Spell Games (2009) T.A. Pratt I am annoyed. One of my least favorite things in the world is when a book ends with a major story arc unresolved, where you are left hanging to wait for the next book in the series. Guess what Tim Pratt did? Did I mention how much I hate it […]
The Devil’s Right Hand (2007) Lilith Saintcrow Dante Valentine has been living in Toscano with Japhrimel, slowly recovering from the events in Dead Man Rising. Unfortunately for her, relaxation and recovery are about to come to a screeching halt when she receives a summons from the Devil himself. This book had a very different feel […]
Small Favor (2008) Jim Butcher Nothing is ever easy for Harry Dresden. Just when it looks as if things have calmed down a bit, the Summer Court and the Winter Court both seem to want a piece of Harry (although not the same piece) and then the Denarians decide to mix things up as well. […]
From Dead to Worse (2008) Charlaine Harris For awhile there I was getting frustrated with Charlaine Harris while it seems as if Sookie was the most attractive and beguiling woman in the entire world and everyone wanted to boink her. Whatever. I don’t care if she is part fairy, things were just getting a bit […]
Dead Reign (2008) T.A. Pratt When Marla stops the (not very sane) necromancer Ayers from animating a corpse, she sets into action a chain of events that will have her once again defending Felport from an invader, and learning more about the underworld than she ever wants to know. Hmm… Hard to come up with […]
Magic Strikes (2009) Ilona Andrews Now that Kate is working for the Order (and getting a steady paycheck) she’s working her butt off. A magic flare has caused trouble (as usual) and Kate gets to help deal with the upheaval. But when she goes to investigate the scene of the death of a shapeshifter, things […]
At Grave’s End (2009) Jeaniene Frost Cat and Bones are still working for Homeland Security, but Cat’s been working long enough that her disguise has worn thin–especially since Bones has become quite recognizable in the vampire world. To make things worse, Cat’s father is still looking for her, and doesn’t want a happy family reunion. […]
Dead Man Rising (2006) Lilith Saintcrow Dante Valentine has been taking on case after case to try and forget what happened to her in Rio. Unfortunately for her, it’s not working. She and Jace are keeping busy–and she’s all but running Jace into the ground–but she still can’t keep Japh off her mind. Things get […]
One Foot in the Grave (2008) Jeaniene Frost It’s been four years since Cat walked away from Bones–four years that she’s been working for a special group in the FBI to deal with the undead. But her past is now coming back to haunt her–not just the fact that she still loves Bones, but also […]
Deathwish (2009) Rob Thurman This book too me far longer than I expected to finish. I started reading, and then decided it felt like the final book in the series, and that was followed by the thought, “this can’t end well,” (after all, consider the name of the book) so as much as I desperately […]
Halfway to the Grave (2007) Jeaniene Frost Cat is half-vampire, and since her mother has told her of her history, has dedicated her life to killing every vampire she can find. Her heritage gives her heightened senses and strength beyond that of a normal human, but her hunt is surprised one night when she meets […]
Kitty Raises Hell (2009) Carrie Vaughn WAH! Now I have to wait a whole year for the next Kitty book! Picking up where we left off at the end of Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand, Kitty is back in Denver, and being haunted (quite literally) by the events that occurred in Vegas. Someone burned […]
Spiral Hunt (2009) Margaret Ronald Apparently John Scalzi has created a devious plot to separate me from my money. He’s calling it “The Big Idea” and has authors talk about their recent works. The last book to catch my attention was Margaret Ronald’s Spiral Hunt. Since ordering that I’ve been all but avoiding his site […]
Unfallen Dead (2009) Mark Del Franco Connor Grey is still helping Detective Murdock of the Boston PD solve cases in the Weird, still has a crush on Meryl, and is still fighting the Darkness that stole his abilities. Unfortunately, things have gotten even more confusing after the events of Unquiet Dreams. The Taint is wreaking […]
Kitty and the Dead Man’s Hand (2009) Carrie Vaughn Kitty and Ben are trying to plan for their wedding, and when they decide on a Vegas wedding, Kitty’s producer decides that would be a great opportunity for Kitty to try her hand at a live TV show. I’m still not sure how I feel about […]
Mean Streets (2009) Jim Butcher, Simon R. Green, Kat Richardson, Thomas E. Sniegoski OK. I admit it. I’m an Amazon junkie. I often search for my favorite artists and look at coming releases to see if anyone I love has something new coming out. Which is how I stumbled upon Mean Streets. I believe it […]
Unnatural Inquirer (2007) Simon R. Green We return once again to Nightside, where John Taylor is once again on the case. On several cases actually. As he finishes a case at the HP Lovecraft Memorial Library, he’s asked by Walker, who has the Voice of Authority in Nightside, to retrieve the Aquarius key before Max […]
Gil’s All Fright Diner (2005) A. Lee Martinez A vampire and werewolf walk into a diner… Not in those words, but that’s pretty much the start of Gil’s All Fright Diner. Duke the werewolf and Earl the vampire end up spending time at Gil’s All Night Diner, to help Loretta the owner deal with her […]
Tempting Danger (2004) Eileen Wilks Lily Yu is a young Homicide detective on the San Diego police force whose first major case is going to be a lupi killing–and the prime suspect seems to be the local werewolf prince. This is a very interesting book. The world is not quite our own, as magical creatures […]
Unusual Suspects (2008) edited by Dana Stabenow I own and read Dana Stabenow’s first fantasy/mystery anthology, Powers of Detection and found it a mixed bag. But when I saw Unusual Suspects and saw it had stories from Sharon Shinn & Simon R. Green, I knew I would have to have this anthology. In general, I […]
Hellboy Vol 8: Darkness Calls (2008) Mike Mignola, Duncan Fegredo Hellboy is slowly working his way back to the world, after spending six (or however many) years under the sea. But now Hellboy is on his own, separated from B.P.R.D., and Baba Yaga and several others who were taken down are also looking to extract […]
Hellboy Vol 7: The Troll With and Others (2007) Mike Mignola, Richard Corben, P. Craig Russell This is another collection of shorter stories, and as usual, these collections tend to be my favorites. Though I do have to admit, that from reading Mike Mignola’s introductions to the various Hellboy short stories, I have apparently missed […]
B.P.R.D. Vol 6: The Universal Machine (2007) Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Guy Davis Roger is dead. Abe is still lost in his thoughts of his past. And Johann is trying to bring Roger back from the dead. While Kate Corrigan heads off to France in search of a book that may help bring Roger back […]
Hellboy Vol 6: Strange Places (2006) Mike Mignola Hellboy was gone for awhile–a couple years. Strange Places tells us where he was during that time. Nowhere good. He travels to Africa to talk to a shaman, gets nailed by an evil undersea witch, spends time hanging out with some dead sailors, and learns some of […]
B.P.R.D. Vol 5: The Black Flame (2006) Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Guy Davis In the 5th BRPD volume, the frogs released in Plague of Frogs are now appearing everywhere, and wreaking destruction as they go. In the meantime, Roger, who was extra simple last volume, has decided to imprint on Captain Daimio. Needless to say, […]
B.P.R.D. Vol 4: The Dead (2005) Mike Mignola. John Arcudi, Guy Davis Set in the aftermath of Plague of Frogs, the BPRD has to figure out how to stop the frog monsters, while Abe has become obsessed with his past, and the man he may have been in another life. On top of that the […]
Undead and Unwed (2004) MaryJanice Davidson Betsy thought things couldn’t get much worse when she got fired from her job. She soon discovered that was wrong, when she woke up in a coffin (after being smashed by a truck) dressed in pink and wearing her step-mother’s castoff shoes. So, first and foremost Undead and Unwed […]
Spirits that Walk in Shadow (2006) Nina Kiriki Hoffman I ordered Spirits that Walk in Shadow, but because it’s a trade paperback instead of a mass market paperback, it got put on a different shelf, and I forgot I had it. But my reading binge while home sick reminded me I had another unread Nina […]
X-Rated Bloodsuckers (2007) Mario Acevedo Felix Gomez went to Iraq a soldier but returned a vampire, so with his unique skill set, decided that becoming a private eye would be the best career he could make. He’s good enough that he can choose the cases he wants, but is intrigued when Katz Meow asks him […]
A Fistful of Sky (2002) Nina Kiriki Hoffman The first time I read A Fistful of Sky, I was at loose ends and thought I’d just flip through a couple pages and see if that was what I wanted to read. I ended up reading the entire book in a single sitting. When I picked […]
Backup (2008) Jim Butcher At last, we get to see into to mind of someone other than Harry Dresden–and get a glimpse of Harry from the outside–albeit the somewhat adoring eyes of his brother Thomas. We also get to a glimpse of the interior life of Thomas. He considers himself a monster, but he continues […]
B.P.R.D. Vol 2: The Soul of Venice & Other Stories (2004) Mike Mignola, Miles GUnther, Michael Avon Oeming, Brian Augustyn, Guy Davis, Geoff Jones, Scott Kolins, Joe Harris, Adam Pollina & Cameron Stewart In The Soul of Venice & Other Stories, Mike Mignola invited several other artists and writers to help him write five new […]
BPRD Vol 1: Hollow Earth and Other Stories (2003) Mike Mignola, Christopher Golden, Tim Sniegoski, Ryan Sook, Curtis Arnold, Brian McDonald, Derek Thompson, Matt Smith I’ve been enjoying the Hellboy comics, so I thought I’d branch out and check out the B.P.R.D. series. Hollow Earth & Other Stories takes place after the events in Conqueror […]
Poison Sleep (2008) T.A. Pratt Nathan raved about the first Marla Mason book, Blood Engines. I thought the book was good, but nothing really drew me into the story. But Michael liked Blood Engines so I bought the second book, and decided to read it while I was on vacation. Marla is called out to […]
Harbingers (2006) F. Paul Wilson The tenth Repairman Jack novel things are beginning to come to a head as finds Jack at odds with the entities that have wreaked such havoc in his life. Abe is still trying to find a new identity for Jack, and a way for him to reenter society. But Jack […]
Hellboy Vol 5: Conqueror Worm (2002) Mike Mignola I believe I’ve mentioned previously that I prefer Mike Mignola’s shorter Hellboy stories than the longer stories. The Conqueror Worm is a longer story. It’s not that the story is bad–it’s not. My problem is that the longer stories tend to wander more and get more confusing […]
Hands of Flame (2008) C.E. Murphy The third and (for now) final story in the Negotiator story arc finds Margrit dealing with a conflict between the Old Races that is turning into an out-and-out war. A war that Margrit inadvertently started. Although I was quickly sucked into the story, and tore through the book to […]
Precious Dragon (2007) Liz Williams The third Detective Inspector Chen novel, it seems as if recent activities have brought Chen and Zhu Irzh to the attention of authorities, and they are charged with escorting the emissary from Heaven, Miss Qi, through Hell. Meanwhile, an old woman arranges the marriage of her only daughter, and soon […]
Hellboy Vol 4: The Right Hand of Doom (2000) Mike Mignola Have I mentioned that I am really enjoying the Hellboy books? I am. They’re a lot of fun. Like The Chained Coffin and Others, The Right Hand of Doom is also a collection of short stories centered on Hellboy. The first story in the […]
Hellboy Vol 3: The Chained Coffin and Others (1998) Mike Mignola Unlike the previous two volumes, which were along the lines of novellas, The Chained Coffin and Others is a collection of Hellboy short stories. As I’m a big fan of short stories, I really enjoyed this collection. And as a fan of folktales and […]
Infernal (2005) F. Paul Wilson The next book (9th?) in the Repairman Jack series, Infernal again contains little but misery for Jack. A visit from Jack’s father turned terribly wrong turns into the visit from hell from Jack’s brother Tom. It’s actually impossible to say anything more than that, without giving away the main parts […]
Hellboy Vol 2: Wake the Devil (1997) Mike Mignola In the second volume of Hellboy stories, it is believed that someone is trying to bring the vampire Vladimir Giurescu back to life and health, so Hellboy and several others from the BPRD are sent to Romania to find out what is really going on. Needless […]
Cry Wolf (2008) Patricia Briggs I really like Patricia Briggs writing, so when I saw she had a new book coming, I ordered it without knowing anything about it. CryWolf is set in the same world as her Mercy series, and many of the characters carry over, although Mercy does not make an appearance. Which […]
Hellboy Vol 1: Seed of Destruction (1994) Mike Mignola and John Byrne After starting my comic reading life with Sandman, it’s been hit and miss for me since then. I love Ex Machina and Fables. But didn’t care for Preacher or Lucifer or Constantine. Michael reads and likes almost anything he picks up, but it’s […]
Iron Hunt (2008) Marjorie Liu I picked this up partially because the story looked interesting and partially because I loved the cover. Plus I read several recommendations and thought I’d like it. And I did like it, but there is one major drawback. It’s one of those books that doesn’t really end. Yes, there is […]
Crisscross (2004) F. Paul Wilson Jack is still in the Repairman business, despite the fact that Gia doesn’t like the way she never knows if he’ll return safely from his fix-it jobs. And with Gia’s pregnancy (Despite the fact this is a multi-book pregnancy, Gia is only at 20 weeks. She might be pregnant for […]
House of Cards (2008) C.E. Murphy Book two in the Negotiator series, House of Cards, continues the story of Margrit Knight, who has stumbled upon the existence of the Old Races: gargoyles, djinn, dragons, selkie, and vampires remain hidden in the world, although their numbers are diminished. I enjoyed this book as much as I […]
Heart of Stone (2007) C.E. Murphy I inadvertently picked up the second book in this series, so being me, I had to go back and find the first book in the series, and by then I’d gotten sucked into the Repairman Jack series and the Commissario Guido Brunetti mysteries, and pretty much forgot about this […]
City of Bones (2007) Cassandra Clare I picked this up based on a review I read (I’m embarrassed to say I can’t remember where it was, just one of the book sites I peruse), and decided to check it out. Then I got the book and it languished on the shelf for several months. First […]
Dog Days (2007) John Levitt The only thing that made me pick up Dog Days was the blurb by Rob Thurman. As I love her writing, I decided to take a chance on Dog Days, especially since I was taking advantage of Amazons 4-for-3 deal. So looking for something light and picked it up and […]