Kiara

Kiara possesses a dry wit, a sharp sarcasm, and a towering intellect. Her secret alter ego has a boring™ day job, but at night she writes and reviews speculative fiction. She carries the keys to dozens of hearts in her pockets and jumps puddles in a single bound. Her superhero power is losing her socks before they've even made it into the dryer. She also likes to tell stories, so parts of this bio may be exaggerated. Waiting for Fairies is not responsible for any credulity that may be lost in the reading of this bio.

Review: Blood Rights by Kristen Painter

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Dec 212011

Blood Rights is the first book in The House of Commaré series by Kristen Painter. It was published on October 1, 2011. There are three books currently available in this series.

The Blurb

The lacy gold mapped her entire body. A finely-wrought filigree of stars, vines, flowers, butterflies, ancient symbols and words ran from her feet, up her legs, over her narrow waist, spanned her chest and finished down her arms to the tips of her fingers.

Gothic fantasy meets vampire fiction in this debut novel from Kristen Painter – full of politics, intrigue, and blood.

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle’s body bears the telltale marks of a comarré — a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world…and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.

My Review

If you’re not burned out on vampire books yet, Painter gives us a nice, unique twist on the genre with Blood Rights. Our main character, Chrysabelle, is a comarré, which is basically a fancy term for a certain species of human that is born as food for the vampire nobility. Because doesn’t every girl want to grow up to be a pampered trophy and gourmet meal? Yeah, me neither – and apparently neither did Chrysabelle, as she was planning to leave her rich patron and luxurious life for a normal one in the mundane world.

Before she can, of course, her patron is murdered and Chrysabelle is forced to run for her life. She runs to her aunt (who is not really her aunt, as no comarré knows who her biological family is), who has been living a mundane life as the handicapped owner of a cosmetic company in what we are told is New Florida. This designation puts a near-future spin on the tale, but we’re told no real details of Florida – either the old or the new.

Mal, the conflicted outcast vampire who has been cursed to kill every human he drinks from, is a welcome addition (and contrast) to Chrysabelle’s story. I was ready to like Chrysabelle when she stabs Mal in the bar at the beginning of the story, but this was before we find out that not only is she apparently ambrosia to vampires but she also has been trained from a young age in combat skills. In fact, Chrysabelle apparently has no flaws whatsoever, except for the fact that she seems alarmingly (and conveniently) attracted to the outcast Mal for someone who is supposed to be keeping herself – and thereby her blood – “pure”.

I’m being kind of snarky here, so let me reassure you that the story was gripping enough that I didn’t think about any of these annoyances until I sat down to write this review. The only thing that bothered me at the time was the obviousness of [character] being [this other character] from [first character's] past. Twice. Sigh.

Personally, I found the supporting characters more engrossing. Mal is haunted by the voices of the people he’s killed, but only one of them can manifest herself as a real ghost. She’s interesting, as well as the cat shapeshifter who happens to be in love with her. This gentleman kitty is cursed [Cursed again? Everyone is cursed in this book...] to only be able to shapeshift into the form of a house cat. I will most likely continue reading the series simply to find out what happens to those two, and to the noble vampire villainess who has allied herself with a creature who is described – but not named as – what can only be some sort of demon.

This book is listed on NetGalley as being adult fantasy, but it looks and reads more like a young adult novel to me – and apparently I’m not the only one who thinks so. The cover is gorgeous, the writing is sensual, and for those who don’t mind a little predictability in their stories, it’s overall a pretty nice tale. I’d recommend it for voracious readers, vampire fans, and older teens. I’m luke-warm about this one myself, but I will continue reading and I suppose that’s all that matters, yes?

Rating:

Thoughts on WFF’s Upcoming 5 year Blog-o-versary!

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Dec 182011

Though I started this website way back in 2006, I didn’t post my very first review here until March 3rd, 2007. (It was Vicki Pettersson’s Scent of Shadows, if you’re curious.)

This means, of course, that Waiting for Fairies turns FIVE YEARS OLD in March of 2012! I’d like this year’s Kiaras Festivus celebration to be extended to coincide with this anniversary. What would you like to see this year? Please fill out the below form and leave me your feedback!

Poll will close in two weeks!

Review: Midnight by Ellen Connor

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Dec 142011

Midnight is the second book in the Dark Age Dawning trilogy from Ellen Connor. Ellen Connor is the pen name of dynamic writing duo Ann Aguirre and Carrie Lofty. Dark Age Dawning is an apocalyptic paranormal romance. This book was published September 6th, 2011 from Berkley Sensation.

The Blurb

Their desire destroys her defenses.
Their love gives him a reason to live.

Three years of wandering the post-apocalyptic wasteland has stripped Dr. Chris Welsh of humanity and hope. He’s a dangerous man now, full of dark energy and yen for violence. A harrowing loss drove him from his home, and he hasn’t stopped moving since. Grim and sardonic, he never found anything worth sticking around for – until now.

Rosa Cortez runs Valle de Bravo, a haven of civilization amid the chaos of the Change. Soldiers take their orders directly from her–the iron hand within a velvet glove. The last thing she needs is a feral loner upsetting the town’s tentative balance. However, for the good of her people, she lets the sexy doctor stay. He evokes a delicious new longing, but she won’t submit to any man.

Tension rises as bloodthirsty raiders strike again and again, bent on possessing Valle and its resources. Together Chris and Rosa battle hellhounds and dust pirates while also fighting desperate attraction. To save them, love must overcome the pain of the past–and build a future in this brutal Dark Age…

My Review

Let me as blunt as I can about this: I only volunteered to review this book because I saw Ann Aguirre’s name attached to it and hadn’t had the privilege of reading her work yet. I had no idea, at the time, what this book was about. I didn’t even know what genre it was in.

If I had known it was a paranormal romance novel – even a post-apocalyptic one – I probably would have passed on it. And that would have been a crying shame, because this is one damn fine novel. I plan to look up the books that came before and after this one so that I can find out more about the world. It’s fascinating. (Note: It is not at all necessary to have read book 1 prior to reading this one.)

Chris and Rosa are brave people doing their best to live in a brutal new world. Make no mistake that this is a romance novel. You will need the customary relationship suspension-of-disbelief and there is indeed a “happily ever after” of sorts. However, the setting is also fully realized (in vivid, blood-spattered technicolor) and the romance doesn’t overwhelm the other elements of the story.

Overall, I was surprised and pleased with how wonderful this novel is. In fact, I might just be re-evaluating my ban on romance novels, based solely on how well I genuinely enjoyed this book. Shocking, I know. Midnight has totally reset – and raised the bar for – my opinion of romance as a genre, something I never expected to be saying at all.

Rating:

Review: Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

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Dec 072011

Darker Still is a paranormal young adult novel published on November 8th, 2011 from Sourcebooks Fire. It is the first entry in the new Magic Most Foul series.

The Blurb

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart’s latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing…

Jonathan Denbury’s soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

My Review

Leanna is careful to use authentic Victorian vernacular in her novels, and this book is no different. The rhythm and poetry of the language is almost like meditation: it forces you to slow down and breathe and savor. That’s what I like so much about her work – even when there’s a killer on a rampage, there’s a tranquility to it that somehow serves to heighten the tension even more than if the pace were frantic instead. To give an era-appropriate example, it’s a technique that Poe used well and it’s similarly effective here.

If I could ask the author one question, though, I would want to know why Natalie needed to be a mute. Maybe that’s a factor that comes to play more of a role in the sequels, but our heroine’s background at a Victorian-era “school for the deaf” is mentioned several times but seems not to make much of an impact on the story line itself. (Natalie struggles, but is able to talk eventually when she needs to.) It’s not that I don’t like to see diversity in my reading (I do). It’s more that I’d like my diversity to have a purpose rather than be a “token”. I honestly don’t think Leanna has put this in as a token gesture, though. I just don’t understand her motivation yet.

I will say, though, that if the only purpose was to give Natalie another tie to Denbury and his painting (she can talk there but not in the real world), then that’s kind of weak. It works, but it’s a poor psychological trick to play on a supposedly strong female protagonist. On the other hand, she’s a teenager. Natalie does have more sense than some recently-in-the-news female protagonists inhabiting YA novels (who will remain nameless). So there is that. It’s always a good sign with a YA when I have to stop and remind myself that the characters’ motivations annoy me because they’re being written effectively as teenagers.

In short, Leanna has me hooked. As usual. If you’re a YA or paranormal (or both) fan, then you can do worse than spend an evening or two reading Darker Still.

NaNo Ate My Brain – So Go Enter This Contest

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Nov 272011

I should have oodles of reviews for you in December. Until then, head over to the Qwillery and enter this awesome anniversary contest to win tons of cool stuff.

Review: Tricks of the Trade by Laura Anne Gilman

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Nov 102011

Paranormal Scene Investigations #3

The Blurb:

WHEN MAGIC GOES WRONG, WHO ARE YOU GOING TO CALL?

The name’s Torres, Bonnie Torres, and I’m a paranormal scene investigator—rooting out the truth about crimes of magic. It’s dangerous and boring and scary and fascinating. Though not everyone in the Cosa Nostradamus is happy we’re around, which can make things…tricky.

Working two cases—looking into a murder for the NYPD, and a rich man’s break-in—should be well within our abilities. But when things start getting weird in the Electric Apple, Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations is stretched to the limits, trying to keep one step ahead and out of trouble. Add in rumors of a powerful creature gunning for us and it’s not just our rep on the line this time—if we don’t solve this case, everyone will suffer.

Fortunately, around here, when the going gets weird, the weird hire us.

My Review:

Yeah, yeah, I know. I’m a total Laura Anne geek. Whatever. I can do nothing but embrace my fangirlishness, apparently. Plus, I couldn’t resist requesting this book on NetGalley and that means you get a review. So here. Have one.

This is the 3rd book in the series and I think it’s really hitting it’s stride now. The mystery in this one doesn’t quite have the political/social significance of the last, but it’s just as twisty. And Gilman comes up with the perfect didn’t-see-it-coming-but-couldn’t-end-up-anywhere-else ending (again).

Honestly, the only complaint I have with this is that I’m a little ‘meh’ about the romance. But I’m almost always a little ‘meh’ about the romance, so I’m fine with that. (An aside: an urban fantasy with a romance I’m not ’meh’ about? Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstrom series. Read it. Live it. Love it.)

I liked Bonnie a lot more in this one. Maybe it’s the little-bit-less self-assured, little-bit-more insecure vibe she’s giving off here. She was kind of arrogant before, so I’m enjoying seeing her get broken down a smidgen.

So. Yeah. Have you read Gilman yet or are you procrastinating? Well, stop that. Go get one. You know you want to. (This book releases November 15th per Their Majesties at Amazon </sarcasm> so you have 5 days to get caught up and buy this one!)

Review: Child of Fire by Harry Connolly

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Nov 052011

The Blurb:

Ray Lilly is living on borrowed time. He’s the driver for Annalise Powliss, a high-ranking member of the Twenty Palace Society, a group of sorcerers devoted to hunting down and executing rogue magicians. But because Ray betrayed her once, Annalise is looking for an excuse to kill him–or let someone else do the job.

Unfortunately for both of them, Annalise’s next mission goes wrong, leaving her critically injured. With the little magic he controls, Ray must complete her assignment alone. Not only does he have to stop a sorcerer who’s sacrificing dozens of innocent lives in exchange for supernatural power, he must find–and destroy–the source of that inhuman magic.

My Review:

Damn, this is a depressing book. Ray is living with his own death hanging over his head, waiting for his boss to turn around and kill him instead of look at him. In the meantime, there are children bursting into flaming silver worms and when nothing but their ashes are left not even their parents remember they ever existed.

The mysterious Twenty Palace Society is intriguing but not explained. At all. Even their name remains an enigma – not to mention their membership, powers, goals, etc. Personally, despite their (somewhat) good intentions, they kind of sound like assholes. Ray would have done a much better job if someone had explained some stuff to him.

I respect the techniques that Connolly has used in this book. You can read the author’s explanation for some of his choices here. I feel, however, that some of them – especially not explaining more about the Twenty Palaces – serves more to isolate the reader than to engage them. Instead of wanting to know more about these people, I ended up deciding that they were a bunch of jerks that I really didn’t want to know at all. Honestly, despite Ray being a (mostly) sympathetic character, it was the lure of needing to know who, what, and why someone was preying on the children that kept me reading.

I get that having the new guy take a grand tour of the supposed-secret society is really stupid. Yet the reader has to have SOME sort of sense of who these people are and what they stand for (besides, apparently, “they’re the good guys even though they’re assholes”) or it’s hard to care which side wins.

Anyway, my biggest problem was a lack of engagement with the supposed “good guys”. That doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy the book. The language was great, with good imagery, and the pace was rocket-fast. I’d be picking up the next two in the series right now, except… Except if you read the rest of that link to the author’s post, you’ll know that the series has been canceled by the publisher, uncompleted.

Boo. Just when I’d picked up the series after hearing so much about it (and I was literally in the middle of the first book when that announcement was posted), it was coming to a sad, unfulfilled end. Just because there were some problems in execution, that doesn’t mean the book has no value. In fact, my bottom-line opinion is that this is an excellent author who made a couple of bad choices, has learned from them, and will do better next time. Read his post and decide for yourself.

Here’s what I will say right now:

I don’t have the time to invest in a series that doesn’t have an ending, but
The very second Harry Connolly releases another book, I’m going to be all over it, and –
I’m going to promote the shit out of it.

I can’t wait.

Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

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Oct 102011

Graceling

The Seven Kingdoms #1

Written: Kristin Cashore

Published: October 2008

Publisher: Harcourt Children’s

ISBN: 9780152063962

Obtained via: Gift

Blurb:

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

My Review:

This book kept me up until 2am. I had no intention of staying up this late, and even though I read this on a Friday, I am still ticked off about it.

Katsa is the teenage assassin of a king. Her job is to kill or torture anyone her king points her toward. So – it’s your typical coming-of-age story, really. Katsa struggles to find herself while under the yoke of her king and then strikes out on her own to solve a mystery, fall in love, and save the world.

It’s what I wanted as a teenager. Didn’t you?

This book also has the creepiest bad guy I’ve run across in a long, long time. I won’t spoil it for you, but – Wow. Creeptastic.

The romance is sweet and tender. I love that it’s so clear and true – no ambiguous love triangle, like I’ve seen in so many other young adult novels lately. Stable couples have become a personal preference of mine.

Only pick up this book when you’re ready to devote the time to finish it. One page will hook you and you’ll look up hours later to realize you’ve spent all day (or night) caught in the grip of Kristin Cashore’s world.

You’ve been warned.

Rating:

L.J. McDonald Giveaway Winner!

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Oct 082011

Random.org says the winner of the L.J. McDonald giveaway is…

~ap~

Congratulations ~ap~! You should be receiving an email soon with a free download code for your book!

Signal Boost! A Walker Papers Kickstarter Campaign

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Oct 022011

If you’re a CE Murphy Walker Papers fan – or just want to toss a great author an extra few bucks, then check out this Kickstarter campaign for a new novella and possibly extras!

It’s been 24 hours and the campaign is already fully funded but you still have a few weeks to jump in and get this story if you’d like to be included.

In other WFF news – don’t forget to add a comment to this post to win a digital copy of L.J. McDonald’s newest book!

Guest Post + Giveaway: What’s In A Name? by L.J. McDonald

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Oct 012011

L.J. McDonald is an author for Dorchester Publishing, home to our already esteemed Leanna Renee Hieber. She is the author of the Sylph series, consisting of The Battle Sylph, The Shattered Sylph, and the upcoming Queen of the Sylphs. If you haven’t heard of L.J. McDonald before, don’t worry – I hadn’t either. What I can tell you now, after reading the first book in the series, is that if you’re a fantastical or paranormal romance fan, then I think you want to give this series a try. I am admittedly hesitant to pick up any sort of romance novel, and yet I read the first book in this series and really enjoyed it. It was original and engrossing – and reading it digitally means there are no embarrassing “man-candy” covers to display in public! As my regular readers know – from me, this is a huge endorsement! Stay tuned after the guest post for an e-book giveaway!

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

L.J. McDonald

Sòlas is a Gaelic word meaning solace, comfort, consolation, contentment, pleasure. I can’t pronounce it. My ability to speak French, the second language of my country, makes people laugh. My ability to say anything in Gaelic, which I don’t speak at all, is likely an abomination. However, I can look in a dictionary with the best of them.

If anyone does any serious study of the history of English – I haven’t, which means I just know enough to get myself into trouble – they learn that a lot of English words find their origins in ones from other languages, such as Latin. J.K. Rowling took all the spell names she used in her book from Latin words. I think this is brilliant, not that I knew enough Latin to realize it until I read the fact on a blog somewhere. It’s also something I’ve been doing for years, likely the same as a lot of authors, but I’ve been using Gaelic instead of Latin.

I brought up the word Sòlas because that’s the word I used to come up with the name for Solie, one of the heroines in my Sylph series. Obviously, I immediately bastardized it, since I don’t particularly want anyone to look at the name and go “hey, she named her heroine Comfort.” Plus I only know the definition of the word and nothing about how it’s used in context.

I don’t always do this. Sometimes the name just comes to me. I have a mental list of names I’d always planned to use and sometimes they fit that way. Leon got his name that way. Sometimes, however, it backfires on me. I love the name Blue. Took me a while to realize I’ve used it in three separate books now. All minor characters. After I finished laughing, I decided to leave it that way, just to see down the road if anyone notices. Only one of those books is on the shelves right now. Autumn’s shown up twice too. That one I’m more peeved about. It’s going to change in the other book once I get around to getting it fully typed and published.

Heyou’s name was a joke from Solie’s first words to him of “hey you”. So was Wat’s. It’s basically a misspelling of ‘What’? I’m sure there’s some sylph out there somewhere whose name is “Ohcrap” or even something ruder.
Back to the use of Gaelic. Sala definitely came from Gaelic, though there’s no exact use of the word Sala in Gaelic. It’s a corruption of a word that gives a very large hint as to her character. That’s why I like it. By taking a name from an existing word, I can give it a meaning, even if it’s one only I know.

A character’s name is very important. In a novel, it can give a fast first impression of that person and affect the way that people see them. In a fantasy it can throw the reader right out of their immersion in the world. I have a minor character in QUEEN OF THE SYLPHS called Fhranke. In the first draft, I called him Frank. I was asked to change that because it was too jarring for the beta readers. I’m sure no one would take a battler seriously if I named him Bubbles, but if I felt so inclined, I could name him Suilean and only true Gaelic speakers would want to throw the book at my head (which means I’d likely called him ‘Suilen’ instead. Close enough to Bubbles the battle sylph to make me laugh).

I’m not entirely sure how other authors come up with their names for people and places, but it doesn’t come easily to me. Using Gaelic as a source helps in finding a word when I’m stuck that has a flow to it that doesn’t sound like English and feels like it could be from a fantasy world. Besides, that way I can name some villain Asalpur someday and only I would ever know that it loosely translates as ‘donkey butt’.

Asalpur….hrm….I like it.

This is Kiara back again and now it’s time for our giveaway! One lucky winner who comments here by October 7th (11:59:00 PM Eastern) will win a download code from Dorchester Publishing to get their own copy of Queen of the Sylphs!

Here’s the blurb:

It was a dream come true. Solie had her own battler, a creature of almost infinite magic who could vaporize legions in the blink of an eye and would willingly suffer a thousand bloody deaths to protect her. She was his love. More simply, she was his queen.

Many others feel the same. The new-built settlement is a haven for all. Erected by sylphs of earth and fire, air and water, the Valley is Solie’s dominion. But, lovers without peer or killers without mercy, the very nature of their battler protectors means peril. It is not in any sylph’s nature to disobey, and while some are hers to command, others are the slaves of Solie’s enemies—the jealous, the cruel. Those who guard her must not fail. Their peasant-born ruler is not yet safe as…QUEEN OF THE SYLPHS

Review: The Death of Torberta Turchin by Shannon Mawhiney

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Sep 272011

The Death of Torberta Turchin

Written: Shannon Mawhiney

Published: 03/11/11

Publisher: Createspace

ISBN: 1460937902

Obtained via: Author

Blurb:

Torberta Turchin, or Torby for short, is a 14-year-old girl who has spoken to the dead ever since she can remember. After her parents’ death in a tragic car accident when she was very young, her relatives sent her to St. Christopher’s boarding school for the mentally ill, where she lives a relatively normal and happy life. Short of some demanding and needy ghosts, Torby has never been much bothered by the voices, especially because her best friend, a musician named Charlie who died in the 1930s, is among them.

When she becomes the target of strange events at the school though, she needs Charlie’s help, and the help of a new boy who not only can hear Charlie… he can see him. Together they must figure out who is behind the attacks, before it’s too late, for Torby and for her classmates.

Will she survive to another year? …or will she join Charlie on the plane of the dead?

My Review:

The Death of Torberta Turchin is a surprisingly well-written and engrossing YA novel. The kids at St. Christopher’s have so many problems that it’s easy to sympathize and feel sorry for them. The mystery is intriguing, even if it is easy to puzzle out.

The ending, though, seemed a bit sudden and had a tacked-on-with-glue feeling. You know by the title how the story will end, but the author’s vision of the afterlife seems not nearly so fleshed out as that of the living world. There is an obvious allusion to a sequel, however, so the author should have ample opportunity to expand that later – though that’s not an excuse for leaving even the bit we do see here lackluster.

I admit to being a bit put off by what seems to be the “moral” of this story. Torby’s fate seems to say, “All my problems were solved by dying!” My guess is that this isn’t what the author meant to say. At least, I hope it isn’t. That would be a very poor lesson to give teenagers who have enough pressures in the current day.

My biggest concern is that, if the author isn’t trying to tell teenagers that death is preferable to living with a mental or emotional problem, then she failed to get her real message across. This is bad. Still, a book can be just a book and not a life lesson, so I wouldn’t recommend readers avoid this story on that alone.

The book touches on serious things that are real life problems: schizophrenia, pyromania, trichotillomania, and bulimia are a few. Though it doesn’t truly address any of these things, they are depicted as treatable conditions that one can adjust to and live with – encouraging if you’re a teen who is dealing with one of them.

If you’re a YA paranormal fan, I’d recommend it. Though, as should always be a given, I recommend adults who are unsure of the themes to read it before, or along with, their kids.

Rating:

Upcoming Author Guest Post & Giveaway!

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Sep 242011

One week from today, on October 1st, Waiting for Fairies will be hosting Dorchester author L.J. McDonald. She is the author of the Sylph series, consisting of The Battle Sylph, The Shattered Sylph and the recently released Queen of the Sylphs. L.J. will discuss with us how she chooses names for her characters, the likes of which are Solie and Heyou. WFF will also be giving away a download code for a digital copy of Queen of the Sylphs to one lucky commenter – so stay tuned!

If you’ve never heard of L.J. McDonald before, that’s okay. I hadn’t either until I was contacted for this guest blog. Since that time, I’ve read The Battle Sylph, courtesy of Dorchester, and I thought it was pretty darned nifty. This is a fantasy romance about a girl who escapes being used as a virgin sacrifice by a rescue from the very demon whose summoning was supposed to be completed by her death.

Regular readers here will know that if there’s one genre I’m prejudiced against (At least I’m self-aware and working on my flaws, okay?), it would be romance. I find most romance novel plots weak, contrived, and the sugary-sweet HEAs (Happily Ever Afters) nauseating. If you’re like me, I think The Battle Sylphs would be a pleasant surprise. (And if you’re not like me, then you’ll probably enjoy this series even more than I did.)

The world was original; the plot was engrossing. Secondary characters were more than mere cardboard cut-outs. The best part? Reading the series digitally means there are no “man-candy” covers to be embarrassed about if you’re reading in public!

This series reminds me of Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera, with less focus on the military aspects and more on the relationship and human interactions. It also, unexpectedly, says quite a bit about misconceptions and prejudice, if you’re paying attention. And if you’re not, it’s still an entertaining read that left me frankly shocked at how late it kept me up. I’ve come to the conclusion that Dorchester publishes some damned good stuff!

Review: Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis

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Sep 012011

Hard Spell

Occult Crimes Investigation Unit #1

Written: Justin Gustainis

Published: July 26, 2011

Publisher: Angry Robot

ISBN: 0857661159

Obtained via: Purchase (So long, Borders, we hardly knew ye!)

Blurb: (Reviewers note: This ‘blurb’ is a mash-up of the ones found on the author’s website and GoodReads.)

Stan Markowski is a Detective Sergeant on the Scranton PD’s Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit.

Like the rest of America, Scranton’s got an uneasy ‘live and let unlive’ relationship with the supernatural. But when a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that’s when they call Markowski. He carries a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.

In this “alternate universe,” supernatural creatures really exist, and everybody knows it. In Scranton, PA, when a “supe” breaks the law, they call Detective Sgt. Stan Markowski of the Occult Crimes Unit. Now somebody is murdering vampires in Scranton, and Stan learns that it’s all part of a renegade wizard’s ritual to gain ultimate power. Unless this evil magician can be stopped before the spell is completed, Bad Things Will Happen. Fortunately, when it comes to busting supes, Stan Markowski is one bad motherf**ker.

My Review:

Justin Gustainis is a super-cool guy. He’s been recommended by the likes of Lilith Saintcrow, Charlaine Harris, Rob Thurman, and Jim Butcher. He is the king of the cross-reference, the pop-culture allusion, the nerd-culture in-joke. He even had Mac, of Mac’s Pub Harry-Dresden’s-favorite-place-for-a-steak-sandwich fame, in a cameo in one of his books. (That would be Evil Ways.) In other words, I highly recommend that you get off your butt right this second, rush out (or to your computer) and give this guy’s work a try.

Still need convincing? Fine. Fine. Here’s the rest of my review.

Hard Spell is the first installment of a new series called Occult Crimes Investigation Unit series, henceforth known as OCIU because wow, what a mouthful! Stan Markowski is a detective with the OCIU in exotic Scranton, PA (*snerk*) and he’s having a bad day. He was recently widowed AND his partner was just killed by a drug-addicted goblin. Supernatural citizens of Scranton are turning up murdered, and there’s a truly Evil book missing that everyone refuses to talk about. The department’s white witch on staff has disappeared after a necromancy ritual gone wrong (which Stan feels responsible for), and a couple of jerky witch-hunters sniffing around after her. Oh, and did I mention that Stan is still not sure what to do with his estranged daughter, Christine – who also happens to be one of the vampires Stan hates most?

There’s a lot going on here, and though the story is fast-paced and gripping as hell (kind of literally, actually), there are some problems. First, there’s a bit of disjointedness in the beginning. The story of Stan’s partner Paul being killed by the goblins is interesting and is a great introduction to the world. However, since it happened seven week before the rest of the plot, I’m still trying to figure out where it fits with the story. Gustainis’ work is usually much tighter than this, so I was a little shocked at how out-of-place this seems. It is a pretty awesome scene, though, so I kind of can’t blame him for not cutting it.

Second – and this was a problem so big that it threw me right out of the story – is the copy-editing. The really, really terrible copy-editing. For the record, I read the mass market edition, so I don’t know if the same problems exist in the digital version. There are words that seem to be missing in places or the wrong word is used entirely. Those are big enough to notice but small enough to ignore if you have to do so. (Many, many books do this. It happens, and if you’re an habitual reader you get used to it.)

The scene I have the most problems with is Rachel’s necromancy ritual. First, she makes four forty-five degree “quarter” turns, and ends up facing back the way she started. (Those would need to be ninety degree turns, folks!) Then during her invocation of the elements, she calls upon fire twice and skips water all together. (I’m a Pisces, which is a water sign. Maybe I’m being too sensitive? Nah!) Anyone familiar enough with the paranormal to enjoy reading urban fantasy is going to remember that the four elements are NOT air, fire, fire, and earth!

Honestly, that scene alone would have made the book a wall-thumper IF this had not been written by Justin Gustainis. It was only my respect for his other work that made me grit my teeth, chalk it up to a bad copy-editor at a new publisher, and soldier on.

I’m glad I did, too. The integration of supernatural and mundane is pretty fascinating. How many urban fantasies do you remember with goblins? Stan is a flawed guy who often ends up doing all the wrong things for the right reasons. I also find the setting of Scranton, Pennsylvania kind of humorously intriguing. Why Scranton? Don’t get me wrong, I’m thankful it’s not another New York-Los Angeles-New Orleans-Atlanta kind of story. And Kim Harrison already took the unique approach of using my hometown of Cincinnati. I’m just curious what the allure of Scranton was for the author. (Not for the characters, though, as that’s explained in the narrative.)

Bottom line? This story is at about 80% the quality of the Quincy Morris series. It’s obvious that this world isn’t as “solid” to the author as that of the other. If you’re new to Gustainis, I recommend you start with Black Magic Woman instead. That said, I still think OCIU #1 is a worthwhile book. As the first in a new series with a new imprint, I’m willing to give it a break for now. I will definitely be catching the next one.

Rating:

Review: Dragon Virus by Laura Anne Gilman

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Aug 292011

Dragon Virus

Written: Laura Anne Gilman

Published: June, 2011

Publisher: Fairwood Press

ISBN: 1933846259

Obtained via: Purchase

Blurb:

It began soon after the Millennium. Reports of newborns with strange malformations, too weak to live . . . caused by a single genetic mutation. Or, as the press quickly dubbed it, the Dragon Virus. Scientists predicted that it was an evolutionary dead end; that the mutation would burn itself out quickly; that it was nothing to be worried about.

They were wrong.

Every racial type. Almost every continent. No known cause. Human-created, maybe. Or just God, throwing the dice. Infecting us, warping us. Tied into our genetic code, from here on in. No known treatment. No idea where even to begin.

Everything was about to change.

My Review:

The Apocalypse. It’s been written of in many, many ways over recent years: viral plagues, meteors, zombies, climate change, earthquakes, vampires, hurricanes and floods. Dragon Virus is another of those apocalyptic stories – but it’s not at all the same. As the title pages says, this is ‘a tragedy in six evolutions /an evolution in six tragedies’. Or, as T.S. Eliot famously said,’This is the way the world ends/Not with a bang but a whimper.’

What Dragon Virus gives us is six glimpses of a unique apocalypse that spans generations. Generations during which humans manage to breed themselves out of existence. The titular disease is actually a genetic mutation, an aberration which scientists originally said would be a short-lived mistake of Mother Nature.

They were wrong.

This is no X-Men-esque story, where beings of special looks and talents (though there are those) become both humanity’s villains and saviors. As so often happens in real life, the true villain of the story is human nature. It is human nature that causes the rift between homo sapiens and other. And it is “human” nature in both – shall we call them species? – that causes the eventual implosion of society and culture as the rift tears the world as we know it apart.

From the body of a tiny stillborn Dragon child, to the pitiful remains of a human baby so loved by her Dragon brother that he smothers her in her crib rather than see her persecuted for being “different”, this is no happy story. Gilman has left us no shreds of hope here that homo sapien will triumph – indeed, this is a true apocalypse, as when the story is done humanity no longer even exists at all. This is an unflinching look at the most brutal parts of society and people in general: prejudice, persecution, violence, suicide, violation, murder.

Dragon Virus is a small, unassuming volume. Slim and nonthreatening, even with it’s bloody cover art. Don’t be fooled. Between it’s covers is a truly frightening look at how easily humanity could really fall apart.

Available as a limited, signed, numbered hardcover edition from Fairwood Press, there are still copies available. (I received copy #26.) I can tell that I personally debated the price point for quite some time, before I admitted that I was intrigued enough by the blurb that I needed to be able to read it. I wasn’t at all disappointed in what I got back for my money.

It’s no secret that I think Gilman is one of the oft-overlooked masters of the craft. Dragon Virus, although not for the faint of heart, is not only worth the money – it’s worth the nightmares afterward, too.

Rating:

Review: In the Dead Volume 1 by Jesse Petersen

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Aug 152011

In The Dead: Volume 1

Companion to Living with the Dead Series

Written: Jesse Petersen

Published: July 2011

ISBN: 0012768200

Obtained via: Author

Blurb:

When the Zombie Apocalypse began in Seattle and spread within days to almost the entire western half the country, the survivors had to figure out how to deal with the plague and live one day at a time. These are their stories.

If you liked Jesse Petersen’s zombie comedies Married With Zombies, Flip This Zombie and Eat Slay Love, these nine stories are set in the same world, but from the perspective of other survivors.

My Review:

This is a collection of shocking and compelling stories telling of the human condition during and after a zombie outbreak. Some are tender, some filled with the resilient human spirit of hope… and just a few end in despair. All of them are likely to break your heart at one point or another. This volume is an excellent introduction to Petersen’s work, or a must-have addition to a fan’s shelf. And, this digital edition is easy to carry in case of Zombie Apocalypse!

It also has a wonderful price point — only $2.99 over at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

(And my deepest apologies to the author. I thought I’d posted this review two weeks ago, and turns out it hadn’t gone up as planned. Oops!)

Rating:

Review: The Mumbo Jumbo Circus by Jane George

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Jul 262011

The Mumbo Jumbo Circus

Written: Jane George [website]

Published: April 15, 2011

Publisher: Red Willow Publishing

ISBN: 9781936539086

Obtained via: Author

Blurb:

Magic. Mystery. Mayhem. The MUMBO JUMBO CIRCUS…

When the enigmatic Ringmaster asks 15-year-old Evanja (Evan) Leane to run away and join the circus, she says yes. Anywhere’s got to be better than foster home Number Eight. Evan learns that this ragtag circus, a haven for throwaway teens, relies on more than spectacle and illusion. This circus is built on magic. Each of the teens possesses a donvrai, a true gift, that manifests only in the presence of the Ringmaster’s mysterious Ju-Ju. Unlike many of the other teens who must wait for their donvrai to emerge, Evan’s gift surfaces on her first night: she can read horses’ minds. This would be totally awesome except she has been deathly afraid of horses since foster home Number Three. But circus is a dying art. If Evan wants to save her beloved new-found home, she must concoct a brilliant horse act that will bring in the crowds. And she’d better get over herself and get on with it fast; there’s a traitor close to the Ringmaster who will stop at nothing to make sure she doesn’t succeed.

With B&W illustrations.
Contains: some swearing. Recommended for age 14 and up.

My Review (Which Contains Vague Spoilers, If You Care About Such Things):

The Mumbo Jumbo Circus is a sweet and eccentric coming of age story filled with all the strangeness a circus story should have. I haven’t had this much fun with a circus novel since Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks with a Circus. The writing is lovely and the story is a breath of fresh air. I really like it, and am looking forward to buying a copy for my niece in a few years.

I only have one or two beefs with the book. Jacques and his henchmen kidnapped Evan, and she was rescued — but there was no final confrontation. The good guys didn’t “win” so much as the bad guys were put off for another day. That plot line just kind of petered out and never resolved itself, leaving me feeling vaguely cheated. And what about Chandi the Tiger Tamer? Are she and her tigers stuck being tormented simply because the Mumbo Jumbo “ju-ju” said so?

Happily, I sent off a question to the author, and discovered that Mumbo Jumbo *is*, in fact, the beginning of a series. There are six books planned, each with a different POV. This fixes most of my issues – namely, the unanswered questions. It still feels a bit like the big climax happened in the middle of the book, but since this is just the beginning of things I’m much more willing to forgive that.

Honestly, I was quite pleasantly surprised* and pleased with how well this book was written, and its deft exploration of significant teenage themes like fitting in, contributing to society, teamwork, and standing up to bullies. The illustrations were lovely. (Why don’t more books do that?) I recommend this for teenage readers who don’t mind a bit of whimsy; it’s certainly a nice change from the very necessary but fairly dark turn that some YA books have taken lately.

*The surprise wasn’t really this author’s fault. I’ve just had a bit of a bad run lately with the quality of books I’ve been asked to review.

Rating:

White Trash Zombie Giveaway Winners

Books, Featured, Recommendations 4 Responses »

Jul 212011

I am insanely late with announcing these winners, since the contest ended on — what? the 14th?

I can only apologize profusely. I forgot. No excuses — I just completely forgot.

So here’s what I’m going to do. I only had 3 comments on this giveaway. So everybody wins!

Christine, Pamela (Spaz), and Blaise please send your mailing addresses to kiara (at) waitingforfairies (dot) com. I will send each of you a copy of Diana Rowland’s wonderful White Trash Zombie and probably a bonus or two as well. I have some extra copies of things lying around, and you guys deserve it for being so patient.

So get your info to me and I’ll get your prizes out all lightning-like!

Review: Hounded by Kevin Hearne

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Jul 152011

Hounded

The Iron Druid #1

Written: Kevin Hearne [website]

Published: May 3, 2011

Publisher: Del Ray

Obtained via: Purchase

Blurb:

Atticus O’Sullivan has been running for two thousand years and he’s a bit tired of it. After he stole a magical sword from the Tuatha Dé Danann (those who became the Sidhe or the Fae) in a first century battle, some of them were furious and gave chase, and some were secretly amused that a Druid had the cheek to defy them.

As the centuries passed and Atticus remained an annoyingly long-lived fugitive, those who were furious only grew more so, while others began to aid him in secret. Now he’s living in Tempe, Arizona, the very last of the Druids, far from where the Fae can easily find him. It’s a place where many paranormals have decided to hide from the troubles of the Old World—from an Icelandic vampire holding a grudge against Thor to a coven of Polish witches who ran from the German Blitzkrieg.

Unfortunately, the very angry Celtic god who wants that sword has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power, plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good, old-fashioned luck of the Irish to kick some arse and deliver himself from evil.

You can read the first six chapters of HOUNDED for free right here.

My Review:

Kevin Hearne is my newest discovered favorite author. I read both Hounded and Hexed (book 2 in the series) in a row, and I’d have read the third, Hammered, too, if I’d only been able to find it. (It will be released the day after I am writing this, on July 5th!)

Atticus O’Sullivan’s voice has all the snark and pop culture references of Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden without the tinge of misogyny that drives some people batty. (For the record – not me.) And, as much as we all love Harry (and we do, don’t we?), that series has gone to some very dark places recently. Except Atticus is really nothing like Harry at all, and making that comparison does both men a disservice. Saying, “X is just like Y!” is sort of disrespectful to the work both authors have done to make their work unique. Although, let’s be honest, I’ll lie a bit and make the comparison anyway if it gets some people to read this series. I’m sneaky that way.

Anyway!

Atticus is a 21(hundred)-year-old Druid living in today’s Tempe, Arizona (which, let’s face it, is basically Phoenix – unless you live there, in which case it Totally. Isn’t.) His best friends are his telepathically linked Irish Wolfhound, Oberon; the nice old Irish lady from his neighborhood, who likes to drink whiskey and sexually harass him when he mows her lawn; and Morrigan, the Celtic goddess of death and the battlefield, who usually takes the form of a crow with glowing red eyes and would just as soon eat him as look at him.

With a pissed-off love god coming to kill him to reclaim a legendary Irish sword, the Tempe police tailing him because of a dead body in the desert, and a coven of Polish witches meddling in his affairs, Atticus can’t tell his friends from his frienemies. He’s used to running away from his problems, but this time he decides to take a stand.

I loved this book, and I can see even just from the following volume that the author’s work is getting even better. I look forward to following this series through a long and prosperous life.

Rating:

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