Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #11)

With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows...

This is a series that is near and dear to my heart, however Dead Reckoning left me feeling like I could have missed it and not missed much. The plot was somewhat predictable and not as impressive as the previous 9 books (book 10 was also a bit blah as well). I hope the series continues, but I also would like more excitement and mystery.
 
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Street Magic (Black London, #1) by Caitlin Kittredge

Her name is Pete Caldecott. She was just sixteen when she met Jack Winter, a gorgeous, larger-than-life mage who thrilled her with his witchcraft. Then a spirit Jack summoned killed him before Pete’s eyes—or so she thought. Now a detective[MSOffice2] , Pete is investigating the case of a young girl kidnapped from the streets of London. A tipster’s chilling prediction has led police directly to the child…but when Pete meets the informant, she’s shocked to learn he is none other than Jack. Strung out on heroin, Jack a shadow of his former self. But he’s able to tell Pete exactly where Bridget’s kidnappers are hiding: in the supernatural shadow-world of the fey. Even though she’s spent years disavowing the supernatural, Pete follows Jack into the invisible fey underworld, where she hopes to discover the truth about what happened to Bridget—and what happened to Jack on that dark day so long ago…

I really wanted to like this book. I gave it a chance and completed it although it took me considerably longer to read than is my norm. The story was strange and a little off to me. There was something about the writing style or maybe it was because I didn't care about the characters... I was not able to lose myself in the story or in the world the author created. I realize sometimes the first book in a series can leave something to be desired, so I will give this series another shot and read the next book in the series.

Street Magic (Black London, Book 1)

Dreamfever (Fever, #4) by Karen Marie Moning

MacKayla Lane lies naked on the cold stone floor of a church, at the mercy of the erotic Fae master she once swore to kill. Far from home, unable to control her sexual hungers, MacKayla is now fully under the Lord Master’s spell.…In New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning’s stunning new novel, the walls between human and Fae worlds have come crashing down. And as Mac fights for survival on Dublin’s battle-scarred streets, she will embark on the darkest—and most erotically charged—adventure of her life.

He has stolen her past, but MacKayla will never allow her sister’s murderer to take her future. Yet even the uniquely gifted sidhe-seer is no match for the Lord Master, who has unleashed an insatiable sexual craving that consumes Mac’s every thought—and thrusts her into the seductive realm of two very dangerous men, both of whom she desires but dares not trust.

As the enigmatic Jericho Barrons and the sensual Fae prince V’lane vie for her body and soul, as cryptic entries from her sister’s diary mysteriously appear and the power of the Dark Book weaves its annihilating path through the city, Mac’s greatest enemy delivers a final challenge.…

It’s an invitation Mac cannot refuse, one that sends her racing home to Georgia, where an even darker threat awaits. With her parents missing and the lives of her loved ones under siege, Mac is about to come face-to-face with a soul-shattering truth—about herself and her sister, about Jericho Barrons…and about the world she thought she knew.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
(Nooooo! - This is me screaming because I'm hanging off a cliff over here!) It has been several hours since I finished reading Dreamfever and I am still thinking about it. It's difficult to talk about the book without giving too much away, so I'll just say this was a great read and I am anxiously looking forward to the 5th and final book in this series!

Faefever (Fever, #3) by Karen Marie Moning

The New York Times bestselling author of Darkfever and Bloodfever returns to Dublin’s Fae-infested shores in a bold, sensual new novel. Hurtling us into a realm of seduction and shadows, Karen Marie Moning tells the enthralling tale of a woman who explores the limits of her mysterious powers as she enters a world of ancient sorcery—and confronts an enemy more insidious than she could ever have imagined.

He calls me his Queen of the Night. I’d die for him. I’d kill for him, too. When MacKayla Lane receives a torn page from her dead sister’s journal, she is stunned by Alina’s desperate words. And now MacKayla knows that her sister’s killer is close. But evil is closer. And suddenly the sidhe-seer is on the hunt: For answers. For revenge. And for an ancient book of dark magic so evil, it corrupts anyone who touches it.

Mac’s quest for the Sinsar Dubh takes her into the mean, shape-shifting streets of Dublin, with a suspicious cop on her tail. Forced into a dangerous triangle of alliance with V’lane, an insatiable Fae prince of lethally erotic tastes, and Jericho Barrons, a man of primal desires and untold secrets, Mac is soon locked in a battle for her body, mind, and soul.

As All Hallows’ Eve approaches and the city descends into chaos, as a shocking truth about the Dark Book is uncovered, not even Mac can prevent a deadly race of immortals from shattering the walls between worlds—with devastating consequences.…
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bloodfever (Fever, #2) by Karen Marie Moning

I used to think my sister and I were just two nice southern girls who'd get married in a few years and settle down to a quiet life. Then I discovered that Alina and I descend, not from good wholesome southern stock, but from an ancient Celtic bloodline of powerful sidhe-seers, people who can see the Fae. Not only can I see the terrifying otherworldly race, but I can sense the sacred Fae relics that hold the deadliest of their magic.

When my sister was found dead in a trash-filled alley in Dublin, I came over to get answers. Now all I want is revenge. And after everything I've learned about myself, I know I have the power to get it.

MacKayla Lane's ordinary life underwent a complete makeover when she landed on Ireland's shores and was plunged into a world of deadly sorcery and ancient secrets.

In her fight to stay alive, Mac must find the Sinsar Dubh--a million-year-old book of the blackest magic imaginable, which holds the key to power over both the worlds of the Fae and of Man. Pursued by Fae assassins, surrounded by mysterious figures she knows she cannot trust, Mac finds herself torn between two deadly and irresistible men: V'lane, the insatiable Fae who can turn sensual arousal into an obsession for any woman, and the ever-inscrutable Jericho Barrons, a man as alluring as he is mysterious.

For centuries the shadowy realm of the Fae has coexisted with that of humans. Now the walls between the two are coming down, and Mac is the only thing that stands between them...

I breezed through this book! Ms. Moning (she has a really nice website, check it out) has redeemed herself with me in Bloodfever the second book in the Fever series. After reading the first book, I dropped the series from my list, but after reading more reviews, I decided to give it another shot. I'm very glad that I did. This book was exciting and engaging. My only complaint is that there's not enough of Barrons! I'm off to ready book 3.

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs (Mercedes Thompson, #2)

Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places - and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind.

But this new vampire is hardly ordinary - and neither is the demon inside of him...

rating: 5 of 5 stars

The second in Patricia Briggs' Mercedes Thompson series, Blood Bound is not quite as good as the first book, Moon Called, but it runs a close second. I am now a complete 'sucker' for this series. Where ever Mercy, Samuel, Adam, Stefan and the others lead... I will follow.

Patricia Briggs has a talent for making each chapter ending a mini cliffhanger that leaves you wanting more and entices you to read further. I also appreciate the way she ended both books by not abruptly bringing the story to a halt just because the good vs. evil or the main plot issues were somewhat resolved. She takes the time to give you more, and it's nice to know what happens after the dust settles a little.

Visit the Author: http://www.patriciabriggs.com

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too.

Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.

She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself... and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm looking forward to learning more about the characters especially Adam and Stefan. I'm sure Mercedes (Mercy) also has some secrets about her nature that will be revealed to her and us later in the series.

Originally, I wasn't a fan of books written in first person, but in this case it works and works well. The writing style of Patricia Biggs in this series includes a lot of dialogue compared to some of what I've read lately, and it makes for great reading. There are several twists and turns that keep the story going and leave no room for lulls in the plot.

Visit the Author: http://www.patriciabriggs.com

Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery, Book 9)

Except for Sookie Stackhouse, folks in Bon Temps, Louisiana, know little about vamps—and nothing about weres.

Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to reveal their existence to the ordinary world. At first all goes well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found near the bar where Sookie works—and she feels compelled to discover who, human or otherwise, did it.

But there’s a far greater danger threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings—older, more powerful, and more secretive than vampires or werewolves—is preparing for war. And Sookie finds herself an all-too human pawn in their battle.

rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was disappointed that with this book. I read it in one sitting because I was hoping it would get better, but it didn't. The who-done-it was dull. The battle was blah, and even the romance was boring.

After book 8 in the series, I thought things would move on and the series would be as addictive and thrilling as it was in books 1 through 7. After reading the Dead and Gone, I'm wondering if maybe Charlaine Harris is tired of writing this series. Sookie seemed subdued... actually everyone did.

I'll keep reading the series, and I'm looking forward to the next release in October 2009...

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

I considered not finishing the book several times as I was reading. I think it could have been a short story once all the blah blah blah was removed. I forced myself to keep reading hoping it would get better. My main problem with it was the rambling in first person. I just wanted to stick to the story. I also agree with other reviewers regarding the use of "Little did I know"...,etc. Why bother to say that? Just let me figure that out within the story. In the end, I felt like those were just a poor choice of teaser to string me along, because I didn't find out what Mac meant by any of those comments. Maybe I missed something, but I was expecting so much more.

I also agree with other reviewers that even though this is a series, each book should be able to stand alone. I felt cheated in the end. It is possible to have a cliffhanger and a full story in one book and leave the reader with satisfaction along with a feeling of anticipation at the same time.