Tag Archives: Paranormal

A book that has elements of fantasy, science fiction and/or horror.

Review: Slave to Sensation

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Review: Slave to SensationSlave to Sensation (Psy-Changeling, #1) by Nalini Singh
Series: Psy-Changeling #1
Published by Berkley Sensation on September 5th 2006
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 352
Goodreads
five-stars

Fabulous, Unique, Emotional Paranormal Romance

The story of a world where the Psy, a cold emotionless race, rules over humans and Changelings (a type of animal shapeshifter). What happens when a Psy and a Changeling fall in love.

THE STORY: Sascha Duncan is a 26 year old Cardinal Psy. The Psy were conditioned to remove emotion from their makeup. Sascha has a secret. She is falling apart because she feels emotion. She has been hiding that fact for years and fears that she is losing control and will be sent to rehabilitation where defective Psy are essentially erased. As part of her job, she begins working with Lucas Hunter, a leopard changeling. Lucas and his pack are searching for a Psy serial killer (who isn’t supposed to exist because of the Psy conditioning). Lucas believes that he can use Sascha to discover the killer. Something about Sascha, however, attracts Lucas and he is determined to find out everything about her.

OPINION: I loved this book. I really felt the fears of Sascha as she discovers her true self and I loved how she claims her own identity by the end of the book. Lucas is sexy and playful and Singh’s depiction of him just makes a reader want to reach out and pet him. I was impressed with the world building that Singh does. She depicts the world without droning on and on about the details. She world serves the story. I was instantly enthralled by the story and wanted to know the outcome not only of the romance but also the plot itself. Although Sascha is at a difficult part in her life, she is strong and determined and immensely likeable. I admire strong heroines who are also likeable. The romance was sexy and sweet. There was absolutely nothing about this book that I didn’t like.

WORTH MENTIONING: There are two prequel novellas to this book. They can be read before or after this book.

FINAL DECISION: SLAVE TO SENSATION was a surprise to me. Singh has created a unique world with great characters. I was instantly sucked into the story and couldn’t stop turning the pages. The story has emotional depth and I believed in the characters and their world. I highly recommend this book and can’t wait to read more.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SLAVE TO SENSATION is book one of the Psy-Changeling series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 5 stars.

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five-stars

Review: Archangel’s Storm

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Review: Archangel’s StormArchangel's Storm (Guild Hunter #5) by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #5
Published by Penguin Group (USA) on September 4th 2012
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 315
Goodreads
four-stars

The Story of Raphael’s Spymaster Jason

“She wanted to run her finger over the blade of him even if it made her bleed, wanted to dance too close to the flame, wanted to take a risk that could destroy her.”

THE STORY: The angel Jason is the Archangel Raphael’s spymaster. He agrees to go to the court of the Archangel Neha to help discover who murdered her consort. In order to be trusted, Jason agrees to a blood tie with Princess Mahiya who has a shadowy function in Neha’s court. Jason and Mahiya attempt to uncover a violent murderer while a passionate attraction blooms between them. While Jason will never tie himself to anyone, he is fascinated by Mahiya who isn’t who she appears to be.

OPINION: I liked this book, but not as much as others in the series. The emphasis on Neha’s court made me miss the energy of New York and the more aggressive Elena and Honor. Mahiya is not the weakling that she appears to be, but her strength is more subtle and she puts up with a lot from others. I liked how Jason empowers her, but I did not find the story plot as interesting as the others in the series. I want to emphasize, however, that this book is still good, just not as compelling to me as the others. In fact, my favorite parts of this book are about Dimitri and Honor.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is the second book where the focus of the story is on one of Raphael’s seven rather than Raphael and Elena.

FINAL DECISION: I liked this story, but I was not as interested in the workings of Neha’s court as I am in New York.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ARCHANGEL’S STORM is the fifth book in the Guild Hunter series. This book can be read independent of the others in the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

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four-stars

Review: Pia Does Hollywood

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Pia Does Hollywood
Pia Does Hollywood by Thea Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tense, Dramatic and I love seeing Dragos, Pia and Liam

“Pia was the crown jewel in the dragon’s hoard.”

FINAL DECISION: Filled with intense scenes between Dragos and Pia, the novella adds to the Elder Races storyline while exploring a deeply personal plot that threatens both Pia and Dragos.

THE STORY: The diplomatic pact made in DRAGOS GOES TO WASHINGTON means that a member of each demesnes ruling family must travel and stay with another demesne ruling family in order to foster peace and develop relationships. As a result, Pia has to spend a week with the Light Fae Queen in Hollywood. Dragos is not invited but has no intention of allowing Pia to go without him. He travels secretly to California. There are deadly secrets in Hollywood and they put Pia and Dragos in danger. In the process, the secrets that Dragos and Pia are keeping also are threatened to be revealed.

OPINION: I love Dragos and Pia. I would be pleased just to get an update on what they are doing (along with their adorable and amazing son Liam), but this novella ends up being a tense action suspense story that is immensely satisfying.

Dragos and Pia’s strong loving relationship is intensely sexual as well. Even this short novella depicts how much these two love and want one another. Fans of Dragos and Pia should be pleased to see that their relationship is well but still deepening and becoming more complex.

This novella also deals with the difficult relationship between the demesnes. Readers of the series know that distrust typifies the dealings between the different elder races. This time the suspicion and mistrust puts all the races in danger — and especially Dragos and Pia. The political dealings are always a highlight in this series and the interactions between Dragos and the Queen are really good stuff.

Finally, the action adventure plot surprises with its tension and drama. While I knew that everything would resolve itself in the end, I had to restrain myself from reading ahead to assure myself of it — the story was tense and people are in real danger. The introduction of new characters also hints at future storylines.

This novella has a lot of stuff for fans to dig into for the future.

WORTH MENTIONING: Stinkpot.

CONNECTED BOOKS: PIA DOES HOLLYWOOD is book 8.6 in the Elder Races series. It is also the second book in the novella trilogy that began with DRAGOS GOES TO WASHINGTON. This novella can be read as a standalone. I do recommend, however, that readers first DRAGON BOUND and LORD’S FALL which are both about Dragos and Pia. While PIA DOES HOLLLYWOOD can be read apart from DRAGOS GOES TO WASHINGTON, this novella continues the overarching story begun in that novella.

STAR RATING: I give this novella 5 stars.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book in order to provide a review. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions contained herein are my own.

Review: Down the Rabbit Hole

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Review: Down the Rabbit HoleDown the Rabbit Hole (In Death, #41.5) by J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Elaine Fox, Mary Kay McComas, R.C. Ryan
Published by Jove on September 29th 2015
Genres: Futuristic, Mystery
Pages: 432
Goodreads
four-stars

Weird and Fun Collection of Five Novellas

This collection is of five novellas that have as a starting point Alice in Wonderland. The stories are not retellings of Alice in Wonderland but rather have some thematic connection to that novel.

WONDERMENT IN DEATH by J.D. Robb — In number 41.5 in the In Death series, Lieutenant Eve Dallas is investigating a murder suicide. She takes the case because the victims are close to her friends Dr. Louise and Charles. Once Eve begins to investigate things become strange. Although the case should easily be explained away, something bothers Eve. Her investigation leads her to the Mad Hatter and a man who believes death is his domain. I didn’t think this novellas was as strong as other novellas in the series. The mystery is given away from the beginning and there is little intriguing interaction with Eve’s supporting cast to sustain the story. I prefer stories focusing on Eve and Rourke, but this one is mostly case investigation. Rating: 4 stars.

ALICE AND THE EARL IN WONDERLAND by Mary Blayney — This is a companion novella about time travel. This is the story of the Earl Weston and his love Alice Kemp who are transported from the 1800s to present day. Alice has refused to marry Weston because her parents are divorced and thus she will causes scandal. Weston is determined to take this opportunity to convince Alice to marry him. This story wan’t that interesting to me. The whole story is about the two finding out that in modern times things are different about women’s roles and divorce. I didn’t feel any connection between the characters and found the whole story pretty dull. Rating: 1.5 stars.

ILOVE by Elaine Fox — Jeremy Abott and Mary Serafini breakup because Mary thinks Jeremy pays more attention to his cellphone than her. Jeremy gets sucked into an alternate world where he is trapped within the Wonderland of his cellphone. He needs to have a true relationship in order to escape. Can he convince Mary to give him another chance? This is a strange little story. It has in interesting premise but it reads more like a complaint about cellphone addiction than a romance. Rating: 2 stars.

A TRUE HEART by Mary Kay McComas — Elisa is a woman who is guarding herself from fears of being hurt and disappointed. She has just broken up with Max who she liked but was unwilling to risk herself. When she steps into a costume shop, she falls into a world where with the help of a costume guide she uncovers what is actually in her heart. I really liked this story. Really a story of self-discovery, with a touch of a Christmas Carol, this novella tells the story of a romance from a different perspective. Rating: 4 stars.

FALLEN by R.C. Ryan — Beth Campbell, a lawyer, is sent by her aunt’s firm to negotiate the sale of a piece of ancestral property from Colin Gordon in Scotland. On the way there, Beth hits her head and falls into a whole and awakens in the past amongst the Highland clans. In a magical world where people transform and dangerous plots emerge, Beth learns about what is important to her heart. This was my favorite of the anthology. It is romantic and clever with a lot of story and romantic connection in the short novella. The story ultimately resolved differently than I expected and I like when a story can surprise me. The story has a dreamy fairy tale quality to it. It also manages to be sad and then resolve so perfectly that I walked away from the story with a smile. Rating: 4.25

four-stars

Review: Archangel’s Blade

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Review: Archangel’s BladeArchangel's Blade (Guild Hunter #4) by Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter #4
Published by Berkley on September 1st 2011
Genres: Paranormal
Pages: 336
Goodreads
four-half-stars

Dimitri, the Vampire, Meets His Match

“I will love you even when I am dust on the wind.”

THE STORY: Dimitri is the second in command to Raphael, the archangel. Dimitri is a sexy often cruel vampire. After losing his mortal family, Dimitri allows no woman close to him. He meets Honor, a guild hunter, when she is brought in to consult on a murder. Honor was viciously attacked by vampires and wants nothing to do with them even though she cannot help being fascinated with Dimitri even as she is repelled by him. Dimitri decides to help Honor gain justice and also intends on taking the hunter to his bed.

OPINION: This is a story about violent pasts, about loss and love. Honor’s assault is well depicted and her slow journey to reclaim herself was heartwrenching and powerful. I loved the story between Honor and Dimitri as he is determined to never love again and yet he cannot resist Honor. Singh always gives her heroines great strength and power and gives them companions who appreciate those strengths. I enjoyed this book as a break from the Raphael and Elena story. I hope to read more about the other characters in the Guild Hunter world.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is the first book in the series to not focus on Raphael and Elena. I was glad to read about the other characters in the series even though Raphael and Elena remain my favorites.

FINAL DECISION: I liked the story of Honor and Dimitri but it took me a while to accept the big twist in the story. It struck me as a little too pat a resolution, but I still liked the book.

CONNECTED BOOKS: ARCHANGEL’S BLADE is the fourth book in the Guild Hunter series. It can be read independent of the other books in the series without missing much.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

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four-half-stars

Review: Dreamwalker

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Dreamwalker
Dreamwalker by Allyson James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Return to Stormwalkers Universe

FINAL DECISION: A book ultimately about connections, caring and relationship wrapped in a paranormal shell, this book moves the mythology of the Stormwalkers series forward with the presence of all of Janet’s family and friends.

THE STORY: Janet Begay, Stormwalker and half-goddess, is planning her wedding to dragon Mick when the most powerful mage Emmett Smith demands her magic mirror or else he will take it from her — and he doesn’t care who gets hurt. When a battle with demons knocks Janet out and sends her to a dream world in the past, Janet and her friends and family begin to live in a world where the dreams of the past may not happen like before and where there are real dangers. Janet needs to find a way back to the present and defeat Emmett before everyone she loves is destroyed.

OPINION: This book has a lot of drama as Janet struggles through her dreams. Janet struggles with her ever increasing group of loved ones and friends. The more she cares about others, she is both more powerful and also more vulnerable. I especially liked how Janet’s relationship with her sister continues to evolve. In this book, they have a breakthrough. I also enjoyed being able to see Janet evaluate her relationship with Mick in her dreams. After reading the other books in the series, this book gives a sense of how far the two have traveled together and developed. While this book has a lot of action in it, I appreciate the relationships more.

WORTH MENTIONING: This is the first Stormwalker novel after a several year hiatus. Thankfully, the tone of the novels and the characters blend in nicely with the previous novels.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DREAMWALKER is the fifth book in the Stormwalkers series. The story here can be read as a standalone although there is a continuing mythology.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

Review: Nightwalker

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Nightwalker
Nightwalker by Allyson James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Action Packed with Overlapping Mysteries in this Paranormal Series

FINAL DECISION: An exciting, action packed entry in the Stormwalkers series. All the series favorites make appearances here and the mythology of the series continues to develop in new and unexpected ways.

THE STORY: Stormwalker Janet Begay owns the Crossroads Hotel. The friends, family and fiance consists of a variety of magical and non-magical creatures. When Ansel, a Nightwalker (aka vampire) is being sought for the murder of his girlfriend, Janet and her fiance Mick don’t believe that Ansel would have committed the crime. Unfortunately, Ansel himself is not sure that he did not kill her in a blood frenzy. When powerful magical creatures come after Ansel, Janet realizes that more is going on here than a possible murder.

OPINION: This book is an exciting chapter in the Stormwalkers series. There is much ambiguity here which is where this series excels. It is not certain that Ansel is innocent — in fact everyone and everything points to guilt on his behalf. Janet’s defense of him threatens her life and those she loves. The struggle with power, the betrayal of friends, mistakes made. All these themes are present here. This book is filled with a whole cast of characters from the series as it appears that everyone is after Ansel. Janet and Mick’s relationship opens in new directions in small ways in this book. Mick opens up in ways he hasn’t in previous books in the series. All this combines into a good paranormal mystery adventure.

WORTH MENTIONING: What is Mick up to?

CONNECTED BOOKS: NIGHTWALKER is the fourth book in the Stormwalkers series. The story is self contained and can be read as a standalone, however, there are ongoing personal stories regarding the characters that span the series of books and are not necessarily understood by reading only this book.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.

Review: Shadow Walker

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Shadow Walker
Shadow Walker by Allyson James
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

My Favorite of the Series

“Nothing quite makes your night like falling two hundred feet into a sinkhole.”

FINAL DECISION: This is my favorite book in the series. The drama with the relationship between Janet and Mick raised the importance and tension in the story.

THE STORY: Janet Begay is a Stormwalker with a boyfriend, Mick, who is a dragon. When the ground collapses beneath Janet, she finds something dark under the ground. Even worse, it seems like darkness is all around and even Mick begins to act strangely.

OPINION: For me the best part of this book is the change in Mick and the threat to his relationship with Janet. Janet is challenged here because she realizes the real possibility of losing Mick. In many ways, she has taken their relationship for granted. The story in this book forces her to consider how much Mick means to her. There are other strange things going on in this town, but, for me, this book is best when Janet is having to consider how much the relationship and Mick means to her. This book is sad and at times very filled with angst. Because of the development in the relationship, this book is my favorite.

WORTH MENTIONING: One of the interesting things about this series is that the end of each book gives a little teaser about what is coming up in the future setting up one of the continuing stories.

CONNECTED BOOKS: SHADOW WALKER is the third book in the Stormwalker series. The story is self-contained although the continuing character relationships and some of the stories are continuing throughout the series.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4.5 stars.

Review: Double Hexed

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Double Hexed
Double Hexed by Allyson James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Novella About Janet and All Her Friends Trapped in Her Hotel by an Evil Spell

“That was my MIck. Forgiving me for turning into a crazy, murderous, insulting bitch who’d just tried to kill him. Times like these kept a relationship strong.”

FINAL DECISION: A book that takes all the main characters from the series and traps them in the hotel, this book ups the drama and the angst from the main series. Everything is condensed to good effect.

THE STORY: Janet Begay is a half-Navajo, half-underworld goddess with the power to control storms. She also runs a hotel in the Southwest. When her hotel is hexed, Janet along with her friends are trapped in the hotel. Cassandra, a witch believes that her past has caught up with her and she is the reason the hotel has been hexed.

OPINION: I enjoyed this book because it has all the good aspects of a Stormwalker book but everything has been condensed. Janet’s concerns about her powers, her love for her friends. The quirky personalities of the series cast of characters, the intense relationship between Janet and Mick, a weird paranormal mystery and serious action and danger. Sometimes novellas don’t accurately represent the tone or pace of the series, but this one does very well.

WORTH MENTIONING: This novella has a full storyline with a lot of drama and angst for such a short story.

CONNECTED BOOKS: DOUBLE HEXED is book 2.5 of the Stormwawlkers series. It can be read as a standalone another many of the nuances of relationships between the characters will be lost without the background of the other books.

STAR RATING: I give this novella 4 stars.

Review: Firewalker

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Firewalker
Firewalker by Allyson James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Expanding Mythology Makes This Book Better Than the First in the Series

“Despite everything Mick and I had been through, despite what we had together, I knew that Mick still watched me with wariness. He loved me, protected me, shared a bed with me, yes. Had complete faith that I wasn’t a danger to every living being on the planet, no.”

FINAL DECISION: FIREWALKER which improves and expands upon the paranormal world of the first book in the series has more emotional conflict between the characters and within Janet herself.

THE STORY: Janet Begay, a Stormwalker with goddess power from her evil mother, is concerned that her boyfriend MIck, a dragon, will be put on trial by the dragons for failing to kill her. She wants to help and Mick wants her to stay out of it. Janet is also struggling with her goddess powers that she cannot control. She has been warned that her friends might have to kill her as she becomes a danger to everyone. Also, there is a resurrected killer running around.

OPINION: The problem of Janet’s powers and the conflict it brings with her friends and lover was the best part of this book. Janet struggles with the powers she inherited from her mother. Those powers threaten to overcome the person that Janet is. I found this storyline to be more intriguing than the story in the first book in the series. In addition, this book assumes knowledge of the first book and thus there is less worldbuilding than in the first book. Additionally, the relationship between Janet and Mick feels more developed as well. This is a long term series where the character relationships are more slowly developed and there are ongoing and overlapping stories. This book is an episode, but there are many things left unresolved.

WORTH MENTIONING: The relationship between Janet and Mick feels much more developed in this book at by the end of the book has become much more a pairing of equals.

CONNECTED BOOKS: FIREWALKER is the second book in the Stormwalker series. The books should be read in order because the mythology builds upon itself.

STAR RATING: I give this book 4 stars.