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Archive for 'Urban'

Broken Homes

Broken Homes (2014) Ben Aaronovitch This is the fourth Rivers of London book, in which we find Peter Grant–son of a jazz man and an immigrant from Sierra Leon–becoming comfortable in his position at constable and apprentice magician. That’s not a common or even popular status in the London Force. His fellow apprentice, Lesley, is […]

Kicking It

Kicking It (2013) edited by Faith Hunter and Kalayna Price “Forked Tongues” by Rachel Caine “Stolen Goods” by Shannon K. Butcher “The Girl with No Name” by Chris Marie Green “The Devil’s Left Boot” by Faith Hunter “High Stakes” by Chloe Neill “The Parlor” by Lucienne Diver “Red Really Isn’t My Color” by Christina Henry […]

Day Watch, Audio Edition

Day Watch (2006/2010) Sergei Lukyanenko and narrated by Paul Michael This is a review of the audio version of Day Watch, you can read my review of the story here. I’ve gotten used to the narration, where the read speaks in a regular American accent when he reads the descriptions and thoughts of the characters, […]

Night Watch, Audio Edition

Night Watch (2006) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield narrated by Paul Michael I actually recently re-read Night Watch, which is a good thing, because if I hadn’t, then I would have ended up picking it up to re-read towards the end of the first section of the audio book. That’s the problem I have […]

Last Watch

Last Watch (2009) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield At last I come to Last Watch. Theoretically, there is a fifth book, called New Watch available, but it’s listed as unavailable. Boo. Although Last Watch is broken into three parts, Common Cause, A Common Enemy, and A Common Destiny, they are–far more so than the […]

Twilight Watch

Twilight Watch (2003/2007) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield The third book in the Night Watch series may be my favorite. Like the previous two books, there are three stories: Nobody’s Time, Nobody’s Space, Nobody’s Power. Like the first book, Night Watch, all three stories center on Anton Gorodetsky and are told from his perspective. […]

Day Watch

Day Watch (2000/2006) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield This sequel to Night Watch picks up after the events of the previous book, but while the first book was written from the perspective of Anton Gorodetsky, Night Watch agent, this story is told from the perspective of three different Dark Ones, all three Day Watch […]

Night Watch

Night Watch (2006) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield This is not the first or even second time I’ve re-read this book (series, really). The book Night Watch is split into three separate story arcs, Destiny, Among His Own Kind, and All for My Own Kind, each building upon the previous. Anton Gorodetsky works for […]

Whispers Under Ground

Whispers Under Ground (2012) Ben Aaronovitch Peter Grant is slowly getting used to being a copper for the Folly. The addition of Lesley as a new apprentice both gives Peter someone to work with, and eases some of the loneliness of working for a man who is much much older than he looks. I’m really […]

Slashback

Slashback (2013) Rob Thurman Needless to say, I was eagerly waiting Slashback So let’s get the bad out of the way first: it felt like this book hadn’t been copyedited. On multiple occasions I had to stop and reread in order to figure out what was actually being said, which threw me completely out of […]

Moon Over Soho

Moon Over Soho (2011) Ben Aaronovitch Peter Grant is not just a constable in the London’s Metropolitan Police, he’s also the Met’s only apprentice magician. And while he’s governor/master is recovering from being shot, Peter’s on his own probably more than he should be. So it is Peter who is called in when Dr. Walid […]

Rivers of London / Midnight Riot

Midnight Riot (2011) Ben Aaronovitch Peter Grant wants to be a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. Unfortunately, his tendency to be distracted looks like it’s going to head him into the Case Progression Unit. Until one night he comes across a witness to a crime no one else has talked to. Too bad that witness […]

Companions to the Moon

Companions to the Moon (2007) Charles de Lint This is a short story that’s not connected to Newford–just the story of a woman who thinks her boyfriend is cheating on her, and what she discovers. Of course, this is Charles de Lint, so you never expect what she discovers. Charles de Lint never fails to […]

The Very Best of Charles de Lint

The Very Best of Charles de Lint (2010) Charles de Lint I love Charles de Lint. I believe I have all of his mass published story anthologies, and several of the smaller press novellas, so I’d read most of the stories in this collection. Doesn’t matter. I can read his stories time and again, and […]

Hush Money

Hush Money (2010) Susan Bischoff Several months ago I read the story Impulse Control, set in the same world as Hush Money, and really liked it. So I bought Hush Money, and then kept thinking, “I don’t think I want to read this right now.” I don’t know why I do these things. Something happened, […]

Permeable Borders

Permeable Borders (2012) Nina Kiriki Hoffman I love reading Nina Kiriki Hoffman. I love both her long and short stories, though the fact she writes so many short stories makes me love her a teeny bit more. Thus, I was delighted to find this collection of her short stories. I’d read several of these stories […]

Anna Dressed in Blood

Anna Dressed in Blood (2011) Kendare Blake Cas has inherited his father’s calling–killing ghosts. He has a special knife, and he can sense ghosts, so when ghosts harm the living, Cas and his knife move them along to their next life. It’s a lonely life, and one that has kept him from making friends, but […]

Gunmetal Magic

Gunmetal Magic (2012) Ilona Andrews This book is set in Kate’s world, and Kate (of course) make appearances, but this is the story of Andrea and Raphael. Andrea has been outed as a shapeshifter and forced out the Order, which has been her entire life. As a shapeshifter she is required by Pack Laws to […]

A Dream of Stone and Shadow

A Dream of Stone and Shadow (2006) Marjorie M. Liu Charlie is a gargoyle, being held captive by a witch who enjoys taking advantage of some of his more… unusual properties. Emma is an abused child who Charlie’s spirit stumbles upon in its wanderings. Aggie is a member of Dirk & Steele who can catch […]

Basilisk

Basilisk (2011) Rob Thurman I know it’s strange for me, but I’ve had Basilisk sitting around unread since last August. Strange, because I love Rob Thurman’s writing, and have loved every book of her’s I’ve read. But as much as I enjoyed Chimera, I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about a sequel, […]

Doubletake

Doubletake (2012) Rob Thurman I believe I’ve made my love of Rob Thurman’s Cal Leandros series well known. I love the relationship between Niko and Cal, and how Niko keeps Cal human, despite everything. And how Cal remains human, because of Niko. Cal has changed a lot over the course of the series. He’s overcome […]

Undone Deeds

Undone Deeds (2011) Mark del Franco Wow. I totally wasn’t expecting THAT. This is the last book in the series. I also had problems with the book, few of which had to do with the actual ending of the series. Although I gobbled down earlier books in the series, I had a hard time getting […]

Ghost Hedgehog

Ghost Hedgehog (2011) Nina Kiriki Hoffman Jack is in fifth grade and can see ghosts. Unfortunately for him, when his fifth-grade teacher dies, he discovers that ghosts can also see him, and attach themselves to him. I love Nina Kiriki Hoffman’s writing and stories. I love even better that eBooks can make these stories available […]

Roadkill

Roadkill (2010) Rob Thurman I’ve got one book left and then I’m all caught up on the Cal Leandros series. In a way, that’s a good thing, because I have a huge to-read pile. But mostly it’s sad, because I love spending time in this world. As I reread these books, I keep coming upon […]

Deathwish

Deathwish (2009) Rob Thurman Yeah, still can’t stop reading the Cal Leandros books. Deathwish is the fourth book, and even better than the previous three. Which are damned good. Unlike the previous stories, in Deathwish, each chapter alternates between Cal and Niko’s point of view. In this I like not only the perspective of Cal […]

Madhouse

Madhouse (2008) Rob Thurman I have a huge To Be Read pile, yet I can’t stop rereading this series. This book starts off with Cal and Niko working on a kidnapping case. Cal–who is still pretty high strung (justifiably)–hates kidnapping cases, so there probably isn’t much chance things are going to go well. So of […]

Moonshine

Moonshine (2007) Rob Thurman Yup. Another re-read. I’ve been out of sorts, so a re-read of a favorite series is always good for helping my mood–or at least drawing me out of myself to forget about what’s bothering me. This is the second Cal Leandros book, and it’s even better than the first. Niko and […]

Nightlife

Nightlife (2006) Rob Thurman This is a reread, because I was talking about it to someone else, and I just couldn’t resist going back to the start of this series. There are so many things I love about this book, and this series. First and foremost, is the relationship between Cal and Niko. “You should […]

Naked City

Naked City (2011) edited by Ellen Datlow This collection of urban fantasy stories has several of my favorite authors, so it was a no-brainer to get. The bad thing is that I’ve been reading this collection for several months, so I now have no idea what the stories at the start of the anthology were […]

Last Watch

Last Watch (2009) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield Fourth (and last?) book of the Night Watch series. I’d actually forgotten a good deal of this, probably because I’d only read it once. Published by Mirimax Books

Twilight Watch

Twilight Watch (2003/2007) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield Third book of my reread of Night Watch. This one contained some of the must surprising events. Published by Miramax

Day Watch

Day Watch (2000/2006) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield Second book in the Night Watch series as I continued my reread. I love his world building. Published by Miramax

Night Watch

Night Watch (2006) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield I have a HUGE to-be-read pile, so what do I want to read? Things I’ve read before. Go figure. However, Night Watch is well worth a re-read. Published by Miramax Books / Hyperion

Kiss Me, Kill Me

Kiss Me, Kill Me: A Paranormal Anthology (2011) Definitely a mixed bag. But for 99 cents, it’s hard to complain too much. “Impulse Control” by Susan Bischoff was very very good. It’s about teens with superheroes in a “school” for kids with “Talents”. Or more accurately, it’s little better than a prison for kids who […]

American Gods

American Gods (2001) Neil Gaiman It’s the 10th anniversary of American Gods, so after seeing everyone write so much about it, I decided I needed to reread it. It’s still awesome.

Uncertain Allies

Uncertain Allies (2011) Mark de Franco This is the fifth book in the Connor Grey series. Boston–especially the Weird–is still reeling from the events in the past book (and seemingly doing little to recover from the destruction). Connor is now infamous for his participation in several catastrophic events, and doesn’t seem to receive much of […]

Muse and Reverie

Muse and Reverie (2009) Charles de Lint The last Newford short story collection was in 2002, so it was quite a wait for this fifth collection. In the interim of course, he has had stories in a variety of anthologies, many of which I have, some of which I picked up solely because he had […]

Late Eclipses

Late Eclipses (2011) Seanan McGuire Apparently the beginning of March is THE time for new releases. I received a TON of books I’d had on pre-order this week, and had a very difficult time deciding what I wanted to read first. C. S. Harris and Rob Thurman won that decision hands down. Additionally, I started […]

Blackout

Blackout (2011) Rob Thurman I. Love. Rob. Thurman. There it is. I’m tempted to never ever learn anything about her personal life for fear she’ll one day go all Orson Scott Card on me, and if I lost these books the way I lost Ender’s Game, I believe I would be mortally crushed. What is […]

The Babylonian Codex

The Babylonian Codex (2010) C.S. Graham I found this book quite frightening, not because it was particularly suspenseful, but because the political scenario described so very well could come true. Toby is asked to do a remote viewing to see if she can discover where some of the artifacts stolen during the looting at the […]

The Grimrose Path

The Grimrose Path (2010) Rob Thurman I think I love Rob Thurman. Seriously. I’ve only read one book of hers I rated lower than an 8, and that one lost points for a cliff-hanger type ending. (Aside from the ending, it was an otherwise excellent book.) The Grimrose Path is the second book in her […]

Face Off

Face Off (2010) Mark Del Franco Laura Blackstone is still living her multiple lives, and after the events in the last book, Skin Deep, relations between humans and fae, as well as between different fae groups, are making her job even harder, as she is forced to take on the persona of any already existing […]

Chimera

Chimera (2010) Rob Thurman I love Rob Thurman. I really do. Which is why I pre-ordered this book without even having an idea what it was about. Imagine my disappointment when I read the back cover, “From Rob Thurman, national bestselling author of the Cal Leandros novels, comes a sci-fi thriller that questions what makes […]

The Solomon Effect

The Solomon Effect (2009) C.S. Graham I picked up both The Archangel Project and The Solomon Effect after discovering they were written by the same couple who write the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries as C.S. Harris. After reading the first book, The Archangel Project, I held off on reading The Solomon Effect, since there are […]

Roadkill

Road Kill (2010) Rob Thurman I love this series. I’d specifically not wondered where baby revenants came from when we’d gotten out of the Jeep. And here I was finding out anyway. Ain’t that life? Life and pained eyeballs I suddenly didn’t want anymore. Love it. Yes, Cal is an asshole. But considering that he’s […]

Unperfect Souls

Unperfect Souls (2010) Mark del Franco Finished this book several hours ago, but I still don’t know how I feel about it. Connor Grey is still fighting with the darkness in his head, and still persona non grata at Guild Headquarters. Unfortunately for him, the world won’t leave him alone, and he remains involved in […]

The Archangel Project

The Archangel Project (2008) C.S. Graham I love the Sebastian St. Cyr mysteries by C.S. Harris. So when I realized she also wrote under the name C.S. Graham, I immediately ordered the books. Now the books written as C.S. Harris are set in Victorian/Regency England. These books are modern thrillers. October Guinness is a Navy […]

Trick of the Light

Trick of the Light (2009) Rob Thurman I’ve loved Rob Thurman’s writing since I stumbled across Nightlife, the first book in the Cal Leandros series. So when I came across a new book–even though it wasn’t a Cal Leandros book–I snatched it right up. Once I had the book I hesitated. What if it wasn’t […]

Skin Deep

Skin Deep (2009) Mark del Franco Having enjoyed Mark del Franco’s Connor Grey supernatural mysteries, I pre-ordered Skin Deep hoping he would do as good a job writing a female lead as he did a male lead. The book came, but then I put of reading it primarily for the blurb on the cover, “She’ll […]

Last Watch

Last Watch (2009) Sergei Lukyanenko translated by Andrew Bromfield I’d been thinking recently about rereading Sergei Lukyanenko’s Night Watch series, so when I stumbled upon Last Watch, my first thought was, “Why the hell didn’t I know this was out?!” my second thought was that this was the excuse I needed to reread the Night […]