Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings

Veil of Shadows by Jennifer Armintrout
Book 3, Light World/Dark World Series
Fantasy

Summary:
Old gods new betrayals

With the immortal denizens of the subterranean Lightworld and Darkworld societies locked in battle, the heiress to the Faery throne is exiled to the human realm above. Accompanied to the Upworld by her mother s most trusted adviser, Cerridwen is bound for Eire and the last Fae stronghold on earth. But even this fabled colony is no true haven.

During the Queene's banishment, the high priestess Danae established herself as ruler and she does not wish to relinquish her power, especially over the devout humans who live among the Fae as servants. Torn between her own beliefs and the ideals her mother died for, Cerridwen searches for clues to her destiny is it on earth among the humans, or beyond an ethereal portal, in the immortals ancestral home? Neither path can avert bloodshed and the choice may not be hers to make.

The Seven Rays by Jessica Bendinger
YA Fantasy

Summary (Simon & Schuster)
You are more than you think you are.

THAT IS THE ANONYMOUS MESSAGE that Beth Michaels receives right before she starts seeing things. Not just a slept-through my-alarm-clock, late-for-homeroom, haven't had-my-caffeine-fix kind of seeing things. It all starts with some dots, annoying pink dots that pop up on and over her mom and her best friend's face. But then things get out of control and Beth is seeing people's pasts, their fears, their secrets, their desires. The images are coming at Beth in hi-def streaming video and she can't stop it. Everyone thinks she's crazy and she's pretty sure she agrees with them. But crazy doesn't explain the gold envelopes that have started arriving, containing seeing keys and mysterious tarot cards. To Beth, it all seems too weird to be true. You are more than you think you are? But here's the thing: What if she is?

- Reviewed by

• Late Bloomers Online

First Lord's Fury by Jim Butcher
Book 6, Codex Alera
Fantasy

Summary:
For years he has endured the endless trials and triumphs of a man whose skill and power could not be restrained. Battling ancient enemies, forging new alliances, and confronting the corruption within his own land, Gaius Octavian became a legendary man of war-and the rightful First Lord of Alera.

But now, the savage Vord are on the march, and Gaius must lead his legions to the Calderon Valley to stand against them-using all of his intelligence, ingenuity, and furycraft to save their world from eternal darkness.

- Reviewed by

• FlamesRising.com

Vampire Sunrise by Carole Nelson Douglas
Book 3, Delilah Street Series
Urban Fantasy

Summary:
WHEN THE STAKES ARE DEAD -- OR UNDEAD!

Werewolf mobsters and vampires run Vegas, but that's yesterday's news for Delilah Street, paranormal investigator. What's truly fearsome is her bloody discovery of an undead evil rooted in ancient Egypt. Now, with her lover Ric fighting for life after a grim battle, the chips are down.

But Delilah is a born winner who has never let a little danger throw off her game, and she's been learning fast since she came to Sin City. Her affinity for silver is making mirror-walking a real breeze, and being forced to accept the albino rock star sorcerer Snow's Brimstone Kiss has ramped up her powers to a startling new level. With the help of her trusty uber-wolfhound Quicksilver, not to mention the orange demon parking valet Manny, Delilah is determined to solve even more paranormal secrets, and hopefully save the few innocents left in town. But can Delilah win her high-stakes gamble for life and love against ancient gods and lethal supernatural odds?

Torn by Julie Kenner
Book 2, The Blood Lily Chronicles
Urban Fantasy

Summary:
Lily is in trouble of the deepest kind. Having been tricked by the forces of evil, she killed what she thought were "demons" at will. Now, she knows better, and with a little help from half-angel, half-demon Deacon Camphire, she must try to take down the bad guys from within as a double agent.

Unleashed by John Levitt
Book 3, Dog Days Series
Urban Fantasy

Summary:
Mason is an enforcer, keeping magical practitioners on the straight and narrow. His "dog" Louie, is a faithful familiar who's proven over and over that he's a practitioner's best friend. But this time, Louie's in the line of fire when practitioners in San Francisco accidentally unleash a monster into the world.

- Reviewed by:

• BSC Review

The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay
Book 1, Charlie Madigan Series
Urban Fantasy

Summary: Unleashed by John Levitt
Atlanta: it's the promised city for the off-worlders, foreigners from the alternate dimensions of heaven-like Elysia and hell-like Charbydon. Some bring good works and miracles. And some bring unimaginable evil....

Charlie Madigan is a divorced mother of one, and a kick-ass cop trained to take down the toughest human and off-world criminals. She's recently returned from the dead after a brutal attack, an unexplained revival that has left her plagued by ruthless nightmares and random outbursts of strength that make doing her job for Atlanta P.D.'s Integration Task Force even harder. Since the Revelation, the criminal element in Underground Atlanta has grown, leaving Charlie and her partner Hank to keep the chaos to a dull roar. But now an insidious new danger is descending on her city with terrifying speed, threatening innocent lives: a deadly, off-world narcotic known as ash. Charlie is determined to uncover the source of ash before it targets another victim -- but can she protect those she loves from a force more powerful than heaven and hell combined?

- Reviewed by

• Confessions of a Wandering Heart
• Darque Reviews
• Fantasy Dreamer’s Ramblings
• Tempting Persephone
• Tez Says
• The Eclectic Book Lover

Rion by Susan Kearney
Book 2, The Pendragon Legacy
Paranormal Romance

Summary:
POWER IN THEIR PASSION
Marisa Rourke is a beautiful, fearless telepath who tames dragonshapers on Earth. Rion is a tall, dark, and sexy space explorer whose home planet is a galaxy away. The attraction between them is undeniable, but Rion is hiding a desperate secret that will change Marisa's life forever.

DANGER IN THEIR TOUCH
Marisa's gift is the only way Rion can communicate with his people, enslaved by a powerful enemy. He knows that kidnapping her is wrong, but saving his planet is worth sparking the fiery clairvoyant's fury. Yet hotter-and more explosive-is the psychic bond growing between Marisa and Rion. Could their passion be the key to freeing Rion's people? Only if he and Marisa can discover how to channel their desire . . . before a vicious enemy destroys them all.

- Reviewed by

• Caffey’s Reads

Three Days To Dead by Kelly Meding
Book 1, Evy Stone Series
Urban Fantasy

Summary:
They’ll never see her coming. . . .

When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue—in a stranger’s body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there—her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night she and the two other members of her Triad were the city’s star bounty hunters, mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives but also convinced the city’s other Hunters that Evy was a traitor—and she can’t even remember what it was.

Now she’s a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice—and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days Evy will die again—but this time there’s no second chance. . . .

- Reviewed by

• Enchanted by Books
• Literary Escapism
• Tez Says
• The Book Lush

Flesh Circus by Lilith Saintcrow
Book 4, Jill Kismet Series
Urban Fantasy

Summary:
The Cirque de Charnu has come.

They will clean out the demons and the suicides, and move on. As long as they stay within the rules, Jill Kismet can't deny them entry. But she can watch--and if they step out of line, she'll send them packing.

When Cirque performers start dying grotesquely, Kismet has to find out why, or the fragile truce won't hold and her entire city will become a carnival of horror. She also has to play the resident hellbreed power against the Cirque to keep them in line, and find out why ordinary people are needing exorcisms. And then there's the murdered voodoo practitioners, and the zombies.

An ancient vengeance is about to be enacted. The Cirque is about to explode. And Jill Kismet is about to find out some games are played for keeps...

Dark Side of Dawn by Kathryn Smith
Book 2, The Nightmare Chronicles
Urban Fantasy

Life can be a nightmare. Literally.

On the surface, it might seem like I, Dawn Riley, have it all. I've got a great job, a boyfriend who loves me . . . but my family life is a different story.

As the mortal daughter of the King of Dreams, I have an ability to exist between both worlds . . . which is terrifying to some. Now the Nightmare Council claims I've broken their laws and is threatening to have me "unmade." And if that's not bad enough, I need to track down a vicious criminal responsible for several savage attacks—before he finds me.

I'm lucky enough to have Noah by my side, and he'll do whatever it takes so that we can have a future together. In the end, though, this is my battle. The fate of a world rests upon my shoulders, and it seems the best that I can hope for is not to die in my sleep . . .

- Reviewed by

• Strictly Reviews