Spider's Bite: Review & Giveaway

Spider's Bite
Elemental Assassin Book #1
Author: Jennifer Estep
Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Pocket
Available at Indie Bound, Powells, Barnes & Noble

Summary: The Elemental Assassin series focuses on Gin Blanco, an assassin codenamed the Spider who can control the elements of Ice and Stone. When she’s not busy killing people and righting wrongs, Gin runs a barbecue restaurant called the Pork Pit in the fictional southern metropolis of Ashland. The city is also home to giants, dwarves, vampires, and elementals – Air, Fire, Ice, and Stone.

I received Spider's Bite from the publisher for review and as part of the blog tour, but I had been reading really good things about the book and the author before that, so I was thrilled to take part. It's the first of the Elemental Assassin series, which is a gritty, urban fantasy with some very interesting elements. First off, the main character, Gin, is a stone elemental, an assassin and a mighty fine cook. Yes, Gin has taken culinary classes at the local college for years, when she's not knocking off bad guys. I loved this aspect of the character, especially in a darker urban fantasy. Here is an example:

...I had two turkey-and-Gouda sandwiches on chewy pumpernickel bread. I added a kosher pickle and a couple of baby carrots to each plate, along with some double chocolate chip cookies. Color and presentation were the key when it came to food preparation.

Now, the contrast between that scene and this one is amazing:

I flicked my wrist, and the sharp point of the screw zipped across the room and sank into her throat, puncturing her windpipe. Ace. Evelyn's scream turned into a whistling wheeze.

Gin is not a sociopath. She has rules that she lives by; she doesn't kill the good guys, she never tortures, even when they deserve it. The cooking makes sense to me. Gin needs something in her life that is normal, plus I think it's a way of comforting not only herself, but the people she loves.

Spider's Bite is not a romance; it's dark and it's gritty with a fairly rough sex scene. I love complex heroines who kick butt, and Gin fits the bill. If you are a fan of Caitlin Kittredge, Marjorie M. Liu or Kelly Gay then you will love Jennifer Estep.

You can read a prequel short story from the author for free here:
http://www.jenniferestep.com/excerpts-short-stories/spiders-bargain/

THE GIVEAWAY
Leave me a comment with an answer to this question: Do you like your urban fantasy where the heroine has a happy relationship by the end of the book, or are you okay with her struggling with romance?

If you don't have an email connected with your Google profile please leave me one in the comments. The contest will end February 28th, 2010 and I'll announce the winner on Monday.

~Moonsanity

It Came. I Read. I Reviewed

First Drop of Crimson
Night Huntress World, Book 1
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Avon
Available at Indie Bound, Powells, Barnes & Noble

First Drop of Crimson (hereafter known as FDOC) has been talked about and anticipated since last summer when many of us read an except from the author. As the release date got closer, and ARCs started showing up, we heard even more about the book. I decided not to read any reviews or excerpts other than that first chapter. I love the author's books, and I didn't want to jump the gun on reading FDOC from start to finish with only my own opinion in my head. However, I did start to hear raves and even grumbles on Twitter. My copy came while I was out of town. I started reading it yesterday, finishing it this afternoon.

Right off the bat, I will say I loved it. Did I love it as much as her other books? Not quite, but only because it was a different type of romance. I would give her other books all a 5, and give FDOC a 4. However, I'm willing to bet than when I reread it in a few months I will love it a bit more. It's going on the shelf with my other five Jeaniene Frost books, right after the fifth one. To me, they should be read in order to really appreciate the characters and what they've been through.

FDOC is a paranormal romance, though a bit gritty, to me, it's more of a love story than an urban fantasy. I think this is due to the characters personalities. Spade, the hero, has been in all five of the Night Huntress books. I think of him as the loyal friend, the calming influence when everyone around him is chomping at the bit, or fighting tooth and nail. He comes in and says "Wait a minute, let's talk this out." His loyalty to Bones and Cat is NEVER questioned because he never gives them reason to question. He's also not a "bad boy" like the other vampires in the Night Huntress books. He was strong, smart, and loyal before he was turned and remained that way afterwards. I find him incredibly sexy.

Denise is Cat's best friend, and a human. She's also loyal, smart and strong, though she doesn't feel that way when the book begins. I love her character with her "human" traits. She's thrifty, has common sense, doesn't want to "owe" anyone. She has panic attacks after a horrendous experience where her husband is killed, and she's been mourning for a year when she discovers she needs Spade's help.

Their story is not as intense as the ongoing story of Bones and Cat, or some others I've read, but I think it's romantic and sweet, despite the danger. To me, it's a story of healing, of acceptance, and love wrapped up in a kick-ass plot with demons and vampires. While it's not an erotic story per se, there are steamy scenes that made me sweat and others that made my heart swell.

I have to comment on how the author kept this story within the Night Huntress world. I wondered when reading if she would have Denise and Spade handle their situation solo, not involving their friends. I don't want to give any spoilers, but she handled it in such a cool way that I wanted to stand up and clap my hands like a little kid. Let's just say, Cat and Bones, always called on their friends when they needed help and they weren't about to let their two best friends go it alone. This really made the book extra fun for me since I love all the Night Huntress characters so much.

I truly loved FDOC. I loved that Ms. Frost kept Denise and Spade in character, not changing who they were just to spice it up or make the book more "hard core". I can't explain that as well as I'd like to, because there was spice, and it was steamy, but in a way that fit with the couple's personalities. I love them even more now, and can't wait to see what Spade and Denise do the next Night Huntress books.

To read my review of the other Night Huntress books go here:
http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/2009/11/series-review-night-huntress-novels.html

Sentiments From the Dark Side

A little gothic themed Valentine's Love for my paranormal friends!

Take away love and our earth is a tomb. ~Robert Browning

Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place. ~Zora Neale Hurston

Soul meets soul on lovers' lips. ~Percy Bysshe Shelley

Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.
~Oscar Wilde

I believe if I should die, and you were to walk near my grave, from the very depths of the earth I would hear your footsteps. ~Benito Perez Galdos

May your weekend be lovely:)

~Moonsanity

Review: Nightlife by Caitlin Kittredge

Night Life
Nocturne City, Book 1)
Author: Caitlin Kittredge
Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (March 4, 2008)
Available at Indie Bound, Powells, Barnes & Noble

Summary: In the shadows of Nocturne City, witches lurk and werewolves prowl, and homicide detective Luna Wilder must keep the peace–while living life as a werewolf. Now bodies are turning up all over town, the brutal murders linked by a cryptic message: We see with empty eyes…

I bought Night Life as part of the NAC Mini-Challenge: League of Reluctant Adults from Literary Escapism. I had never red Caitlin Kittredge before, but had heard good things about her books. After reading a few chapters of Night Life I thought to myself "Hey, this could be Law and Order: Special Victims Unit but with werewolves, demons and witches!" However, I think it's much better than SVU due to the snarky main character Luna and the sexy Dmitri with his tough guy charm. He snuck up on me in the book for some reason. At first I didn't appreciate his sexiness, distracted by the serial killing psycho Luna is trying to find and stop. Once I did notice him things became much more interesting for me, and for Luna.

Night Life is a quick read, mostly because the action and plot twists kept me on the edge of my seat, as if putting the book down would somehow hinder Luna's investigation. The end, and especially the final showdown with the bad guy, is amazing with a plot twist I had not excepted.

As far as romance, this is not a Happily Ever After book, but it still made my heart ache for Luna. She's not a happy, "let's look at the positive" person like her sister Sunny, who is trying to influence her in that department. Luna is a good cop, a reluctant werewolf with issues, and a loyal friend. Her life is complicated, which is what makes her story a good read. Happy and simple may be awesome in real life when it's possible, but a good story it doesn't make.

I want to take a minute and address the reviews I saw on Amazon. I was really surprised to see people calling Luna "a bitch", "unlikeable" and yes, someone actually called her a "mean girl". First, I have to wonder if the reviewers truly read the book to the very end. Luna is tough, and yes, she is sarcastic and "in your face". It's a way of protecting herself from the realities of her job, her past and the horrendous murders taking place. The other thing that bothers me is that the book is clearly marketed as a gritty urban fantasy. This genre is not for everyone. I happen to love it, and do not think it would be in the least realistic to have the heroes and heroines too "nice" or too "understanding". Here is an example of Luna's "attitude". A fellow police officer has beaten up a kid when bringing him into the station, and has an attitude about Luna:

He reached around and patted me on the bottom. "Thank that sweet ass."
(skipping a few lines...)

"That's my trigger finger you got!" he yelped.

"Then you shouldn't have put it on my ass." I pinched harder. "I couldn't care less what you think of me. But for the record, I think you are a violent, incompetent psychopath who has no business being a police officer."

Personally, I think he got off light. The other characters in the book are varied; some are likable such as Sunny, Mac, and Dmitri, in my opinion. Some characters are distinctly unlikeable and I found each one had specific reasons for being that way.

If you are a fan of Lori Handeland, Vicki Petterssen, Marjorie M. Liu, Jeanne Stein or Ilona Andrews you will want to pick up the Nocturne City Novels. I will be reading the other three books in the series as soon as I can.

~Moonsanity

Review: Immortality Bites Series

Stakes & Stilettos
Tall, Dark & Fangsome
Author: Michelle Rowen
Publisher: Forever

Summary: Newly-vamped Sarah Dearly wants her normal life back, but fate is fighting against her. She tries to get a nice, regular job and gets staked at the interview, only to be rescued by a masked vampire who calls himself the Red Devil. Then a wallflower-turned-witch curses her, making her a bloodthirsty, sun-allergic nightwalker — the worst vampire there is. As if all that weren’t bad enough, she can’t get married because her 600-year-old boyfriend, Thierry, is in a centuries-long marriage of convenience he can’t escape.

I've had Stakes & Stilettos and Tall, Dark & Fangsome on my To Be Read shelf for a little while now after winning both copies in different contests. A sign, I think, that I was suppose to read Michelle Rowen's books. Sarah Darling is a wonderful, witty, charming character that I will miss since Tall, Dark & Fangsome wraps up her story. I'm wondering if the author will surprise us with a short story in the future. (We could probably beg and/or bribe her.)

The Immortality Bites books can be read on their own because the author gives a quick wrap-up at the beginning of each book. I had no problem starting within the series, reading books three and four. Sarah Darling is a new, reluctant vampire. Thierry is a very old vampire who is tired of his existence, or at least he was, until he met Sarah. Who knew you could meet your true love after 600 years? Sarah tries to see the good in everyone, which means she often trusts those who don't deserve her trust. This trait is part of what makes her so full of life, and so charming. I love that she is a regular gal who became a vampire. She has the same wants, doubts and problems that the rest of us do. She still has to deal with earning a living, facing her parents, and building a relationship.

Thierry, on the other hand, is a Master Vampire, who has lived a long, long, lonely life. People think he is cold, aloof and unemotional, but Sarah knows differently. I love their relationship and Thierry is incredibly sexy. He may not be aggressive in a traditional sense, but he simmers.

Michelle Rowen's writing is upbeat, witty and fun, but she can also keep her readers on the edge of their seats. I felt like I was with Sarah as she tried to keep her friends and Thierry safe, and I wanted to yell out "No, don't trust him!" "Run, Sarah, run!" I couldn't put either book down once I started reading.

Fans of contemporary as well as paranormal romance will really enjoy the Immortality Bites series, especially if you love humor with your romance. I will be adding the other books in the series to my reading list, as well as Michelle's new books. In a little side not, the books take place in Toronto where I went for my honeymoon 21 years ago. It was also where my husband proposed to me, and where we've vacationed since. I love Toronto and hopefully will be going back in the next few years.

This review is also part of the NAC Mini-Challenge: League of Reluctant Adults from Literary Escapism. You can visit Michelle's blog here.



~Moonsanity

Books & Contests Coming Up in February!

Today I received my copies of Spider's Bite by Jennifer Estep and Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass. I will be hosting blog tours with a giveaway this month for both books. I am really pumped about both tours, and the reading will commence tonight!

I also received a book order from Barnes and Noble today. The awesome UPS man braved the elements to walk up our snowy driveway. I should have held back on ordering but I wanted to make sure I helped Save Amanda Ferel (click to read about it!), so I ordered.

Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark Henry

Pride by Rachel Vincent

Steamed: A Steampunk Romance by Katie MacAlister

Night Life (Nocturne City Series #1) by Caitlin Kittredge

I will be reading and reviewing these this month. Night Life and Happy Hour of the Damned will be part of the NAC Mini-Challenge: League of Reluctant Adults I'm participating in. I also have Dead to Me by Anton Strout and The Nymphos of Rocky Flats by Mario Acevedo on their way for the challenge which is in February.

On the writing front, I'm working on a short story about a vampire and a woman who is a descendant of an Irish goddess. I have over 2,000 words written, and I'm working on it a little each day. I've been listening to Shinedown while writing which provides my inspiration for a tortured hero, which as we all know is very sexy.




~Moonsanity

Gentlemen Prefer Succubi Winner!

The winner of a copy of Gentlemen Prefer Succubi is:

Number 16: Anne J

Who said...

I like paranormal romance, and I much prefer when it is humorous too. That's one of the reasons I'm not a big Twilight fan, the books are too serious for me.

Congrats Anne!

~Moonsanity