Finished Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow.

This one’s about Dante Valentine, a necromancer who gets drafted by Lucifer to recover an artifact and kill a rogue demon. Dante would love to get her hands on the demon, since he murdered one of her best friends. But she’s not too hip on working for the devil — especially when he saddles her with Japhrimel, her own demon bodyguard/helper/assassin.

This book is classified as urban fantasy, but it’s really an mix of fantasy and sci-fi. For example, Dante can raise the dead, but she’s also uses plasma guns and other techie devices.

This isn’t a combination I usually enjoy, liking fantasy better, but this book worked for me. The sci-fi was interesting and didn’t overwhelm the fantasy elements. Although I think it would have been easier to read in places if Saintcrow had called items by their common names — like air conditioning instead of climate control, etc. Some of the twists on words for everday things pulled me out of the story in places.

I liked Dante a lot. She’s tough as nails and not afraid to use her magic to get what she needs from people. She doesn’t want to work for Lucifer, but she realizes she doesn’t have a choice. Instead of sitting around and whining about it, she bucks up and gets to work, determined to avenge her friend, even though she knows she probably won’t survive the job. I admired her strength. Plus, Dante Valentine is one of the best character names I’ve come across in a long time.

Then, there’s Japhrimel, the demon. Oh, Japh. He was the coolest character in the book, mainly because you don’t know what his motives are until the very end. I liked the way he viewed humans as fascinating, but odd creatures, and he was protective of Dante without going all alpha male on her. Plus, he got all the good lines.

The story moved along at a nice place, and the big showdown at the end with the villain was interesting and well done — and didn’t turn out the way I expected.

I do have a couple of little quibbles. One, the book needed a glossary. Saintcrow throws a lot of terms at the reader throughout the book, not all of which are thoroughly explained. (The second book, which is in my TBR pile, does have a glossary). I also would have liked a map of Saint City and the world in general, so I could orient things in my mind. But that’s the fantasy geek in me wanting as much info as possible. 😎

Overall, if you’re burnt out on vampires or looking for a good fantasy-sci-fi hybrid, you should definitely check out Working for the Devil.  

Thumbs up.

Here’s a shout-out to Chasity, who recommended this book on the blog. Thanks for the good read! :joecool:

Up next: The graphic novel Quiver by Kevin Smith

Finished McKettrick’s Luck by Linda Lael Miller.

Real estate developer Cheyenne Bridges has a problem. She has to get rich playboy Jessee McKettrick to sell some of his land to her for a condominium development or lose her job — and her way of supporting her mother and younger brother. Too bad Jesse’s more interested in Cheyenne than the lucrative settlement she’s offering for his land.

I love Western romances (historical and contemporary), and I picked this book up at a conference a couple months ago. It’s set in Indian Rock, Ariz., and Miller really gives you a feel for the beauty of the landscape — and cowboys. Who doesn’t love cowboys?   

I also liked Cheynne’s character a lot. She’s worked hard all her life, struggling to support her family, and she’s afraid she could lose what little she has at any moment. She’s a really sympathetic character. In contrast, all Jesse has to worry about is getting knifed or shot during one of his card games (he plays poker just about every night). I didn’t like Jesse quite as much as Cheyenne, but he redeems himself by helping Cheyenne with her disabled brother.

Sometimes, you just want a good, quick comfort read. If you like Westerns, this one should fit the bill. Plus, there are a whole slew of McKettrick books to choose from, both contemporary and historical. So if you like this one, you can read about all the whole family — past and present.

Thumbs up. 

Up next: Working with the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow.

Finished Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs. It’s the second in her Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series about a car mechanic who can shapeshift and become a coyote.

In this book, Mercy’s friend, the vampire Stefan, asks her to help him deal with a demon who has possessed another vampire/sorcerer. The demon is killing people, and Stefan needs it to stop, so the local group of vampires are not exposed to the human population. Mercy agrees to help, and the demon comes after her and her loved ones.

I liked Moon Called, the first book in the series, but I enjoyed Blood Bound even more. Maybe it was because I was familiar with Briggs’ world this time around. Or maybe because Mercy has a lot more to do in this book. She decides to go after the demon herself, and she takes logical, appropriate steps to hunt it down — something she has only a few hours to do before the demon starts killing her friends. I enjoyed the faster pacing in this one, and I thought the emotional stakes were a lot higher for Mercy.  

I’m also interested to see exactly what Mercy’s powers as a “walker” or shapeshifter are. So far, she can talk to ghosts and certain magics don’t affect her like they do werewolves and other creatures. Everyone keeps telling Mercy how powerful she is, but nobody will tell her what her powers are — they only give her small nuggets of information at a time. A little annoying, but I get that Briggs is doing that to keep people hooked on the series. Slow reveals really are the best, but as a reader/viewer, I hate waiting for them. I want all the books/secrets to be out right now. :rolleyes:

One thing I didn’t particularly care for was the love triangle between Mercy, Sam, and Adam. I know a lot of people love the interaction between the characters. It’s well done and realistic, but as a general rule, I just don’t like love triangles. Supposedly, the triangle gets resolved in the third book, Iron Kissed, which was recently released. I’ll be reading it — after I whittle down my TBR pile some more.

So, thumbs up.

Up next: Not sure. Something from the aforementioned TBR pile.

Finished Moon Called by Patricia Briggs. This is the first in the Mercy Thompson series, about a car mechanic who’s a “walker” and can take the shape of a coyote at will. I’d heard a lot about this urban fantasy series and decided to try it.

Mercy Thompson doesn’t live an ordinary life. In addition to being a walker herself, Mercy also has to deal with a variety of magical beings, including her werewolf neighbor, Adam, and the runaway werewolf teenager who shows up on her doorstep begging for work. The teen is in trouble and being chased by some bad guys. Soon, Mercy is caught up in a conspiracy that involves werewolf experimentation, pack leadership, and much more.

I enjoyed a lot of things about this book. It was refreshing to see a woman working and succeeding in what’s thought of as a man’s field (auto repair). I honestly can’t remember ever reading another story featuring a female mechanic. Not only that, Mercy knows and recognizes her strengths and her limitations, both when it comes to repairing cars and going up against other paranormal creatures. But that doesn’t keep her from protecting her friends, no matter what the odds are.

Briggs has created an interesting urban fantasy world where some species, like the fae, are known to humans and others, like werewolves, are not. The werewolves are the main focus of the book, and there’s a lot going on with them. There are also a lot of characters to keep up with — probably a dozen that are important to the story and this is not a long book (288 pages). Several people mentioned in passing turn out to have big roles later on. So, if you read this book, pay attention. Small things matter.

One thing I got a little tired of was all the shows of strength/rank within the werewolf community and how women were pretty much left out of the picture. Other than Mercy, the only other really prominent female character is Jessica, Adam’s daughter who gets kidnapped during the course of the book. Why couldn’t we have an alpha female leading a pack somewhere?

Another thing I wonder about is the men around Mercy. I hope Briggs doesn’t have every guy that Mercy meets fall in love with her or want to make her his mate. That’s a plot device I just don’t enjoy. There are two men interested in Mercy in this book, and evidently, the love triangle plays out over the course of the next two books.

Overall, if you’re looking for a new fantasy read or are burned out on vampires, check out Briggs. You’ll probably enjoy her world.

Thumbs up.

Up next: Not sure. Maybe Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs.

Finished Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward. This is the fifth and latest book in her Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Warning: This posts contains some spoilers, so if you haven’t read the book, you might want to skip this post.

This book is about Vishous, a vampire haunted by his past and unwanted destiny to become the Primale — the warrior who will take 40 wives and ensure the continuation of the vampire race. One night after Vishous is shot and left for dead, he’s taken to a human hospital where he meets Dr. Jane Whitcomb. Vishous is immediately attracted to Jane and has his fellow vamps kidnap her when they spring him from the hospital.

I liked a lot of things about this book. Nobody makes messed up characters more likable than Ward, and I’m always amazed how she can juggle so many plotlines — and make them all interesting,  engaging, and give everyone a unique voice. In addition to Vishous and Jane, we also get to see a lot of other vamps — like Phury, Cormia, and John Matthew. Some folks complained this book was a little light on the main romance between Vishous and Jane, but I like the continuing stories and setups for new couples.

But there were also a lot of things I didn’t like about the book. Ward writes alpha male characters well, but I’m just not a fan of them in general. I don’t like the possessiveness and jealousy that seems to define alpha male behavior. (My agent says I write alpha female characters. But that’s a post for another time). For example, Vishous wants to kill a human doctor who’s interested in Jane the second he sees the doctor. Not cool. 

Then, there’s Jane. I understand she’s a doctor and has sworn an oath to save lives. But if a six-foot-something vampire and his friends kidnapped me, I’d be looking for weapons — not saving their lives, no matter what they promised me. (Jane does get a razor at one point, but Vishous almost immediately takes it away from her). And I don’t think I’d be daydreaming about macking on said vampire, no matter how hot he was. At least, not at first. 😉

And the ending. Lots of reviewers have talked about the ending. Some love it. Some think it’s a copout. Basically, Jane gets shot by a lesser (bad guy) and dies. But the Scribe Virgin (vampire goddess) brings her back to life and makes her a ghost, so she and Vishous can live happily ever after.

So the question is why doesn’t the Scribe Virgin do the same for Tohrment, a vampire who lost his wife in a previous book? I think the answer is supposed to be because Vishous is the Scribe Virgin’s son, and she owes him for making his life so miserable. But that’s really just my own interpretation.

What about you? What did you think of the ending of Lover Unbound?

Also, something I always think about when I read Ward is one of her primary world-building rules — that vampires can’t turn humans into vampires. You’re either born a vamp or not (unless you’re like Butch and are really half-vamp anyway, but just didn’t go through your transition). As a writer, this seems limiting to me. I always wonder how she’s going to pull off the next vampire-human romance, without having the Scribe Virgin make everything okay in the last chapter. Maybe it’s just me.

So, I’m going split decision on this one. Thumbs up to the overall writing and continuing character storylines. Thumbs down to the Vishous-Jane romance and the ending. 

Up next: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs.