Publisher: Dutton (Penguin)

Where did you get this book: Received as a free Advance Reader Copy

Release date: July 27, 2010

This review contains spoilers!

Blurb taken from authors’ official website:

The orphaned daughter of a sorcerer and a half-demon, Savannah is a terrifyingly powerful young witch who has never been able to resist the chance to throw her magical weight around. But at 21 she knows she needs to grow up and prove to her guardians, Paige and Lucas, that she can be a responsible member of their supernatural detective agency. So she jumps at the chance to fly solo, investigating the mysterious deaths of three young women in a nearby factory town as a favour to one of the agency’s associates. At first glance, the murders look garden-variety human, but on closer inspection signs point to otherworldly stakes.

Soon Savannah is in over her head. She’s run off the road and nearly killed, haunted by a mystery stalker, and freaked out when the brother of one of the dead women is murdered when he tries to investigate the crime. To complicate things, something weird is happening to her powers. Pitted against shamans, demons, a voodoo-inflected cult and garden-variety goons, Savannah has to fight to ensure her first case isn’t her last. And she also has to ask for help, perhaps the hardest lesson she’s ever had to learn.

I have to preface this review by mentioning that with an ARC, I expect there to be typos and grammar issues that will be resolved by the time the book is finally released. So, for the purpose of the review, I tried to ignore those problems. If they make it through to the printing, it would affect how much I could enjoy the book.

Having said that, I wasn’t sure how I felt about a Savannah book. She’s been around since Stolen, but for a girl with uber-supernatural-powers, she always kind of struck me as whiney. With Waking the Witch, though, I’ve become a fan. She pulls off snark and attitude like no other Otherworld character, save perhaps her mother, Eve. Even when Savannah’s fighting without her full powers, she’s throwing the spunk out there like it alone will keep her alive.  So, yeah, I’m a fan now.

The plot wasn’t very action-packed, but that didn’t slow down the read because there was always a lot going on. It started with three murders and tacked on a bunch more death as the story went on. With Savannah working her first solo case for the firm, and with human police and a human detective no less, she couldn’t exactly whip out fighting spells at every turn. But there were more than enough plotty twists to keep the reader guessing.

As a long time reader of Kelley’s work, I had a fairly good idea of who was actually bad from early on, but how they were bad wasn’t obvious. I love it when authors can surprise me, and Kelley Armstrong managed that with Waking the Witch.

The romantic subplot and backstory were woven in seamlessly. The insight into Savannah’s history let me understand why I’d seen her in such a negative light previously. It also made her sacrifice at the end of the story make a ton of sense. One of my biggest disappointments with the book, though, was that the first leg of the romantic subplot didn’t get to play out a little longer. I kept hoping there would be some supernatural divine intervention there, but alas, it didn’t happen.

I have to mention my favorite new character, Kayla. A little girl who can out-Savannah Savannah is made of win, in my opinion. From all indications, she’ll be back in the next book, Spellbound, and I can’t wait. (More Adam too, please!) That is one thing readers should be aware of. While the main plot in Waking the Witch is resolved, the book ends on a cliffhanger, and considering Spellbound isn’t slated for release until next July, it’s going to be a bit of a wait.

To be honest, I don’t care. I enjoyed the ride with Savannah enough that I’ll be begging for another ARC as soon as I find out they’re available. And if I don’t get one, I’ll be at the bookstore on release day.

Ignoring the typos and such that I hope will be fixed in the final version, I give Waking the Witch 5.0 stars.

We are giving away two copies of Night Myst by Yasmine Galenorn.

Here is the blurb taken from the back of the book:

Eons ago, vampires tried to turn the Dark Fae in order to harness their power.  Instead, they created a demonic enemy more powerful then they dared to dream.  Bent on enslaving the world, the Vampiric Fae have been quietly massing their strength for centuries.  Now, Myst, queen of the Indigo Court, is rising again…and a long-prophesied war is brewing…

Born a witch, Cicely Waters can control the wind.  When her Elemental warns her that her aunt and cousin are in danger, she packs her Pontiac GTO and returns home for the first time in twenty years.  But the magical town of New Forest, Washington has changed.  The Indigo Court holds the city in fear; people are vanishing, and strange deaths plague the town.  Swept into an unexpected and passionate reunion with her trusted childhood friend Grieve, the Fae prince who taught her how to harness the wind, Cicely finds herself with a fierce and territorial lover.  But Grieve has become enslaved by Myst’s court, and now both lovers must walk a fine line to survive the machinations of the Vampiric Fae Queen.  Caught between two evils, both vying for supremacy, Cicely must fight for her family and her future.  As she discovers the hidden secrets to her own heritage, will she lose her soul in the process?

To enter this giveaway, all you have to do is comment below. Giveaway is open to wherever The Book Depository ships to. And the Giveaway is open until next Sunday, 6pm GMT.

Good Luck!

Giveaway is now closed. Winners will be announced soon.

1. Witchling (2006)
2. Changeling (2007)
3. Darkling (2007)
4. Dragon Wytch (2008)
5. Night Huntress (2009)
6. Demon Mistress (2009)
7. Bone Magic (2010)
7. The Shadow of Mist (anthology: Never After) (2009)
8. Harvest Hunting (2010)
9. Blood Wyne (2011)

Yesterday was Yasmine’s release date for her début book, Night Myst, in her new Indigo Court series. Our fellow bookpusher, E_booklover, said this about Night Myst, ‘…provides a whirlwind of intrigue, mystery, dark sensuality, and a remainder that nothing is exactly as it appears to be on the surface – especially when dealing with Vampires and Fae.’  If you want to read her review of Night Myst, click here.

We were given the chance to interview Yasmine, and we jumped on the chance .  Here are the results – enjoy!

**

Book Pushers: We would like to give a very warm welcome to Yasmine Galenorn to The Book Pushers. Yasmine, welcome!

YG: Thank you, I’m happy to be here.

Book Pushers: Can you tell us a little bit about your new series Indigo Court, and what your first book in the series, Night Myst, is about?

YG: The world of the Indigo Court Series is a magical, mystical world—dark, sensual urban fantasy that lives in that realm between dusk and dawn, in the shadow that hides in the corner of your attic, in the nightmare you can’t quite remember when you wake up, but that leaves you with both desire and fear. It’s a world of vampires, Vampiric Fae, primal magic, and faint lights of hope in a dark forest.

Night Myst, the first book, explores the world of Cicely Waters, a witch. Cicely can control the wind and has bonded with an air elemental named Ulean. She’s in search of her aunt, who has been captured by the Indigo Court—a race of vampiric Fae led by the evil Queen Myst, the Mistress of Mayhem. In the tradition of good fairytales, Myst has also captured Cicely’s lover—Grieve, a Fae Prince, and Cicely has to win him back from a transformation he did not want to make. Filled with the magic of winter and wind, I’m hoping that Night Myst will capture my readers just as surely as Myst has captured Heather and Grieve.

Book Pushers: What made you decide to work on a separate series from your popular Otherworld series?

YG: I needed a little break here and there from the Sisters but was not/am not ready to end the series by any means. It always recharges me to jump between worlds and then I’m ready to come back to other old friends. I find that my mind works best when overloaded with ideas, I thrive on deadlines, and am very Type A. So it seemed natural to come up with another idea. And the idea for the Indigo Court series came about through a dream of a painting, of all things—a vivid, living painting in which I watched a young woman walk through a woodland filled with mystical creatures, and overshadowing the wood was a spidery snow queen. I knew the woman was looking for her aunt, and that the queen of the forest was going to try to stop her. Woke up, wrote it down, and now it’s a new series. ~smiles~ My mind works in mysterious ways.

Book Pushers: Do you think Indigo Court will attract a different audience than the Otherworld?

YG: I think it will be a similar audience, but I think the IC Series will appeal to more readers—the ones who like the darker vampire genre.

Book Pushers: Is it more challenging to switch from one world to another, and would you ever consider writing in another genre?

YG: I’ve written in two other genres before…three, in a sense. I wrote eight nonfiction metaphysical books. I wrote a paranormal mystery series, and a “plain” cozy mystery…trilogy. While I’m proud of all my work, I really wasn’t at home writing cozies of any kind—I am not a cozy person—and was thrilled when I broke out into urban fantasy. My heart and soul have always been steeped in fantasy and science fiction. I’m at home now, with what I write.

Book Pushers: In your Otherworld series – and the first book of the Indigo Court series – you show more of the darker side of… shall we say human nature, yet you include flashes of “light”.  Why did you decide to highlight the darker side instead of the sweetness and light?

YG: I am not a light-and-sweet type of person. I love delving into the dark side of life and human nature. It fascinates me even as it can repel me. I’ve never been one for writing light, and when I was writing the cozies I felt like my hands were tied because of the genre. Now, I am free to explore both light and shadow at will. Because light cannot exist without the shadow to balance it. And the shadow side has the power to mesmerize, and seduce—Urban Fantasy focusing on the sweet-and-light would be boring, it wouldn’t hold tension and wouldn’t explore the areas of the psyche that hide our shadow-selves and our nightmares and the creatures that exist just out of the periphery of our vision.

Book Pushers: Both of your series tend to be on the sensual side. By sensual, I am not just thinking sexual, but also with the colors, tastes, smells, and sensations experienced by your characters.  I know that those senses, for me, helped draw me into your world. Is there a reason you decided to concentrate on the senses, or is it a natural part of the fae world?

YG: For one thing, it is a natural part of the Fae world—a series about Fae/half-Fae that wasn’t sensual wouldn’t seem true to me. But also, that’s just the way I write and in the UF genre, I’m allowed the freedom to explore all those sensations. I am a sensual person by nature, and it comes out in my writing. I live in a vibrant area, the environment here is rich with color and smell and texture—and setting, to me, has always been a form of character—setting just speaks visually and with scent and touch and taste.

Book Pushers: The Urban Fantasy genre is getting bigger and bigger every year with new authors cropping up. Who are your favourite authors of the genre, and are there any new authors that you enjoy and would recommend?

YG: Personally, my favorite authors in the genre are: Charlaine Harris (I LOVE the Sookie Stackhouse series and I also like the True Blood TV series made off of the books). I really enjoy Patricia Briggs’ Mercedes Thompson series. I’m a fan of Jim Butcher and the Dresden Files. I also like two YA Series a lot: Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampire Series, and PC & Kristin Cast’s House of Night Series. I don’t have much time to read so tend to stick to my favorites—and I read widely, not just in the UF genre.

Book Pushers: One of the common tropes in Urban Fantasy lately seems to be the love triangle.  In your Otherworld series you slightly touched on it, but due to the Fae culture in your worldbuilding, that did not become a major plot point.  Why did you decide to avoid that and what do you think of love triangles as a major plot device?

YG: Because it never came up for the characters. Camille is polyamorous and her husbands are willing to share. Delilah—well, I have plans for her and you’ll see those play out in HARVEST HUNTING. Menolly is emotionally attached to women but now and then likes to play with men. A love triangle wouldn’t have fit my characters in the Otherworld Series. And if a plot device isn’t true to the characters, it won’t ring true to the readers.

I have nothing against the love triangle trope—but at some point it needs to resolve. Either the character has to choose—one, the other, or both. If the triangle is allowed to play out too long, readers—me included—get irritated. I think Patricia Briggs did an excellent job in her Mercy Thompson series of resolving it before everybody got irritated, but she left it to play out long enough to strike up the tension. (The Sam-Adam-Mercy triangle).

Book Pushers: I know with Urban Fantasy there isn’t a requirement for a Happily Ever After (HEA) or even a Happy For Now (HFN), but given everything you put your characters through – and their painful growth – do you have a happy ending in mind for them?

YG: I hope they come to a happy ending, but I can’t give blanket promises because the ending hasn’t happened yet. ~grins~ So I certainly have hope, but don’t know. And yes, my characters have to earn their prizes, they have to earn their happiness and no growth comes without pain. I think that’s why my readers identify with them so much—the characters aren’t just superheroes in disguise. They bleed, suffer, cry, and have their little joys and triumphs.

Book Pushers: Do you have a clear plan about the ending for both series, and do you have any new projects lined up?

YG: No, and possibly. I do have a vision for how the OW series will end—but that won’t be for a little while yet. The Indigo Court Series has just started so no, I don’t see the end of that one yet and don’t know how things will play out. And yes, I have plans for a future series but that I am keeping under wraps for now. Meanwhile I pen novellas on the side, and I have lots of ideas for standalone books but there’s no time—absolutely no time—to write them now.

Book Pushers: If you could have the ultimate universe, what worlds would you combine from books, TV or even film?

YG: Lord of the Rings, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Vampire Lestat, and Conan the Barbarian. How’s that for convoluted??? ~grins~ Don’t ask me how—I don’t have time to figure it out.

**

Thanks to the wonderful people at Berkley, we also have a cracking giveaway. On offer is three copies of Demon Mistress, the 6th title in the Otherworld series by Yasmine. The awesomeness does not stop here!

Yasmine will be popping over to the blog a few times today to answer some reader questions. So to enter, all you have to do is comment or ask Yasmine a question in the comment section.

The Demon Mistress giveaway is open to US/Canada only. And it’s will be open until Monday, 5th July.

BUT! On the weekend, we’ll be giving away two copies of Night Myst via the Book Depository, which will be open to wherever the Book Depository ships to.

Big thanks again to Yasmine!

Giveaway is now closed!

“As a Fury, Marissa Holloway belongs to an arcane race that has avenged wrongdoing since time immemorial.  As Boston’s chief magical investigator for the past five years, she’s doing what she was born to do: solving supernatural crimes.

It’s far from business as usual when the body of a sister Fury washes up in Boston Harbor.  But when Riss reports that the corpse’s identity has been magically altered, she’s immediately – and inexplicably – suspended from her job.  Then a human assassin makes an attempt on her life, and Riss realizes that someone is trying to stir up strife between mortals and arcanes.

When a Fury gets mad, she gets even, and Riss is determined to uncover the truth.  Without the support of the mortal police department, she turns to the one man she can trust to watch her back: shape-shifting Warhound Scott Murphy.  But since Scott is also Riss’ ex, she’ll have to keep a short leash on more then just the supernatural rage that feeds her power as they try to solve a murder – and stop a war…”

Per the FTC guidelines, I received an Advance Reader Copy (ARC) from the author for the purposes of this review.  When I was contacted by Ms Mackenzie and asked to review her début novel, I was pretty excited.  I had not seen anything remotely involving Furies outside of myths and legends, so I was interested to see how Ms Mackenzie would use them as her center piece.  As I dusted off my recollections of the Furies, it seemed that they would have a natural fit as investigators since they avenged crimes.

I have to admit that I got them slightly mixed up with Harpies.  I thought that was a natural mistake because both are characterized as women with wings, able to hunt down and kill or torture others.  Yes I was correct, however in Ms Mackenzie’s world my mistake was really ‘fighting words’.  Harpies and Furies don’t tend to get along as Ms Mackenzie reveals.  One of the major plot points involves their… shall we say difference of opinion.

While I eagerly anticipated being sucked into the world of Furies and Warhounds, unfortunately I found that RED HOT FURY suffered from a couple of problems that I think stem from the combination of a debut author and the first book of a series.  At it’s essence, this book should provide resolution to the mystery of why the murder, magically faked identity, conspiracy to remove anyone investigating that mystery, and have some sort of romantic, sexual, previous baggage tension between Marissa known as Riss and her ex-lover/boy friend Scott.  Ms Mackenzie delivers those, but I found that they were mixed in with a lot of other subplots points, which made the two main points almost anti-climatic.

The first problem was the amount of world building which came perilously close to info-dumping.  Riss lives in a very complex world populated by numerous members of the arcane that includes Furies, Harpies, Warhounds, Fae, Phoenixes, Giants, Sidhe, Cats, Oracles, Druids, Witches and Goblins.  Not to mention normal and not so normal humans – all of which have their own magical powers and/or skills that they brought to help or hinder Riss’ investigation.  I was introduced to all of these different species or races during this one book with the standard MMPB word count that resulted in limited screen time for several of the representatives.  As a result, I never had a chance to feel that the majority of them were more then two-dimensional.

The second problem is that I think Ms Mackenzie included too many different threads in this single book, which served as introducing the different species and why they crossed Riss’ path.  Most of the subplot threads were neatly – almost too neatly – tied up at the end.  It seemed as if there was too much book for her word count, resulting in a quick conclusion. She left a few lingering threads that will, hopefully, be explored in future books.

Despite those problems, RED HOT FURY was an interesting read.  Riss, as a Fury, was a fascinating character with her own set of faults and she learns some pretty harsh life lessons throughout the book, which provided growth.  I enjoyed seeing her learn that she couldn’t be all Fury and solve her problems.  I am not sure if Scott, her ex, had the same level of character development because I never got the feeling he actually understood what caused the end of their previous relationship.

The initial mystery hooked me enough so that the faults didn’t prevent my finishing the book, because I still wanted to know how Riss would solve her investigation and the subsequent mess.  I also wanted to know how – and if – Scott and Riss would work through their issues.  I think that with the majority of the world building already introduced the next book in the series GREEN EYED ENVY, it will have a smoother flow and focus.  I know that I want answers to those lingering threads…

I am afraid I am going to give this one 2.5 of 5 stars, but I am hopeful that GREEN EYED ENVY will improve.  I think the world that Ms Mackenzie has created is very fascinating, and that she can do a lot with her Furies and other members of the arcane.  I look forward to seeing what comes next.

NIGHT MYST by Yasmine Galenorn is book one of her new Indigo Court series.  It will be available as a Berkley MMPB on June 29, 2010.  I was also able to find it available in Kindle and Nook formats.  In the interests of the FTC rules, for full disclosure, I was sent an ARC of NIGHT MYST by the publisher for the purpose of this review.  I will also admit that I enjoy reading her Otherworld series, so I when I was offered this opportunity, I jumped on it.

From the back cover as pulled from: http://www.galenorn.com/IndigoCourt/index.php?body=ic-nightmyst.htm

“Eons ago, vampires tried to turn the Dark Fae in order to harness their power.  Instead, they created a demonic enemy more powerful then they dared to dream.  Bent on enslaving the world, the Vampiric Fae have been quietly massing their strength for centuries.  Now, Myst, queen of the Indigo Court, is rising again…and a long-prophesied war is brewing…

Born a witch, Cicely Waters can control the wind.  When her Elemental warns her that her aunt and cousin are in danger, she packs her Pontiac GTO and returns home for the first time in twenty years.  But the magical town of New Forest, Washington has changed.  The Indigo Court holds the city in fear; people are vanishing, and strange deaths plague the town.  Swept into an unexpected and passionate reunion with her trusted childhood friend Grieve, the Fae prince who taught her how to harness the wind, Cicely finds herself with a fierce and territorial lover.  But Grieve has become enslaved by Myst’s court, and now both lovers must walk a fine line to survive the machinations of the Vampiric Fae Queen.  Caught between two evils, both vying for supremacy, Cicely must fight for her family and her future.  As she discovers the hidden secrets to her own heritage, will she lose her soul in the process?”

Ms Galenorn’s first Indigo Court book, NIGHT MYST, provides a whirlwind of intrigue, mystery, dark sensuality, and a remainder that nothing is exactly as it appears to be on the surface – especially when dealing with Vampires and Fae. One of the challenges when starting a new series is balancing world building with character development, story progression and setting the hook.  Ms Galenorn surpasses that challenge by allowing the reader to experience New Forest’s world through Cicely, as she struggles to merge her childhood memories with the current reality and while dealing with her new responsibilities in the middle of this Fae war. Cicely is a very likeable character, with her main fault, to me as revealed so far, being that she believes in the goodness of the people she encounters and that what they present is who they really are.  Grieve, her childhood friend is a very torn individual.  His bond with Cicely still exists and might be what ends up saving New Forest but it has been and will continue to be tested.  Ms Galenorn included non-stop action and efficiently showed that sometimes the obvious easy way out doesn’t exist, and instead her characters are forced to choose between the lesser of the bad available choices.  She also doesn’t make it easy for the reader to develop a pure hatred towards Queen Myst because while I despise what she has done, I can also understand some of her motivation.  All of Ms Galenorn’s characters are complex and while some of their actions are predictable, it is never to the point that you can identify exactly what is going to happen when.  I look forward to seeing if Queen Myst’s evilness grows as the series progresses and more is revealed.

Throughout NIGHT MYST, she pushes, challenges and forces her characters to grow by dealing with painful and dark situations while also including a touch of hope.  As a reader I sympathize and feel for her characters, and how the hits never seem to stop coming. But as a testament to Ms Galenorn’s skill, I am never left with the sense that they do not have a chance to succeed.  I am actually challenged writing this review without including any spoilers because of the layers upon layers of complexity that Ms Galenorn has included in both her characters and their world, so I apologize for the brevity of my comments.

I enjoyed reading NIGHT MYST and give it 4 of 5 stars.  I highly recommend this book if you enjoy a dark, edgy, sensuous read that never lets up on the tension.

Ms Galenorn has graciously agreed to answer some reader questions in addition to giving The Book Pushers an interview which will be posted at the end of June. So if you have any questions you would like Yasmine to answer, pop on over to the blog on the 30th of June and join us. There will also be a giveaway – open to US/Canada only.

Thanks and happy reading!

P.S. Due to being in the middle of a military deployment, my fellow bookpushers will be responding to comments until I have internet access on a regular basis again.

I must admit that I had almost given up on this series – mainly because of the lack of emotional build up between Kitty and her mate Ben. But Kitty’s House of Horrors, which IMHO, is the best book in the series. It brought me back, and I was willing to give this series another chance. Kitty Goes to War is the 8th instalment of The Kitty Norville Series.
Here’s the blurb from the book:

Kitty Norville, alpha werewolf and host of The Midnight Hour, a radio call-in show, is contacted by a friend at the NIH’s Center for the Study of Paranatural Biology. Three army soldiers, recently returned from the war in Afghanistan, are being held at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs. They’re killer werewolves−and post-traumatic stress has left them unable to control their shape-shifting and unable to interact with people. Kitty agrees to see them, hoping to help by bringing them into her pack.
Meanwhile, Kitty gets sued for libel by CEO Harold Franklin after featuring Speedy Mart−his nationwide chain of twenty-four-hour convenience stores with a reputation for attracting supernatural unpleasantness−on her show.

Very bad weather is on the horizon.

After the intense experience in Kitty’s House of Horrors, this book is a little more chilled out – well as chilled out as Kitty’s life could be. Even though Kitty has her hands full dealing with the soldiers and Franklin, this book flows really well. One of the things I really like about this book is the pace. There is a lot going on, but I didn’t feel it was rushed and there are no “fillers” to pad the book out. The reason I didn’t give this book a 5 star is because in a way this book is an “in between” book in the story arc, which is adding to the main storyline of the vampire’s “long game”, and the way Vaughn delivers the action is superb, but her portrayal of romance is somewhat limited.

This book addresses the relationship issue I mentioned earlier in the previous books. With Cormac back on the scene, it’s easy to see the reason behind Kitty’s choice of mate. Kitty will always get herself in the middle of the action, trying her best to help people and stirring up the supernatural world in the process. She can’t help it; she is a radio talk show host. Ben just lets her be and lets her take the centre stage while he helps her in whatever situation she gets herself into.

Kitty enlists Cormac’s help to investigate Franklin and Speedy Mart. She notices that Cormac has been behaving strangely. Is it a result of being locked up for 2 years or something more mysterious? I am very glad that Cormac is finally back. His skill, knowledge and friendship is going to make the series even more exciting and Kitty could really use a friend with the life she leads. Now that Kitty’s “pack of three” is back together, I feel like they are ready to take on the world.

Kitty stays true to herself and tries to believe that there is humanity in werewolves. We get to see more of her pack’s dynamics, and Ben. I find it interesting that Kitty and Ben are not the strongest werewolves but they hold the pack together by their personalities. I like how Kitty learns when to ask the pack to do something, and when to give order as an alpha. The Denver pack as a whole haven’t got strong werewolves – as their previous alpha killed off any potential threat, but they are making a big impact (through Kitty) in the supernatural world. All in all, I really enjoyed Kitty Goes to War and I give it 4 Stars.

Where did you get this book: Purchased by reviewer

Release date: Out now

This review contains spoilers!

Blurb taken from authors’ official website:

“Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong…

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and he’s out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won’t join him, he won’t rest until he’s silenced her…forever.”

Spirit Bound is the fifth book in the Vampire Academy series, and I was really happy to see the return to form after the last book. Even though book four was slow for me, this one started off with a bang (in the form of Rose’s graduation trials) and kept going. I never felt like the tension lapsed, and it even managed to surprise me once or twice at the end (a rare feat, especially for an author whose work I’m familiar with).

The plot this time around involved a lot more of Rose’s trademark trouble-making: prison break, sneaking off, sneaking into places she shouldn’t be, pissing off the royals. And she doesn’t get away with all of it. I think Rose actually gets busted for her behavior more in this book than any of the previous installments. To me, that makes her more impressive since she’s never sure she’ll get away with what she’s trying to do, and oddly enough she gets in trouble for the very things she’s confident will go off without a hitch. Rose is growing up, and realizing that sometimes she’s going to have to take responsibility for her actions is a big part of that in Spirit Bound.

I liked the way things played out with Christian and Lissa. Their falling out was handled realistically, as were Christian’s subsequent attempts to get back in Lissa’s good graces. The return of some previously mentioned characters was nice too: Mia, Jill, Ambrose, Victor Dashkov, Abe, Sydney, and even a mention of Ms. Karp. Based on the set up, I’m fairly certain several of those characters have major parts to play in the up-coming book six (Last Sacrifice).

As for Rose’s love life — Adrian has officially become my favorite messed-up boyfriend. He made a point of letting Rose know that he understood her obsession with saving Dimitri, and he didn’t hate her for it. In some ways, he even encouraged it. He wanted her happy, no matter what that meant for him. So, yes, I’m Team Adrian now, and I really hope Rose at least has a hard time deciding in the next book. Dimitri is still awesome in his own way, but Adrian genuinely seems to care more about Rose, and I respect that.

There were a few things that bothered me. (Major spoilers ahead)   The way everyone seemed to forget about Victor being on the loose was silly. I’m sure it will be resolved in Last Sacrifice, but it was such a big deal in the beginning and then everyone seemed to forget about him (including Rose, who only thought about him when she thought she’d been busted about breaking him out). Secondly, Dimitri’s guards seemed to disappear at the end of the book. In one scene they’re there, then the next time he shows up, in the court hearing no less, Rose doesn’t even realize he’s there, which would seem hard if he was surrounded by guardians.  Maybe they were there all along, but I read him as being alone at the back of the courtroom.

All in all, I found Spirit Bound to be an enjoyable read. It did end on a big cliffhanger and with a lot of loose ends, but considering it’s the second to last book in the series, that wasn’t unexpected. This book renewed my faith in Richelle Mead (yes, it flagged with Blood Promise), and I’m confident she will tie everything up in Last Sacrifice (available in December).

I give Spirit Bound 4.5 stars.

I also want to thank the Book Pushers for allowing me to join them for a while doing reviews. I’m a harsh critic, but I try to be fair and honest. Thanks for having me, Ladies!

Where did you get this book: Review copy from author:

Release date: Out now.

This review contains spoilers!

Blurb taken from authors’ official website:

Kate Daniels works for the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle—especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community.

When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar midway between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years—and rode to war at the side of Kate’s father.

This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family…

Magic Bleeds is the fourth instalment in the Kate Daniels series by writing duo Ilona Andrews. This book has an epic fantasy tone that contrasts so well with the urban setting. The world building is so imaginative and descriptive; magic, gods, myths and supernaturals are explained in such vivid detail that it never fails to amaze me. I’ve mentioned before how I think Ilona Andrews’ worldbuilding is some of the best I have read, and Magic Bleeds, I believe, reinforces this.

Everything that transpires in this book blends into a rollercoaster ride of excitement, magic and romance. For me, it’s a tantalising combination. One of the many things that I loved so much about this book is seeing Kate in a much more emotional setting. Instead of shrugging emotions off as she would have done in previous books, Kate allows herself to feel heartbreak, and allows people past her own personal barrier. She’s still a smart ass who has such a way with words, she still kicks ass and she still has that ‘I keel you’ look in her eye, but it’s tempered down compared to the first three books. But! The ‘I keel you’ look still manages to glare strongly towards her very own – in her own words -’psychopath’ that is the Beast Lord – also known as Curran.

The relationship between these two has never been so intense, and so full of passion. In previous books, the romance between them was very slow, but it heated up a degree in each book. In Bleeds, the temperature went off the rocks! But it doesn’t happen instantly as Kate and Curran are at odds for the first half of the book. I did think that the misunderstanding between them felt forced, and I felt it was another way to keep these two apart. But things finally came to a head in a fashion that was smoking hot. They has smex! Yes, the two finally do the dirty deed *grins*. The love scene was not lovey dovey which I don’t think would have suited these hot-headed characters, but it was rough, primitive and oh so sexy. And somehow featured the sneaky Saiman that had me laughing – especially when he tried to run over Kate in such haste to escape Curran.

Kate and Curran still become uber smart asses when interacting with each other — this is still Curran and Kate, who manage to make arguing an art — but underneath there is a very strong love that these two stubborn characters can’t deny, and there are tender moments that show how far these two characters have come. And with Magic Bleeds finally cementing their relationship, I think it definitely brings about a new direction in the series. Not only does it affect them personally, it also affects the pack in many ways, and Kate’s work. And even though they finally admit what they are to each other, there is no instantaneously perfect relationship. Kate and Curran are two very important people that have dangerous working roles, and I think it would have felt false to the characters if they ignored what they did, and who they are, for love.

So not only does the romance bring about a new direction, but Magic Bleeds brings Kate’s very dangerous – and evil – family closer. With diseases and plagues riddling the city of Atlanta, causing havoc for everyone – especially deadly consequences for the shapeshifter pack – we learn about the past of Roland – Kate’s father - and a surprising family member. The baddies in the Kate Daniels world are not cardboard cut-out baddies, but are lethal and downright scary. There are many fighting scenes in Bleeds, and one of my favourite scenes is where giant golem statues come to life in an almighty battle. I said at the beginning that this book has an epic feel to it, and in certain scenes, epic definitely describes what’s going on.

Magic Bleeds ties strongly with my favourite book in the series, Strikes, but Bleeds tips the balance with Kate’s character changing for the better, and being able to empathise with her a lot more. Even though I didn’t like the ‘misunderstanding’, Bleeds is a fantastic book, and I would have no hesitation in book pushing this series onto the masses.

I give Magic Bleeds 5.0 stars.

Thanks to the very talented and awesome writing duo that is known as Ilona Andrews, up for grabs is three signed copies of Magic Bleeds, the 4th instalment in the Kate Daniel series.

Here is the blurb (taken from the authors’ website):

Kate Daniels works for the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid, officially as a liaison with the mercenary guild. Unofficially, she cleans up the paranormal problems no one else wants to handle—especially if they involve Atlanta’s shapeshifting community.

When she’s called in to investigate a fight at the Steel Horse, a bar midway between the territories of the shapeshifters and the necromancers, Kate quickly discovers there’s a new player in town. One who’s been around for thousands of years—and rode to war at the side of Kate’s father.

This foe may be too much even for Kate and Curran, the Lord of the Beasts, to handle. Because this time, Kate will be taking on family…

To enter, all you have to do is comment below and tell us: We all know that Curran lurrves pie, but would sort of pie would Curran make for Kate?

If you can’t think of a desert, then just comment you want to enter, but the above question makes it more fun .

Giveaway is open internationally. Please, no multiple entries as they will not count. And the giveaway is open until next Friday.

Good luck!

Giveaway is now closed!

Sometime early last year I was either browsing my favorite book related blogs or looking on Amaxon.com for their list of recommended upcoming releases when I came across a book called Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire.  The back cover blurb caught my eye with the mention of a half Sidhe-half human Private Investigator, October Daye, who had lost 14 years of her life.  At first I thought the 14 years were the price she had paid for working some magic spell.  Boy was I wrong.  Instead of paying a price, she was unwillingly transformed into something other then human or fae and spent those 14 years unable to sense or comprehend the passing of time. Intrigued I picked up a copy when it was published and Ms McGuire sucked me into a dark, complex enjoyable tale.

When The Bookpushers were contacted to see if there was interest in reviewing her upcoming book called A Local Habitation that just happened to be the sequel to Rosemary and Rue, I leaped on the chance.  Per the FTC I am obligated to inform you that I received an ARC of this book from the author for the purpose of reviewing it.  (Confidentially I will admit that I will purchase a copy release week.) I will attempt to avoid major spoilers from Rosemary and Rue but some smaller ones are inevitable.

Excerpt from the Back Cover as stated at http://seananmcguire.com/alh.php

“Half-human, half-fae, outsiders from birth, most changelings are second class children of Faerie spending their lives fighting for the respect of their immortal relations.  Toby is the only changeling who has earned knighthood, and she re-earns that position every day, undertaking assignments for her liege, Sylvester, the Duke of Shadowed Hills.

Now Sylvester has asked her to go to the County of Tamed Lightening – otherwise known as Fremont, California – to make sure that all is well with his niece, January O’Leary, whom he has not been able to contact.  It seems like a simple enough assignment – but when dealing with the realm of Faerie, nothing is ever as simple as it seems…For Tamed Lightening has somehow been cut off from the other fiefdoms, and now someone has begun to murder January’s key people.  If Toby can’t find and stop the killer soon, she may well become the next victim…”

Ms McGuire has succeeded in taking a common theme, the Sidhe, and adding some unique twists that sucked me back into October’s life.  Set once again in San Francisco, home to October “Toby” Daye, the opening scene showcases Toby in a much lighter mood then than readers of the first book are accustomed to seeing.  Fans of this series might also be interested in the fact that we also get to see Tybalt, a very powerful Cait Sidhe and the local King of the Cats *waggles eyebrows* very early on.  Don’t worry I promise you that Tybalt appears again.

Throughout the course of Toby’s investigation in A Local Habitation, I was treated to more information about the Sidhe culture, its various members and Toby herself.  I found it to be a mark of Ms McGuire’s skillful writing style that her character and world building were seamlessly merged with the pace of the story so I never lost my reading enjoyment as the story unfolded.  All of the characters showed unexpected depths, including those victims who died before Toby arrived at Tamed Lightening.  Based on the other characters statements about one of the victims I had painted a particular picture but when Toby examined their office area my mental picture drastically changed.  In another instance I thought I had figured out who one character was attracted to and found I was entirely wrong.   Toby and her sidekick (name is a major spoiler for Rosemary and Rue) also learned some interesting lessons and faced some situations when Toby’s connection to her liege wasn’t necessarily believed or even helpful.

The murder mystery was complex enough that while I guessed some of the roles the different characters played I was not expecting all of the twists nor did I accurately guess the culprit.  Despite the gritty nature of the investigation, Toby and the cast of assorted characters do experience some lighter moments.  Ms McGuire’s October Daye series does not shy away from showing how the Sidhe have a very different viewpoint on life and what death really means.   I also got to see the manifestation of power and what it means to have and control that power.  While dark and gritty A Local Habitation ends on a note of hope.  I enjoyed reading it and look forward to the next installment in October Daye’s life, An Artificial Night.  Ms McGuire has very kindly provided the reader with a sneak peek of into that third novel due to release in September 2010.

I give it a rating of 4 of 5 five stars for the slight predictability in some of the characters and their roles and the fact that I believe in order to fully enjoy the book and understand at least one key scene you need to read Rosemary and Rue.  A Local Habitation releases in North America on March 2 as a DAW Mass Market Paperback.