Chaos Bites... Everyone But the Reader

Chaos Bites
Phoenix Chronicles Novel
Author: Lori Handeland
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Mass Market 352 pages
Available at Indie Bound, Powell's Books, Barnes & Noble

Summary: Though Liz Phoenix won the last battle, she's losing the supernatural war and chaos is the result. On the road again, this time with a teenager and a baby that was dropped on her doorstep, Liz is in desperate need of help. She goes to former lover Jimmy Sanducci and together they work to make things right. Of course, with chaos reigning and the loss of too many allies, nothing may ever be right again.

I picked up Chaos Bites the day it was released because I'm addicted to The Phoenix Chronicles. The characters are gritty, imperfect, and often sarcastic, but they work towards the same goal of trying to save the world. For me, the entire series has a theme of sacrifice. What will you do for love? What will you sacrifice to save the world? How much is too much? Liz Phoenix may be the leader of the light with powers beyond imagination but she still has the needs we all do: to be loved and to love in return.

My review of the series is here. Chaos Bites is the fourth book in the series. We meet a few new characters, some good, some evil. The series, and this book is dark fantasy and is not for everyone. The author takes us to places that are uncomfortable, including one scene involving sex that mimics rape. I personally thought she handled it very well within the context of the plot and what needed to be done. I'm sure others would disagree. Heroes are not perfect. They make decisions based on many things, and sometimes they make mistakes, then they pay the consequences. I love dark fantasy, especially when it's as thought provoking as Lori Handelan's books.

Chaos Bites isn't all doom and gloom, however. We meet new characters that reveal much about our heroine and her sidekicks. I'm not going to give spoilers, but I laughed out loud during the first few chapters more times than I can count. Luther, a young shapeshifter is such a cool character. I love his wit and the fact that he's a big ole shapeshifter hidden in a teenager's body with all the angst that goes along with being young. Megan, Liz's human friend, is her usual tough self, calling them as she sees them like no one else can. I love her character too, as well as her gargoyle/bartender guardian Quinn. Sawyer and Jimmy are once again making Liz miserable and aroused at the same time. Even in death Sawyer reaches out to her.

Yes, the author left us with quite a cliff hanger. Somehow though I find myself having faith that it will all work out in the end. Liz and her friends will find a way to save the day. Again.

~Moonsanity

What I'm Reading This Week

This week I am finishing up my third read of Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward. I love this book more every time I read it. If you haven't read this series and like your paranormal romance on the edgy side with some sarcasm thrown in, you should pick up Dark Lover, the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

Two books I ordered from ebay were in my mailbox today. Crimson City by Liz Maverick and Stray by Rachel Vincent. I'll start Stray next after I finish Lover Awakened tonight.

I also joined Paperback Swap yesterday after finally hearing so many good things about it that I couldn't resist. Some books I won't part with, but I have a lot of paperbacks that just didn't make my "Keeper Shelves". I have the first two swaps packaged and ready to go to the post office tomorrow, plus I ordered two for myself. I put in for Full Moon Rising (Riley Jenson, Guardian, Bk 1) by Keri Arthur and Fantasy Lover (Dark-Hunter, Bk 1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Since I started reading paranormal romance later than most readers, I have a lot of catching up to do on series like these.

I will try to post reviews this week of several books/series that I've read recently.

I'm hanging out at the Barnes and Noble website this week where J. R. Ward is the featured author. It's set up as a forum where fans can ask questions, and she answers them, or not, depending on what they are trying to squeeze out of her:) It's here: Barnes and Noble Center Stage from 10/19-10/23: http://www.bn.com/centerstage

~Moonsanity

Keeping Track of Your Reads

I wonder how other readers keep track of all their favorite books and authors? I sometimes print out lists from Fantastic Fiction. A friend in Australia told me about this website years ago and I am there at least once a week or more. It's a resource I cannot live without. It's here: http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/ I have yet to find an author that is NOT listed on this website. You look them up alphabetically where each has their own page which gives a breakdown of every book they've written, plus any that have been announced with a publication date. It also lists any short stories that have appeared in anthologies. If they have a website they give a link to that too. Another feature I LOVE are the links to books the author has recommended and a list of links to similar authors.

Printing out lists usually doesn't work because I end up losing them. I'm thinking of creating a Word document that lists the authors, their books, and color code what I've read, what I own, and what I need to buy yet. Or is this just me creating busy work for myself? We shall see.

I have finished all the books mentioned in the side column and I am currently reading Patricia Briggs, Mercy Thompson books for the third time. Of course, I had to go to the above mentioned Fantastic Fiction to see what's coming up with one of my favorite authors.

I've read and own:
Moon Called (2006)
Blood Bound (2007)
Iron Kissed (2008)

I've read, but need to buy:
Bone Crossed (2009)

I also found out that the fifth book in the series will be out February 2010 and it's called Silver Borne. Woo-hoo!

I love Mercy. She is one of my favorite fiction characters. She's strong, unique, quirky and sarcastic. If you like strong female heroines who aren't perfect you need to read these books. It won't give too much away to tell you she's a mechanic who works on German cars, she was raised by werewolves and she's smart. Mercy is my kind of gal.

You can read a sample chapter from Moon Called, the book I'm rereading right now by going here: http://www.hurog.com/books/mooncalledChapter.shtml

~Enjoy. Moonsanity