Review: Kitty Goes to Washington (Kitty Norville #2) by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty Goes to Washington by Carrie Vaughn

This is book 2 but there may be minor spoilers if you haven't read book 1. You should read my review of Kitty and the Midnight Hour which is book 1!

Summary
Kitty is off to Washington (as the title implies) to speak on the existence of supernatural creatures. Of course, this can't be just a simple congressional hearing because where the supernatural are involved, simple is simply not in the vocabulary.

Commentary
I think I liked this book slightly less than in the first one since there didn't seem to be much character growth for Kitty although it was fun to get to know Ben and his relationship with Cormac more. There were still the Dj shows although I think there were fewer of them, but I guess there were a lot of other things happening.

This book had more of a villain from the beginning although there were some mysteries to be discovered along the way, which made this book different since it didn't follow the formula of the first one. While not following the formula was good, I'm not sure I was as emotionally invested in this one as the first one.

So, not a bad second book although I think it could have been executed better. I'm still going to read the next book to see what happens.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville #1) by Carrie Vaughn

Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn

Summary
Kitty is a DJ on the midnight shift, and well she's also a werewolf. One day she gives some advice to someone else who is supernatural on the show, and ratings shoot through the roof. Now though, the rest of her pack and at least the local vampires don't like her, and Kitty must learn to find her own way.

Commentary
I've been having a streak of pretty good urban fantasy novels, which makes me happy since I had begun to have a dim view of this genre before. I'm still a bit wary, but Kitty is another big plus for UF especially because she doesn't start out as any sort of ass-kicking super-heroine. In fact, she's bottom of the pack, which is something I hadn't read yet (well I guess there was Alpha and Omega, but that was a bit different in nature).

I definitely liked the backdrop of a DJ show, and the callers were lots of fun to read about. Granted I really don't know how authentic it was. Also, as the show grows, Kitty grows as well which I really liked.

There was only a tiny bit of romance in this book although there may be more development in the next book. I quite enjoy the slow pacing of the romance, which is somewhat reminiscent of the pacing in the Mercy Thompson series. Even though Kitty is not quite as kick-butt as some of the other UF heroines, I think you guys will still enjoy following her.

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2) by Jeaniene Frost

One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

*Note: The summary contains some spoilers if you haven't read the first book (Halfway to the Grave). You should read my review of Halfway to the Grave.*

Summary
Cat is now working for a super-secret division of the FBI, but without Bones by her side. She still kicks some serious vampire butt, but there is a gaping emptiness to it. Then, someone sets out to kill her, which in and of itself, is nothing special, but this someone knows much more than the ought to.

Commentary
I definitely finished this book with a grin o my face because those things which were good in the first book were still good in the second one. Cat is still awesome in her bad-ass vampire hunting role, and Bones, oh yes he is in this book (it wouldn't be right without him), is still delicious and British.

The major issue I had with One Foot in the Grave is the ending. Most of it was good, but the pacing, exchanges, and results right at the climax came across as less believable, silly and mostly a way to extend the scenes rather than good storytelling.

Fans of the first book will still want to read this, but the ending of this one makes me wary of the following ones. I worry that they will quickly decline in quality.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1) by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Summary
So many of you have read this already and probably don't need a summary, nut here is one for the benefit of those who haven't.

Clary learns that she is rather special when she foes to a nightclub and sees people who aren't visible to those around her. With this first, things, of course, spiral out of control with demons, half-demons, and demon hunters coming out of Clary's ears (not literally0. An old enemy of this new underworld that Clary has discovered has come back despite being believed dead for many years, and Clary is out to stop him. Along the way there is a cute guy, Jace, who kicks some demon ass and a best friend, Simon, who adds some love drama to the mix.

Commentary
Given Cassandra Clare's background of starting her writing in Harry Potter fanfic, I suppose it isn't particularly surprising that her debut mirrors a lot of the ideas. Granted, she does add some of her own twists, but I can't help but think that this is Harry Potter chick-litified with demons instead of dark wizards.

I will admit to enjoying Jace's cheeky bloated ego. The dialogue he has with Clary are quite amusing, and these scenes are the only one where Clary's constant sarcasm seems less rude. Simon, besides being a potential love interest and source of angst, doesn't seem to play much role, and therefore, doesn't seem to have much meaningful character development (besides some sulking).

One minor thing, I kind of get the title but not really. Also, the ending was interesting, and although not entirely unpredictable, at least different. I'm not really sure why this book was so popular, but I can see how it might be a nice guilty read.

Star Rating: 2.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Counterfeit Magic (Women of the Otherworld Bonus) by Kelley Armstrong

Counterfeit Magic by Kelley Armstrong

*note* This is a novella, and not one of Kelley's regular novels.

Summary
Savannah and Paige penetrate the underground fighting world on a case which involves a supernatural fight club which has had a death connected to it. These clubs have very strict rules against serious injury and/or death since well supernatural powers are pretty deadly and that would scare away the fighters.

Commentary
I loved this little glimpse back into the world of Paige and Lucas. We haven't had anything from Paige's point of view in a long time, and the recent book features Savannah but Paige really isn't around at all.

This is really a book for fans rather than for new readers as it was published from Subterranean Press, which publishes wonderful collector's stuff btw... (not affiliated, just love them!). There isn't really enough time to give the proper background for new readers.

The story itself deals with some of the issues of Paige being the wife of Lucas as he delves into the world of the Cabals, which was a dimension I enjoyed. The fight club thing was also a great extension of the world Armstrong has created. Basically, fans should try to get their hands on it if they can, but it's not essential.

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

I think there are still a few copies left over at Subterranean Press if you want to snag one!

Review: Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) by Jeaniene Frost

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Summary
Cat is a half-vampire out to kick some serious vampire butt, which actually means killing them. She's been taught for much of her life that vampires are full of evil, and the only way for her to atone for her half-vampire-ness, she must kill them. One night while vampire slaying, she meets another vampire whose purpose is aligned with her own. The vampire - Bones - is super sexy, and perhaps they could make a good team.

Commentary
Yum! There was a good bit of 'action' in this book, and the sexual undercurrent was very strong all throughout the book. Bones has an English accent and that helps with the sexiness. He's one of those knight in shining armor types with a dash of rogue to him.

Cat is pretty fun, and she has this habit of killing first and asking questions later, which is amusing because it frustrates the other characters in the book. She comes off as a chick with a huge chip on her shoulder although there is a glimpse of her softer nature which helped to add depth to her character.

This book is a good read. I didn't have a gripe with anything, but it wasn't particularly special in terms of the plot elements, story progression, or characters. Granted, the ending had some interesting twists, and I'm looking forward to reading the next one.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Edit: This is now a Book Lovers' Blog Hop Post

Review: Cry Wolf (Alpha & Omega #1) by Patricia Briggs

Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs

Anna is an Omega an ultra-submissive. She also brings peace to other werewolves, but she didn't consent to being turned into a werewolf. The pack she was a part of abused her, but now she has found a mate in Charles, the Marrok's son. She goes to Montana with him, and then, a witch comes hunting.

I didn't find this book to be as well-written as the primary series about Mercy. There was more focus on the romance which is nice because Mercy's romances are somewhat subsumed by the action, but the rest of the book seemed somewhat extraneous.

Anna's personality is supposed to be strong but because of her trauma, it's pretty toned down which, in the end, makes her somewhat boring especially in comparison with Mercy. Charles, though, is somewhat interesting with his public personality as the Marrok's assassin and his personal personality with Anna.

This book might have been likeable on its own, but because it is in the same universe and set of people as the Mercy Thompson series, which is pretty good, this book seems like it's lacking.

Star Rating: 2.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson #2) by Patricia Briggs

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

Mercedes goes along on a visit to a vampire who hasn't paid the proper respect to the local seethe. She doesn't do this for free, of course, she goes along to repay the debt she incurred for asking for information in "Moon Called." Things then proceed to go very badly because they encounter a demon vampire sorcerer (bet you didn't know those things could all go together).

Not much degradation in quality going into the second book, which I'm pleasantly surprised by. As most you likely know, the second books in a series suffer from second book syndrome (ok maybe I made that term up... or someone else did... whatever), and they are often a letdown after the first. Rest assured Blood Bound is a pretty good second book.

Mercedes gets to kick some serious butt in this one (course she gets tossed around too and as she likes to say, she's just a coyote after all). It's kinda nice to have the author set up a blatant stereotype for the vampires (seriously evil) and then have Stefan who doesn't conform. I am interested to see how many shades of gray she explores.

Adam and Samuel are sexy as ever. The only bit that bothers me about this series is how all the main guys fall all over Mercedes (or are fatherly protector types), but it gives us a much more intimate look into their thoughts so I suppose I can't object after all so many of them are serious eye-candy (err thought-candy?).

Star Rating: 3.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

This is one of the books I've read and reviewed for the fantasy mini-challenge. Progress 6/13 books.

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Review: Whisper of a Witch by Suza Kates

Whisper of a Witch by Suza Kates

Shauni Miller and a whole bunch of other witches, who never knew they were witches, have been called to an island. They're mission is to destroy an ancient evil. First, they must become a coven to undertake this task. While there, Shauni Miller meets sexy guy Dr. Michael Black. How will he react to Shauni's destiny?

This book has a lot of characters which are all basically introduced in the first few pages of the book which made it difficult to keep all of the straight until at least halfway through. The characters are somewhat interesting although there's a lot of typecasting and for some reason everyone is gorgeous.

There quite a few cliches sprinkled all over the place for the way magic works and feels at times a hodgepodge of a lot of different myths. Also, there are random descriptions that felt like they were put in there because the author felt like it was something cool to say or had always wanted to put something like that in a book.

As a romance novel this is great. The plot is much better than most. As a fantasy novel this is rather ho-hum.

There will likely be a book for each of the witches in the coven with a sexy man to pair with each, but that's just my speculation. There is no formal word on sequels.

Disclaimer: I won this from First Reads.

Star Rating: 2.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente

Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente

As promised (well promised via twitter anyway), I'm reviewing Palimpsest.

Palimpsest follows the journey of 4 different people, who have entered a city in their dreams. Dreams that are super-realistic. This is a city of wonders and desire. Those who get here yearn to stay, but they wake up and are taken back to this world.

For perhaps the first third of this book, one wonders what the hell is going on. It parallels the confusion that the characters are going through, which is artfully done. Unfortunately, this also makes the first part hard to get into because the story threads don't seem to gel together. Once there is a bit of understanding though, this is a really good book.

There is a lot of sex in this book although it is used as a conduit and not really the main focus of the book. I felt that it made sex feel really cheap although it added to the intrigue of the story.

What makes this book really great is the sense of discovery, wonder, and even despair that you feel for and with the characters inside the book. This book feels whimsical, weighty, gritty and fleeting all at the same time.

While this book falls into the category of urban fantasy, I would describe it as cyberpunk meets alice in wonderland fantasy style. It deserves its 2010 Hugo Nomination although I haven't read The Windup Girl (the Hugo Winner 2010) yet so I have no opinion on whether that one was better.

Star Rating: 4.0/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Waking the Witch (Women of the Otherworld #11) by Kelley Armstrong

Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong

Savannah is the latest main character of the Women of the Otherworld Series. If you haven't read any of them I would suggest starting at the beginning of the series although it is not necessary to follow along as this one reads well by itself. Savannah is trying to prove herself capable of handling cases or at least field work in private investigates (those of the paranormal variety) so she takes on a case while her adoptive parents are away.

This latest installment has the same template of something bad happening in the paranormal community, and this time at least, Savannah is trying to figure out what is happening. Unfortunately for long-time fans, there is much less sex (read none) in this book than in previous books. The romance is lackluster at best although the mystery was interesting.

The various villains and the way the unfolding of their roles in the crimes was fun. It was also nice to see Savannah's personality unfold with a depth we haven't seen up to now because she was more of a side character before. kelley has indicated that there will be 2 more books with Savannah as the main character so there is plenty of time for the romance that was hinted at in this book.

This is worth reading if you are a follower of the series, but I wouldn't pick it as a first book as it gives a somewhat different picture than the rest of the books. Start with Bitten the first book or Dime Store Magic (book 3).

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

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Review: Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1) by Patricia Briggs

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Mercedes Thompson happens to be familiar with werewolves. She grew up with them, and there's one living next door. Now a new werewolf wants to work in her car repair shop (German cars only please). Trouble ensues because if there wasn't trouble, what would be the point?

There are some sexy werewolves in this book, and the appeal is definitely for urban fantasy fans although this first book doesn't actually delve much into the actual sex part. The hinting is definitely there, and I like that there's a but of setup for what may happen in the future.

The pacing of the book is slower than most urban fantasy novels, which I appreciate. Most of them, in my opinion don't take the time to tell a good story, set a proper background, or give time for breathers. This mood setting makes the story a cut above the usual urban drivel.

Granted, the ending is a little silly. The solving of the mystery is just not that mind-blowing or perhaps well-thought out, but that's not really the point of books like this so I'll let it slide.

Star Rating: 3.5/5.0

For an explanation of the Star Rating go here.

This is one of the books I've read and reviewed for the fantasy mini-challenge. Progress 4/13 books.

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Review: Changeless (Parasol Protectorate #2) by Gail Carriger

Changeless by Gail Carriger

Granted I never wrote a review on the first book but nevertheless I continue to enjoy the witticisms of Alexia and the addition of the character Madame Lefoux, who is quite a scandalous character for the Victorian era, was a great complement. The plot overall was enjoyable although not amazing.

In this book Carriger seems to have made Ivy even sillier which is great for comic relief, but is remarked upon so often as to be quite a bit heavy handed. The plot overall was enjoyable although not amazing.

I'm a bit disappointed in the ending, and the reaction of Lord Maccon at the end of the book. It seems in character but only mostly.

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