Category: Urban Fantasy

Review: Heat

1/30/2018

Heat
Dark Kings #12
by Donna Grant

Synopsis

Nikolai is a dragon shapeshifter who knows well the meaning of loss. Orphaned and raised to be a Dragon King, he never accepts defeat. Now, Nikolai prefers his solitude . . .until a beautiful, irresistible woman calls upon him for help—and Nikola’s whole word goes up in flames.

Ever since MI5 agent Esther woke to discover her mind taken over with magic, she feels like stranger to herself. She looks to a notorious dragon, one who has the power to help her find her memory. But as she and Nikolai come closer to discovering what really happened to her, a dangerous passion ignites between them. Can this lone Dragon King help the woman he’s grown to love to uncover the truth about her past—or will a deep and fiery danger tear them both apart?

Review

This review is going to be a bit strange.

I was given the opportunity to review Heat (unsolicited), and I did because - uh, hello? DRAGONS. What I was unaware of at the time was that Heat is #12 in the Dark Kings series. I usually do not review books in a series where I have not read the previous books. What can I say? I am a completist.

With that said, I can review what I know from what I did read of this book. I enjoyed learning what I could of the dragon clans. It reminded me of J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series because of the connection each of the "brothers" has with the other.

There is definite chemistry between Esther and Nikolai that is steamy off the pages. However, there is obvious background on both of these characters that must have been discussed in the previous books. In the reviews I've read from other readers, it seems that this book is in perfect conjunction with the others in the series.

I will definitely add this series to my TBR list, but I believe that anyone wanting to take it on will definitely be pleased.

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Review: Magic Bites

7/11/2016

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Magic Bites
Kate Daniels #1
by Ilona Andrews

Synopsis

Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up magical problems. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she’s way out of her league—but she wouldn’t want it any other way…

Review

I had been curious about books by the author Ilona Andrews (the husband and wife writing duo), and I thought I would try out this series. I'm very glad I did, as it was a very different book than I'm used to. I usually like my fantasy/urban fantasy with some romance, and this had a very small inkling of that - but it was not the focus of it at all. I really enjoyed that change because it meant I got to focus on the world-building which is done well.

Now, I'm going to be honest - it took me awhile to get into this book. The world-building took a bit to take shape, and it was a slower-moving story. All these facets add to what makes the book interesting - I just had to get used to the pace. Now, Kate Daniels is a different story. I loved her from the very beginning. There isn't much focus placed on her looks (or lack thereof, which seems to be the case in some moments) which I LOVED. Instead, the emphasis is on her badassness....badassery? You know what I mean. Kate Daniels is a strong woman and she feels no need to hide it, nor does she play the damsel. Her thoughts are always on what she's doing and what has to be done.

I especially enjoyed the sparring between Kate and Curran, the Beast Lord. Curran is the leader of the shape-shifters. Their banter bordered on flirting, which was a little something extra I enjoyed. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to the next book in the series!

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Review: Dreamfever

4/29/2016

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Dreamfever
Fever Series Book 4
by Karen Marie Moning

Synopsis

MacKayla Lane lies naked on the cold stone floor of a church, at the mercy of the Fae master she once swore to kill. Far from home, unable to control her sexual hungers, MacKayla is now fully under the Lord Master’s spell.…In New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning’s stunning novel, the walls between human and Fae worlds have come crashing down. And as Mac fights for survival on Dublin’s battle-scarred streets, she will embark on the darkest adventure of her life.

He has stolen her past, but MacKayla will never allow her sister’s murderer to take her future. Yet even the uniquely gifted sidhe-seer is no match for the Lord Master, who has unleashed an insatiable sexual craving that consumes Mac’s every thought—and thrusts her into the seductive realm of two very dangerous men, both of whom she desires but dares not trust.

As the enigmatic Jericho Barrons and the sensual Fae prince V’lane vie for her body and soul, as cryptic entries from her sister’s diary mysteriously appear and the power of the Dark Book weaves its annihilating path through the city, Mac’s greatest enemy delivers a final challenge.…

It’s an invitation Mac cannot refuse, one that sends her racing home to Georgia, where an even darker threat awaits. With her parents missing and the lives of her loved ones under siege, Mac is about to come face-to-face with a soul-shattering truth—about herself and her sister, about Jericho Barrons…and about the world she thought she knew.

BONUS: This edition includes and excerpt from Karen Marie Moning's Shadowfever.

Review

Ugh. Break my heart.

You know that when a book breaks your heart - you have something.

BUT I must tell you - this is filled with spoilers. You've been warned.

Don't confuse intensity of emotion with quality of emotion, baby. - Mac's dad

I did not do a review on the third book (Faefever) because it seriously broke me. Mac goes through one of the most traumatic experiences anyone can go through - and entwining that with fae magic did not dull it one bit. Mac was basically raped by 4 fae princes (well, the fourth is yet to be determined) and was made pri-ya. It really scarred me as much as a piece of fiction could.

So you can understand why it took me FOREVER to pick up book 4. I was honestly contemplating not picking it up. What convinced me was a note to the reader by Moning at the end of Faefever that basically said, "Hey - remember what I said at the beginning - Mac made it through this." So, I kept on. And I'm really glad that I did.

There were so many feelings surrounding this part of the story. We finally get some insight into Barrons and follow Mac into the deeper areas of her personality and being. We understand, along with Mac, just how emotionally and physically strong she is.

Don't lose yourself in anger, Mac. It's gasoline. - Ryodan

I really appreciate how far Mac has come as a character - Moning has really made these characters, specifically the characters of Barrons and Mac, into such complex characters. And I truly love these characters. *heavy sigh*

And then the second traumatic thing, so far, in this series happened at the end of book 4. And that dear readers, I will not divulge.

There was another Moning note to the reader though - which I appreciated.

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March 07th, 2016

3/7/2016

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Rocked by Love
by Christine Warren

Synopsis

Kylie Kramer knows that she's putting her life in danger when she decides to investigate her friend's mysterious death. What she doesn't know is that she's being watched over by a powerful protector. A legend in stone who has defended humanity throughout the ages. A rock-hard savior who swoops down from the sky, scoops Kylie into his impossibly strong arms, and draws her into a world that no mortal woman can imagine...or resist.

ROCKED BY LOVE

As the strongest of the gargoyles, Dag is sworn to destroy the demons that threaten Kylie's world before returning to his stony slumber. But the burning desire she ignites in him is even harder to fight-an all-consuming force that, once unleashed, can never be tamed. As their passion grows, so do the ranks of a demonic army plotting to take over the earth. When the ultimate battle begins, Dag and Kylie must face some demons of their own-to carve out a love that's stronger than time...

Review

This book got my attention because, hello, gargoyles! Does anyone else remember that animated series? I loved it. So, color me surprised when I was looking through NetGalley books and came across this! Anyway - I digress...

I love reluctant lovers - you know, two people who don't want to care about the other, but ultimately do? Yeah, that's my catnip. I enjoyed how Dag has no idea what is going on because he's very much the old school person stuck in a modern world due to being asleep for a very, very long time. Kylie was an awesome protagonist because she spoke in Yiddish when overly excited or worried, and her brand of talent is that of being a cybergeek. I do love my geeks in books - especially those containing romance. At first, I was wary of reviewing this book because it is 4th in a series - but Warren does such a great job at explaining what is going on to the reader without making it sound long-winded or confusing. Basically, there is a world of guardians (gargoyles), their Wardens, and magic really does exist. Basically, Dag (gargoyle) protects Kylie, the cybergeek who is important to saving the world from the Nocturni and all impending doom.

In most books, you can get a sense of this insta-love and you get insta-something in this story. It is more like insta-curiosity which I enjoyed. I loved that Kylie is so weird (in a totally good way) that seeing this gargoyle in front of her doesn't freak her out...and I doubly-loved that it's when he transforms to his human-like self where she feels more nervous. It's hilarious. Did I mention that the women from the previous books that wake up these guardians end up being their mates? *insert eyebrow wiggle here*

There is a lot of detail in this story. I cared about the characters, swooned in all the swoony parts, and it definitely makes me want to check out the first books in the series!

"A warrior from the moment of his summoning
to his last gasp of air."

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Vaginal Fantasy Friday! Grave Witch

3/4/2016

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Grave Witch
Alex Craft #1
by Kalayna Price

Synopsis

Grave witch Alex Craft can speak to the dead, but that doesn’t mean she likes what they have to say.

As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she’s on good terms with Death himself—who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans—nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she’s attacked by the ‘shade’ she’s raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around...

To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something—though it’s certainly not his dislike of Alex—but Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life...and her soul.

Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers

Review

The Book: It took me awhile to get into this book to tell you the truth...I don't know why. However, once I got into it - I couldn't get enough! I loved it...LOVED IT. I love Alex's attitude toward everything (I don't know what this says about me). I found this world of magic, death, fae and crime to be quite fun to delve into! Also - hello hotties! Yes, I really did just say that. Death is an awesome enigma of a character and I love how Price made Death's caring/love/interest in Alex very obvious for the reader, but left Alex going, "...nahhhh." lol I honestly love that in stories. And then we get Falin *swoons* I love the "I hate you...but I kinda love you" trope!! And Falin does such a great job of sparring with Alex. I love Alex's toughness, but fault of listening to her emotions. What's wrong with emotions???? Needless to say - I cannot wait to read the second part and get more of this life of Alex, but also this lovely love triangle I find myself in when reading. This is truly saying something because I usually hate love triangles, but in this case I like both Death and Falin and I want to know how their personal stories play out.

The Vaginal Fantasy Video: Hilarious. I love these ladies. They run off in a bunch of tangents, but they are so funny! I enjoyed the video game references, recommendations, and the overall hilarity. Also - really enjoyed the fact that Felicia said we would get more in depth with the characters in book two of this series - so looking forward to it!

Also - taxidermy mice. LOVE.

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Review: Heat

Review

Review: Magic Bites

Review: Dreamfever

Don't confuse intensity of emotion with quality of emotion, baby. - Mac's dad

Don't lose yourself in anger, Mac. It's gasoline. - Ryodan

March 07th, 2016

"A warrior from the moment of his summoning
to his last gasp of air."

Vaginal Fantasy Friday! Grave Witch

Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers

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Review: Heat

Review

Review: Magic Bites

Review: Dreamfever

Don't confuse intensity of emotion with quality of emotion, baby. - Mac's dad

Don't lose yourself in anger, Mac. It's gasoline. - Ryodan

March 07th, 2016

"A warrior from the moment of his summoning ​to his last gasp of air."

Vaginal Fantasy Friday! Grave Witch

Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers Spoilers

Want to receive monthly highlights from Book Fidelity? Sign up!

Categories

Archives

"A warrior from the moment of his summoning
to his last gasp of air."