Review: Dark Heart of Magic by Jennifer Estep

Dark Heart of Magic by Jennifer Estep is book #2 in the Black Blade series. It was published October 27, 2015 by Kensington.

Lila Merriweather has been appointed Devon Sinclair's bodyguard. This is a new role for this former thief. All kinds of surprises are in store for her in this book including being placed into a tournament along with Devon and several other Sinclair family members against selected participants from the other families. This puts Lila into an uncomfortable place in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Victor Draconi is plotting against the families, especially the Sinclairs.And someone is killing monsters in Cloudburst Falls.

This book is a good follow up to Cold Burn of Magic. The characters are portrayed in greater depth. And they are allowed to grow and change - especially Lila. Even Victor is portrayed in greater depth since the first book. He is turning out to be quite the bad guy in more ways than one.

It's a good plot with plenty of action scenes. It will keep you turning pages to find out what's going on with Lila, Devon, and the monsters. And it looks like there is a human who is more of a monster than the magical monsters.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It's a good urban fantasy book. Cloudburst Falls, VA is an interesting setting. The characters are well developed. It is considered a YA title, but I think it can be enjoyed by adults as well.

An excerpt is available on the author's website. Just click on the title above.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday # 113: These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Expected publication: February 9, 2016
by Swoon Reads

This week the book I am waiting on is These Vicious Masks by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas. It's due out February 9, 2016 from Swoon Books. 

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:

Jane Austen meets X-­Men in this gripping and adventure-­filled paranormal romance set in Victorian London.

England, 1882. Evelyn is bored with society and its expectations. So when her beloved sister, Rose, mysteriously vanishes, she ignores her parents and travels to London to find her, accompanied by the dashing Mr. Kent. But they’re not the only ones looking for Rose. The reclusive, young gentleman Sebastian Braddock is also searching for her, claiming that both sisters have special healing powers. Evelyn is convinced that Sebastian must be mad, until she discovers that his strange tales of extraordinary people are true—and that her sister is in graver danger than she feared. 

Why am I waiting on this book? The first sentence of the synopsis intrigues me. It sounds like it will be an interesting read. 

You can read an interview with the authors at the Swoon Website.

What book are you waiting on this week? Please share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by!

Teaser Tuesday: Dark Heart of Magic by Jennifer Estep

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. 

Anyone can participate, just do the following:

• Grab your current read and open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and the author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

Published October 27, 2015
by Kensington

William Reginald eyed the three of us and our persimmon-spattered clothes, his nose twitching with obvious distaste. "I take it things didn't go so well with the tree troll?" an English accent colored his voice, making him sound exactly like the butler he was.

...

Felix threw his arm around Devon's shoulder, making bits of persimmon slide off both their T-shirts. "Oh, it went just fine and dandy. Can't you tell?"

13% through on my Kindle

The teasers are told from Lila Merriweather's perspective, as is the rest of the book. It's a good YA urban fantasy title. There is some snappy dialogue and definitely sarcasm as well as great action scenes. This is book 2 in the Black Blade series.

What book are your teasers from? Please share them or a link in the comments so we can check them out.

Review: Lowcountry Bordello by Susan M. Boyer

Published November 3, 2015
by Henery Press

What if your friend thinks she has found a body in the house she shares in ownership with her Aunt? And what if your investigation is complicated because it turns out the house is a bit of a high-class bordello?

Lowcountry Bordello is book #4 in the Liz Talbot series published by Henery Press. Liz and her fiance agree to look into the murder because, among other things, Olivia who found the body is one of Liz's bridesmaids. And the wedding is a week away. Couple that with a few ghosts in the bordello and her friendly ghost who is a guardian for all things Stella Maris, and you have an entertaining story.

The characters are interesting. How can you miss when you have an 80 something Aunt who runs the bordello? And with Liz, her family and friends just help to characterize her more. It would be easy to overuse the helpful ghost to solve the mysteries, but she has rules she must obey so that she can't reveal everything and spoil the story.

The plot moves along at a good pace, a little faster towards the end. It gets complicated at times like when they are reviewing the timeline for the murder and are trying to figure out who is a serious suspect. Overall though it's well done. The mystery is good and satisfying.

It's a southern mystery. Some might categorize it as a cozy even though Liz is a PI, probably because of the number of people involved that she knows and how homey it can get. I liked it in part because of the southern small town atmosphere.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday #112: Bitter Bite by Jennifer Estep

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

Expected publication: February 23,  2016
by Pocket Books

This week the book I am waiting on is Bitter Bite by Jennifer Estep. This is book #14 in her Elemental Assassin series featuring Gin Blanco aka The Spider. 

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:

Which is stronger: blood ties or a battle-tested friendship?

It’s not easy being queen bee of an underworld abuzz with crooks and killers. Wielding my potent Ice and Stone elemental magic will only get me so far—my real secret is my tight-knit makeshift family, a motley crew of cops and criminals, dwarves and playboys. My foster brother Finnegan Lane is my right-hand man, but when his suddenly not-dead relative comes back into the picture, I’m the one on the outside looking in. 

It’s funny how life works: one minute your best friend is rock-steady, and the next he’s doe-eyed and buying into this whole loving-relative routine to the point of ignoring you. I’d like to be happy for Finn, I really would. But all of my instincts are telling me that beneath the syrupy sweet demeanor and old-fashioned charm, this sudden interloper is planning something. The whole shtick leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. This person might have avoided the grave once, but I’ll put anyone who hurts Finn in the ground—for good.

An excerpt of Chapter One is available on Jennifer Estep's website. 

Why am I looking forward to it? I like the Gin Blanco series. And I love urban fantasy.

What book are you waiting on this week? Please share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out.

Teaser Tuesday: Dead Ringers - a novel by Christopher Golden

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. 

Anyone can participate, just do the following:

• Grab your current read and open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and the author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

Released November 3, 2015
 from St. Martin's Press

What happened in that gloomy restaurant in the back of the Nepenthe-what she had seen in the apparition box- had been like stepping across the threshold from one world to another. Like crashing her house down on a witch and opening the door into a world of bright and frightening colors she had never known existed. She couldn't stand the idea of being in that world alone.

~ p. 77 in the hardback copy

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out. Happy Reading!

Review: Dead Ringers by Christopher Golden

Published November 3, 2015
by St. Martin's Press

In Dead Ringers, Christopher Golden manages to take an old idea, doppelgangers, and make it new. What if you saw someone that you were close to on the street,  but they claimed not to know you? What if you even saw someone who looked just like you, but maybe a little better? They say everyone has a twin somewhere in the world. Is this just a case of that, or is it something more sinister? Factor in a haunted object and a house with a malign presence and you have Dead Ringers.

The characters are well realized. Each has a personality and is sympathetic. You want to root for them. The doubles, on the other hand, are easy to dislike. Who wouldn't dislike someone who was better at being them than themselves - more pulled together, more successful? If that's not enough of a problem, maybe they want to assume your identity as well, no longer content to merely exist.

The plot has twists and turns. The haunted object and the house with the malign presence among them. There is also an eyeless man who seems to be sniffing out either the originals or the copies. The plot is fast paced. I couldn't put the book down. I read it all in one day.

This is a 5-star horror book. Snowblind was good. Dead Ringers is even better.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Quickie Review: Bryant and May and the Secret Santa by Christopher Fowler

Bryant & May and the Secret Santa by Christopher Fowler is a short story available November17, 2015.

It's Christmas time in London with the cold, snow and slush expected with the season. Department store Santas have been hired and perform their tasks. But, after one boy visits Santa he becomes frightened and runs out of the store and winds up under a bus. Why did the boy react this way? Who is responsible for frightening him? Bryant and May are quickly called to the scene and begin to investigate.

I don't know much about boarding schools, so I couldn't really anticipate where the pair was going with their line of questioning. But, I didn't mind. All the clues are given that you need to solve along with Bryant and  May. There were a few twists.

I gave this story 4 stars out of 5 possible. Overall, it's a good, entertaining short story. It's worth your time. It can be read whether you are familiar with Bryant and May or not, but it's certainly more enjoyable knowing them from the novels.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this story in exchange for my honest opinion

Review: The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone

Published October 20, 2015
by Redhook

In the beginning of The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Moss by Max Wirestone, Dahlia suffers from long-time unemployment, lack of funds, and is living on her roommate's largesse trying not to rock the boat. So, when Charise introduces her to Jonah, she goes along with it. Jonah has a surprise for her. He wants to hire her as a private detective to retrieve a spear that was stolen from him in an online multi-player role playing game. That's something she is definitely not qualified for, but she can't pass up the money. Things take off from there with Jonah being found dead the next day. Not every decision is as terrible perhaps, but there is a real doozy near the end of the book. Not saying what, because spoilers.

I liked Dahlia. She was a well-rounded character. Her roommate Charise is kinda flaky at times and helpful at other times. Dahlia makes her own mistakes. Some of the mistakes she tries to hide mostly unsuccessfully.  She has to deal with other people's bad decisions as well.

The story works well told from the first person perspective of Dahlia. We get to see some of what is going on in her head as she recounts the tale of her search for the spear and ultimately Jonah's murderer. So, mostly this is an interesting mystery dealing with some geeky things. The book seemed to move along at a steady pace, but it did get faster right towards the end.

There appeared to be some question whether this book is YA or Adult. There is no sex in it and limited swearing. I would probably let an older teen read it. Younger ones might not enjoy it as much. It definitely has its appeal for adults.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. I found it overall interesting and funny in some parts. Dahlia does seem to attract a bit of the absurd.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday #111: The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

This week the book I am waiting on is The Casquette Girls by Alys Arden. It's due out November 17, 2015 from Skyscape.

Synopsis from Goodreads.com:

Revised edition: This edition of The Casquette Girls includes editorial revisions.

Seven girls tied by time.
Five powers that bind.
One curse to lock the horror away.
One attic to keep the monsters at bay.

**

After the storm of the century rips apart New Orleans, sixteen-year-old Adele Le Moyne wants nothing more than her now silent city to return to normal. But with home resembling a war zone, a parish-wide curfew, and mysterious new faces lurking in the abandoned French Quarter, normal needs a new definition. 

As the city murder rate soars, Adele finds herself tangled in a web of magic that weaves back to her own ancestors. Caught in a hurricane of myths and monsters, who can she trust when everyone has a secret and keeping them can mean life or death? Unless . . . you’re immortal.

Why am I waiting on this book? 
The early reviews look really good. For example: ★ “In this Southern Gothic love letter, Arden spins a moody tale of magic and mystery. A thoroughly satisfying page-turner. A strong debut.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review.  And, I'm a sucker for Southern Gothic.

What book are you waiting on this week? Please leave it or a link in the comments so we can check it out. Happy Reading!

Teaser Tuesday: Lowcountry Bordello by Susan M. Boyer

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can participate, just do the following:

• Grab your current read and open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and the author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

Published November 3, 2015
by Henery Press

"Trust me. No one is going to hurt Aunt Dean. She is well-defended. She'll likely never even have to use the twenty-two she carries in her robe, or whatever she happens to be wearing. She sleeps with it under her pillow. Has for years."

~ 6% through on my Kindle

Lowcountry Bordello by Susan M. Boyer is #4 in the Liz Talbot mysteries. It just came out November 3, 2015 from Henery Press. 

What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out. 

Review: Ghostly by Audrey Niffenegger

Published October 27, 2015 by Scribner

Ghostly by Audrey Niffenegger is a collection of short horror stories by various authors. It was released October 27, 2015. If you like ghost stories,  then this collection is for you. The tales are quirky, offbeat, and sometimes humorous.

Like most anthologies, some of the stories are going to sit better with some readers than others. Even though it is a classic, I disliked Poe's The Black Cat. I did like the editor's original story Secret Life, with Cats. Some of the other authors in the anthology include Ray Bradbury, Saki, A.S. Byatt, and Neil Gaiman. Not all of the authors are known for writing ghost stories, but most of the stories show that they did an admirable job of writing them. All of the stories seem to revolve around the theme of home and what happens at home or in a house. And the majority of the stories are told in a quiet sort of voice.

For me, this was a 4-star anthology. I liked more of the stories than I disliked. Unfortunately, the ones that I disliked were near the beginning of the book and I almost didn't give it a chance. I found when I went back to reading it that it was worth the time.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Waiting on Wednesday #110: Quiet Neighbors by Catriona McPherson

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

This week my Waiting on Wednesday pick is Quiet Neighbors by Catriona McPherson. It's due out April 6, 2016 from Midnight Ink.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

It’s the oldest bookshop in a town full of bookshops; rambling and disordered, full of treasures if you look hard. Jude found one of the treasures when she visited last summer, the high point of a miserable vacation. Now, in the depths of winter, when she has to run away, Lowell’s chaotic bookshop in that backwater of a town is the safe place she runs to.

Jude needs a bolt-hole; Lowell needs an assistant and, when an affordable rental is thrown in too, life begins to look up. The gravedigger’s cottage isn’t perfect for a woman alone, but at least she has quiet neighbors.

Quiet, but not silent. The long dead and the books they left behind both have tales to tell and the dusty rooms of the bookshop are not the haven they seem to be. Lowell’s past and Jude’s present are a dangerous cocktail of secrets and lies and someone is coming to light the taper that could destroy everything. 

Why am I waiting on it? I like books about bookstores and people who inhabit them. And I like a good mystery. This sounds like it will fulfill both requirements.

What book are you waiting on this week? Please leave it or a link in the comments so we can check it out.

Teaser Tuesday: Dead Ringers by Christopher Golden

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can participate, just do the following:

• Grab your current read and open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title and the author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers.

Published November 3, 2015
by St. Martin's Press

Late-night promises were like Schrodinger's cat, existing in a state of flux, full of the potential to be kept or broken. Only in the morning would he know if the cat was alive or dead.
~ 1% on my Kindle

Only when the man was three paces from him did he see the malice in those eyes.
His own eyes. His own smile. His own face.
~ 2% on my Kindle

Couldn't resist the first teaser. And the second one goes more to the matter of the book. 

What are your teaser sentences this week? Please share them or a link in the comments so we can check them out. Happy reading!