UF Review: The Eterna Files

I've finished "The Eterna Files" by Leanna Renee Hieber.

London, 1882: Queen Victoria appoints Harold Spire of the Metropolitan Police to Special Branch Division Omega. Omega is to secretly investigate paranormal and supernatural events and persons. Spire, a skeptic driven to protect the helpless and see justice done, is the perfect man to lead the department, which employs scholars and scientists, assassins and con men, and a traveling circus. Spire's chief researcher is Rose Everhart, who believes fervently that there is more to the world than can be seen by mortal eyes.

Their first mission: find the Eterna Compound, which grants immortality. Catastrophe destroyed the hidden laboratory in New York City where Eterna was developed, but the Queen is convinced someone escaped — and has a sample of Eterna.

Also searching for Eterna is an American, Clara Templeton, who helped start the project after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln nearly destroyed her nation. Haunted by the ghost of her beloved, she is determined that the Eterna Compound — and the immortality it will convey — will be controlled by the United States, not Great Britain.

Biography

Author, actress and playwright Leanna Renee Hieber grew up in rural Ohio inventing ghost stories. She graduated with a BFA in Theatre and a focus in the Victorian Era from Miami University. She began her theatrical career with the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company and began adapting works of 19th Century literature for the stage. Her novella Dark Nest won the 2009 Prism Award for excellence in the genre of Futuristic, Fantasy and/or Paranormal Romance. Her debut novel, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker (Strangely Beautiful series) hit Barnes & Noble's bestseller lists, won two 2010 Prism Awards (Best Fantasy, Best First Book), the 2010 Orange County Book Buyer's Best Award (Young Adult category) and other regional genre awards and is currently being developed as a musical. The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess won the 2012 Prism Award (Best Fantasy). This currently out-of-print series will reissue in revised, author-preferred editions from Tor/Forge in 2016. DARKER STILL: A Novel of Magic Most Foul, hit the Kid's/YA INDIE NEXT LIST as a recommended title by the American Booksellers Association and a Scholastic Book Clubs "highly recommended" title. The critically acclaimed series continues with THE TWISTED TRAGEDY OF MISS NATALIE STEWART and concludes with THE DOUBLE LIFE OF INCORPORATE THINGS. Leanna's short fiction has been featured in anthologies such as Willful Impropriety: Tales of Society and Scandal, "Too Fond"; a short story on Tor.com, "Charged" in Queen Victoria's Book of Spells: Tales of Gaslamp Fantasy (Tor) and the Mammoth Book of Gaslight Romance. Her new Gaslamp Fantasy series THE ETERNA FILES, is now available from Tor/Forge. Her books have been translated into many languages and have been selected for multiple book club editions. Leanna is a member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. She is proud to be a co-founder of the original Lady Jane's Salon Reading Series in New York. Leanna was named the 2010 RWA NYC Chapter Author of the Year. A member of Actors Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA, Leanna works often in film and television on shows like Boardwalk Empire. She loves nothing more than a good ghost story and a finely tailored corset, frequenting Goth clubs, wandering graveyards and adventuring around New York City, where she resides with her husband and their beloved rescued lab rabbit.

Product Details
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Tor Books; First Edition edition (February 10, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 076533674X
ISBN-13: 978-0765336743

My Review:

3/5

Thanks TOR Books for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

UF Review: The Undead Pool (Hollows) Hardcover

I've finished "The Undead Pool" the 12th book in her Hollow series by Kim Harrison.

Supernatural superhero Rachel Morgan must counter a strange magic that could spell civil war for the Hollows in this sexy and bewitching urban fantasy adventure in acclaimed New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison's Hollows series.

Witch and day-walking demon Rachel Morgan has managed to save the demonic ever after from shrinking, but at a high cost. Now, strange magic is attacking Cincinnati and the Hollows, causing spells to backfire or go horribly wrong, and the truce between the races, between Inderlander and human, is shattering. Rachel must stop this dark necromancy before the undead vampire masters who keep the rest of the undead under control are lost and all - out supernatural war breaks out.

Rachel knows of only weapon to ensure the peace: ancient elven wild magic, which carries its own perils. And no one know better than Rachel that no good deed goes unpunished.

About the Author

New York Times bestselling Kim Harrison was born and raised in the upper Midwest, and she has since returned there to better enjoy the snow. When not at work in the Hollows series, she spends her time tending orchids, landscaping her new/old Victorian home, and learning how to golf with her mom. Her current vices include good chocolate, and exquisite sushi. Her bestselling novels include Dead Witch Walking; The Good, The Bad, and The Undead; Every Which Way But Dead; A Fistful of Charms; For a Few Demons More; and Ever After.

Product Details
Series: Hollows (Book 12)
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Harper Voyager; First Edition edition (February 25, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0061957933
ISBN-13: 978-0061957932

My Review:

Rachel and Trent get it on finally! 
 
3/5

UF Review: Mist (Paperback)

I've finished "Mist" by Susan Krinard.


New York Times bestselling author SUSAN KRINARD launches her first urban fantasy series with MIST.

Mist lives a normal life. She has a normal job, a normal boyfriend, and a normal apartment in San Francisco. She never thinks about her past if she can help it.

She survived. That’s the end of it.

But then a snowy winter descends upon San Francisco. In June. And in quick succession, Mist is attacked by a frost giant in a public park and runs into an elf disguised as a homeless person on the streets and then the man Mist believed was her mortal boyfriend reveals himself to be the trickster god, Loki, alive and well after all these years.

Mist’s normal world is falling apart. But thankfully, Mist isn’t quite so normal herself. She’s a Valkyrie, and she’s going to need all her skill to thwart Loki’s schemes and save modern Earth from the ravages of a battle of the gods.

Product Details
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Tor Books; 1 edition (July 16, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765332086
ISBN-13: 978-0765332080

My Review:

We find out that Mist is one of three Valkyries that survived Ragnarok and she has settled down in our world. She is finally living a normal life with a human boyfriend but that all changes one day.

She is coming home one day when she encounters an angry Jotunar (a frost giant) and Alfar (a elf). Then Loki reveals himself disguised as her boyfriend for the last six months and he is after Odin's Gungnir which is in her care. Loki steals Odin's Gungnir and is on the run. Now Mist with Alfar Dainn (who Freya sent to help Mist defeat Loki) are after him.

I really enjoyed how Krinard incorporated Valkyries and Norse Mythology into her story though I'm not really familiar with this mythology.

Mist and the rest of the characters were well developed and they had room to grow.

Some interesting sex scenes that might make some people uncomfortable.

3/5

Thanks TOR Books for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

UF Review: Immortal Trust [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Immortal Trust" the 3nd book in her Immortal series by Claire Ashgrove.

Product Description

Immortal Trust is the third book in Claire Ashgrove's exciting series about sexy Knights Templar and the modern women they will do anything to protect.

When archaeologist Chloe Broussard accepts the contract to lead a dig in Ornes, France, she has no idea she will uncover the Veil of Veronica. When she does, she discovers a danger far greater than the demonic presence stalking her at night. Azazel wants her, as well as the Veronica, and his chosen minion is her brother. Her hope lies with immortal Templar Knight Lucan. Her life depends on oaths she knows nothing about.

For countless centuries, Lucan of Seacourt has lived with the knowledge that his brother killed their family. Now, as Azazel’s darkness eats away at his soul, old betrayal stirs suspicion. He trusts no one. Not even the seraph who can heal his dying spirit.

With the fate of the Almighty hanging in the balance, Lucan must find faith in something more terrifying than the dark lord’s creations. He must
learn to believe his heart.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 448 pages
Publisher: Tor Books; 1 edition (March 26, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765367602
ISBN-13: 978-0765367600

My Review:

The book opens with a prologue that is quite ominous that sets the tone for the rest of story.

Lucan accompanied by Caradoc and Gareth a European Knight are on mission to retrieve the Veil of Veronic and to claim his seraph.  Lucan mission is more personal because he knows Chloe is his seraph.  He is determined to woo her by gaining her trust first after observing how Merrick and Farran claimed their seraphs.

Archaeologist Chloe Broussard can sense demons since the dig in Egypt.  She doesn't know it yet but she is about to unearth a vital artifact Veil of Veronic that Azazel is trying to obtain. 

She has tried to prove herself over the years so she is wary because here is another man she is attracted to who probably wants to take the fame just like the last man.  The previous one betrayed her trust so she is determined not to be duped twice.  Also she can't let Lucan close because she's afraid to reveal the darkness she hides inside.

This is a very fast paced with non-stop action and thrills.  It was quite suspenseful because you never know when Azazel or his henchmen will show up though the danger is even closer by.

4/5

Thanks Tor Books for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

UF Review: Dark Currents: Agent of Hel [Hardcover]

I've finished "Dark Currents" the 1st book in her new series Agent of Hel series by Jacqueline Carey.

Product Description

Jacqueline Carey, New York Times bestselling author of the acclaimed Kushiel’s Legacy novels, presents an all-new world featuring a woman caught between the normal and paranormal worlds, while enforcing order in both. Introducing Daisy Johanssen, reluctant hell-spawn …

The Midwestern resort town of Pemkowet boasts a diverse population: eccentric locals, wealthy summer people, and tourists by the busload; not to mention fairies, sprites, vampires, naiads, ogres and a whole host of eldritch folk, presided over by Hel, a reclusive Norse goddess.

To Daisy Johanssen, fathered by an incubus and raised by a single mother, it’s home. And as Hel’s enforcer and the designated liaison to the Pemkowet Police Department, it’s up to her to ensure relations between the mundane and eldritch communities run smoothly.

But when a young man from a nearby college drowns — and signs point to eldritch involvement — the town’s booming paranormal tourism trade is at stake. Teamed up with her childhood crush, Officer Cody Fairfax, a sexy werewolf on the down-low, Daisy must solve the crime — and keep a tight rein on the darker side of her nature. For if she’s ever tempted to invoke her demonic birthright, it could accidentally unleash nothing less than Armageddon.

About the Author

New York Times bestselling author Jacqueline Carey is the author of the critically acclaimed Kushiel’s Legacy series of historical fantasy novels, The Sundering epic fantasy duology and postmodern fables Santa Olivia and Saints Astray. Jacqueline enjoys doing research on a wide variety of arcane topics, and an affinity for travel has taken her from Finland to China. She currently lives in west Michigan. Although often asked by inquiring fans, she does not, in fact, have any tattoos.

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Roc Hardcover (October 2, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451464788
ISBN-13: 978-0451464781

My Review:

Daisy Johanssen is the daughter of an incubus father and human mother who lives in the town of Pemkowet.  This is home to many diverse population and many different magical species.  She is also Hel's Enforcer and liaison for the Pemkowet Police Department.

When she finds proof that a local boy's death involves eldritch involvement she is paired up with her childhood crush and closet werewolf Officer Cody Fairfax. 


Officer Cody Fairfax is keeps his werewolf nature a secret and he's a ladies man.  He wasn't very thrilled to be working with Daisy at first but as they investigate she starts growing on him and he starts to have feelings for her too. 

During their investigation Daisy meets Stefan Ludovic the new head ghoul (feeds on human emotions) who is very powerful and quite secretive himself.  He admits to Daisy that he wants her for himself and will wait until she is ready for what is between them.

This book was quite dark in nature but had some light moments to ease the tension.  The mystery was quite intriguing and the main theme had to do with sexual abuse which is a very important aspect.

4/5

Thanks Penguin Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

UF Review: Fair Game [Mass Market Paperback]

I've read "Fair Game" the 3rd book in her Guardian series by Taylor Keating.

Product Description

Video-game designer River Weston has seen her world torn apart. The streets of Earth have filled with looting, sickness, and fighting, but River knows that she is in a unique position to help. Drawing on her Fae magic, she creates a computer-generated program called Hollow Man, designed to protect humans during battle. Worlds away, Guardian Chase Hawkins has finally returned to his own body after years of astral projection. His mission now that he's back: retrieve River, who is walking a dark path without even knowing it, and strip her world of the technology that has brought it to ruin. Hawk and his team arrive on Earth only to discover that River's new computer program endangers the world all on its own. An old human virus has resurrected and mutated with a computer virus inside of Hollow Man, and it's spreading uncontrollably. Hawk is convinced it's too late to save Earth ... but River isn't ready to give up hope yet. River and Hawk find themselves on opposing sides, yet drawn together stronger than ever before. But a future with both of them in it could mean walking paths darker than either of them could ever have imagined.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Tor Books; 1 edition (August 28, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765365499
ISBN-13: 978-0765365491

My Review:

Chase Hawkins is a Guardian who has recently been released to return to his own body from astral projection.  He can't wait to get back to earth and River his new love.  His superiors have decided that Earth isn't ready for the technology that River has designed and has ordered Chase and his team to defuse them.  He is ordered to bring her back and to explain what he must do.

Before Chase leaves he discovers a deadly plot against Earth and a secret lineage related to River.  He forms a shaky alliance with her Fae spiritual leader grandfather but he will make sure he reaches her.

River Weston is a video game designer who has dedicated her life to save human kind and her friends/family until Chase can come back to her.  She has to contend with a sadistic evil villain who is still chasing her and a new virus that is spreading through her hologram program she has developed.

This series is a dark urban fantasy full of tense action scenes with a hot intense passionate romance.

4/5

Books in series:

1.  Mind Games
2.  Game Over
3.  Fair Game

Thanks TOR books for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

UF Review: Dead Mann Running: A Hessius Mann Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Dead Mann Running" the 2nd book in his Hessius Mann series by Stefan Petrucha.

Product Description

Just because a bullet has your name on it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t duck …

Either I’m stubborn, or it’s rigor mortis, but being dead didn’t stop me from being a detective or finding my wife’s killer. But it’s tough out there for a zombie, and lately it’s been getting tougher. These days the life-challenged have to register and take monthly tests to prove our emotional stability. See, if my kind gets too low, we go feral. I’ve been feeling a little down lately myself …

So when a severed arm — yeah, just the arm — leaves a mysterious briefcase at my office, my assistant, Misty, thinks figuring out where it came from will keep me on track. But this case goes deeper and darker than I imagined, and my imagination gets pretty dark. Turns out the people after it know more about my past life than I can remember, and even more about what I’ve become.

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Roc; Original edition (September 4, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451464745
ISBN-13: 978-0451464743

My Review:

Hessius Mann was executed for the murder of his wife but after the his death DNA testing proved his innocence.   Hessius was brought back to life as a Chak (a form of zombie) using the Radical Invigoration Procedure (RIP) and is tested every month to ensure he hasn't turned feral.  The sides effects are enormous because his memory with his IQ are gone, his bones break easily and he has severe dry skin which no lotion will help.

One day a live human hand along with it's fingers knocks on Hessius's door to deliver a briefcase.  It leaves the case and then jumps through the window.  Misty Hessius's office manager arrives and informs him he should investigate why the arm left a case with two vials of blue liquid and who it belongs too.  During their investigation they are chased by adversaries.

I highly recommend this series if you enjoy urban fantasy page turning with tons of eye-dropping twists and turns.  


4/5

Books in series:

1.  Dead Mann Walking
2.  Dead Mann Running

Thanks Stefan for sending me your book to review, greatly appreciated!

UF Review: Darkness Devours: A Dark Angels Novel [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Darkness Devours" the 3rd book in her Dark Angels series by Keri Arthur.

Product Details
Reading level: Ages 18 and up
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Signet Select (June 26, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451237110
ISBN-13: 978-0451237118

My Review:

Risa Jones is half Aedh which is a result of a breeding between a half Aedh and a werewolf mother who was brutally murdered.  She is able to walk in the gray fields, talk to souls and see Reapers.

This time the Vampire Council needs her help to find one of the keys stolen and she also has to discover who is killing blood whore addicted vampires.  She realizes she needs help and after pulling some strings she brings in her ex Jak Talbot a reporter to help her uncover the secret(s) left undiscovered.  As Jak walks back into her life she remembers the harsh betrayal when he broke her heart.  He only used her to find out information on her mother.

Her love life is quite complicated with three men in it.  Jak Talbott the ex who harshly betrayed her by writing a story on her mother after using her.  Azriel her reaper who she shares a mutual sexual tension with and Lucian her mysterious bed buddy Aedh who loves to read her mind while they are having sex.  What is up with that?

I highly recommend this series if you like a darker urban fantasy with action, violence and hot erotic sex scenes.

3.5/5

Books in the Dark Angels series:

1.  Darkness Unbound
2.  Darkness Rising
3.  Darkness Devours
4.  Darkness Hunts - November 6, 2012

Thanks Penguin Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

UF Review: Seeker of Shadows [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Seeker of Shadows" the 2nd book in her new Shadow series by Nancy Gideon.

Product Description

NANCY GIDEON CONTINUES HER COMPELLING, SENSUAL NEW SERIES WITH A SEDUCTIVE TALE OF FORBIDDEN ALLEGIANCE AND REDISCOVERED LOVE.

His town.

Susanna Duchamps came to New Orleans to settle a debt and to temporarily escape the controlled constraints of her life among the Chosen. What she finds is an opportunity to make miraculous strides with her research into Shifter genetics . . . and an unexpected, but never forgotten, man from her complicated past.

Her rules.

Shifter club owner Jacques LaRoche is fiercely protective of his freedom. Stripped of his memories of a former life, he longs for the mate he lost . . . until the enticingly familiar presence of a mysterious stranger from the north ignites a primal, nearly uncontrollable need to release the untamed beast inside him.

Their last chance.

Susanna dares not tell Jacques it was she who sacrificed his past and her future years ago, to protect him and the secret she carried. But her arrival in New Orleans comes with consequences. When a bloody confrontation erupts between their enemy clans, will she betray her lover once again — or throw her own life on the line so they can finish what they started?


About the Author

Nancy Gideon has written award-winning category romances, historical and paranormal bestsellers, earned a “Career Achievement for Historical Adventure” and a HOLT Medallion, and has had two original horror screenplays optioned for film. A Michigan native, she works full time as a legal administrative assistant.


Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
Publisher: Pocket Books (May 29, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439199515
ISBN-13: 978-1439199510

My Review:

Nica Fraser asks shifter geneticist Susanna Duchamps to come to New Orleans and meet at the Cheveaux Du Chien shifter club.  She owes the assassin a favor.  Nica tells her she has a human friend who has been injured and doesn't have a chance to recover and another friend when she bonded with her shifter male his regenerative genes passed onto to her.  Susanna is very excited with the new project but she's uncertain if she should proceed.

Jacques LaRoche is a shifter who happens to be Nica's boss and when he orders her to get back to the floor Susanna recognizes him as her shifter lover of long ago by his voice and scent.  He doesn't remember who she is but knows what she is and it makes him upset.  She disturbs him but he's extremely attracted to her which makes it worse.

Unknown to him he doesn't realize that he has a past with Susanna because his memories were erased brutally.  Though he has obtained success and health he feels lost.  He knows he has a mate somewhere but where?  Susanna has a secret she doesn't want Jacques to know about.

This book was fast paced from the first page to last with a drool worthy hero and a take charge heroine who doesn't let anyone push her around.  Wow there were some very tense highly charged scenes and some pretty hot love scenes.

4/5

Other books in series:

1.  Hunter of Shadows

Thanks Simon and Schuster Canada for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

UF Review: Nocturne [Mass Market Paperback]

I've finished "Nocturne" by Syrie James.

Product Description

When Nicole Whitcomb’s car runs off a Colorado mountain road during a blinding snowstorm, she is saved from death by a handsome, fascinating, and enigmatic stranger. Snowbound with him for days in his beautiful home high in the Rockies, she finds herself powerfully attracted yet mystified by him, filling her with apprehension.

Who is Michael Tyler? Why does he live alone in such a secluded spot and guard his private life so carefully?

What secret — or secrets — is he hiding? With her own secrets and a past she is running from, Michael understands Nicole better than anyone she has ever known. Soon, they are falling deeply in love — a profoundly meaningful experience that is destined to change their lives forever. However, as the sexual tension between them builds, the clues mount up. When Nicole learns her host’s terrifying secret, there is nowhere for her to run but into the blizzard raging outside, and Michael may be the only one who can save her life.

About the Author

Syrie James is the bestselling author of the critically acclaimed Dracula, My Love and The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë, which was selected by the Women’s National Book Association as a Great Group Read of 2009. Her first book, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, became an international bestseller, and was named a Best First Novel of 2008 by Library Journal. Her books have been translated into fifteen languages. She lives in Los Angeles and is a member of the Writer’s Guild of America.

Product Details
Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Vanguard Press; Mass Market Edition edition (August 2, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 159315674X
ISBN-13: 978-1593156749

My Review:

The book opens with Nicole driving back from her friend's wedding when she crashes her car in a snowbank.  She is rescued by Michael an exclusive and mysterious man who lives alone in his mountain home.  The weather prevents them from going out and Michael is quite abrupt with Nicole which makes her think he's not happy she is there. During this time they learn to live together and get along with each other.  They fall in love and then she learns of his terrifying secret.

Nicole and Michael are the only characters in this book other than his beloved horses.  Loved the slow build up of their romance first with them talking about the same authors they both love and finding out they have a lot in common.

The ending was a really tearjerker and I hope there is a sequel in the works?

4/5

Thanks FSB Media for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!

UF Review: Dead Mann Walking: A Hessius Mann Novel [Paperback]

I've finished "Dead Mann Walking" the 1st book in his Hessius Mann series by Stefan Petrucha.

Product Description

After Hessius Mann was convicted of his wife's murder, suppressed evidence came to light and the verdict was overturned - too bad he was already executed. But thanks to the miracles of modern science Hessius was brought back to life. Sort of.

Now that he's joined the ranks of Fort Hammer's pulse-challenged population, Hessius attempts to make a "living" as a private investigator. But when a missing persons case leads to a few zombies cut to pieces, Hessius starts thinking that someone's giving him the run - around - and it's not like he's in any condition to make a quick getaway ...

Product Details
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Roc; Original edition (October 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0451464214
ISBN-13: 978-0451464217


My Review:

Hessius is a PI and former cop who was wrongfully accused of killing his wife and executed.  He is brought back to life but he has memory problems.  He has a human assistant (Liveblood) Misty who patches him up when he's hurt and takes care of his daily needs.  He's hired to find a missing person so he travels to the Badland with his client to a factory which now house a large number of Chaks.  There is a rumor the man they are looking for is living there. Also a serial killer is killing Chaks by mutilating them and keeping their heads as trophies.

The zombies aren't your typical ones with a group that can function like a human while others are on the brink of being feral and others are feral.

I highly recommend this book if you like dark and gritty noir novels with horror elements and a very likeable and witty zombie PI.  If you don't have a strong stomach I advise you not to read this book when you are eating since it can be quite descriptive.

4/5

Thanks Stefan and Simon and Schuster for sending me this book to review, greatly appreciated!