Early Review- Kill City Blues (Sandman Slim, Book 5) by Richard Kadrey (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 400 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: July 30, 2013
ISBN: 978-0062094599
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in the Sandman Slim series
Source: eGalley for review from Edelweiss
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the 5th book in the Sandman Slim series and it was an excellent one. I love these characters, the strange cultural references, the gritty surroundings, the crazy action scenes, and of course the hilarious banter between characters. I got a copy of this to review through Edelweiss; thanks to Harper Voyager and Edelweiss for the chance to read this book.

Stark (Sandman Slim) has finally gotten rid of his job as Lucifer and he is trying set up a life for him and Candy in LA. Of course somewhere along the way he misplaced the Qomrama Om Ya, and this kind of was the weapon that is preventing the old gods (you know the ones that want to destroy the earth and humanity) from escaping their prison. So of course he needs to find it, and to find it he will have to venture into the incredibly creepy and dangerous Kill City.

Excellent continuation of this series! I just love these books so much, they are so much fun. I read them and chuckle and laugh out loud the whole time. The violence is hilariously over the top and Stark just has so much attitude. I love watching him trash all the rules and knock heads together...because of course you know he’s doing it all for the good of mankind...and maybe a little bit for his own chuckles.

All of our favorites are back in this story. Candy, Brigette, the Father, Kasiban, and of course all the pieces of God. They all interact so well together and are so crazy they are just a pleasure to read about.

Stark, with Candy and his friends at his side, is different than before. Now he has backup and people he cares about. Really it’s made him a better person, now he has a reason for all the violence that goes beyond survival.

The action scenes are awesome and gory and hilarious, the settings are creative and dank and creepy, the banter between characters in hilarious, and the obscure cultural references make you feel a bit warm and fuzzy inside when you understand them. This series just keeps getting better and better. It is wrong to laugh and chuckle at the murder of people? Nah, not if they are really bad people...right?

The book is lots of fun to read and incredibly entertaining...it was also very hard to put down. Parts are disturbing and parts are hilarious and all of it is downright wonderful. I love that each book wraps up a portion of the story nicely but is part of a broader story as well.

Overall a perfect addition to this series. I love these books so much. This book is gritty, funny, has great interesting characters, wonderfully creative settings, and is spectacularly entertaining to read. Definitely an adults only read, duh. I also love that these are complete stories but are part of a broader story as well. HIghly recommended to those who love gritty urban fantasy. Seriously this is one of my favorite urban fantasy series out there. I can’t wait to see what this series brings next.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Reading Challenge
- Paranormal Reading Challenge
- Color Coded Reading Challenge

Audiobook Review - The Lost Hero (Heroes of Olympus, Book 1) by Rick Riordan (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 576 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Release Date: April 3, 2012
ISBN: 978-1423113461
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Heroes of Olympus series
Source: Audiobook through Audible.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the first book in the Heroes of Olympus series by Riordan. There are five books planned for this series, the series is a spin-off from the Percy Jackson series and takes place after the last Percy Jackson book. I enjoyed the book, it was well done. If you enjoyed the Percy Jackson series I think you would enjoy this book as well. You don’t have to read the Percy Jackson series to understand what is going on in this book, however that series does provide a lot of excellent background for this new series.

I listened to this on audiobook and really enjoyed it. The narrator did an excellent job with the different character voices and with conveying the characters’ emotions. This book uses a different narrator than the Percy Jackson series which was a good idea for starting a new series like this. I would definitely recommend listening to this on audiobook if you enjoy audiobooks.

The book is told from three points of view. Jason, Piper, and Leo all go to the Wilderness School for troubled children. Jason, however, has no memory of how he got there or who he is. Piper is the daughter of a famous actor and has a secret of her own. Leo can build things, pretty much out of nothing. All three of them end up at Camp Half-Blood and are sent on quest to help the Gods face a new and dangerous enemy.

This book was a solid addition to the extended Percy Jackson world. This book features a different set of characters. It's a bit formulaic, but I liked the Percy Jackson books so I am okay with more of the samish type of story done in a different sort of way.

All of the characters are very engaging, easy to relate to and interesting. They all have a lot of depth to them and have secrets and mysteries they need to unravel. As in the Percy Jackson books, all three of them need to figure out who their godly parent is.

They go on a quest to free Hera from capture and along the way find out they are facing an enemy even more dangerous than the Titans. I won’t say a lot more than that about the plot. As with previous books by Riordan there are lots of excellent action scenes and encounters with crazy and creepy mythological creatures. There is a lot of humor throughout as well which makes these books a fun read.

I pretty much liked all of the characters equally. It was nice to have part of the story from a girl’s (Piper’s) perspective. This should make the book a bit easier for young girls to relate to as well. I enjoyed the characters’ interesting powers too.

As I said above the layout of the book is very similar to other books Riordan has written; the characters get a quest, fight an evil monster, travel, fight another evil monster, travel to beat a tight timeline and then confront a very big bad monster. I enjoy the action and the mythological creatures, so I happen to enjoy the story even if it is similar in structure to previous ones.

I love how this books builds on the Percy Jackson series some. We do hear about the characters from the Percy Jackson series and they are in the story some. They don’t play a major part in the story, but they are there in the background and occasionally the foreground influencing events and helping out our new characters.

Overall this was a very enjoyable and entertaining read. I loved the expansion on the world we were introduced to in the Percy Jackson series. I enjoyed the new characters a lot and found them interesting and easy to engage with. I love the new plot and the new big bad enemy that these heroes have to face. I also enjoyed the mythological fights and creatures that we run into throughout the story. I definitely recommend this to fans of middle grade fantasy. I also recommend to anyone who enjoyed the Percy Jackson series. I can’t wait to read The Son of Neptune now!

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Audio Book Challenge
- 150+ Reading Challenge
- TBR Pile Reading Challenge
- Young Adult Reading Challenge

Review - The Menagerie by Tui and Kari Sutherland (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade/YA
Genre: Fantasy
Size: 288 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: March 12, 2013
ISBN: 978-0060780647
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Menagerie series
Source: ARC through Amazon Vine
Rating: 4/5 stars

I got a copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program to review. The premise sounded absolutely intriguing. It was a very well done book; full of mystery, adventure, and fun. It was a lot of fun to read and I enjoyed the characters and all of the mythical creatures.

Logan finds a griffin pup hiding under his bed and this leads him to meeting Zoe. Zoe’s family has guarded and run the Menagerie for generations. When the griffin pups break free Zoe is in big trouble and is frantically trying to track them all down. If she can’t track them all down both Menagerie and the griffin’s lives will be at risk!

This was a super fun read, mostly about friendship and sprinkled with lots of awesome beasties. Logan is a pretty lonely kid, having just moved to the area. When he gets wrapped up in Zoe’s crazy Menagerie he finally finds both friends and an extended family of sorts.

Logan is a great character. He’s just your average boy, trying to fit in and make friends. Then he gets wrapped up in the Menagerie and suddenly he finds that he is more resourceful and brave than he ever knew.

Zoe and Blue were also great characters. They both have interesting lives and complex pasts. I loved reading about them both. There is definitely a theme of friendship throughout the book and about accepting people for who they are.

I really enjoyed reading about the different magical beasts. The griffins were adorably obnoxious, the unicorns aloof, and the mermaids a bit creepy. The book was fast-paced and very engaging and hard to put down. The story itself was fairly straightforward, but did have some twists and turns.

I liked that this book was aimed at boys and girls equally. We hear from both Zoe and Logan, so this book should appeal to both boys and girls. I think it would be appropriate for middle grade and older readers. There isn’t anything super scary in here, so younger readers might enjoy it as well.

The book was well written and easy to read. The plot wrapped up nicely, but there are still mysteries that are yet to be revealed. I am hoping these mysteries are unraveled in future books.

Overall a very fun read. I enjoyed the characters, the magical creatures, and the fast-paced plot. Recommended to fantasy lovers out there who love middle grade reads about mythical beasts. A great read for both boys and girls. Definitely recommended, I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- YA/MG Fantasy Reading Challenge
- 150+ Reading Challenge
- Debut Author Reading Challenge
- Young Adult Reading Challenge

Early Review - Midnight Blue-Light Special (InCryptid, Book 2) by Seanan McGuire (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 368 pages
Publisher: DAW
Release Date: March 5, 2013
ISBN: 978-0756407926
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the InCryptid series
Source: ARC through Goodreads First Reads
Rating: 5/5 stars


I have read all of Seanan McGuire’s October Daye series (which I adore) and her Newsflesh series written as Mira Grant (which I also loved). This is the second book in the Incryptid series and it was even better than the first! I got a copy of this book to review through Goodreads First Reads program. This was a fun read, that was action packed and very well put together. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Verity is recovering from the deadly snake-cult mystery in the first book when she gets some dreadful news from Dominic...the Covenant is coming to the city to clear out all of the InCryptids. Now Verity has to find a way to protect both the InCryptids and herself from the Covenant. She also has to figure out if Dominic is with or against her. Part of the story is also told from Sarah’s POV (Sarah is Verity’s cousin who is a cuckoo).

The book is told from both Sarah and Verity's POVs. Cleverly you can tell which chapter is told from which POV by the little pictures up top. Verity's chapters are headed with bloody dance steps, while Sarah's are headed with math equations.

This was a very well done book. It's full of wonderfully creative characters and is a lot of fun to read. You never know what new type of beastie is going to be around the corner. The plot keeps you guessing, the pace is fast, and the book is action packed.

Verity grow a lot in this book. She is finally learning how to trust her friends and depend on them for some backup in this book. She also begins to come to terms with her life and her...destiny. She starts to have to truly decide what form her life will take; that of a professional ballroom dancer or that of a cryptozoologist.

We get a lot of insight into both Dominic and Sarah’s characters in this book as well. Sarah tells some of the story from her POV and she is a very interesting and complex character with an interesting background. We also learn quite a bit about Domonic’s background as well.

As with the past books there are many quirky characters in here. The mice are here in force and as strangely entertaining as they were in the last book. You never know what strange type of mythological beastie you will run into next. They are all interesting and engaging.

Parts of the book are laugh out loud funny, others are touching. All in all a very entertaining and well balanced book. There is a lot of action. As well as a lot of mystery solving.

Overall I absolutely loved this book. It is a perfect balance of everything that makes urban fantasy wonderful. You have creative characters that are fun and easy to engage with and a complex action-packed plot that is fast-paced plot. This book is intelligently written, super fun to read, and absolutely engrossing. It was so hard to put down. Those who love urban fantasy should definitely pick up this whole series, it’s been wonderful to read so far. I also recommend her October Daye series, which is less action packed but also exceedingly well written.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Reading Challenge
- DRAGONS: Paranormal Reading Challenge
- BLUE: Color Coded Reading Challenge

Review - The White Tiger (Dark Heavens, Book 1) by Kylie Chan (2.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 528 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: August 30, 2011
ISBN: 978-0061994050
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in the Dark Heavens Trilogy
Source: ARC through Amazon Vine
Rating: 2.5/5 stars

This is the first book in the Dark Heavens trilogy. This is a tough review for me to write because I am a bit torn about this book. I loved the idea and the Chinese mythology...but the writing is just sooooo bad. It’s almost like Chan has trouble with her English and didn’t have a decent editor.

Emma is a native Australian teaching English as a second language in Hong Kong, she also teaches private lessons after hours. John Chen, a client of hers, wants to hire her to be a full time nanny for his daughter Simone. For Emma it’s the chance of a lifetime, she loves teaching Simone and John is paying her really good money. Then Emma finds out that John isn’t exactly human and that her life may be in more danger than she ever dreamed.

Okay let’s start with what I loved about this book. I absolutely loved learning about the Chinese mythology; it was fascinating and super interesting. I loved the characters. Emma is spunky, yet nurturing, and just a neat character. John Chen is amazing; I love that he’s a God yet is so down to earth and love to spend time with his daughter. Simone adds a ton of laughter and fun to the story, she is four years old and an absolute delight to read about.

The gods that flit in and out of their lives are fun to read about. John’s predicament of not being able to take True Form until Simone is grown is an interesting one and lends a fascinating aspect to the story. The tension between John and Emma is delightful, and I was really rooting for them to work things out.

There are a ton of action scenes and lots of martial arts training both of which I enjoy reading about. I loved the exotic settings that the stories take place in as well.

So what’s wrong with this book? Well it is just absolutely horribly written. Hands down it is one of the most awkwardly written books I have ever read. The language and dialogue between characters is very uncomfortable and stilted throughout.

Chan repeats herself a lot which causes the story to move slowly. Chan also uses the same descriptors over and over and over again. Emma is constantly described as cold-hearted...which doesn’t really make sense and sounds awkward. John and Emma constantly say they are fools, people around then call them fools....I get it they are fools. These descriptors are just really awkward and uncomfortable to read. The English sounds very broken throughout and there are a lot of things technically wrong with this book...and by I lot I mean pretty much the whole book.

I kept reading this book in hopes that Chan would find her stride at some point. She just never does...in fact the book got worse the longer I read it. I just loved the idea behind this story so much, I really wanted to love it.

I really really want someone who can actually write to write a book with this idea behind it. Maybe a great urban fantasy writer like Ilona Andrews, Jennifer Estep, or Kim Harrison can cut a deal with Chan and write this awesome story in a way such that it is actually readable.

Overall a pretty bad read. There are some great characters and ideas here; I wanted to love this book. I did enjoy the tension between John and Emma, the mythology, and the action scenes. However, the writing is some of the worst I have read this year. The language is broken, awkward, and stilted. Chan repeats herself over and over using the same adjectives over and over and they are awkward sounding adjectives. The pacing is slow because of Chan’s language and writing struggles.

Maybe future works by Chan will be better written. Chan has some great ideas, she just can’t quite seem to get them on paper in a way that’s readable. Not recommended. Instead check out other urban fantasy such as books by Ilona Andrews, Kim Harrison, Jim Butcher, or Jennifer Estep.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge
- TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Early Review - Trapped (Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 5) by Kevin Hearne (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 320 pages
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: November 27, 2012
ISBN: 978-0345533647
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in the Iron Druid Chronicles series
Source: eBook through NetGalley.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

Thank to netgalley(dot)com and Del Ray for providing a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is the fifth book in the Iron Druid Chronicles. The sixth book will be called, Hunted, and is scheduled for a 2013 release. This was an excellent addition to this highly entertaining series and a lot of things come to a head in this book.

Granuaile is finally done with her druid training and ready to be bound to the earth, but Loki has been freed and is disrupting travel through the planes. As a result the only place Atticus can bind Granuaile is right outside of Olympus. Atticus and Grauaile end up dodging Bacchus, dark elves, and vamps dressed as clowns. They need to figure out what is going on if Atticus is ever going to get Granuaile's binding finished.

This was a very fast paced story with lots of wonderful mythology. This book ties up some loose ends from previous books while starting some new storylines as well. As usual with these books there is a ton of humor.

This book starts out twelve years after the last one ended. This was an awesome decision on Hearne’s part because that’s just a blink of an eye in Atticus’s life and we get to pick up right where Granuaile has finished all of her druidic training.

Atticus has made a lot of enemies in his long life and this is the book where he finally has to pay for some of those bad decisions. He faces off with Bacchus and ends up involved with Leif again as well. In addition to that we are introduced to the super mysterious and creepy dark elves. Yep, Atticus has been blaming Dark Elves for everything bad that happens for a large part of his life...now they are here to make him pay the piper.

Atticus does have some good growth as a character. He is learning to stand back and let Granuaile make her own decisions. He also finally confesses his feelings about Granuaile too.

Granuaile has some amazing character growth in this novel too. Granuaile has changed in the years that she’s been training, while still staying the same witty and intelligent character she’s always been. Now she can kick some serious butt as well, she makes some awesome decisions, and she doesn’t stand for any of Atticus’s crap. She’s with Atticus because she respects him and loves him, not because she needs him to protect her. She adds a lot of fun to the story and is completely deadly with a knife...

Oberon is here as well and continues to drive some incredibly funny and witty dialogue.

The beginning of the story consists of Granuaile and Atticus dodging a lot of their enemies while they try to finish Granuaile’s binding to Gaia. In this part there are a lot of things happening that don’t seem related. As the story continues Hearne does an excellent job of bringing all of these story threads together. Many things from previous books are resolved, while many new story lines are started. Of course hanging over everything is the question of when Ragnarok will happen.

There is a ton of mythology in this book; Norse, Greek, and Roman...as well as a good dose of adventures in faerie land. I continue to enjoy the Norse gods the most, the story of why they want revenge on Atticus is the most relevant. The Greek Gods are less engaging, but still add a bit of fun to the plot.

Overall a wonderful addition to this series. Lots of action and humor, as well as character growth. It was great to see Granuaile come into her own and I continue to really enjoy the mythology woven into the story. The story is fast-paced, creative, and well thought out. This whole series is highly recommended to urban fantasy fans. I would definitely recommend starting with the first book of the series, because all of these books are pretty awesome.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Early Review - Krampus by Brom (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 368 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: October 30, 2012
ISBN: 978-0062095657
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: eBook for review from Publisher
Rating: 4/5 stars


I got a copy of this book from the publisher for review. I have loved Brom’s previous books and was excited to see what he would come up with next. This was a very adult story about what happens when Krampus the Yule Lord faces off with Santa Claus. It was an interesting story and well written

Jesse is a loser whose wife has left him; he wants to make it big as a music star but can seem to play in front of crowds. His life changes when he sees Santa’s sleigh attacked by horned beasts. When something crashes into his house he finds something that both Santa and Krampus want dearly; Loki’s magical bag. Jesse reluctantly agrees to help Krampus in exchange for Krampus helping Jesse save his family from the criminal low-lifes in the small town Jesse lives in.

This was a very interesting re-imagining about Krampus the Yule Lord. Brom combines traditional folklore with Norse mythology to come up with a tale in which Santa Claus and Krampus throw down in a small town plagued by joblessness and meth.

You can’t help by feel some sympathy for Jesse, I mean sure he is a loser...but he is also really in the wrong place at the wrong time. I love the twisted path Jesse’s life takes as he joins Krampus and seeks to save his family.

Krampus and Santa are both fascinating characters. Krampus is a wonderful mix of hope, joviality, and naughtiness. Santa can kick some serious butt and is a complex character in his own right.

All the characters in this story are very human and complex, this is one of those books where no one is really good or right. It makes for an interesting read.

This was a well written tale that was entertaining and engaging. I received this as an eGalley and although some of Brom's artwork was present in the eGalley there wasn't a ton of it; I am curious to see what the final book looks like.

This is definitely an adult only book and (as with Brom's other books) doesn't shy away from the darkness of humanity. There is swearing, torture, beatings, and abuse aplenty. If you are a Brom fan you already know he likes to explore the dark parts of humanity.

Brom includes a very well done afterword on the work he did researching the legend of Saint Nicholas. He explains how he came up with the idea to tie Saint Nicholas to Krampus. It made for an interesting explanation and read.

Overall this was a good read; although I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Child Thief. Definitely for adults only. This was an interesting blend of folklore and Norse mythology. It was an engaging, fast-paced, and intriguing read. Recommended to those who are interested in Santa/Yule Lord folklore and to those who are big Brom fans. If you like dark and somewhat disturbing urban fantasy I think you will enjoy this book as well.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Review - Sweet Shadows (The Medusa Girls, Book 2) by Tera Lynn Child (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 336 pages
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: September 4, 2012
ISBN: 978-0062001832
Stand Alone or Series: 2nd book in the Medusa Girls series
Source: Borrowed through Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the second book in the Medusa Girls trilogy. It was an excellent read and I really enjoyed it. Lots of action and some interesting mythology as well.

Gretchen, Greer, and Grace couldn’t be more different but their mission is the same. These triplets must fight to save San Francisco from the monsters who threaten to overrun it. As more and more of their mentors are captured by the enemy, they are forced to enter the Abyss to save the city and those they love.

The book switches viewpoint between Gretchen, Greer, and Grace. Child does an excellent job of giving the girls very distinct voices without making them sound stereotypical. Gretchen is the kick-butt fighter who’s been fighting monsters her whole life. Greer is the rich socialite with neglectful parents. Grace is the somewhat geeky sister with a relatively normal family life. Each sister had her own set of struggles she is dealing with even though the mission is the same.

In this book the sisters find out more about the upcoming war and what their part in it will be. Things end up being much more complicated then they seemed in the first book, Sweet Venom. There are a bevy of Gods involved and each has their own ideas on how to use Medusa’s descendants to their best advantage.

I really enjoyed the monster hunting and all of the wonderful action scenes throughout the story. I enjoyed getting to finally enter the Abyss with the sisters and see what kind of creatures dwelt there. I also really loved all of the mythology in this book; there is some interesting Greek mythology and it ties in wonderfully with the story.

Although each of the sisters kind of has a love interest this is more of an urban fantasy than a paranormal romance. Most of the sisters’ time is spent staying alive and unraveling the secret of the door than anything else.

This was a very easy and fun read. It is also a clean read; there are some fight scenes and some kissing but I think it would be appropriate for middle grade and older. It was awesome to get a great monster hunting type of story without all of the gore and language.

Overall a wonderful continuation of this series. The different POVs of the three sisters works really well and I enjoyed all of the monster hunting and mythology throughout. Recommended to those who love YA urban fantasy and mythology. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait to see what the third book in the series, Sweet Legacy, will hold.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Novella Review - Two Ravens and One Crow (Iron Druid Chronicles, Book 4.5) by Kevin Hearne (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 68 pages
Publisher: Del Rey
Release Date: September 4, 2012
ASIN: B008TSC2E2
Stand Alone or Series: 4.5 in the Iron Druid Chronicles series
Source: eGalley from netgalley.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

This novella takes place between books 4 and 5 of the Iron Druid Chronicles. It was an excellent read and did a great job of capturing all the things I love about this series; lots of humor, interesting mythology, and interesting history.

Atticus is six years into training his apprentice Granuaile when the Morrigan comes for a visit. She wants Atticus to take a 2 week trip with her. Since this is the Morrigan, and you don’t say no to a goddess like that, Atticus agrees. What follows is some tattoo repair and a meeting between Gods.

As with all the previous books in this series the humor in this book is awesome and had me laughing a number of times. Oberon and Granuaile aren’t in the story a ton but they are in there enough to get their humor in. Most of the story takes place between Atticus and the Morrigan.

The Morrigan has been a reoccuring theme in these books. In this novella Hearne does something interesting, he actually lets us look into the Morrigan a bit, not as a goddess, but as a person. It was great fun to see a little of what makes the Morrigan tick and to see a little vulnerability in her. Her relationship with Atticus has always been an interesting one.

We also finally get to see Atticus and Odin face off. It is a most excellent conversation to be present for and I enjoyed it a lot.

There is a preview of the next book in the series, Trapped, which I did not read. I am not a big fan of previews and prefer to wait until the book is released to start reading it.

Overall an excellent addition to the Iron Druid Chronicles. If you are a big fan of this series make sure and pick up this novella. If you are a big fan of urban fantasy then you should definitely read this series. If you haven’t read this series than you should. It is a wonderful blend of humor, action, and mythology.

Audiobook Review - The Serpent's Shadow (Kane Chronicles, Book 3) by Rick Riordan (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Genre: Fantasy/Mythology
Size: 416 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH
Release Date: May 1, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-1423140573
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd (and final) book in the Kane Chronicles series
Source: Audiobook through Audible.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the third, and final, book in the Kane Chronicles. It was a good conclusion to this series. Although this series is well done and I enjoy it, I still don’t like it as much as Percy and the Olympians.

I listened to this on audiobook which is something I don’t recommend. Although they have two voice actors (one who reads Sade’s part and one who reads Carter’s) the girl who reads Sade’s voice is very shrill. At points her voice actually distorted on the speakers in my car because she was just so shrill....so stick to reading this one in printed format if you can.

Sade and Carter need to destroy the snake of chaos, Apophis once and for all. Unfortunately for them the magicians are on the brink of civil war; those who follow the way of the gods (Sade, Carter and crew) versus the magicians from the House of Life who believe the power of the Gods shouldn’t be wielded by humans. Sade and Carter are forced to rely on the ghost of an evil magician to help guide them to a way to destroy Apophis for good.

If you liked the previous books in this series I think you will enjoy this book as well. The plot has a lot of twists and turns as the Kanes try to find some way to destroy Apophis once and for all. The path to destroying Apophis is complicated and intriguing. I love the mythology in this book and it is interesting to learn more about Egyptian mythology.

All of our favorite characters are here. There is a side quest to find the shadow of the dwarf god to see if they can revive him as well. Bast the cat goddess is present in spurts and she is a lot of fun like usual.

More of the plot is dedicated to Zia and Carter’s relationship problems than in previous books. Similarly a lot of the story focuses on the Sade/Anubis/Walt love triangle as well. I have to say this was one of the most creative ways I have ever read of solving a teenage love triangle problem; it was pretty darn amusing. I didn’t enjoy that the book focused on these relationships so much, but they are wrapped up nicely so I guess I can’t complain too much.

My biggest problem with this series has been that I just don’t enjoy the characters that much. Part of it might be that the story goes back and forth between Sade and Carter. But both Sade and Carter come off as a bit annoying to me. The other problem I have is that things are fairly predictable; the plan is outlined pretty early on and there are some twists, but in the end you know what is going to happen very early in the story.

There are hints that tie this book to both the previous series (Percy’s) and a possible future series featuring other gods (I’ve heard rumors that Norse mythology is next on Riordan’s list).

Overall a decent conclusion to this series. I don’t enjoy the characters as much as Percy and the Olympians and thought this series as a whole was just more predictable than that series. It is still a well done series and I enjoyed learning more about Egyptian mythology. If you’re already a fan of the Kane series then definitely read this book as well. If you enjoy adventure/fantasy/mythology this is a good series to read.

This series goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Graphic Novel Review - Homelands (Fables, Book 6) by Bill Willingham (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Graphic Novel
Size: 192 pages
Publisher: Vertigo
Release Date: January 1, 2006
ISBN-13: 978-1401205003
Stand Alone or Series: 6th book in the Fables series
Source: Bought
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the sixth book in the Fables series; the most recent book will be Fables Vol. 17: Inherit the Wind which releases in July 2012. This was an absolutely excellent addition to this series. We get to learn a ton about the Adversary and venture deep into the Fables Homelands.

The first few chapters are about Jack and Jill escaping the Farm and starting a production company in Hollywood. The rest of the book is about Boy Blue and how he journeys back to the Fables Homelands to defeat the Adversary.

The first few chapters about Jack were okay, but nothing super special. This kind of seemed like filler, but maybe it will play a bigger part in the overall story later.

Bigsby Wolf and Snow White aren’t really in the book at all; which was disappointing because I wanted to read more about all those crazy babies that Snow White had in the last book.

The rest of the book focuses on Boy Blue and his journey into the Fables’ Homelands to defeat the adversary, and what a journey it is! Boy Blue has a magic cloak and the Vorpal sword and man can he kick butt. We find out a ton about the Adversary and what we learn is surprising and a bit disturbing.

Really this issue answers a ton of questions and introduces some absolutely amazing new characters. If you have enjoyed the previous Fables books, you’ll love this one. This one has a lot more fantasy in it than urban fantasy; which I loved.

Overall one of my favorite Fables yet! We learn a ton about the Adversary and get to watch Boy Blue kick some butt with the Vorpal blade. The story moves forward a lot and I really enjoyed it. Highly recommended for fans of fantasy or urban fantasy graphic novels.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Graphic Novel Challenge
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge

Early Review - Dark Frost (Mythos Academy, Book 3) by Jennifer Estep (4.5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 336 pages
Publisher: Kesington
Release Date: May 29th 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0758266965
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Mythos Academy series
Source: eGalley through NetGalley.com
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

This is the third book in the Mythos Academy series by Estep. This book was an excellent addition to this series; thing really build in this novel....there is a ton of action right from the get-go. There is just so much that happens. The fourth book in this series, Crimson Frost, is scheduled for a Jan 2013 release. Right now there are six books on contract for this series.

Gwen and friends are at a museum finishing up their homework before winter break is over. Things are pretty normal, that is until the Reapers unleash a devastating attack on the museum killing a number of students. Gwen runs into Loki’s Champion during the attack and finds out that the Reapers are searching for the Helmheim Dagger. Now Gwen has to figure out where the Helmheim Dagger is hidden before Loki’s followers, the Reapers, do.

This book is action packed right from the get-go. Seriously the opening scene has our beloved group of characters fighting for their lives against a mass of Reapers. This was a great book, a lot of huge momentous events happening and a number of changes in the characters we love so much.

This being a YA paranormal book there is some teen angst here. Luckily it never overwhelms the story; there is some angst between Gwen and Logan because they want to be together but Logan doesn’t want Gwen to know his secret and with her psychometry she will know it if she touches him. There is also a little bit of mean girl cattiness between Gwen and Logan’s ex-girlfriend.

A lot of the characters grow in major and interesting ways. Daphne learns what her Valkyrie power is, Gwen learns how to use her psychometry as a weapon, Logan tries to make peace with his past, and we finally learn the history behind why that librarian hates Gwen so much.

Most of the story is an investigation of sorts. Gwen is trying to hunt down the Helmheim dagger using the clues provided. She also takes on a side job trying to hunt down a girl’s ring; the mysteries end up tying together nicely.

There is one really great new character in this book and that is the Fenrir (giant wolf) that Gwen saved in the last book. Her name is Nott and she plays a major role in the story. As with previous books the Goddess Nike makes an appearance as well.

I continue to love the mythology throughout the story. I am also really enjoying the magic system and how Gwen is learning to use her psychometry in new and interesting ways. The story never gets too heavy because Gwen is wonderfully snarky and sarcastic. This is a tough book for our characters though, many of them suffer loses, and the situation is more dire than ever before.

Overall just an absolutely wonderful addition to this series. This is my favorite book in the series so far. So many huge things happen and there is so much great character development. Things just keep get more interesting. I really enjoy the balance of action, excellent characters, a wonderful world, an intriguing magic system, and a little bit of romance. This is highly recommended for urban fantasy fans; both adult and YA. If you are an adult I also strongly recommend Estep’s  Elemental Assassin  series.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Horror and Urban Fantasy Challenge
- 150+ Books Reading Challenge