Audiobook Review - Blood Trade (Jane Yellowrock, Book 6) by Faith Hunter (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 368 pages
Publisher: Roc
Date: April 2, 2013
ISBN: 978-0451465061
Stand Alone or Series: 6th book in the Jane Yellowrock series
Source: Audiobook through Audible.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the sixth book in the Jane Yellowrock series and I am just amazed out how this series keeps getting better and better. The seventh book in this series will be titled Black Arts and is scheduled to release in 2014. This was a fantastic read, action packed, and full of all the wonderful characters we’ve come to know and love.

I listened to this on audiobook and it was spectacular. This is one of those books that is actually better on audiobook than in paper format. The narrator sounds completely like I imagine Jane would sound and does an excellent job on other character voices as well. The narration is perfect, capturing tone and emotion wonderfully.

Jane Yellowrock receives a call from the Master of Natchez, Mississippi; he’s got some Naturaleza he needs taking care of and he thinks Jane is the one to do this. Of course when Jane arrives she finds things are much more complicated than that. These aren’t normal Naturaleza...they are something much harder to kill. To add to the complication a friend from Jane’s past, Misha, is in town and wants to talk to Jane about vamps. When Misha disappears Janes realizes that there may be some witchy things thrown into this Naturaleza mess.

These books just keep getting better and better. I absolutely love how fast-paced these books are. I love Jane as a character too; she is funny and heartfelt and tough. Jane continuously struggles with her need to protect humans by killing vamps and the morality behind taking the lives of living (or dead) things. She is battling some depression in this book and it was interesting to read about heroine dealing with that and trying to get on with what needs doing. Jane is trying to figure out how to find some happiness again but it is taking some time.

All of our other favorites are here too. Bruiser is in the story, Rick is back to cause some trouble, and of course the boys (Eli and the Kid) are watching Jane’s back. I love the dynamic between Eli, the Kid, and Jane. It’s like a little vampire killing family and they really provide the backup Jane needs (both emotionally and physically).

I am starting to get a bit sick of the whole love triangle between Rick, Bruiser, and Jane. The romance going on there was kind of at a standstill in this book. There is a ton of tension between Bruiser and Jane and Rick and Jane. It didn’t add a lot to the story and was more distracting than anything. I hope that this love triangle gets resolved soon so that Jane can either develop (or not develop) a relationship with one of those men.

Misha brings along another old friend of Jane’s, Bobby. Bobby is mentally challenged but has some special magic skills of his own. He added a lot to the story with his sunny disposition and gave us a glimpse into Jane’s past as well.

I loved all the witchy elements and vampiric transformation things that were going on in this story. A lot happens and the plot is fairly complex, but I found it all to be incredibly interesting and engaging. There are a lot of very well done action scenes in here and the spidey vamps add a whole new level of creepy to this story.

I also love that there is a contained story here but it ties into the larger story that’s been developing from book to book. It is amazing how Hunter ties all these books together and it really shows how much planning and work she’s put into this series right from the beginning. The book is very well written and I really enjoyed it.

Overall a spectacular addition to this series. I enjoyed it alot. We learn more about Jane’s background and are introduced to many new and interesting creatures and characters. I love how Jane is developing a family of sorts of her own and that she has a good support team at her back. The book in incredibly engaging and really pulls you in. This is definitely more urban fantasy than paranormal romance, which I enjoy. I can’t wait to read Blark Arts! This series is highly recommended to fans of action packed urban fantasy.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- Audio Book Challenge
- 150+ Reading Challenge
- Paranormal Reading Challenge

Review - Have Stakes Will Travel (Jane Yellowrock Short Stories) by Faith Hunter (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 143 pages
Publisher: Roc
Release Date: September 4, 2012
ASIN: B008EXNMZA
Stand Alone or Series: Short stories from the Jane Yellowrock series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is a collection of short stories about Jane and her friends. I bought this for Kindle and really enjoyed most of the stories.

My favorite stories of the bunch were Haints and Cajun with Fangs. Both of these were new to me and very well done. Signatures of the Dead first appeared in the Strange Brew anthology and was the story I read that convinced me to start reading the Jane Yellowrock series.

You can see below for a brief description of each story and what I would rated it.

“WeSa” (3/5 stars)
This story is set very far back in Jane’s past. Her and Beast’s hunting grounds are falling prey to white men and they need to defend them. Very short story and much of it is from Beast’s perspective.

“Haints,” (5/5 stars)
Jane and Molly Trueblood investigate a haunted house. I really enjoyed this story a lot. It gives interesting insight into Molly’s past and was very engaging and well done.

“Signatures of the Dead” (4/5 stars)
Molly works with Jane to bring down some rogue vampires. The story moved quickly, was very engaging, and had lots of good action scenes.

“Cajun with Fangs” (5/5 stars)
Jane stumbles upon a war between witches and vampires when stopping off in a small town to fix her bike Bitsa. I like how this story ties in with Jane’s struggles about being the enforcer for Leo.

Overall a very solid collection of stories. Highly recommended if you are a fan of the Jane Yellowrock series. The whole Jane Yellowrock series is very well and I highly recommend it if you love action packed urban fantasy.

Review - Out for Blood (House of Comarre, Book 4) by Kristen Painter (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 480 pages
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: October 30, 2012
ISBN: 978-0316200172
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the House of Comarre series
Source: Gift
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the fourth book in the House of Comarre series by Painter. The fifth (and final) book will be titled, Last Blood, and is scheduled for a Spring 2013 release. I enjoyed this book, it is again told from a billion points of view, but it worked better for this book than the last one.

This book picks up with Chrysabelle recovering from her ordeals in the last book. She is trying to figure out what the Ring of Sorrows has done to her since it was melted into her skin. Meanwhile Titania is presenting her new vampire baby to the masses. Lola is trying to find someone to turn her into a vampire so she can rescue her granddaughter (the above mentioned vampire baby). Lola is also wreaking havoc with Paradise city in general. Lastly Doc is taking over the local shapeshifter pack and finds the position comes with a wife, which really pisses off Fi.

Does the above sound like a strange paranormal soap opera? Well that’s pretty much what this book is. This book picks up where the last left off. It uses uses a ton of POVs to tell the story. We hear from Creek, Crysabelle, Mel, Doc, Fi, Lola (the mayor), and Titania. This works pretty well for the this book and the flow wasn't too choppy because of it. Still, I liked the first couple books where the main POVs were Crysabelle and Mel much better.

We hear a lot from Titania and Lola in this book and I really don't enjoy either of them much as characters. Both of them are short sighted and selfish. Crysabelle continues to have a blind spot where Mel is concerned and their relationship progresses very slowly, but it does make some progress. Mel is a bit of a weenie, I constantly want him to stand up for himself better against Crysabelle.

There are a lot of storylines going on here. Overall I enjoyed some of the developments in this book. I also enjoyed the way the storyline behind Mel's curse and the Ring of Sorrows is developing. I am curious as to where the plot with Lilith the vampire baby is going as well. The only disappointing thing is that even with a good length book the story progress slowly because of all the viewpoints.

Despite all the POVs, the writing is well done and easy to read. The book was engaging and hard to put down. I plan on reading the final book in the series for sure

Overall a solid addition to this series, if not as good as the first two books. We hear a lot from Titania and Lola and they just aren’t my favorite characters. Mel and Crysabelle take a backseat to everything else that is going on. There isn’t a ton of action in this book either, it is pretty much a paranormal soap opera. The story also suffers from slow progression because of the multiple POVs. Despite all of the above, I still enjoyed the book and found it to be well written and engaging. Recommended to fans of paranormal books.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
- 150+ Reading Challenge
- VAMPIRES: Paranormal Reading Challenge
- TBR Pile Reading Challenge

Audiobook Review - Gunmetal Magic (Kate Daniels World, Book 1) by Ilona Andrews (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 448 pages
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: July 31, 2012
ISBN: 978-0425256138
Stand Alone or Series: 1st book in Kate Daniels World, 5.5 book in Kate Daniels series
Source: Audiobook through Audible.com
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the 5.5th book in the Kate Daniels series and the 1st book in the Kate Daniels World series which features side characters from the Kate Daniels series. This book features Andrea Nash. It was a very well done book and it was good to hear Andrea’s back story and get more insight into her character.

I listened to this on audiobook and it was a very well done audiobook. It is read by the same lady who narrates the Kate Daniels series. She does an excellent job capturing the characters’ moods and voices.

Andrea is recovering from her expulsion from the Order of the Knights of Merciful Aid and working at Cutting Edge (Kate’s investigative firm). She is hired by the Pack to look into a strange incident that happened at reclamation site of her ex-boyfriend Raphael. Four Bouda clan members were murdered near a vault at the reclamation site and it is up to Andrea to figure out who did it, why, and how. Of course she has to work with Raphael, who she is not on good terms with and has an extremely explosive relationship with.

The book starts a bit slow...first we have to get into Andrea’s story and then she spends a lot of time whining and avoiding Raphael. In the beginning of the book there are places where I wanted to smack Andrea and tell her to her stuff together. Things really pick up about 25% in though, as Andrea gets deeper into investigating the death of four Boudas.

Andrea is a good character, but she is definitely more of sidekick. She’s just too melodramatic and not witty enough to make her as fun to read about as Kate. Everything is black and white, life or death with her. She does change as the book goes on, but I still rolled my eyes at her drama at points. While this was an interesting book and I am glad it was written, I am also hoping this will be the only book from Andrea’s POV.

Raphael is kind of jerk for large portions of the book. Him and Andrea have a very on again, off again type of thing going on that was a bit frustrating and annoying to read about. He wasn’t my favorite male lead. Him and Andrea definitely have good chemistry though.

I loved the addition of Rowan (the black mage) to the story. He is quirky and funny and has some awesome powers. I really hope we see more of him in future books. He is what really made this book a fun and interesting read for me. We also meet some excellent new magical baddies in this book as well...love the crazy snake people!

The book is full of some absolutely wonderful action scenes. There is also the whole mating tradition going on between Andrea and Raphael where they see who can play the biggest practical joke on the other. Some of these scenes were hilarious and all I have to say is...purple shag carpet...enough said.

The story ties up nicely and the book is well written.

Overall this is a good addition to the Kate Daniels world. It was nice to hear Andrea’s full background and watch her transition from a Knight of Mericful Aid, to something not quite as law-abiding and a lot more dangerous. Andrea doesn’t have the humor and wit Kate has and she is a bit too melodramatic for my liking; so I didn’t like her as much as Kate in the role of heroine. Andrea and Raphael have great chemistry but their on again off again relationship bugged me a bit.

There are some very funny scenes in here, we get to spend more time with Rowan, and we meet some wonderful new magical baddies. Definitely not my favorite book in this series, but it’s still a good urban fantasy read. I definitely recommend this book if you love urban fantasy or if you are a fan of the Kate Daniels series in general. I would recommend the Kate Daniels books over this one though if you are a first time reader of the Andrews.

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

Audiobook Review - Death’s Rival (Jane Yellowrock, Book 5) by Faith Hunter (5/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 336 pages
Publisher: Roc
Release Date: October 2, 2012
ISBN: 978-0451464859
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book of the Jane Yellowrock series
Source: Audiobook through Audible.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the fifth book in the Jane Yellorock series. It was a spectacular book. We learn a ton about Jane’s past. Things come to a head between Jane and Leo. Beast plays a large role in the story as well.

I listened to this on audiobook and it was absolutely amazing. The narrator captures Jane’s personality perfectly and does an excellent job distinguishing between voices. I actually enjoyed listening to this series more than I enjoyed reading it. So I highly recommend listening to this on audiobook if you enjoy audiobooks.

Vamps are breaking out in a horrible virus of sorts, the only cure is provided by a mysterious master who comes in and takes over their territory in exchange for the cure. Jane is asked to look into this virus and figure out who the mysterious master vamp is. Jane also hires in two guys to help with her home security; this adds a lot of fun to her house and to the story.

Excellent continuation of this series. We learn a lot more about Jane's past and Beast plays a large role in this story as well. There is a ton of action and an interesting mystery that ties in with Jane's past nicely. The book is also full of Jane’s sarcastic humor and wit.

A lot is revealed about Jane’s character in this book. Her bloody past is discussed and she is forced to confront some truths about the nature of skinwalkers in general. Things also come to a head between Jane and Leo and the result is a rather painful truth that Jane is forced to face.

Bruiser and Rick are in the story quite a bit as well. It was wonderful to see Rick, but watching him and Jane struggle with their relationship was painful at times. Bruiser is an interesting character and watching how he is torn between Jane and Leo says a lot about his character.

Beast comes to the forefront in this story. The balance between Beast and Jane is changing; Beast is becoming more intelligent and more prominent in Jane’s thoughts. It’s interesting to watch Jane and Beast come up with some sort of balance. It’s also fun to watch Beast interpret Jane’s human thoughts and actions.

The plot that drives the story about the vampire virus was an interesting one. I loved how it all tied into events that happened in previous books and also ties in with Jane’s origins.

This book was incredibly well written, very interesting, and very nicely tied in with the rest of the series. Some surprising things happen in the story that left me very curious to see what happens next. I thought this was the best book in the series yet.

Overall an absolutely wonderful continuation of this series. The plot is interesting and we learn a ton about Jane’s history and about the history of the Skinwalkers. Some of Jane’s struggles to balance Beast and the men in her life are painful to read about; but Jane’s witty sarcasm and Beast’s cat-like humor add a lot of fun to offset the darkness. The book is action-packed and just so interesting. I can’t wait to read what happens next. This whole series is highly recommended to fans of action packed urban fantasy.

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

Review - Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 11) by Charlaine Harris (2/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 336 pages
Publisher: Ace Hardcover
Release Date: May 3, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0441020317
Stand Alone or Series: 11th book in the Sookie Stackhouse series
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 2/5 stars

This is the eleventh book in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I put off reading this book because I didn’t enjoy the last couple books before this. But with the end of the series (book 13 is supposed to be the last one) looming around the corner, I decided I should just go ahead and read it. I was seriously underwhelmed, but I do want to know what happens.

Sookie is trying to learn to deal with her bond to Eric but then gets caught up in other events when Merlotte’s is firebombed. Initially Sookie and Sam think it is because Sam is two-natured, but then Eric and Pam reveal that they are in a silent war with Victor. As Eric’s wife (in vampire law) she ends up drawn into the whole mess and has to help figure out a way to get rid of Victor forever.

There are a ton of little things going on in this book which makes it very unfocused. Sookie also has Claude and co stopping by quite often, so those faeries are definitely up to something. A bit more is revealed about the fairies and how it further ties into Sookie’s past.

There isn’t a ton of talk about repercussions from the two-natured (shapeshifters) coming out. It is mentioned in the beginning and then kind of goes away. Although there is a lot of worry about the lack of business at Merlotte’s because of Victor’s two new competing bars.

There are a ton of other small things woven into the story as well. Baby showers, attic refinishing, Bill and his current SO, and Pam’s drama with her current SO. Just a lot of little stuff going on that I am not sure really has a purpose.

The majority of the story focuses on Victor and what Pam and Eric have to do to deal with him. Of course Sookie is sucked into all of this because of her closeness to Eric. Still the story felt scattered like a lot of little things are being thrown together.

The heat between Sookie and Eric is lacking; they are at odds for vast portions of the book. Much to my disappointment Bill is creeping back into the picture; I wish we could just settle on one guy and let Sookie have some peace. I mean seriously. Many of the characters just feel tired and feel like they are going through the motions.

The quality of writing is similar to the last couple books, but seriously worse than the beginning of the series. There are a number of places where there is awkward sounding dialogue. I had to go back and re-read a few places in the book to figure out what was even being said...again this points towards poor editing/writing for this book.

This story never grabbed me, I finished it but the whole time just kind of felt blah about it all. This book didn’t have the energy, the mystery, or the creativeness of earlier books in the series. Basically reading this book reminded me why I stopped reading this series. It has gone seriously down hill in the last few books. Really if you liked this book you need to go back and reread the earlier ones and compare...because these last couple books haven’t been near the quality of the earlier ones in this series.

Overall definitely not the best book in the series. Pretty much on par with the last couple books; the plot is scattered, the characters are tired, and the quality of writing is poor. I do enjoy these characters, but I wish that Harris would just end it and stop dragging the characters through these poorly put together stories.

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

Audiobook Review - Drink Deep (Chicagoland Vampires, Book 5) by Chloe Neill (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 352 pages
Publisher: New American Library
Release Date: November 1, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0451234865
Stand Alone or Series: 5th book in the Chicagoland Vampires series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is the fifth book in the Chicagoland Vampires series. It did a good job of mending some of the disappointment (gut wrenching sadness and anger) that I felt at the end of Hard Bitten. This review is spoiler free for Drink Deep but does contain some spoilers for Hard Bitten...so if you haven’t read Hard Bitten yet...well you’ve been warned. The sixth book in this series, Biting Cold
, is scheduled for an August 2012 release.

I listened to this on audiobook and the audiobook (like all the previous ones) was incredibly well done. I highly recommend this series on audiobook.

---Spoilers for Hard Bitten Ahead!!!----

Merit and Cadogan House are still reeling from Ethan’s death in Hard Bitten. Cadogan House has a Greenwich Presidium representative mucking around in House business and generally making everyone’s lives miserable. Then things really start getting crazy; the lake turns black and starts sucking in magic and then the skies over Chicago turn red. With public opinion about vampires at an all time low Merit has to figure out the mystery behind the strange happenings if she is both going to save her race and Chicago.

This book was a lot darker in tone, the characters obviously haven’t recovered from the events in Hard Bitten, and there is a huge hole where Ethan should be. Everyone is more than a little glum and this book didn’t have the fun of previous books. Things also move a bit slower in this book and there isn’t as much action as in previous installments.

Jonah really comes to the forefront of this story. Him and Merit end up partnering on a number of investigations because Cadogan House is short on guards. I really enjoyed him as a character; he was the one character who did have some fun banter back and forth with Merit. Merit grows some as a character and is forced to decide what Cadogan House means to her minus Ethan. We also see more of Tate off and on in this book.

As I said this is a dark book and most of the characters are going through some emotional turmoil. Mallory was in the story some and I usually love her character; but her character was devoid of any humor and took some very dark turns in this book.

The book ends well, with some big surprises that should please fans of the series. If you were going to give up on the series after Hard Bitten I recommend reading this book. It is kind of a transition book, but the continuing storyline looks very intriguing.

Overall a decent addition to the series. Much darker than previous books and slower moving. Jonah plays a much bigger role in the story and Merit does show some growth as a character as well. Recommended to fans of vampire urban fantasy. I can’t wait to see what happens in Biting Cold
.

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

Audiobook Review - Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires, Book 3) by Chloe Neill (5/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 368 pages
Publisher: NAL Trade
Release Date: July 6, 2010
ISBN: 978-0451230645
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Chicagoland Vampires series
Source: Audiobook through Audible.com
Rating: 5/5 stars

This is the third book in the Chicagoland Vampires series and my favorite so far. This book had a more solid plot than previous books and things escalate both between Ethan and Merit and between the shapeshifters and the vampires. Definitely a must read if you enjoyed the first couple books of this series.

I listed to this on audiobook and the audiobooks for this series are incredibly well done. This is one of those series that I think sounds even better than it would read; the narrator just does such a wonderful job.

Shapeshifters are meeting in the Windy City and they meet to decide if they will return to their homeland or stay for the oncoming supernatural war. Ethan lends out Merit's services as a bodyguard to the shapeshifter's leader Gabriel-Keene. As the time to the Shapeshifter Convocation draws closer it becomes clear that someone has put a hit out on Gabriel. Merit continually finds herself in the line of fire. Not only that but she is trying to navigate treacherous politics between the shapeshifters and vamps while also doing one on one training sessions with Ethan to try to improve her lackluster sparring skills.

This was the best book in this series so far. Things are really building to a climax in multiple ways. The shapeshifters are on the edge of either staying of fleeing as war approaches the supernatural community and the way they choose will tip the balance one way or the other. The tension between Merit and Ethan is constantly building and it was absolutely killing me to know what would happen between them. Merit is starting to understand her own powers and finally figuring out way to break down the wall she keeps hitting when she tries to spar.

Romance is a huge driver in this story. The tension between Merit and Ethan is absolutely sizzling. This is one of those books where I loved Ethan and then I hated him. Seriously he jerks Merit around so much; yet he does it in a strangely understandable way. The only other series I can think of that has had me as emotionally involved as this one is the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost. I swear there were parts of this book where I was holding my breath to see what would happen.

Beyond that a lot of other neat stuff happens in this book. Lots of action in this one, Merit finds herself in a number of combat situations and performs admirably. The addition of the shapeshifters raised the stakes and ratcheted up the tension in this book, really driving the plot forward. So much depending on their decision to stay or leave. I continue to love the fun and witty banter between all of these wonderful characters.

The story wraps up well, but will have people a bit frustrated I am sure. I am very eager to see where both the building-war and the Merit-Ethan thing ends up going. I am dying to read Hard Bitten now. I was a little disappointed that Mallory wasn't in the story more, she always adds a lot of fun. Hopefully we will see her more in future installments.

Overall the best book in this series, absolutely stellar. If you liked the first few books in this series you'll love this one. Tons of action, building tension between the shifters and vamps, and lots of Ethan-Merit moments. This was a super engaging and fun read. Highly recommended to fans of urban fantasy. Reminds a bit of the Night Huntress series; so if you like that series I think you will love this one as well.

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

Review - Raven Crossed (Jane Yellowrock, Book 4) by Faith Hunter (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 384 pages
Publisher: Roc
Release Date: January 3, 2012
ISBN: 978-0451464330
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Jane Yellowrock series
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5 stars


This is the 4th book in the Jane Yellowrock series by Hunter. The fifth book, Death's Rival, is due out later in 2012. I enjoyed this installment in the series, although there were a couple small points that I didn't enjoy in the story. You definitely want to read previous books in the series before reading this one, although Hunter does a pretty good job of providing enough background to jog your memory.

The vampires of Asheville, North Carolina want to establish their own clan...as such they need to set up an agreement with Leo. Leo sends Gregoire as his ambassador to open negotiations and Jane is sent along to serve as Leo's head of security. While there Jane stumbles across a rash of murders that look like they may be caused by werewolves. Things are already strained enough as it is and the random deaths are making things worse. Jane needs to figure out these death's and there cause, but all of that may point back to Jane's past. Imagine's Jane surprised when she finds that witches might be wrapped up in the whole mess as well.

This book had a complex plot with a lot of things going on that at first didn't seem to be all that connected. Jane was run ragged pretty much the whole book between her job as head of security for Leo and then her days running around trying to figure out the werewolf murders.

We get to meet some new interesting types of creatures; grindylow's and demons enter into the story. Rick is back in the story a lot in this book; it was great to have him around but him and Jane definitely have some issues to work out.

I love Jane as a character: she is tough, self-sufficient, and takes action. She is not perfect though; she runs into periods of self doubt both with her religion and her past. I love that she finally gets to talk about her past with some of the other characters. I also loved some of the interesting stuff that happened between Jane and her Beast.

The one thing I didn't love in this story was Jane's multitude of suitors. Jane's got her boyfriend Rick, then there's Gregoire who Leo has chosen for Jane, and of course Bruiser. Add to the mix a couple of vamp twins who run security with Jane and there is a multitude of suitors here. Things never really got into late Anita Blake terroritory and I hope they don't. But the story was getting uncomfortably close to that region. Especially with Beast constantly telling Jane that she should have many strong mates at once. I'll keep my fingers crossed that things don't get too crazy in the future; but I am nervous for Jane and her awesomeness up to this point.

This story wraps up very completely. It didn't really start another story line for the next book. There are a couple small things that were left unresolved but for the most part it was a very complete story.

Overall I enjoyed this story. The plot gets very complex and at first it is tough to tell how everything is connected; but it ties together well in the end and wraps up very completely. We learn more about Jane's past and Rick is in the story again which is nice. The number of suitors Jane has was a bit disturbing to me and I hope that this series isn't going the way of Anita Blake. This was an excellent installment in this series and I hope that Death's Rival is just as good or better!

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

Short Story Review - Fathers and Sons (Curran POV 2) by Ilona Andrews (4/5 stars)

Reading level: Adult

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Size: 98 KB

Publisher:  Ilona Andrews, Inc
Release Date: May 19, 2011
ASIN: B0051VHMGI
Stand Alone or Series: Short Story from Kate Daniels series
Source: Bought for Kindle
Rating: 4/5 stars

This is another Curran point of view short story.  I love these and love hearing from Curran's point of view.  This Curran POV was different from the first one in that it tells one short story and not a whole bunch of snippets from Curran's POV.  It is pretty short, but I had fun reading it and thought it was worth the read.

This story takes place after the events that happen in Magic Slays.  Curran has awoken from his injuries and is pissed at how the pack treated Kate while he was unconscious.  Almost all of the story is from Curran's point of view; there are a couple small snippets told from Kate's POV though.

I enjoyed the story.  It was fun to have the events that take place after Magic Slays filled out some.  Curran is hilarious and hearing how much he both loves Kate and is frustrated by her is endearing.  There are some great action scenes in this short story too.

Overall definitely worth the read if you are a big Kate Daniels fan.  Written in the same high quality, humorous, action-packed style as the books.  It is pretty short though, if you don't want to pay for it the same POV story was released for free on Ilona Andrew's blog in all formats (kindle, epub, and pdf).