Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (2007) Diana Gabaldon This novel falls between the novellas Lord John and the Succubus and Lord John and the Haunted Soldier. Which makes for slightly complicated reading if you want to read in order, since the two novellas are in the same book. There are two story […]
Lord John and the Hand of Devils (2007) Diana Gabaldon Another re-read. I enjoyed these the first time around, and I’m enjoying them just as much the second time around. This is NOT a novel, this is, instead, three novellas. Because, apparently, this is as close to a short story as Diana Gabaldon can get. […]
Lord John and the Private Matter (2003) Diana Gabaldon I’m in another mood where I don’t know what I want to read, so I instead chose to re-read something I enjoyed. This time it was Lord John and the Private Matter. Lord John Gray is a Major in the British Army. Additionally, as next oldest, […]
Tempest Reborn (2013) Nicole Peeler Alas, all good things come to an end: this is the final book of the Jane True series. I’m honestly delighted with the whole thing. I hate series that go on too long, or series where every book is a cliffhanger that is little more than a teaser for the […]
Twice Tempted: A Night Prince Novel (2013) Jeaniene Frost NOTICE: If you had not read Jeaniene Frost before, SHE WRITES BOINKING BOOKS. Okay, that’s out of the way… The sequel to Once Burned is also not the final book in this series (I’m guessing the middle book of a trilogy, but I don’t know that […]
Cards & Caravans (2013) Cindy Spencer Pape THIS IS ANOTHER BOINKING BOOK. Although there is less boinking here than in the Bloodhounds series. The fifth book of the Gaslight Chronicles finds Connor McKay coming to the rescue of Belinda Danvers who has been convinced of murder by witchcraft and sentenced to burn at the stake. […]
Dragon in the System (2007) Cindy Spenser Pape So, another boinking book by Cindy Spencer Paper. Again, I didn’t buy it for the boinking, but because I enjoy her world building, and because it was $1.49. Lori is a herpetologist (really! how awesome that the heroine loves lizards!) who has a broken engagement behind her, […]
The Custom of the Army (2012) Diana Gabaldon This is a Lord John novella. During an electric eel party, Lord John ends up in a duel (he’s not entirely sure how). When he opponent dies, Lord John is sent by his commander (also his brother) to Canada, where his presence is requested as a character […]
Lord John and the Hand of Devils (2007) Diana Gabaldon This is a collection of three Lord John novellas: “Lord John and the Hellfire Club,” “Lord John and the Succubus,” and “Lord John and the Haunted Soldier.” The first two stories follow in time after the novel, Lord John and the Private Matter. The third […]
Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade (2007) Diana Gabaldon I am really enjoying this series, and REALLY like Lord John. Lord John’s mother is getting remarried. Hal and John choose to meet with General Sir George Stanley, so Hal can make sure he’ll be acceptable for their mother, at which time they also […]
Moonlight & Mechanicals (2012) Cindy Spencer Pape I think the reason I’m enjoying the stories so much is because they’re only novellas so they’re not full price. I can justify a couple bucks for a whimsical short story/novella. That’s not to say these are bad stories, because they aren’t. I very much like the world-building, […]
Kilts & Kraken (2012) Cindy Spencer Pape I must admit I’ve been enjoying this series of novellas. The lovely steampunk and strong female characters offset the boinking (which, there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just not my thing.) Dr. Geneva MacKay (Genny to her family) has worked very hard to establish herself as a rare […]
One Grave at a Time (2011) Jeaniene Frost Here’s what I don’t get. That horrific cover? Same author. Same publisher, but the covers for this series are pretty damned awesome. And this doesn’t even merit something Jim Hines could mock for unrealistic/uncomfortable body poses! Plus, it’s a great book! I love how there’s still story […]
Eternal Kiss of Darkness (2010) Jeaniene Frost I really liked this book. However. HOLY TOMATOES! THAT IS A HORRIBLE COVER! Seriously, her Cat and Bones series has decent covers–good covers even. But this? This makes me want to cringe. Perhaps even rip the cover off and burn it so I don’t ever have to see […]
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 […]
Once Burned (2012) Jeaniene Frost I seem to be on a roll. This is the second book in a WEEK I’ve read that doesn’t end cleanly. It wasn’t quite the cliffhanger that Tempest’s Fury was, but it did introduce issues and problems in the epilogue. And of COURSE this book JUST came out, so it’s […]
Tempest’s Fury (2012) Nicole Peeler Fury. Yes, that’s what I was feeling when I finished the book to a GIANT CLIFFHANGER. That was NOT cool. Especially since I’d really been enjoying the book up to that point. But now? Fury. OK, on her website she says this is the penultimate book of the Jane True […]
Within the Flames (2011) Marjorie M. Liu For the most part I’ve enjoyed Marjorie M. Liu’s Dirke & Steele series, but there have been a couple times I just couldn’t get into the story. This was one of those times. I started this months and months ago, but would read a few pages and then […]
Photographs & Phantoms (2011) Cindy Spencer Pape This is a novella set in the same world as Steam & Sorcery, with the characters from that story making an eventual appearance in this one. Amy Deland is a photographer, who is haunted by marks appearing in a handful of her pictures that seem to presage the […]
Fate’s Edge (2011) Ilona Andrews I have to say I’m glad I didn’t notice the floating man head until after I finished the book, because that floating man head totally doesn’t look like how I pictured Keldar. Keldar is a rogue. That floating head? Just… doesn’t look smart enough to pull off the part. But […]
Steam & Sorcery (2011) Cindy Spencer Pape First off, this is a Steampunk romance, with equal weight being given to both descriptors. So there is lots of boinking. However, aside from the boinking, there are interesting characters and some good world building. Sir Merrick Hadrian is a Knight of the Order of the Round table, […]
Eye of the Tempest (2011) Nicole Peeler There are so many things about this book I should hate–boinking and cliffhangers being the top two–yet I love Jane True and this series. The story takes off where the previous book ended. Jane and Anyan are newly returned to Rockbill after the dire events of the previous […]
Shadow Touch (2006) Marjorie M. Liu Elena Baxter has powers she doesn’t understand. She can heal by touch, but has worked hard to keep her gifts hidden, lest she be studied in a lab and kept from her calling. Artur works for Dirk & Steele. He escaped from the Russian mafia to the United States, […]
The Red Heart of Jade (2006) Marjorie M. Liu Dirk & Steele have been very good to Dean Campbell. They allow him to use his powers to help others, but also to have adventures–going out in the world and rescuing the innocent from evildoers. He also continues to mourn the loss of his first love […]
This Side of the Grave (2011) Jeaniene Frost The head of the ghouls is fomenting trouble, claiming that Cat is involved in an attempt to subjugate the entire supernatural world, and if they don’t take care of her now, they’ll end up her (and the vampire’s) slaves. Unfortunately, some of Cat’s unique abilities and needs […]
Tiger Eye (2005) Marjorie M. Liu I picked up my first Dirk & Steele book at a grocery store, when I realized I had a wait in front of me and absolutely nothing to read. I knew when I bought it that it was a paranormal romance, so managed to enjoy it despite the boinking. […]
First Drop of Crimson (2010) Jeaniene Frost I actually really like Jeaniene Frost’s writing, and loved all of the Night Huntress books I’ve read so far, even the ones I picked up in trepidation, thinking, “this can’t possibly be anywhere nears as good as I’m remembering the earlier books in the series to be.” However, […]
Under Her Skin (2009) Ilona Andrews, Jeaniene Frost, Meljean Brook So, this was the first full book I read on the Nook. I love Ilona Andrews and also really like Jeaniene Frost, so I figured I couldn’t go too wrong for three bucks. These are three short paranormal romances, focusing on shape shifters, but also […]
Tempest’s Legacy (2011) Nicole Peeler First and foremost, this is a boinking book. There is less boinking than in the last book, and the boinking actually wasn’t superfluous but was instead important to the course of the story, but still. Boinking. So be aware. Jane True is back in Rockabill, trying to recover from the […]
The Last Twilight (2008) Marjorie M. Liu Rikki Kinn is a virus hunter for the CDC, and she’s in Africa looking at what may well be a new outbreak of Ebola. Unfortunately, a contagious and deadly disease turns out to be the least of her problems, when she discovers that she is being hunted–but no […]
A Wild Light (2010) Marjorie M. Liu Maxine’s birthday starts out well–killing a demon, birthday party with her loved ones, unfortunately it doesn’t stay that way, and she wakes up to blood, death, and no memory of what happened. Hmm… now that I look back over my past reviews, I find myself less surprised at […]
Eye of Heaven (2006) Marjorie M. Liu After picking up a random Dirk & Steele book when I had accidentally left the house without one, I’ve been picking up the available books in the series as I come across them. For the most part this is not a fantasy series per se, in that you […]
Tracking the Tempest (2010) Nicole Peeler First off, there is a lot of boinking in this book. I’d forgotten about that in the time that had passed between this book and the first. Once I remembered that and was able to move myself into that frame of mind, I thoroughly enjoyed Tracking the Tempest. In […]
The Wild Road (2008) Marjorie Liu Why yes, this is a floating head & torso romance. However, as I am on crutches and spending a lot of time waiting, I needed a diverting book to keep in my purse, and since I enjoyed The Fire King (another floaty head romance book set in the same […]
Dead and Gone (2009) Charlaine Harris When I first discovered the Sookie Stackhouse books the were like a revelation: Romance can be fun? Really? And they were fun! Mysteries, vampires and sex that wasn’t completely ridiculous! Then at some point, they started to get ridiculous. It seemed as if every supernatural creature adored and wanted […]
Tempest Rising (2009) Nicole Peeler Where to start with this book? First, the cover, which is what drew my attention. It’s got a manga Halloween feel to it, with snakes and tombstones and seals and a naked girl/woman with giant eyes. That’s not something you see every day. Excellent job there. Next, the story. Jane […]
Destined for an Early Grave (2009) Jeaniene Frost Cat is no longer working for the government slaying rogue vampires. She and Bones are off to Paris for a well-deserved vacation. Unfortunately, Cat remains the only living half-vampire, and her unique position remains a threat to the undead. Although the initial story seems to have come […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
All Together Dead (2007) Charlaine Harris It’s been awhile since I read a new Sookie Stackhouse story. They’re now published in hardback first, and as much as I enjoy her stories and her writing, I don’t much care for hardback books. I also wasn’t sure they were worth $25. So I placed it on pre-order […]
Definitely Dead (2006) Charlaine Harris First things first, this book had me laughing out loud, and reading passages to Michael. That usually only happens for Steven Brust books, but in multiple places Charlaine Harris nailed the dialog, and forced me to keep interrupting Michael game so he could laugh with me. Additionally, for those of […]
Dead As A Doornail (2005) Charlaine Harris Dead As A Doornail is the fifth book in Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire series, and full of complications and murder and danger. Someone is killing the double-natured, and since Sookie’s brother Jason was bitten, he’s in the same danger as the rest. I really liked several different things […]
The Southern Vampire Mysteries: Dead Until Dark (2001), Living Dead in Dallas (2002), Club Dead (2003), Dead to the World (2004) Charlaine Harris If I told you I’d been reading erotic, vampire mysteries, would you still respect me? If the answer is “No,” too bad. Since the Victorian part of my soul has to deal […]