Bitter Waters by Vivian Shaw Review
20 June 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Bitter Waters, Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Vivian Shaw
My Five Word TL:DR Review: Cosy Urban Fantasy. With Vampires?
Yes, Vivian Shaw succeeds at writing cosy urban fantasy populated by caring vampires. Now there’s a sentence I never thought I’d put together.
Firstly, if you haven’t read the previous three Dr Greta Helsing books then I recommend you do so. Although, I’m fairly confident that you could pick this up and read without having read the other stories you would miss a lot of character development and world building.
Speaking of which, this is a contemporary world inhabited both by humans and supernatural creatures (although not necessarily with the humans being fully aware of that fact). It’s sometimes easy to think this has a historical setting, particularly when the central character is residing at her husband’s country estate and then it gives you a jolt when mention of aeroplanes and other modern affairs are mentioned. I think the writing feeds into this notion a little, not to mention the characters, such as the introduction of Dracula into this episode. But, this isn’t a criticism, I think Shaw has nailed a winning style here, it feels cosy, easy to fall into the story and comfortable.
The plot for this one is a little thin. A young girl is attacked by a vampire and in the process turned. She is brought to Dr Helsing and from there comes an investigation to discover who committed this heinous crime. In actual fact, the investigation takes something of a backseat and is mostly played out off page whilst the central thread involves the search for a home for this newly turned young girl.
What I enjoyed.
I liked returning to this world and characters. That being said I couldn’t help feeling that things were changing, almost like this is a bridging novel to something new? I don’t know why I felt like that. I just have this notion and I can’t shake it.
This really does have a very character led cosy, found family feel. You can see how Greta has found her new family and how comfortable she is, I think this may have led me to think that something new is in the offing, that Greta is now so comfortable. Actually, thinking about it, the author could be going in a completely different direction, showing us Greta so happy before throwing everything into chaos?
Okay, so I’m rambling now so time to conclude. This is a fairly short easy to read cosy urban fantasy. I hope it’s the start of something more as I like the author’s style very much and I do enjoy UF. The only negative for me – I wanted more (my constant refrain when it comes to novellas).
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 3.5 of 5 stars
Hell for Hire by Rachel Aaron
My Five Word TL:DR Review : A Great New Urban Fantasy
Hell for HIre is a great start to a promising new urban fantasy series -perhaps we need to come up with a new name for a series that has strong woodland vibes. Woodland Fantasy just doesn’t really work though does it. We have a found family of demons (and that’s not something you get to say every day), a new young witch trying to make it on his own and a whole passel of warlocks and other critters hot on his tail.
Okay, let’s start from the beginning.
Adrian Blackwood is a young witch, raised in the Blackwood Forest by a long line of witches he should have been apprenticed to warlocks from a certain age but he didn’t want to become a warlock and he basically ran away. His family have protected him ever since, the Blackwood magic is strong, however, his little rebellion has certainly called down trouble onto his family and he has now decided to leave and start his own forest. However, growing your own magic forest doesn’t happen overnight and in the meantime Adrian needs protection. Hence, he hires himself some demon protection.
Enter the scene our hellish mercenaries led by Bex. There’s a lust demon (that is exactly as it sounds), a beefed up wrath demon, and a void demon. They have a few tricks up their sleeves and they live in a camper van that has ideas about being a tardis.
I won’t elaborate on the plot further. Be assured that the warlocks will be looking for Adrian and they will be using plenty of force. They don’t bargain for what they’ll find when they come across his little protection unit though, or the magic that he’s already created in his forest. And, let’s not forget Adrian’s familiar, his cat Boston – who has plenty to say about everything..
What I really liked about this.
It really draws you in immediately. The writing is good, the dialogue is spot on. I liked the characters and more than that I loved all the magic and the backstory and it just feels so wonderfully unique.
Bex and Adrian are the two central characters and they soon find themselves trusting each other. Bex is hiding secrets though and, whilst I’m not going to spill them here, she’s actually going to need Adrian’s help eventually.
I really liked the pacing for this one, it’s not trying to cram in so much action that you feel dizzy, instead there’s a fine balance and obviously the finale cranks the action up a notch or three, but the author takes the time to let us spend some quality time with her characters and to develop feelings for them.
We get a good feel for the world, things are explained in a satisfying way without being over the top or too descriptive. More than that this is one of those stories that makes you smile. It’s not trying to be funny, but it is fun, creative and it has heart aplenty.
Overall, I had a thoroughly good time with this and can’t wait to read more. It’s a fantastic start to a new series. So, hopefully not too long a wait for number two.
I received a copy courtesy of the author, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 4.5 of 5 stars
Relight my Fire (Stranger Times #4) by CK McDonnell
23 January 2024
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Book Reviews, CK McDonnell, Love will tear us apart, Relight My Fire, Stranger Times #4), The Stranger Times, This Charming Man, Urban Fantasy
My Five Word TL:DR Review : Goes from strength to strength
I am loving this series. I really can’t get enough of it and every time a new book comes out I’m there to devour it in super quick time. So, so good.
To the plot. Well think of It’s Raining Men by the Weather Girls and you might have the first clue of how the story picks up. Literally, Stella is almost hit by a student who seems to have plummeted off one rather tall building – the thing is, shortly before his rapid descent it seemed like he was flying – and so we have the perfect mystery for the staff at the Stranger Times to focus on for their next edition. On top of this, there appears to be a mystery drug that seems to unlock latent magical ability, Banecroft has been set his very own personal mission by a mysterious Pilgrim – this is a mission that he is very keen to succeed in as the punishment for failure is too terrible to contemplate, and, the powers that be are taking a rather keen interest in Stella and her special abilities and beginning to wonder if she’s too dangerous to be allowed to roam freely.
It is possible that this review may contain spoilers for the previous books in the series, although I do strive to avoid these where possible. Also, I would suggest you read the other three books in the series. It might seem like a bit of catching up but it’s seriously worthwhile.
As with the other books in series there is plenty going on here, and as with those forerunners the story eventually pulls together in the most satisfactory way.
The staff at the Stranger Times continue to grow and the author is continuously building the world, steadily but surely placing layer upon layer as each book progresses.
What do I really love about this series.
Well, the author seems to pull a new and unusual mystery out of his hat with each story. There always seem to be other things going on around that central theme and with each read we discover just a little more of this strange world.
I love the writing. It’s witty, it makes me laugh out loud quite frequently, so many little bits and pieces tie together, we have people from previous books making repeat appearances and gradually this strange place is starting to firm up into something really special. On top of that the dialogue is excellent. There’s banter. There’s danger. Terrifying cats. Brass gnomes with a mission to ‘dig, dig, dig’, ghouls, a hotel for the supernatural and so much more.
The characters feel like a family. They care for each other. At least three of them now permanently reside at the Stranger Times office and frankly, it may be the safest place to be right now. Strange things are afoot. I really like Banecroft – he’s such a grump but his bark is worse than his bite. Then there’s Hannah who is still suffering embarrassment over the DI Sturgess ‘situation’ (Sturgess is now officially in charge of – and I quote – all the ‘weirdy bollocks’ that goes on in the City – frankly I think he’s going to need a bigger team). Stella is now a part time student doing her best to blend in (right up until the flying body incident) and the rest of the team – well, they’re mad as a box of spiders. I would also say that this instalment brings to us the most unexpected bunch of characters that you can ever hope to meet in a kind of ‘celebrity meets 28 days later’ type zombie thing.
Put simply. I can’t get enough of this series. I love the setting, the titles are all brilliant and fit so well, Manchester is such a great setting, the cast are wonderful. What can I say? Just read it (please) if you love a bit of clever urban fantasy with fantastic imaginings going on. I’ve found the perfect series for myself with this one and I love the way that it’s literally a mad mad mad mad world and yet all the mundanes are simply going about their regular lives without a care in the world and no idea that they’re surrounded by the strangest things imaginable.
I know I’ve probably missed out so much in this review but, I have to leave something for you to discover yourself and also you may hopefully glean from this just how much fun I’m having with each new instalment and be intrigued enough to go and grab a copy of the first in series.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
My rating 5 of 5 stars
Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish
11 January 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Dragons and Naga, Kristi Charish, Owl and the Japanese Circus, Urban Fantasy
Just finished reading Owl and the Japanese Circus by Kristi Charish. This is a very entertaining and fast paced archeological adventure come urban fantasy story. It will definitely put you in mind of a female Indiana with a large dose of supernatural thrown in for good measure. The story starts as a the hunt for an ancient artefact but along the way develops into a struggle to survive with an element of romance – only a tad though so don’t let that put you off.
At the start of the story we’re introduced to Alix, an ex archeological student who showed great promise until things went horribly wrong and she was cast out on her ear. Forced to use her skills in the only way now possible Alix turned to a life of crime stealing from archeological sites on request – she’s now known as The Owl – an international thief and she’s not only on the top of the authorities most wanted list but she also seems to have come to the attention of a few unsavoury characters who are frankly not too concerned whether she’s found dead or alive!
Alix is an interesting character to read. I don’t think she’s my favourite of the story as I think that spot is probably reserved for her best friend Nadya, but she is good to read. Not always taking the wisest course of action and not afraid to stand up for herself she’s a tad standoffish, a little awkward in social situations and clearly not always the best judge of character – she certainly struggles to identify the supernatural elements of the story which makes her rule ‘of never working with them’ a little tricky! But, I liked her and I think there’s lots of room for more character development in future instalments. At the moment, yes, she could probably learn when to hold her tongue but I like that she has a bit of sass.
So, Alix, despite her best intentions becomes involved with Mr. Kurosawa, owner of a casino in Vegas and more importantly a powerful and incredibly old and strong dragon. Why is Alix breaking her own rules and agreeing to work with this character – well, he’s agreed to negotiate a deal to get the vampires off her back. Kind of feels like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire but…. that’s the deal – and it’s signed in blood. Now it just remains for Alix to find an incredibly ancient artefact with very few clues and a host of enemies who appear more often than not to be one step ahead!
I really liked the setting for the story and the archeological elements plus there were some very interesting supernaturals thrown into the pot along with the more regular vampires. Obviously the dragon, a few angry ghosts, a demon and a naga!
In terms of criticisms, nothing major really. I think there were a couple of threads in the story that remain unsolved but this is the first in series so that’s probably not an issue at this point. We are told that Alix is the best in her field but I’m not quite sure why – it feels a little bit flimsy at this point and I’m not a fan of simply being told that someone is the best – I’d like a little ‘show’ along with the tell. But, having said that, I don’t think I would have been too interested in the story being bogged down with massive amounts of technical detail – so, yeah, it is a fine line.
On the whole though I really enjoyed this, it kept me reading into the early hours to complete and I will definitely continue with the series plus we ended with the perfect set up for the next story!
I received a copy of this courtesy of the publishers through Netgalley for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
Blood Oranges by Kathleen Tierney
2 January 2015
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Blood Oranges, Kathleen Tierney, Urban Fantasy, Vampires and Werewolves
Blood Oranges was one of my latest reads that I’m catching up on reviews for. I loved this book and must start with all due credit – thank you to Nathan at Fantasy Review Barn for putting me on to this book. Really, I loved it!!
I will just add a proviso to my gushing (not for myself obviously, as I know how I feel about it already, but for you) – this book should probably come with a warning – this is the grimdark of the urban fantasy world (not to mention a little grimysnark!)
So, the story is told by Siobhan Quinn. She’s basically an unreliable ex junkie turned vampwere – okay, slow down – at the start of the story Siobhan is a kick ass hunter on a stakeout to catch a werewolf who has been having a few midnight people popsicles in her territory. Unfortunately, due to miscalculations Siobhan finds herself being attacked by the were and saved by a vampire (the notion)! Or – in other words, she’s no slayer although she has been taken on as a sort of wannabee and has a bag of tricks to prove it, and, on above mentioned stake out, and due to her inabilities with said bag of tricks (not to mention probably being a little high at the time) she gets herself bitten by a werewolf and a vengeful vampire all in the same night. (This is what I mean about an unreliable narrator!) Anyway, she now has a serious case of dog breath and bloodlust. On the plus side, she no longer craves drugs – on the downside, not only has she gathered a seriously erroneous reputation as the next super slayer, not to mention an object of both wonder and disgust simultaneously in the supernatural world, she’s moved to the top of a few people’s most wanted lists and has developed some serious hunger issues involving lots of blood and also a few guts and other unmentionables.
The plot- it’s your basic circle of revenge type affair. Siobhan killed a baddie so now she needs to pay the price. However, said price is more hellish than simply being killed in return. She’s become the freak pet of a strong and incredibly old vampire – a very creepy doll like with child like voice vampire. She must feed every two days (not to mention cover up her actions) and she has definite mood swings depending on where the moon sits in the sky on any given night. You could say she has a motive for revenge herself – hence the ‘circle’ comment.
Why I liked this. It’s definitely grim dark and a bit brutal. The writing is choppy and jumps about with breaks and back tracking and the narrator should definitely not be likable – and there’s the rub. I liked her. She’s had a rather sorry existence so far but she doesn’t winge about it just gets on with things. Even after her pitiful state goes from bad to worse there is no moping about! She isn’t a superhero – she can’t pull a graceful backflip whilst wrestling with a beastie and she’s definitely not a romantic! She’s a no-nonsense, get on with life and deal with it daily type of girl who has been frankly living by the seat of her pants and is pretty lucky not to be six feet under. Also, so far – there appears to be no bonus to being turned into the undead. She hasn’t become inexplicably gorgeous, a lot of the myths are just that, and she’ll probably live for a good few years but will be rotting away during that period. So, nice.
I find that this is urban fantasy as I like it, warts and all. it is gritty and dark and maybe, for some unpalatable. In a world of fantasy it just feels like it’s a little more real – in the smaller, day to day ways. There’s dirt under the fingernails and sweat and mud. It’s the difference between an old fashioned western and a spaghetti western! The characters are not clean cut, neat and tidy. They’re not all about appearances and they’re not always nice. It’s like the first time you watched a horror movie that broke with tradition – and the baddies won! It just puts everything on it’s head and means you can’t just anticipate that ‘all will be well in the end’.
Literally with Blood Oranges I never knew what to expect. Siobhan is an interesting character not to mention pretty funny to read about at times. She’s not girly or bothered about the latest lip gloss but this doesn’t mean that she’s all warrior chick. She’s just fairly regular really. A regular girl in a fantasy universe – one populated by all sorts of critters ranging from talking seagulls to bridge trolls – tell me you don’t like the sound of that!
Very entertaining and for me fairly unique feeling. In case you haven’t guessed – I really enjoyed this and if you’re looking for a new UF which is frankly a little tongue in cheek with a fast moving plot, a few laughs and a dose of reality mixed in then this could be for you. Highly recommended and don’t be too distracted by the ex junkie grim dark description – yes it is all of that, but, it’s, strangely, and almost against it’s or your own will, quite compelling. I urge you to give it a shot.
Books and travelling with Lynn 