Patricia Briggs: Silver Borne

• ISBN-13: 9780441019960
• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
• Publication date: 1/25/2011
• Series: Mercy Thompson Series , #5
• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Pages: 304

 When Mercy Thompson, mechanic and shape-shifter, attempts to return a powerful fae book she previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down. 
 It seems the book contains secrets - and the fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side - leaving Mercy to cover for him lest his own father declare Samuel's life forfeit. 
 All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she may not have many more... 
 Mercy Thompson is, hands down, one of my favorite heroines of all time. OF ALL TIME. She's badass, she's brave, she's independent. But in this book she learns something else that we haven't really seen from her yet: she learns that it's okay to lean on someone else and be the weak one for a while. Having spent the last four months immersed in Supernatural, I find this message particularly meaningful after watching Dean Winchester struggle to take all the blame and responsibility of the world on his own shoulders and sacrifice himself for others time and again. OKAY that went where it wasn't meant to go, but the point is, I appreciated Mercy's development all the more because of my Supernatural feels.
 In this installment of her saga, Mercy's dealing with pack and fae bullshit. The pack, being a bunch of mostly old-fashioned dogs, essentially, are having a little trouble accepting a coyote shifter as their Alpha's mate. Since Adam and Mercy are still on precarious ground after her rape of two novels ago, they haven't really taken the time to figure out the dynamics of the magical pack bond that Mercy now has to deal with. Prime time for messing with Mercy's head. Throw in Samuel's mental breakdown (he's very old and very lonely) and you have a recipe for oh-man. And a major plot twist for our favorite white wolf toward the end.
 Also, the fae are after her, again. Although it's not the Gray Lords and it's not a group of fae so much as it's one fae in particular throwing a wretch of a wrench into her life, so that's a plus. Zee's son, Tad, asks Mercy to check in on a mutual friend, and hijinks naturally ensue.
 As I've already kind of intimated, the developing relationship between Mercy and Adam is my favorite part of this novel. Every time something happens to Mercy, Adam climbs the walls and has a freak out, and I, damsel at heart that I am, love to see a man lose his cool when his love is in danger. And since he's a wolf, that means a whole lot more. He has a few this novel, mostly because of the issues with the pack bond, but Mercy handles them supremely and actually talks it out with him, which is a major step in any relationship. So rah-rah on that front. AND BRAN AND CHARLES. They show up briefly and basically any chance to see Bran has me cheering from the rafters.
 Overall: A
 It wasn't as completely action packed as the other novels, but it definitely kept me on the edge of my seat with a ton of "will-he-or-won't-he" situations. Or she. There were a lot. The mystery also had an interesting twist.

Laurell K. Hamilton: Divine Misdemeanors

• ISBN-13: 9780345495976
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Publication date: 7/27/2010
• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Pages: 384

 You may know me best as Meredith Nic Essus, princess of faerie. Or perhaps as Merry Gentry, Los Angeles private eye. To protect my unborn children, I have turned my back on the crown, choosing exile in the human world with my beloved Frost and Darkness. Yet I cannot abandon my people. Someone is killing the fey, which has left the LAPD baffled and my guardsmen and me deeply disturbed. I thought I'd left the blood and politics behind in my own turbulent realm. But now I realize that evil knows no borders, and that nobody lives forever - even if they're magical.

 Merry has given up her throne in faerie, rightfully given to her by Goddess herself, in order to live with her many men and raise her babies in peace. But that's not really going to happen because this is Laurell K. Hamilton, first of all, and second, Merry is the only other available ruler for the Unseelie court and Andais has gone off her rocker, officially. So there are factions galore and everyone wants to kill Merry, maybe. Which we pretty much only get because Doyle still has spies at court.
 Now on to the actual "mystery" portion of the novel. We are, for the first time since like the third book,  back in the real world and working for the detective agency again. It's kind of nice to have an actual problem to solve instead of power politics. Namely, someone has been killing the supposedly immortal demi-fey/lesser fey and Merry is called in to give her expert opinion. Of course, she's followed by her massive entourage because she's pregnant and royal and famous and screw the paparazzi. Basically.
 Now we encounter my first complaint, that actually isn't a huge complaint, but enough to get mentioned - there are way too many characters floating around. Several times I found myself wondering if I'd seen that character before and in what context. She talked about them like we already knew them, but for the life of me I couldn't remember why. Also, since there are so many, it's hard to get any good characterization in. I especially miss Doyle and Frost having the foreground after book 4, I think it was. That, for me, was the best of these novels. We had that emotional breakdown from Doyle when he thought Mistral had been chosen as king to Merry's queen - and it was beautiful. There's not a lot of that going on anymore. There is a lot of emotional/sexual healing going on, though, since all of Merry's guards, which now include Cel's female ex-guards, have some serious mental scars from their abuse at court.
 Which brings me to point number 2: for whatever reason, Hamilton has become incredibly heavy-handed i with her development strategies. We'll be rolling merrily along, detecting, advising, etc. when HALT FOR MERRY'S REVELATION ABOUT A GUARD. We have these strange breaks to have a breakdown, or have some crazy powerful sex, or just to have one of the guards reveal a little more of their life story. There was one particular passage that screamed complete lack of fluidity, being that it jumped between the present investigation, to Merry's thoughts on something else, back to the investigation, and back to Merry's thoughts. Usually Hamilton's much more focused. I think it's a symptom of way too many characters to deal with.
 Other than these complaints (and the shockingly short appearance of Mistral) it was an interesting mystery, and sufficiently squick-y at the end. Although I do think Merry was a tad dense on this one - the clues added up a little faster than she realized.
 Overall: B
 The saving factor for this grade was the murder mystery. Otherwise, I felt like the developments in Merry's world were not coherent, connected, or especially well handled. And I miss the fathers of the babies being around more (yes, I said fathers - Doyle, Frost, Mistral, Sholto, Rhys, and Galen, I believe. Which handily solved the problem of me having too many favorites, and Hamilton as well, is my guess).

Rachel Vincent: My Soul to Keep

• ISBN-13: 9780373210053
• Publisher: Harlequin
• Publication date: 6/1/2010
• Pages: 304

 Kaylee has an addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.
 Until something does.
 Demon breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends - one of whom is already hooked.
 And so is someone else...

 NAAAAAASH - she screamed in fury.
 Oh, Rachel, you crazy, sadistic wench. Why must you do this to my emotions on a fairly regular basis? My little fangirl heart can't handle the strain. Although the promise of things to come does somewhat alleviate the pain....
 As I'm sure you've already figured out, Nash and our heroine Kaylee are on the rocks, but why? That is the important question. And not even the most important question. Vincent does a wonderful job in this novel of effectively reproducing the virtually unbounded stupidity of teenagers. Especially rich bitch teenagers. So effective, in fact, that I spend the majority of the novel head-desking hard enough to knock books askew.
 Kaylee and her cousin Sophie are still at odds, mostly because Sophie's a raging bitch-head but also because she sort of blames Kaylee for her mother's death. Emma is dating some moronic jock (so is Sophie, but can we really expect any less? Or more?) who is hell bent on snuffing some new drug, street name "Frost." Real name, Demon's Breath, the highly addictive carbon dioxide exhalation of a hellion from the Netherworld. Sounds fun, right? Getting all jumped up on someone else's bad breath, yum.
 But actually, no, it's highly destructive to the human body and mind, and withdrawal is the mother of all psyche-breakers. Doug and his friends apparently didn't get the memo, and now Kaylee and Nash are out to save all their sorry, thrill-seeking butts. Kaylee, for once, is playing the safe card, wanting to take the whole situation to the adults to handle, but Nash is, for some reason, holding her back, supposedly to protect his dumbass friends. I smell something rotten in the state of Denmark, methinks.
 Also, for some strange reason, Kaylee is unable to sleep because she soul-screams herself right into the Netherworld. Yes, you heard that right. While having nightmares of a death, she screams herself straight out of the real world and into the next, a talent that only the female bean sidhe possesses. Which means she's also going to have to get herself out. After one experience of this, she needs constant watching while she sleeps, to have someone there are to wake her should she start screaming. Fascinating, awkward, and hard to deal with, while also reflecting my actual life at the time of reading. It's the perfect storm of awesomeness.
There isn't too much character development in this installment, unless you count that punch Tod threw at Nash's head, in which case I think we have a deep insight into his character. Save that for later. Ruminate on it, savor it. Think back on it later. Other than that...everyone is pretty static. Other than Nash, of course, and I'm not even going to touch that one with a ten-foot pole for fear of spoilers. Honestly, though, that's about as close as I can even get to the matter without giving the whole thing away, willy nilly.
 Overall: B+
 I was genuinely annoyed with the moronic actions of nearly everyone in the novel, but since they're teenagers, this is, then, a highly accurate depiction. Vincent catches some slack from that. Other than that, I feel like My Soul to Sleep only created more questions rather than solving any of them. We didn't get to see much bean sidhe action, and that was disappointing. Nonetheless, it was still a fun ride.

Hideyuki Kikuchi: The Stuff of Dreams

• ISBN-13: 9781595820945
• Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
• Publication date: 9/13/2006
• Pages: 204

Even Vampire Hunters cannot resist the siren song of an ageless sleeping beauty.
 In a world where even the smallest and most remote village cannot avoid being terrorized by the monsters that stalk the night, there is a hamlet, prosperous and peaceful, where mortals and the vampire Nobility have coexisted for years. It is there that seventeen-year-old Sybille Schmitz has slept, neither waking nor aging, for thirty years since first receiving the vampire's immortal kiss.
 The mysterious Vampire Hunter known only as "D" is lured to the tranquil oasis by recurrent dreams of the beautiful undying girl bathed in an eerie blue light and dancing in a ghostly chateau. But there are a number of people who do not welcome the presence of the dhampir, fearing D will disturb the delicate balance upon which the fate of the town rests. They will stop at nothing to protect that balance, even if it it means destroying the most feared Hunter the world has ever known.

 In our beloved D's fifth adventure, he encounters a foe that he may not quite be able to deal with - not because he's so much stronger, but because he's a dream. What? Yes, that is indeed the plot. D finds himself called into someone's dream, to do what, we don't know. Neither does he.
 Once again, I found myself noticing Kikuchi's strange prose. It strays occasionally into cheesy and over the top territory, but after the first chapter or so, you get used to it and move on with your life. Also, I did notice that D talks a whole lot more in this installment than he has so far. Which is somewhat jarring, because you don't really expect him to explain his actions or ask questions - the D we know and love would just figure the mystery out on his own, based upon pure observation. So it's a little unusual in that respect. The plot, however, is fantastic.
 Kikuchi weaves a crazy complex story, that I only realized was so complex when I was trying to explain it to my dad. He didn't get it. I probably wasn't doing that well with my explanation, but it's not like he really cared, so I'm not going to be bothered about it. Suffice to say, it is well and truly a mind-fuck. Yes, guys, I did just drop my first f-bomb on this blog. We should through a party. Back to the plot, though. It leaves you wondering, definitely. Who was right? Did everything turn out as D expected? Were the characters happy with the choices they made? I leave those questions to you, as Kikuchi does. At the end, you're left to your own devices to decide how everything might have turned out. Because D doesn't much care, and Kikuchi certainly doesn't tell you.
 This novel is one of the shorter ones, so it flies by, but you hardly notice at what speed you're reading because the story is rather engrossing. And that's all I'll say about the plot. I'm done, I swear.
 Characterization: As I said before, D seems to be a little more open in this novel, which, honestly, displeases me a bit. One of the reasons I love D is that very stoicism that seems to be missing from The Stuff of Dreams. The other characters are pretty shallow since it is such a small novel. A novella, really. The only person that really interested me was Sheriff Krutz. He was just so wonderfully conflicted, and you felt a connection with him and his wife right at the moment you met them (separately, but the same feeling).
 Overall: B+
 Because of the smallness of the work, a lot was crammed in and characterization definitely suffered. But the story was fascinating and definitely set your brain to working, so that's why the score isn't lower. Although, I did enjoy it, so don't freak.

Rachel Vincent: Alpha

• ISBN-13: 9780778328186
• Publisher: Mira
• Publication date: 10/1/2010
• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Pages: 472

The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder, and treason. Yeah, we've been busy. But now it's time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother's death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.
 It's not going to be easy, and loss seems unavoidable, but I have promised to protect my Pride, no matter what. With a target on my back and Marc at my side, I'm heading for a final showdown that can - that will - change everything forever. A showdown I'm not sure I'm ready for.
 But life never waits until you're ready. 

Here we are again at the end of another series. A sad day for all. However, since it's a happy ending, we're not too sad to see it go.
 Faythe is having problems, again. These problems being a nearly seamless continuation of the problems in the previous novel, which had not arrived at a resolution. Calvin Malone is still practicing extreme douchebagger-y, but now Parker's father is pissed off because Faythe gave up his son Jerald to the Thunderbirds - perfectly justifiable, unless you're an ass. Which apparently half the cats in North America are. From what I can tell, in the Pride world, the men are either good guys or a combination of stupid, sadistic, or weak-willed. Thus, we have a fairly even divide between Malone's allies (the assholes) and Faythe's allies (the good guys).
 Now, I have spent a lot of time from basically the fourth book onward being incredibly frustrated with the political structure of the world that the characters inhabit. That's what I'm supposed to be feeling, so I'm not complaining, but one has to wonder why the toms all have medieval mentalities in the modern world. I understand that tabbies are not particularly prolific in the child-birthing department, but that doesn't mean that they automatically hand their lives over to the nearest Alpha male. This is really the core of the problem, other than Calvin's megalomania - the toms can't seem to understand Faythe's desire to be her own woman. Thus we have lots of "rape her because she's a woman and she's standing up to me and I don't know how to deal with that" going on. And I come to one of my issues with this book - many of the characters hit that one dimensional note I was talking about - stupid, sadistic, or weak. That's a little disappointing from someone that I know can do much more.
 My other problem with this book was the wrap up, of which he barely had one. The final big battle only lasted two chapters, and we had one chapter to basically resolve Faythe's relationship status and list the dead and wounded. Not really a wrap up. We know that the way Prides work is going to change, but we have no resolution of some of the basic problems. For example, how is Faythe going to deal with the remnants of Malone's allies? How is Paul Blackwell going to react to the all-out war that just occurred? Will he support Faythe's reign or continue to follow his chauvinistic beliefs? Is Jayce going to take over Malone's Pride? Lots of interesting paths to pursue, and while I appreciate that Vincent was leaving the future open for the reader to imagine, I would have appreciated a little more closure in the political arena.
 Other than that - I greatly enjoyed this book. Faythe has really grown up since Stray, and I was rather impressed with the way she handled the tension between Jace and Marc. Old Faythe might have yelled or run away from the problem - new Faythe merely asks for time and tries her best to maintain an even playing field. Any anger she displays is justified and she uses it to her advantage rather than letting it overwhelm her.
 Overall: A-
 The ending was too abrupt for my taste, but the rest of the book felt like it flew by. Vincent makes you weep, makes you laugh (not so much in this one), and makes you think about what you would do were you in that situation.

Charlaine Harris: Dead to the World

• ISBN-13: 9780441012183
• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
• Publication date: 5/5/2005
• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Edition description: Reprint
• Pages: 320

  It's not every day that you come across a naked man on the side of the road. That's why cocktail waitress Sookie Stackhouse doesn't just drive by. Turns out the poor thing hasn't a clue who he is, but Sookie does. It's Eric the vampire - but now he's a kinder, gentler Eric. And a scared Eric, because whoever took his memory now wants his life. Sookie's investigation into who and why leads straight into a dangerous battle among witches, vampires, and werewolves. But a greater danger could be to Sookie's heart - because this version of Eric is very difficult to resist...

 Sookeh and Beel are still on the rocks, and it's looking pretty perminent considering the distinct lack of Beel in this novel. He basically makes an appearance at the beginning to announce he's not going to be in this novel overmuch, and then at the end to help keep everybody from dying. Thanks, bro. Other than that, this installment is all about Sookie and the suddenly-memoryless Eric. 
 There's a new brood of witches in town, and I was shocked at how little they were actually in town. They are threatening basically the entire supernatural community of the area surrounding Bon Temps, yet they are easily dispersed at the end of the novel, and, frankly, don't seem terribly threatening to the actual supernatural community. They just feel more bitchy to me. But personal opinions are personal. I was actually kind of proud of Sookie in this novel. She put on her big-girl britches and managed to take care of all the people she had promised (to herself) she would. She stepped into her adult shoes with a little more eagerness than I was anticipating in certain areas, though. Can we all agree to acknowledge that she does sleep with Eric in this novel, since season four or whatever of True Blood basically follows this novel, and I think anyone who's ever heard anything about True Blood knows this. Okay, that's out of the way. She jumps into bed with him awful quick, though. Surprising. But you go, girl.
 We also have the introduction of some new characters that I feel will be around for quite a bit, namely the Hotshot community of shapeshifters. I kind of really like Calvin, although I couldn't tell you why, distinctly. He just seems really...cool. He also hits on Sookie with determination, and not because he likes her sparkling personality. I like that, and it makes me laugh a little. He's a strong leader and takes care of the shit his people deal out with no problem. I generally have a problem with characters in leadership positions who refuse to discipline their people or acknowledge their wrongdoing. No problem with that here. Bravo.
 Finally, we have Jason being less of an ass than usual, but that's through a lack of presence, really. His one significant contribution to the novel, taken under his own will, was a total ass-hat move that he portrayed as being in Sookie's interest, but was really just him being a greedy bitch. 
 Another character I really enjoyed this time - Pam. Pam is righteous, and the only fault I can find is in her choice of clothing. No pink, Pam. You're better than that. I like the relationship she and Sookie are developing, although it's still in its infancy. I'm expecting some entertaining hi-jinks out of these two, Ms. Harris. And as much as I hate to return to an earlier subject, since it suggests that my review doesn't have good form, I'm also excited for the developing romance of Sookie and Eric. We got a glimpse of what he might once have been, and might still be somewhere inside that heap of ego. He has potential. 
 Overall: A
 It was a great read without annoying me even once. And it brought a lot of ideas and potentialities between the characters to the forefront, making me anticipate the forthcoming novels more than ever before. The action was a little lacking, though, and seemed somewhat anti-climactic at the end. Oh well, you can't have everything.

Laurell K Hamilton: Cerulean Sins

• ISBN-13: 9780515136814
• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
• Publication date: 9/28/2004
• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Pages: 560

How the mighty have fallen! Once a sworn enemy of all monsters, Anita is now the human consort of both Jean-Claude, the Master Vampire, and Michah, the leopard shape-shifter. Not quite as human she once was, she is consumed by both their hungers - desires that must be sated time and time again. And when a centuries-old vampire targets Jean-Claude and his clan, Anita finds herself tested as never before - needing all the dark forces her passion can muster to save the ones she loves the most...

 Lord, are we ramping up the sex now. And it's only going to get worse, or so I hear. However, it hasn't gotten to the point that I don't see the point, as I've heard complained on various boards and Wikipedia and what have you. In this installment, Anita has to deal with Belle Mort's envoys, who have arrived in St. Louis before schedule. This, of course, throws Jean-Claude's court into a tizzy, and a slew of complicated vampire politics and relationships cause quite a bit of confusion for our ravishing heroine. (Can we just talk about how much I want Anita's hair? Just for a moment.  -  Okay, moment over.)
 Her issues are further complicated by our erstwhile friend Dolph going off the deep end because his son is marrying a vampire. His anger toward all things associated with "monsters" - Anita included - seriously hinder her ability to do her job when she's called onto a case. Much frustration ensues. And what a gruesome case. We've had gruesome before, which - to become truly disturbing - can only be found in paranormal fiction, since there are no boundaries of physics. For example, tearing apart a human to the point that all is left are bones and goo. A normal human can't do that without the aid of some type of machinery. Thus, the imagination is given limitless opportunity. It's a little twisted that this is what the mind comes up with when there are no restrictions, but that's a subject for a different discussion.
 Anita also adds another suitor to her growing list of guys she's slept with. Possibly two, but I'm not counting non-penetration. Are you? I won't tell you who it is, but it becomes abundantly obvious. Obviously. We also have a return of who I like to call piss-ant-Richard. He is the one incredibly obnoxious part of this series. I started off liking him a lot, but as time has gone and he has failed to adapt to circumstances or even make a lame attempt at an understanding attitude, he has become more and more distasteful. He doesn't change much in this installment. I will give him kudos for coming to Anita's aid on one occasion, but as he follows that with a colossal act of blatant, stubborn stupidity, it kind of cancels that out. I think Anita just needs to punch him in the face or do something else violent to put him in his place. I feel like it's only going to get worse, and from what I've read of future books, I'm not far off.
 Overall: B+
 The Anita Blake series is not going downhill, at least not to the extent I've heard. I think it's still incredibly entertaining and interesting, although Hamilton is increasingly falling to her own personal curse of too much action in too short a time. We have a lot of things going on, and it seems like more time should be passing, only to realize that the day isn't even over. In fact, I think the events in this book take place over a mere two or three days. But the fact that you barely notice says much more about the attention-grabbing power of these novels. I sincerely hope I always enjoy these books as I have been. 

Hideyuki Kikuchi: Tale of the Dead Town

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: Dark Horse Books/Digital Manga Publishing; 1st DH Press Ed edition (December 29, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-13: 978-1595820938

When vampires attack a floating city, only one man can save paradise.
The City, a tiny metropolis of a few hundred sheltered citizens floating serenely on a seemingly random course a few feet above the ground, has long been thought safe from the predation of marauding monsters. It seems like a paradise.
A paradise shattered when an invasion of apparent vampires threatens the small haven. While the Vampire Hunter known only as "D" struggles to exterminate the scourge, a former denizen of the city, the attractive Lori Knight, and the brash John M. Brasselli Pluto VIII seize control of the city, lurching it onto a new and deadly course. D's travails are just beginning.
 Well, that sounds ominous, doesn't it? And not entirely accurate, but I won't spoil it for you...
 Kikuchi has an incredibly ornate writing style, to say the least. Lots of adjectives that people rarely use. I'm not sure what he thinks the effect is, but in English I don't think it's quite the same. While slightly amusing, it doesn't detract too much from the story once you stop noticing it.
  The plot: D's at it again, saving people that aren't too terribly thankful. It's a fact of humanity: what they don't know or understand scares them, and rather than look beyond their own prejudices, they will lash out with violence, if necessary. Or unnecessary as the case may be. But D is D, so he doesn't really give a flying rat's ass about a bunch of petty, stupid humans. He's going to save them because it's his job.
 This wasn't my favorite entry in the Vampire Hunter D universe, if only because there didn't seem to be a lot going on, and it got somewhat repetitive. There were also a couple of random things that happened that didn't really have a larger connection to the story and seemed to just be there for the horror of it all. I was extremely pleased to see a mention of one of D's past adventures though - it was my personal favorite thus far, and it was nice to see that the story is over but not forgotten and that these characters do continue on (if they're alive).
 As far as characterizations go, Kikuchi did a pretty good job with this one. The only person that drove me nuts was Pluto VIII, but that had less to do with skill in writing and more to do with the fact that I just hate characters like him. Ambiguous at its best. I guess that says something positive for Kikuchi's writing.
 Overall: B-
 It had some good elements, but overall I think it was kind of a rush job.

Kim Harrison: Pale Demon

• ISBN-13: 9780061138072
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date: 11/29/2011
• Pages: 528

 Condemned for black magic, Rachel Morgan has three days to get to the annual witches' conference in San Francisco to clear her name. if not, she'll be trapped in the demonic ever-after...forever. 
 But a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy travelling 2,000 miles in one car is a recipe for disaster - not even counting the assassination teams waiting in ambush...or the demon they unleash on St. Louis.
 Now, after centuries of torment, a fearsome creature walks free, craving innocent blood and souls - especially Rachel Morgan's, who'll need to fully embrace her own demonic nature to survive. And even that may not be enough. 

 Oh, Rachel. You've done it again - managed to get yourself into a situation you can't escape without making your life substantially worse.
 We pick off a few months after we left off, with Rachel preparing to go bridesmaiding at her brother's wedding. Unfortunately, what with the events of the last novel, there is quite a bit of doubt as to whether she's actually going to make it. Then - surprise of surprises - Trent shows up asking for her help with something he needs done, but he's not going to tell her what it is. I'll pause to allow a moment of shock to sink it. Trent asking Rachel for help? Did the world end while I was sleeping? No, he just really needs her help. When Rachel (naturally) can't get through airport security because the Council is determined to make her life as difficult as possible, we have the perfect storm - for a road trip.
 Yes, you heard me. This novel is essentially a Lampoon Family Vacation in which all of the members of the family want to kill the annoying one. So basically a family vacation. Jenks, Ivy, Rachel, and Trent all bundles themselves into Rachel's mother's car and away they go, bickering all the way to the West coast. Of course, along the way they run into some nasties, including demons and mercenary elves, because whatever Trent wants, other people apparently want it, too. And when you find out what that thing is - hoo boy. I was shocked and I am so very anticipating what new developments that revelation will bring.
 Furthermore, Rachel is called on once again to use the very powers she is being crucified for. And she isn't going to get any thanks for it either. The difference is that this time, she doesn't care. Rachel is fed up with people trampling all over for something she has no control over, and I for one cheered raucously. Instead of trying to force her life into the shape she thinks it should be, she finally accepts that, for the time being at least, she is royally screwed and why waste energy trying to fight it? Accept it and make the best of it. You go, Ray-ray (oh, bad memories. Let's not call her that ever again).
 This one wasn't as action packed as the last one, and I liked it better for that. In my last review I mentioned that. Sometimes it just gets to be a little too much and you want some time to breathe between catastrophes. Harrison gave us that in this installment, and we got to remember why we liked the characters so much in the first place. Plus - road trip. Substantial time for hilarious dialogue and super-frustrating-bitch-Trent moments.
 Overall: A

Patricia Briggs: Bone Crossed

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Ace; Reprint edition (January 26, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 044101836X

 As a shapeshifter with some unique talents, ace car mechanic Mercy has had to maintain a tenuous harmony between the human and the not so human within the Tri-Cities of Eastern Washington on more than one occasion. But this time, she may be in over her head.
Marsilia, the local Vampire Queen, has learned that Mercy crossed her by slaying a member of her clan. Now she's out for blood. But since Mercy is protected from the vampire's direct reprisal by the werewolf pack - and her close relationship with its sexy Alpha - it's not Mercy's blood Marsilia is after...
It's her friends'.

 I really like Mercy Thompson. She's saucy, and fierce without being some uber-powerful super-being, and she's got a non-standard heroine job: she's a mechanic. How awesome is that? I will probably address her basic characterization in more depth when I go back and re-read the earlier books, but since this is the first I've done on this blog, I felt I should start with a little something about her.
 In this books, we're still dealing with the repercussions of the events of the previous books, obviously. One cannot suffer rape and forget it in a week. I'm surprised Mercy is doing as well as she is at this point, but that largely comes from being an incredibly strong individual and from having completely destroyed her attacker. Major kudos to Mercy. As a natural part of coming to terms with what happened, she is having difficulties becoming intimate with Adam. I love that Briggs didn't have Mercy run into the arms of the big strong man, and allow his tender love to heal all her wounds. No, she had to deal with the fear she suffered, even from someone she trusted as much as Adam.
 Aside from this, she's also dealing with the consequences of killing Andre, the vampire madam of the Tri-Cities' pet vampire. Granted, he was a total nutjub, but in this world vampires are not necessarily reasonable. Just incredibly territorial. In order to escape Marsilia's clutches and give the werewolves time to try to smooth out the situation, Mercy goes to help an old college friend with her ghost problem.
 Obviously there is a lot going on in this novel. Possibly too much. You start thinking that the ghost problem is connected with the vampire problem, then it turns out it's not. I'm sure we'll see that developing further in the coming books, but it's still kind of hurriedly thrown in there, almost like she didn't really have a plan for a stand alone plot for this book other than tying up loose ends from others. The ghost/vampire angle was her main plot for this book. While it became interesting at the end, it felt a little half-assed to me.
 The relationships are quite solidified at this point. We're all pretty sure that Mercy is going to end up with Adam, but it still remains to be seen how the emotionally unstable Samuel will deal with it. I also love that Ben and Mercy have bonded, and he's now kind of her biggest fan. Even though Ben was sort of an ass when we first met him, for some reason I still loved him, and I think it's because I saw the potential for this to happen. He really gave Mercy her spirit back in the last book, and we love him for it. Stefan also became massively cooler, I think. With his Mystery Inc. van, I always pictured him as sort of a hippie, but now he's a total badass. His loyalty to Mercy could bode a future interest in her romantically, if it's not there already, but since we know she's with Adam, it's not going to pan out. But doesn't it still make us feel good to have that person who loves us and would protect us without expecting anything in return? Stefan is that guy, I think, and I've become quite fond of him.
 Overall: A-
 Was this my favorite of the series? No, not really, no. Not at all actually. Yes, it was packed with a lot of stuff going on, but it wasn't really cohesive and it didn't all quite come together in the end. But Briggs did wonders with the relationships between characters, and I appreciate her all the more for that. So it's not getting an A or an A+ but it's definitely a solid A-.

Kim Harrison: Black Magic Sanction

• Mass Market Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Harper Voyager; Reprint edition (December 28, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061138045
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Rachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter - and lived to tell the tale. But she's never faced off against her own kind...until now. 
Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment - her worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom. But trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and a lowlife ex-boyfriend-turned-thief.

I love Kim Harrison. I always have, ever since I first read one of her books, which was actually the third in the Hollows series, which was understandably confusing. I got through it, obviously, and enjoyed it. Part of what I love about Harrison's Hollows is that the world is so amazingly fleshed out. She's got pretty much every supernatural species one can think of, working in a fully functioning Cincinnati with its own history and complex political structure. She also has fully developed characters that come and go, but that always bring something to the table. She is able to handle multiple plotlines smoothly and they make sense. Sometimes it can get hard to keep track of what has happened and what's going to  happen next, especially when sometimes there are large gaps between readings, as is the case with me. However, Harrison does a great job of reminding us what has happened to get us to the starting point of the new novel without making it sound like a painful recap.
 In this edition, we have Rachel - surprise - running for her life. She has managed to piss off everyone at least once, but she's good enough at what she does that she eventually convinces them what a bad idea it really is to mess with her. She is, unfortunately, a victim of circumstance this time. Her previous battles have forced her into a corner, and instead of understanding that most of what she does is out of necessity and not choice, her enemies chose to punish her for what others have caused. Yes, Rachel made the choice, but when your other choice is death, becoming the student of a demon isn't all that bad of an option. Anyway, the point of all that is that she is being hunted for something that is out of her control. While she may be forced to practice black magic upon occasion and consort with demons, she still holds onto her morals, sometimes to the inconvenience or detriment of herself. I like that about her - even if it makes things harder, she still will do what's right. It's suitably frustrating when she sticks her neck out for someone (several times in this particular novel) and she catches crap from the person she's saving because they can only see the method. That's a personal rant, though.
 Harrison develops Rachel even further, and she finally accepts what she is. Furthermore, her relationships with Trent and Algaliarept are developing and I'm interested to see where it's all going. Honestly, I don't hold out much hope for her and Pierce, although he's funny and useful at times. We're heading to the end as the series is to end at thirteen books and this is number eight. Rachel's going to have to get her life together in five books, and it's going to be one hell of a ride. She got one demon mark off, she's only got one left and a boatload of smut on her aura. We'll see....
 Overall: A
 There wasn't much breathing room in this novel and it largely focused on Rachel's issues, naturally. At times it got a little confusing, especially the physics of ley lines. Still brilliant obviously.