Review: The Unlikeable Demon Hunter: Sting by Deborah Wilde

The Unlikeable Demon Hunter: Sting

Author: Deborah Wilde
Publisher: Te Da Media
Series: Nava Katz #2
Pages: Paperback, 418 pages
Genre: PNR, Urban Fantasy
Release Date: month 1, 2013

Summary:

50% boobs. 50% sarcasm. 100% new breed of hunter.

After a bumpy start as the only female demon hunter in the top secret Brotherhood of David, Nava Katz heads to Prague for her first undercover mission: unmasking a demon movie star. She’d be all kinds of thrilled if it weren’t for the fact that her fellow hunter-with-benefits, Rohan Mitra, has reclaimed his rock star status and assigned Nava the role of groupie.

Rejecting her “be a good girl and follow orders” directive, Nava unleashes an alter ego guaranteed to hook their celebrity target and drive Rohan crazy. No downside–until she finds herself up against Rohan’s past, the Brotherhood’s antiquated thinking, and her own identity issues, turning her personal life into the bomb that could blow up the entire operation.

Sparkly and deadly; it’s a plan.

Review:

Wait! No!!! And now I have to wait until September. Damnation!
Excuse my profanity, but... Just as I was totally invested in Nava's story, the book ended. And now I have to wait.
Let's backtrack.

I liked book one of the series well enough, it was cute and fun. Totally Wilde's MO, if you ask me.
When I started this book I thought I'll be getting more of the same. Fun, cute, imaginative and your usual PNR rump. Great entertainment. In fact, The Unlikeable Demon Hunter kinda reminds me of Ghost Busters. I am talking about the entertainment factor, the fast pace and the fun dialogues. A bit of light entertainment, that is really imaginative. Oh and then there is the cool factor, that reminds me of Men in Black- just with demons and rabbis.

I wasn't quite buying Nav and Ro's connection until the last quarter of the book. And then, well Wilde went and ripped out my heart!

Somewhere around halfway, this took a turn from entertaining to me being totally invested in the characters. Because the MCs changed from feeling a bit formulaic to unique.
Wilde did a great job at the character building in this installment. There is way less cliche, more unique and a hell of a lot more unexpected.

The plot is fast-paced with a few great twists. There are still your big movie moments, the last scene included, but they now feel like the best thing ever. I honestly hope someone will turn this into an awesome series- you know like Alias but with demons.
Last but not least the world building becomes better and better. I love the mix of myth, history and fantasy. Well constructed!

My only little issue. I was a bit disappointed with how quickly the situation with Asmodeus was solved and I was left with a ton of questions.

Which brings be back to what I said right in the beginning: September? Really?


Rating: 

Review: Winter Halo by Keri Arthur

Winter Halo

Author: Keri Arthur
Publisher: Signet
Series: Outcast #2
Pages: Mass Market Paperback, 368 pages
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: December 6th 2016

Summary:

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Souls of Fire novels comes the second in the futuristic fantasy series that will make you want to keep the lights on...

When the bombs that stopped the species war tore holes in the veil between worlds, they allowed entry to the Others. Now, a hundred years later, humans and shifters alike live in artificially lit cities designed to keep the darkness at bay....

The humanoid supersoldiers known as the déchet were almost eradicated by the war. Ever since, Tiger has tried to live her life in peace in hiding. But in the wake of her discovery that Central City’s children are being kidnapped and experimented on, Tiger’s conscience won’t let her look the other way.

The key to saving them lies within the walls of a pharmaceutical company called Winter Halo. But as she learns more about the facility, Tiger’s mission is derailed by a complication: Winter Halo’s female security guards are being systematically attacked by an unknown force.

Now Tiger must summon all her gifts to stop those responsible for both atrocities—no matter the cost to herself...

Review:

And just as so often I am not really sure how to rate this.. because there a clearly two different ratings to this book. The first half was simply too slow, basically little to nothing of note happens.
Then suddenly everything changes in the second half, loads of actions but also we get a few (mind you very few answers) There is progress in the romance, the mystery and there is character growth.
The first half to be frank is rather disappointing.
The second half is why I like the series in the first place..

The only thing I liked consistently so far is the world building. I love the idea of dechet. I love the backstory, the world and the different moral aspects that it throws up. It's an interesting take on dystopia with a paranormal spin.

I like Arthurs descriptions, love her writing style. And while Outcast is set a quite different world from what I have read by Arthur up to now, it clearly has Arthurs signature on it. Interesting, imaginative world building, strong female lead (that is a slight bit promiscuous) and strong male lead, that is shrouded in mystery. While I enjoy her descriptions I felt that there was a lot of repetition in the first half. I am not sure why Charles was thrown in the occasion, but the second scene with him, felt like rather the obligatory allotted smut, than anything else.

The character building was similar in that aspect. I found the first half rather uninspired. Looking back it was a repetition of the first book. We already went through all of that with the characters. Though some of it was essential to what followed, I found it too long wound and repetitive. In fact I found myself just annoyed with Tig and Jonas at their arguing.. until things changed.
I like Tig. And now even more than before. I grew to like Jonas, he suddenly looks like an enticing love interest. If you would have asked me about him about 35% I would have said, I am not interested anymore. Now I can't wait to see what else is happening between them. More importantly I wanna see what change has happened and how it will change them individually.
I love Tig's interaction with Bar and Cat. They as a unite have not changed, yet they all seeing thing from different points of view. It's a brilliant dynamic. Very clever done and really beautiful to read about. Their loyalty, compassion and love for each other and how the event affect them individually is simply wonderful.
Penny made a minimal appearance, yet I want to know more. There have been revelations and I am wondering where Arthur is taking this character.
The rest of the support cast, however stayed the same, no growth but that isn't really a negative thing. It kinda highlights, that the changes in the MCs are rather unique considering the circumstances and history.

The plot picks up right where the first book ends. As I said, in the first half not much of interest happens. Then the second half kinda explodes into super fast paced action and we are bombarded with new info and some twists.
Yet looking back, I feel that I wanted more. Not that much has happened, well it kinda has, but we could put it under two main headlines maybe three. I feel like I have loads of questions still, barely any of the ones I was left with after the first book have been answered.

So while the first half was a bit disappointing, the second half was captivating and brilliant.
Now all I want is get my hands on the next installment!




Rating: 

ARC was provided by Publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Review: Miss Frost Solves A Cold Case by Kristen Painter

Miss Frost Solves A Cold Case : A Nocturne Falls Mystery

Author: Kristen Painter
Publisher: Sugar Skull Books
Series: Jayne Frost #1
Pages: Kindle Edition, 217 pages
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: March 8th 2016

Summary:

Welcome to Nocturne Falls, the town that celebrates Halloween 365 days a year.

Jayne Frost is a lot of things. Winter elf, Jack Frost’s daughter, Santa Claus’s niece, heir to the Winter Throne and now…private investigator. Sort of.

Needing someone he can trust, her father sends her undercover to Nocturne Falls to find out why employees at the Santa’s Workshop toy store are going missing.

Doing that requires getting to know the town, which leads to interesting encounters with a sexy vampire, an old flame, and an elevator that’s strictly off-limits. The more Jayne finds out, the more questions she has, but the answers lead her deeper into danger.

Will her magic save her? Or will she come up cold?

Review:

Miss Frost Solves A Cold Case is a spin-off from the cute Nocturne Falls Series. It totally works on it's own, so it's a fun book to read even if you haven't read that series.
While it is set in Nocturne Falls, the world building being the same, this novel has a quite different feel. It has more a Agatha Christie does Urban Fantasy vibe than the PNR cuteness of Nocturne Falls.

I love the mystery part of this novel. I love Jayne's POV. The entire book is told from her POV. Jayne, though sent on a mission by the Winter King, her antics reminded me of a young Miss Marple at times. The story line was extremely fun, the mystery was good- made me, think hard and yet solvable if you pay good attention...Just like I said, a good the butler did it anyway kinda mystery a la Christie. Right down my alley.

This is like the Nocturne Fall series light on world building. Vampires are vampires ( they don't sparkle in the sun *snickers*), elfs, were-animal, gargoyles, witches and fae- all present and while Painter doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to the paranormal beings, she very cleverly makes this her own with amazing and imaginative details. I love the snowglobe for example, and the snowy cussing... But then if you have read Painter, you would come to expect that, just like I have. Still, it's an absolute pleasure to read.

Since I basically been reading nearly everything Painter publishes, I think it's safe to say I love her writing style. Jayne Frost #1 just cements why I love her writing. There are some really brilliant moments, amazing descriptions and a well paced story line

I like Jayne -mostly. And I love her relationship with Jack Frost, Buttercup and Juniper.
Painter did a stellar job at the world building when it comes to most of the support cast. We even get to see some of our beloved Nocturne Falls characters again...
Cooper is the all around golden boy and I really liked him. I like the big resolve when it comes to him, btw. I kinda suspected something like that, but it was interesting how Painter did it, though I do hope that Jayne will take it up, I am not sure I like how it was left.
Greyson for some reason reminded me of Jonny Depp, and even when Painter kept saying his style didn't look gordy but sexy- I kinda thought it did. LOL
Honestly I liked Greyson, would like to know more about him and think he is an interesting love interest.
BUT and there lies probably the biggest issue I had with this. I didn't see the chemistry between Jayne and her love interest. I mean she seemed too calculated. Too, I dunno... I just didn't see it.
While I loved the mystery and thankfully this is more a mystery than a romance, it had too much romance in it for me. Maybe because I personally didn't much enjoy the romance bits
This is mainly due to Jayne's behaviour. And while this doesn't have a love triangle per se. Jayne's dating life and at her at times calculation behaviour didn't lie well with me. Juts my personal preferences.
Don't misunderstand me.. I so wanna know how things are going to go for Jayne romantically. LOL

I am not so sure I was satisfied with the villains in this one. Well I was to a degree. I got some of the motives, but I didn't with others. (view spoiler)

Jayne is an interesting character, and I enjoyed taking this journey with her, it was interesting to see the changes in her and how she made friends - how much her life changes because of it all. Best part how she dealt with everything, embraced the changes and made it her own.

So I am looking forward to the next installment- I am wondering where Painter will be taking it, hope there will be more intriguing mysteries and some of my answers and the romance will be solved.



Rating: 

Blog Tour: Get Real by Tellulah Darling

Get Real

Author: Tellulah Darling
Publisher: Te Da Media
Series: Get Real #1
Pages: Paperback, 358 pages
Genre: NA, Urban Fantasy
Release Date: September 26th 2015

Summary:

Magic and Mayhem in Manhattan

Francesca Bellafiore comes from a nice Jewish family -- one that happens to have magical powers. Underneath her good-girl exterior, though, she’s a wannabe badass with dreams of becoming a paranormal detective.

Party boy Rafael Muñoz does everything possible to publicly disappoint his high profile father. Privately, it's a different story. His carefully crafted bad boy reputation masks the fact he’s a master illusionist, forced into solo covert ops. The role is wearing thin and Rafael longs to be part of a team.

When Francesca and Rafael meet, it’s love at first sight… For about five minutes. Rafael is spectacularly attractive—and, Francesca discovers, fully aware of the fact. Rafael knows from experience that girls like Francesca are more trouble than they’re worth.

So it sucks big time when they’re caught in a web of magic, minions, secrets, and enough sexual tension to power NYC. Their only chance to save the city and survive is to team up, trust each other–and maybe even fall in love.

Provided they don't kill each other first.

Get Real is a romantic comedy, urban fantasy whirlwind with sass, sex, and swoon.

Amazon  B & N

About The Author:

Tellulah Darling
noun

Sassy girls. Swoony boys. What could go wrong?

1) YA & New Adult romantic comedy author because her first kiss sucked and she’s compensating.
2) Firm believer that some of the best stories happen when love meets comedy and awkwardness ensues.
3) Sassy minx.

Both a hopeless romantic and total cynic, Tellulah Darling is all about the happily-ever-after, with a huge dose of hilarity along the way. Her romcoms come in a variety of flavours and heat levels.

Author links:

Website  Goodreads  Facebook  Twitter

Initial Reaction:

Eeeeeep!
Swoony? Yep
Cute? Uh-huh
Fun? Oh yes!
Cheeky? It's Darling...
Must read? Defo!


A cute & fluffy must read!!

Review:

Get Real is a romantic comedy, urban fantasy whirlwind with sass, sex, and swoon.

Straight up: the book delivers exactly what it promised.
It's got loads of action, sassy characters and swoony romance. And if you loved Darlings previous books, you going to adore this one.

My first coherent thought when I finished: I want more...My second: I think this is Darling's best novel to date. ( I did totally fangirl all over my Goodreads review before I actually could have a coherent thought)

The story-line is super fast- in the best sort of way, Darling throws you into the deep end right from the start. And there is action non-stop. In fact I read this more or less in one reading. It's the kind of novel you don't wanna put down, because something important is always happening.

The romance is sweet and swoony. There is a huge amount of fun banter going around. I definitely could tell this is a Darling book when it comes to those two aspects but I also could tell by the group of friends. Essentially Darling thrives at the cute, sassy and funny thing but also she builds great groups of friends- diverse groups, I could see parallels between this group and the group in the previous books. Not that I mind at all. Mainly because Darling did a good job at character building. Each character is unique and relatable. She really does a good job at bringing in their different backgrounds, their fears and strength. Even though at times they do feel a bit politically correct and a tad cliche. At least I felt like this at the beginning of the book. At the end of it though? I still do think that, but I don't care. Because I grew to love this group of misfits and I seriously do hope there will be loads of more books about them, each one of them.

The writing style is classic Darling: fun, sassy with a seriously good dose of humor. I love her writing style and I honestly can say she is one of my favorite authors in this genre. Very few manage to keep the balance between action, humor and romance- she does. Her books are entertaining and fun, but also they are well written.
While I would say that Darling's strength lies in her humor and her character building....
In Get Real my favorite part was the world building.

Honestly it's fabulous! I totally love the idea. And it's incredibly well done. I love the traveling aspects. And most importantly for me, Darling gets the different locations beyond right. Because New York in get real is still my New York and so is Rome... and all other locations. Which is actually due to Darling's amazing writing, her descriptions of the locations is great, but she conveys the feel of the venues so incredibly brilliant, that I felt like I was there again. I should mention that I've been in most places Darling does describe... So it's not just me imagining how a place should be, but I actually experienced it. And again she just got it right.

So if you looking for a cute & fluffy adventure, that's well written - this is YOUR book.



Rating: 

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Giveaway:

Tour-wide giveaway (INTL)

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Audiobook Review: Fury of Fire by Coreene Callahan

Fury of Fire

Author: Coreene Callahan
Narrator: Benjamin L. Darcie
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Series: Dragonfury #1
Pages: Paperback, 424 pages; Audio, 12:08
Genre: PNR
Release Date:February 7th 2012

Summary:

A clandestine race of half-dragon, half-humans known as dragon-shifters lives among us.

Bastian, leader of the Nightfury dragon clan, is sworn to protect humankind at all costs. For him, honor and duty always come first. When the clan dictates he take a human mate to sire a son, he falters, aware that for a human to birth a dragon-shifter she must die. Myst, the woman given into his care, is the most extraordinary he's ever met, and though he can't bear the thought of harming her, he is bound by duty.

Myst loves her life in the human world, but Bastian has captured her heart in an instant of electric connection. But Bastian and his warriors are in the middle of a deadly battle with the Razorback dragon-shifters, intent on killing every Nightfury clan member—and the humans they protect—the fate of their world and ours hangs in the balance.

An extraordinary blend of action, fantasy, and steamy romance, Fury of Fire brings to life a dangerous new world intertwined with the survival of humanity, all while exploring the meaning of honor and the nature of true love.

Review:

Quite frankly I think I am more forgiving when it comes to rating an audiobook, than when I rate a book I've read.
I think there are two reasons for this:

1. I listen to audios while I do other stuff... anything really from studio work to doing house chores and even playing games. And I often listen to audios that are more fluff.
2. The narrator take total preference over the writing style. So if an audio is well narrated, the story entertaining enough... well, most of the time I am a happy camper

Btw I noticed this, when one of my GR friends was reading a book, I had done as an audio- i rated it 3,5Stars and rounded it up- she kept on quoting from the book, as she read it, and I was beyond surprised that none of this actually phased me, while I was listening to the audio. Which is why I shall in future be a wee bit more cautious when rating audios and Fury of Fire being the first audio I listened to after this revelations- well it's getting the brant of it I guess

The world building of this is actually really interesting. I am not that big of a shifter PNR fan, but I really liked the idea behind this. Not having read that many shifter books, I might be mistaken, but at least from where I am standing, this has many fresh ideas thrown in. I love the mix of magic and modern science with a good dose of PNR.

The plot is quite fast paced. Lots of action, the battle kind and the smutty kind, and quite entertaining, even when it was rather predictable.

The narrations is really well done. In fact, I think, I might have not much enjoyed reading this one. But listening to Darcie's deep rumbling voice was rather pleasant. He did a really good job, though I had to giggle a little at Myst's voice... still the entire story was way better told in his voice than in mine.

The two biggest issues I got with this one are the character building and the multiple POV. Low and behold it isn't the insta-L's! I actually didn't mind them AT ALL. Which, well you know, is beyond surprising, it's my pet hive after all! Kudos for that one to both the author and the narrator. I think it's a sign of a job well done

The multiple POV was just too many. I am usually someone who doesn't mind several POVs, but I felt it was just too much in this one. In fact I am not quite sure why the author decided to go that way, but I found it at times more disrupting than anything else. Plus on more than one occasion it gave away too much of the story, ruined any suspense that could have been there.

The character building was on one level really well done. I liked Myst's and Bastian's way of dealing with their relation ship- it felt real, and we talking insta everything here! In fact I think Bastian's character building was the best in the book. Myst was a bit of both, total cliche and really interesting strong female. I think the females are rather well written, actually. But the villains? JUST NO! It reminded me of a cartoon. It was just too much too over the top.
Most of the characters were actually rather melodramatic. But I kinda shrugged that off, I couldn't do the same to the fact that they all were way to much like a walking cliche. Like the cop, the best friends, the nurse, the butler.... if you look at them from that point of view each character totally fills in for the usual cast.

I think lovers of the genre will enjoy this one.
And I am probably going to listened to the next book in the series.

Did I mention I loved Darcie's voice? *goes to Audible to see what other audios he narrated*

Rating: 

So this is somewhere between ok and good for me

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Review: City of Eternal Night by Kristen Painter

City of Eternal Night

Author: Kristen Painter
Publisher: Orbit
Series: Crescent City #2
Pages: Paperback, 436 pages
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: December 2nd 2014

Summary:

Magic and mystery collide in this second installment of the new urban fantasy series by House of Comarre author Kristen Painter.

Still coming to terms with their unexpected partnership, Augustine and Harlow have a tentative truce. With Harlow slowly working to accept being fae, Augustine still learning how to be Guardian, and feelings growing on both sides though, they do not have an easy road ahead.

But when a young girl is stolen from the Mardi Gras Exemplar Ball -- the biggest far event of the year -- Harlow and Augustine must put all their issues aside to bring her home alive. Harlow's father, Braziano, is of course their number one suspect, but evil lurks in every corner of the city and time is running out. Their only choices: Either find a way to rescue the girl, or Augustine must die.

Review:

So this took... a week? to read.
Yeah, I know.. There are several reasons for that. First and foremost, RL getting in the way. But also and sadly it took me a while to get into this.
It started really slow. Nothing wrong with that either. I just wasn't in the mood for slow and intense.
And mentioning intense...If I would have one word to describe this, that would be it.
I think Painter is a master with intense actually. The slow build up of Augies and Harlow's relationship, the dramas and disasters slowly sprinkled through the plot, the incredible descriptions, the world building, the action, the feels... it all is immensely intense. This is not a light anything.

Painters prose is beautiful and she has my heart wrapped around her pen. She is one of the most skilful urban fantasy authors I've ever read.

The world building is amazing. I loved it in City of the Rising Sun, I haven't read House of Comarré , her first series set in the same world, so all of it was new to me. In this instalment Painter added more details and managed to astound me again. I've never been in NOLA but after reading this... I wanna go, really really wanna go. Need to see exactly how Painter took the exciting place, it's feel and character and added her own brand to it. I wanna know exactly how much, how precise.. I wanna see the place that inspired this world.

The story line as I said is at time a bit slow. A slow but steady buildup till the end. There is not as much action as in the first book- I think I kinda missed that- but there is plenty of twists and turns. Some of them, had me totally sidetracked and others I saw coming and was dreading. I kept on oscillating between hoping that it would work out and waiting for the shoe to drop...right till the last word. Which by the way had me wanting to throw my kindle on the wall. I mean I gotta wait till what? APRIL?!! So frustrating! really really frustrating. And if you wondering. It's a cliffy alright. I mean it's not but yeah it is. See still oscillating!

The best part though by far? The character building. It is meticulous. Not a single flat or one-sided character. Each one is interesting, there are several POV, in fact quite a lot of them, but because Painter writes in third person and does an astounding job at it, it adds to the character building. The exact time a POV is chosen, the way they were written- they all unique to the different characters, not once was I confused or lost- all add to the character building. This is not a small cast. There are several new additions in this book, several new kind of fae and magic creatures. Painter managed to bring them across masterfully, I feel like I know them all, some of them I am hoping to get to know better.
Augie and Harlow being the two MCs, one gets to know them best. And I like them, bot , with faults and all. Both of them change and evolve throughout the two books, but stay uniquely themselves at the same time. And their relationship? Slow burn... no insta..Which makes me a happy girl. I did at times wish they would finally get it on. But then again, there is a realness to it, their friendship being deepened and their respect for each other grows slowly. Theirs is a companionship with a promise of more way more. So I can wait.

I was left with so many questions. So so so many. And to be honest I was not really satisfied with the answers that City of Eternal Night gave me. In fact, not much was resolved. A couple of deaths.. that's about it.
There are so many stories woven together, so many still to be told, I can't wait to see how Painter unravels them!

So. April. *takes a deep breath* I guess I could always start reading House of Comarré so long...


Rating: 

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ARC Review: Witch Hunt by S. M. Reine

Witch Hunt by S. M. Reine



Publisher:  CreateSpace indipendent Publishing Platform
Series: Preternatural Affairs #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: January 31, 2014
Summary:
A brutal murder.

There are scratches on Cèsar Hawke’s arms, a discharged Glock on his coffee table, and a dead woman in his bathtub. Yeah, maybe he brought the waitress home for some fun — he was too drunk to remember it — but he knows for a fact that he didn’t kill her. He’s an agent with the Office of Preternatural Affairs. He doesn’t hurt people. He saves them.

The cops disagree. Now Cèsar is running.

The search for a shaman.

Isobel Stonecrow speaks with the dead…for the right price. She brings closure to the bereaved and heals broken hearts. But when she resurrects someone for the wrong client, she ends up on the OPA’s most wanted list.

One risky solution.

Tracking down Isobel is the last case assigned to Cèsar before he bolts. If he finds her, he can prove that he didn’t kill that waitress. He can clear his name, get his job back, and bring justice to the victim.

She’s just one witch. Cèsar has bagged a dozen witches before.

How hard can one more be

Rating: 

Review:
Witch Hunt reminded me of a mix of Man in Black (add witches instead of aliens) and Miami Vice (plus paranormal bits) set in LA.

To be honest I kinda wish I would have liked this better. Because if this would have been a movie- I probably would have loved it.
This is your paranormal mystery action flick. Totally my way to wind-down in front of the screen.
I probably would have liked this better as an audio book as well. Assuming obviously the narrator did a good job.
But reading it myself... nah, kinda didn't work for me.

The plot is good fun. Lots of action, mystery - it's non-stop really and had me guessing and working out things.
The world building is also quite well done. Clever paranormal mystery- not anything amazingly new. But really fun.
The writing style was a bit to simple for me at times but also ok
So why did this not work for me? Honestly I didn't care much for Cesar. I mean the character building was done, ok. He is your typical male action dude- down to the corny jokes. And even the support cast was ok, kinda been there done that character wise. But Reine did a decent job at this. I just didn't enjoy reading this from Cesar's POV, I found his humor not particularly funny and in general wasn't able to connect with him.
This is in the end just a taste thing. Which is one of those odd things. In theory this should have worked for me, but it just didn't.

I don't think I will be reading the next book of the series, I might try it as an audiobook if that ever happens. I will also read another book of Reine in the future.
And I definitely will go watch the movie...

ARC was provided by Publishers through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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