when a pretty vampire girl “hires” him to eliminate a fellow slayer, Deacon goes to warn him–and barely escapes a vampire ambush. Now he’s got a way-inexperienced newbie hunter to protect and everything from bloodsuckers to cursed immortals on his trail. There’s also a malevolent force controlling the living and the undead, hellbent on turning Deacon’s greatest loss into the one weapon that could destroy him. . .
*Blurb from Goodreads*

Tuck is debuting his new series, Deacon Chalk Occult Bounty Hunter, with  Blood and Bullets.  This is a hard review for me to write, because while I really enjoyed the story, the book also didn’t work for me in a lot of ways.

Deacon lives for one thing and one thing only: killing vampires to avenge his family. His whole life seems to revolve around killing vampires and evil creatures, he even has a little extra kick in his blood to help him get the job done that no one else can do. One night, an ambush is set that has Deacon coming closer than ever to death, and he is determined to find out who wants him dead. With his rag-tag team of friends, Deacon goes to extremes to find the immortal who wants his head on a plate, and comes close to loosing everything.

This book is filled with fast packed action scenes. At every turn it seems as if Deacon is kicking vampire ass. But at the same time, it doesn’t seem to help the story move at a quick pace. It took awhile for the book to get moving quickly, and I found that I put the book down quite a few times before things got to a point where I was sucked into the story line.

I also felt as if this story was one that I had already read before. It had a lot of the same elements from JF Lewis’ Void City Series. They both have heroes that own strip clubs, are obsessed with their cars, have an assorted group of friends that help them fight evil, and are unique in their supernatural fighting abilities. At the same time, there were enough differences for me to enjoy the story, but the similarities were just enough that I always felt like it was a story that had been done before.

One of the things that I did like was that Deacon wasn’t a total asshat. I have read a few UF stories with a male protagonist written by a male author in which the hero came off as a douche. I was glad to see that Deacon’s character didn’t adopt that style. He was morally sound, devoted to his beloved wife, and dedicated to take out evil, regardless of the cost to himself. He cared for his group of friends, protected them in all possible ways, and was an all around likeable guy. I wanted to cheer for him and see him triumph in the end.

I think that fans of the urban fantasy genre who are always looking for stories with male leads will enjoy this. Although for me it moved at a slower pace than I would have liked, the plot and characters did eventually pull me in and keep me engaged. I am looking forward to future books in the series, especially if we get to see more of Deacon and his budding relationship.

All in all I had some mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, I really enjoyed the overall story, but as I said before, it didn’t feel like it was a brand new story and that dragged it down for me a bit. I do hope that Tuck can continue to develop the series and characters and create a unique aspect to the series.
I give Blood and Bullets a C-

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Thanks to Kensington, I have a finished copy of Blood and Bullets to giveaway. Please leave a comment to be entered to win. Giveaway ends February 13th and open internationally. Good luck!

Review & Giveaway – Blood and Bullets by James R. Tuck is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

This mind-blowing new series introduces Sloan Skye, and ambitious intern at the FBI’s paranormal unit, where the usual rules of crime fighting don’t apply…

Sloan has a sky-high IQ, a chaotic personal life, and a dream: to work for the FBI. Her goal is within reach until an error lands her with the FBI’s ugly stepchild: the new Paranormal Behavioral Analysis Unit. She’ll get to profile criminals, but the pool of suspects is a little more…diverse. Yet even as Sloan tackles her first case–a string of victims, all with puncture wounds to the neck–she can’t silence her inner para-skeptic.

To catch the killer she’ll have to think like one. That means casting aside her doubts, and dealing with the bizarre nightmares that started with the job. But the strangeness is only beginning, as Sloan pieces together the shocking truth about a case that’s more personal than she ever would have guessed.
*Blurb from Goodreads*

Dani’s debut urban fantasy novel was one that caught my eye and had me hoping I was going to find my next crack-a-licious UF series.

Sloan is not only insanely smart, but also just a little bit insane. Her life is erratic and crazy with her mentally ill mother, chemist room-mate and her brand new job at the FBI. Working for the new paranormal division, Sloan has a hard time believing, but jumps right into the fray of things. When the first case takes weird after weird turn, Sloan will have to use everything in her arsenal (including some resources from her past she would like to forget) to solve this case.

When things turn from weird to even weirder, Sloan gets pulled into the thick of things and realizes that this case is becoming more and more personal as the days go on. With her sexy partner tempting her at every turn, her arch enemy getting promoted to her team and her personal life crumbling each day, Sloan just might be able to survive another day.

While there were quite a few things I really enjoyed about this book, there were also a few things that I felt were lacking. For a debut novel, there were a lot of great things going on. Sloan was a fun and snark character and although her IQ is off the charts, her lack of streets smarts leaves a little to be desired. But it provides for some awesome comedic relief. However, for those readers who don’t like an endearing but clueless heroine that takes awhile to pick up on social clues, this book wont be for you.

I also liked the set up for the series. I think it’ll be a fun and fast paced series that will encompass a lot of different paranormal creatures (I don’t think I’ve ever read about the particular kind of vamp we had in this story – so fun), and the series has a lot of room to grow and change and morph. I also didn’t feel as if the love triangle was too much. Instead, it felt more relaxed and believable. I just hope it doesn’t get stretched out over time.

I do think that the pacing was a little slow at times, which surprised me a bit given just how much plot was going on. It felt as if there were about 20 different story-lines going on at once, and while most of them did eventually tie in, they still felt disconnected and choppy to me. It did become a little difficult to follow along when there were so many different things going on in each and every scene.

There were also moments that I really didn’t feel the love connection between Sloan and JT. Yes, things developed VERY slowly for these two relationship wise, but there were moments when I just wasn’t sure why they were together, what about each other attracted them. Yes the physical lust was there, but the emotional connection came much later (if at all really).

All in all I think this was a strong urban fantasy debut with a lot of room for growth and improvement. I look forward to reading more about Sloan and JT, I think the paranormal aspects will be unique and refreshing to read. This book seemed to mix a lot of mystery and suspense into the plot as well, so that was great fun as well.
I give Blood of Eden a C+

I have an extra copy of Blood of Eden to giveaway today. Leave a comment below to be entered to win. Open to US/Canada only and ends January  13th. Good Luck!!

Review and Giveaway – Blood of Eden by Tami Dane is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

While the tattered remains of humanity huddle underground, hiding in their virtual world, Devi prefers living topside, making dangerous hauls through the demon-infested wasteland earth has become. The wealth that comes from smuggling supplies to those shunned as summoner-born or demon-touched doesn’t hurt, either.

The man she meets to arrange one of those under-the-table hauls is complicated…and handsome as hell. Literally. A glimpse of the predator beneath his silver gaze and she’s tempted to break her cardinal rule: never mix business with pleasure.

Zel’s first look at the wild-haired hauler threatens to distract him from his mission–and reminds him just how long it’s been since he got laid. As the leader of an outcast settlement, he can’t afford to trust too easily. Devi’s got a reputation for running a tight, disciplined crew, but her very willingness to deal with him means she has something to hide.

Not to mention a hot, tempting package like her could be the cleverest trap his enemies have ever set.

Warning: Contains demon bars, virtual (and literal) fights to the death, forbidden love, renegade AIs, a badass truck-driving heroine who will do anything to protect her crew and the half-demon warrior who will move heaven and hell to make her his.
This blurb came from the authors’ website here.

MinnChica: When Bree and Donna first announced the Children of the Undying series, I was sooo excited. The moment I got my copy of Hammer Down, I read it immediately and couldn’t even begin to express just how awesome I thought this book was. There were so many amazing things about this, and the set up for the series that it instantly became one of my favorite books and most anticipated new series!

E: Like Minn I was really excited about this new series but I decided to wait to read Hammer Down until right before we were going to write this review. It didn’t help that work got crazy and I thought I would need a treat once things calmed down again. I am very glad I wanted because I think the anticipation of this book made it even better!

MinnChica: We first met Zel in the novella Demon Bait, and although we didn’t get to know his character very well, I knew back then I would love him like crazy, and of course I was right! He was an alpha to the extreme (and we all know how much I love my alpha heroes!) and the thing that I loved most about him, was despite how alpha he was, he also loved the fact that Devi was just as strong, just as alpha, just as kick ass. He didn’t worry about putting her in a bubble or hiding her away. There is just something very sexy about a man who let’s his alpha heroine be just as kick ass as he is.

E: Zel *fans self* he was certainly sizzling from the taste we got to see in Demon Bait and I was rather curious to see if he was going to live up to my first impression. He certainly did! I could see how responsible he felt towards his people and how frustrating he found diplomacy but when the time called for it he clamped down on his demon instincts and let his word talk for him. Those moments when he let everything out were just amazing! Like Minn I was really impressed that almost despite his Alpha-ness he let Devi do what she needed to do. He didn’t always like it but when the chips were down he didn’t waste time trying to stop her. I think it takes a pretty impressive leader to let others use their skills even in danger, especially when they are someone you care deeply about.

MinnChica: Oh definitely! Sometimes with really alpha heroines, I have a hard time getting on board with their character, but to me Devi was the perfect woman for Zel. She fought for him, and when her people needed her to, she fought against him for what she believed in. Watching her with the other truckers was great as well, she really came across as being the mother hen. She was their protector, their boss, their family and for me, that brought her character to a whole other depth.

E: Devi was a great complete character too. She never tried to prove that she was more of a man then any of the men. I loved how she portrayed that you don’t have to do that in order to be an alpha woman. You could see the depths of the trust and how deeply her fellow truckers cared about about her by how they acted. She knew when to push them and when to let them snarl without taking it personally or getting into a testosterone match. In other words she wasn’t portrayed as guy with a double X chromosome. But she wasn’t the only character who really intrigued me. What did you think about Tanner?

MinnChica: Oh Tanner… Oh Trip…. Oh what a kick ass cast of supporting characters! One of the things I love most about Moira Rogers’ series is that I know that I can always count on them to bring me an incredible cast of characters that are developed from the moment they step onto the page. Between Tanner and Trip and Cache I just know that we are in for an AMAZING series that will feature heroes and heroines that will continuously blow us away. I need to know more of Tanner and all his secrets! I need to know what is going to happen with Trip! I’m hooked!!

E: I agree their cast of supporting characters is always a treat. I really enjoy how you get to see glimpses of who they are and what they can do as the book progressed. They are not used as just placeholders. I enjoy their growth as much as I do the main hero/heroine yet they never overshadow the main action. I think the tension between the truckers and the outcasts isn’t completely settled yet. I am really looking forward to seeing what happens as everyone tries to find their places in their changing world. Another thing I enjoyed was the inclusion of not just external tension — humans vs demons vs half-human/half-demon but the internal politics and how should Zel’s community be run.

MinnChica: I can’t wait to find out everything about the world. I think that this world-building is one of the best post-apocalyptic worlds I’ve ever read. There are so many different aspects that I love: the technology, the paranormal, the dynamics between humans and demons, the half-bloods, the politics… I could go on and on. I really just can’t say enough good things… All in all Hammer Down was one book that absolutely blew me away. Everything that I’ve come to expect and love from Moira Rogers was here: wonderfully developed characters, an interesting alternative world and some steamy lovin’. From the first page on I was engaged and in love with the story.
I give Hammer Down an A

E: Moira Rogers packed some very interesting twists and turns in their world. It is amazing the amount of detail they have provided and yet there is still so much more to be discovered. I really liked how technology, mental skills, a certain ‘flexibility’ as well as everything that Minn mentions above has been integrated. Yes this is a dangerous post apocalyptic world but it isn’t complete devastation and lawlessness. People still go on living, satisfying elemental urges and cherishing their dreams. I completely lost track of time while I was reading this which I find to be a wonderful treat.
I give Hammer Down an A.

Links to Purchase:
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Joint Review – Hammer Down by Moira Rogers is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Where did you get the book: E-ARC from the author

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date: Out today

Review: The Last Slayer by Nadia Lee is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

We would like to give a warm welcome to Nadia Lee, author of Carnal Secrets, Destiny Entwined and Happily Ever After of Her Own. Nadia’s new book, The Last Slayer, is the start of a brand new Urban Fantasy trilogy which is being released today by Carina. Welcome Nadia!

 Nadia: Thank you!

BookPushers: What can you tell us about about The Last Slayer, the first book in the The Heartstone Trilogy?

 Nadia: It’s a full length urban fantasy novel with romantic elements. The blurb is

below:

Ashera del Cid is a talented demon hunter, but when she kills a demigod’s

pet dragon, the hunter becomes the hunted. Her only potential ally is

Ramiel, a sexy-as-hell demon. Now the two must work together to battle

dragons and demigods…and the chemistry crackling between them.

 

Ramiel has his own reasons for offering Ashera his protection. He knows her

true identity and the real reason the demigods want her dead. What he can’t

predict is how she’ll react when she discovers he knew who she was all

along…

 

Ashera is shocked to discover that she is the only daughter of the last

slayer. To claim her destiny, she and Ramiel must join forces to face down

danger and outwit their enemies. Only then will she be able to truly accept

her legacy…

The story’s told from Ashera’s point of view (1st person), and she has to deal with new threats in her life with somebody who she can’t trust a.k.a. Ramiel.

 Bookpushers: Are you able to give us a little run-down on Ashera del Cid, and Ramiel?

 Nadia: Ashera’s an excellent demon hunter who’s managed to carve out a nice life for herself.  She’s good at her job, financially comfortable and has a good friend / foster sister Valerie, who she cares for very much.  She has an innate distrust of all supernatural beings, given her profession.  People don’t hire her when they’re dealing with “good” demons.  (Not that such a thing could exist as far as Ashera’s concerned.)  Ashera’s appalled she has to get Ramiel’s help when he did all sorts of horrible things to her, like blowing up her home.

 Ramiel is a very old supernatural being, and he’s stuck helping Ashera because of a vow he made long ago.  It drives him insane that Ashera doesn’t ask, “How high” whenever he tells her to jump.  He’s basically like an emperor within his own domain, and hates having to explain himself. He’s also afraid of what Ashera might do if she knows the full truth about herself and everyone around her.

Bookpushers: What made you decide to base your story around demons — will they be the only supernaturals featured, or will there be other scary beings ready to make a surprise?

 Nadia: I’ve always found demons fascinating. Vampires, too, of course, but so many authors have done vampires already. I wanted to do something different. Demons such as incubi aren’t the only ones in the story.  There are various types of dragons and supernatural diviners, etc. And maybe a few of them will make an appearance in the sequel.

 Bookpushers: Can you give us any sneak peaks in what to expect in the The Heartstone Trilogy?  Will it follow the same leading protagonists or new narrators in each book?

 Nadia: The trilogy follows the same protagonist — Ashera del Cid — and her coming into her new power and position by pitting herself against those who’d rather see her dead. There are definitely elements of romance as well between Ashera and Ramiel, and they’re probably going to get some kind of happy ending by the time the trilogy winds up.

 Bookpushers: The Last Slayer is the first UF you have written. Did you find any difficulties writing in a new genre compared to your previous contemporary books?

 Nadia: World-building!  I totally didn’t make any notes or create a world bible or anything. And since I always change things as I write, I couldn’t remember what I was going to do with supernatural XYZ when I was going through the story for revision.  The hardest thing I had to keep track of when I was writing contemporary was what kind of car my hero drove to work!

Bookpushers: What other genres do you want to explore in the future?

Nadia: Futuristic/SF romance featuring assassins and mob bosses and fantasy romance loosely based on an old Asian historical text, though I’m not sure if I’ll ever get to work the latter in.  I’ve been hearing from so many industry people how unpopular Asian settings are. :sigh:

 Bookpushers: Can you tell us about any upcoming works you have planned?

 Nadia: Currently I’m working on the sequel to The Last Slayer.  I also need to take another look at the above-mentioned futuristic romance novel and send it off to my agent.

 Bookpushers: You have released self-published books as well as traditional pubbed via e-pubs. What do you think of the ever-changing landscape of publishing and the impact it has on authors?

Nadia: I think it’s fantastic for authors.  Authors are no longer limited by the whims of publishing companies.  Before ebooks became as popular and dominant as they are now, publishing companies controlled distribution.  Print distribution is enormously expensive and difficult for most authors, and many booksellers weren’t interested in carrying self-published titles. Furthermore, print distribution is extremely inefficient and costly with returns.  Most authors couldn’t afford to have more than half of their books returned to them.

Ebooks made it possible for authors to reach out to their readers more directly, and it’s much faster to turn your edited manuscript into an ebook than a print book.  In addition, authors get to experiment with small niche genres that their publishers aren’t too interested in.  (Of course, some authors go through smaller digital presses, but given some of the things we’ve seen, such as Triskelion and other e-presses that either went bankrupt, didn’t edit or pay royalties, etc., authors have to be very careful and choose one that’s professional and honest and can do things that authors can’t do on their own or outsource easily.) This has also benefited readers as well.  Speaking as a reader, I love buying self-pubbed novellas or shorts from my favorite authors to tide me over while I’m waiting for their big novel release. The big challenge for authors who are interested in self-pubbing is ensuring that they put out a good story that is well-edited and converted.  (And put a good-looking cover too!)  Readers demand a professional production, not something that looks like authors put it together while making a sandwich for lunch.

Bookpushers: What is your all-time favourite Happy Ever After scene in a Romance? And why do you think HEA has a strong resonance for so many readers of Romance?

 Nadia: Oh this is so tough!  I’m extremely fond of old Linda Howard category romance novels and the resolution in which the hero must win the heroine over.  I still remember the scene from Cutting Edge in which the hero holds the heroine and says he’d want to take it all back.  I haven’t read that book in at least half a decade, and that scene still lingers in my mind with such force. HEA has a strong resonance because we want to believe that good peopledeserve good things, especially after such a difficult struggle.  HEA isn’t unique to romance either.  Mystery  has a HEA-equivalent in that the crime is solved and the bad guys get caught.  In general, I don’t want to read romance in which the heroine dies of some horrible disease at the end and the hero is left behind and cries his eyes out.  (BTW — the terminal-disease-killing-the-heroine was — or maybe still is? — a very popular trope in Japan…)  I want to feel good when I read for entertainment.

 Bookpushers: And now for a little fun:

 If there was a BATTLE ROYAL of kick-ass heroines, who would you choose as the winner?

 Nadia: Oooh, tough!  Provided that mine sits out (it wouldn’t be fair since I’m biased), I’d choose Kate Daniels.

 Bookpushers: Which fictional hero would you like to kiss, marry or chuck over a cliff?

 Nadia: I’d like to kiss Heathcliffe from Wuthering Heights AND chuck him over a cliff.

 Bookpushers: And what is your most guilty pleasure in reading a romance?

 Nadia: Right now it’s forced seduction.  I have no idea why, but I’m just in the mood for it right now.  And I’m not talking about the modern twist or whatever.  I’m talking about the old-style bodice ripper-type stuff.

 Nadia has kindly giving away an ebook copy of The Last Slayer. To Enter just comment below and state what is favourite myth or books that feature dragons. The giveaway will end on the 3rd of January and is open to everyone!

Interview and Giveaway with Nadia Lee is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

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Happy reading .

Extra! Extra! Extra! Read all about it!!!! is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter