books

Fantasy Mystery Romance Comics Non-Fiction

Wildfire: A Hidden Legacy Novel

Wildfire: A Hidden Legacy Novel (2017) Ilona Andrews This is the third book in the Hidden Legacy series. This was supposed to be a trilogy, but there are enough loose ends for at least another book. I could have done without the final bit with Victoria Tremaine, which felt more like a cliffhanger than this […]

Fate’s Edge

Fate’s Edge (2011) Ilona Andrews On re-reading, this one I greatly preferred to the second book. First, although the main story is between Audrey and Kaldar (and Kaldar is a rogue, so of course I love him), they end up dealing with Gaston, and more interestingly Jack and George, and spending time with those two […]

Bayou Moon

Bayou Moon (2010) Ilona Andrews Following this immediately after finishing On the Edge helped clarify what bothered me about this story. I really like William in the first book. He’s odd, and he’s badly broken, but he is a good man who is fiercely protective of children. But he is definitely odd. And this book […]

On the Edge

On the Edge (2009) Ilona Andrews After reading their new series, I was struck with a desire to re-read The Edge series. Luckily, the eBook is available from the library, so I didn’t have to buy another copy to re-read it. Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, the area between the magical and mundane lands, […]

White Hot

White Hot (2017) Ilona Andrews Guess what? I DESPISE THIS COVER TOO. It’s TERRIBLE. I tells you nothing about the story except that there is boinking. BLETCH. OK, enough. How about the story? The story is good! Things are even more complex, and not just between Nevada and Rogan. The cabal that attempted to destroy […]

Burn for Me

Burn for Me (2014) Ilona Andrews I STILL DESPISE THIS COVER. Avon? THIS COVER IS HORRIBLE. No, really. It’s been what, three years, and I STILL HATE THIS COVER. Especially considering the proposed cover. But this review is not for me to rant. Well, not completely anyway. Nevada Baylor is owned by MII, the investigative […]

Shores of Desire

Shores of Desire (1997) Tracy Grant Set in Scotland and Europe in 1815 There are actually three primary characters in this story: Robert, Emma, and the War with Napoleon. Emma was used to dealing with everyday injuries, wounds from fights and falls and accidents. Save when Allan had been invalided home, his wounds already neatly […]

Dark Angel

Dark Angel (1994) Tracy Grant Set in Spain and England in 1813 Still out of sorts and not sure what I’m in the mood for, I went for something completely different: historical mystery/romance. I think one of the things I particularly like about Tracy Grant’s stories is that the children are an integral part of […]

Rat Queens Volume 3: Demons

Rat Queens Volume 3: Demons (2016) Kurtis J. Wiebe, Tamra Bonvillain, Tess Fowler What? What? How? Man, that sure went off the rails right quick. I honestly don’t get what happened here. Last volume was good, this one started out well, then it just went, well, it went all over the place, and half of […]

Rat Queens Vol. 2: Far Reaching Tentacles of N’rygoth

Rat Queens Vol. 2: Far Reaching Tentacles of N’rygoth (2015) Kurtis J Wiebe, Roc Upchurch, Stjepan Sejic I am really really enjoying this comic. Even if it’s chock full of boinking and drugs. Or perhaps that’s because. Hard to tell. This story gives us glimpses of various character’s back stories and secrets, when the town […]

Rat Queens Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery

Rat Queens Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery (2013) Kurtis Wiebe and Roc Upchurch Let’s just get this out of the way: NOT FOR KIDS! TOTALLY NOT FOR KIDS! However, if you’re an adult? I LOVED it! The Rat Queens are a band of mercenaries in the town of Palisade, and many in the town are […]

Dead Heat

Dead Heat (2016) Patricia Briggs The fourth book in the Alpha & Omega series, and I think the end of my Patricia Briggs re-read binge. One of the things I particularly like about this story is the interaction between the kids. “Shut your piehole, punk kid,” Max said, thumping her on the head with the […]

Fair Game

Fair Game (2012) Patricia Briggs The third Alpha & Omega book finds Charles overcome by increase in killings he needs to do now that the werewolves have come out in public. I takes awhile for Bran to be convinced that this is harming his son. Asil left Bran alone with his thoughts then, because if […]

Hunting Ground

Hunting Ground (2009) Patricia Briggs The second book in the Alpha & Omega series takes place not long after the events of the first book. Bran has decided that the werewolves are going to come out to the public, and he is meeting with the European wolves–not to ask them opinion, but to see if […]

Cry Wolf

Cry Wolf (2008) Patricia Briggs One of the things I particularly like about this book (and spin-off series) is that we get to spend time with both Bran and Asil. Bran didn’t reply, just spun himself slowly, around and around on the little stool in the corner of the room. In his hothouse, Asil trimmed […]

To Charm a Naughty Countess

To Charm a Naughty Countess (2014) Theresa Romain Set in England in 1816 I wanted to love this story. Instead, I just liked it, despite often feeling irritated at times. Michael Layward, the Duke of Wyverne has learned that his estate is out of money, and no one is willing to extend him credit any […]

A Gift for Guile

A Gift for Guile (2016) Alissa Johnson Set in London in 1872 This is the second book in the Thief-Takers series, and follows the second sister, Esther, and the private investigator, Samuel Brass. Esther has sneaked into London, and is caught at underground by the Samuel Brass, who ruins the meeting she was getting ready […]

Your Scandalous Ways

Your Scandalous Ways (2008) Loretta Chase Set in Venice in 1820 Francesca Bonnard is probably the most successful whore in Venice, perhaps even Italy. After a scandalous divorce, she fled to the continent and remade herself in one of the most sought after courtesans in Italy. “Ah, yes,” he said. “Your position. A divorcée.” “Divorziata […]

The Mystery Woman

The Mystery Woman (2013) Amanda Quick Beatrice Lockwood fled the Academy of the Occult after the death of her mentor, Roland Fleming. She now is employed as an agent by Flint & Marsh. Joshua Gage had been an agent for the Crown, before his injury in the line of duty, and he doesn’t believe in […]

Dead Heat

Dead Heat (2015) Patricia Briggs The fourth Alpha & Omega book occurs before Night Broken. Charles takes Anna out to Colorado to meet an old friend. “Really?” said Joseph tentatively. “You don’t remember?” “Someone asked me not to,” said Charles. “And I told him I would oblige him. So no. I don’t remember.” And to […]

Fair Game

Fair Game (2012) Patricia Briggs The third Alpha & Omega book takes place several years between River Marked and Frost Burned. After the werewolves became known to the public, Charles’ job became much more difficult, since infractions that were previously allowed to slide, now carry a death sentence–a sentence that in many cases Charles has […]

Hunting Ground

Hunting Ground (2009) Patricia Briggs The second Alpha & Omega book takes place soon after the events in Cry Wolf (around the events of Moon Called.) Bran has called a meeting with the European wolves, to discuss the fact that he is bringing the wolves out into the public. Anna is still coming to terms […]

A Talent for Trickery

A Talent for Trickery (2015) Alissa Johnson Set in England in 1872 I somehow missed writing this one up last month, so here it is now. I am not sure about the accuracy of the term “Gentleman Thief Taker” since the thief-takers were replaced by Bow Street in the mid 1700s, and Bow Street was […]

Cry Wolf

Cry Wolf (2008) Patricia Briggs This is the first full Alpha & Omega novel, and takes place immediately after the events in the novella. (And by immediately, I mean, the next day.) Charles’ Brother Wolf has claimed Anna as mate, but as Anna knows very little about being a werewolf, and absolutely nothing about being […]

Alpha & Omega

Alpha & Omega (2007) Patricia Briggs (found in Shifting Shadows) The novella Alpha & Omega first appeared in On the Prowl, which I picked up only for the Patricia Briggs story. I recommend getting Shifting Shadows rather than that. That is not, by the way, the cover for either Shifting Shadows or Alpha & Omega, […]