Review: Fracture

Fracture by Kaitlyn Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Holy moly! This series has so many twists and turns that I never know what to expect! What was starting to feel like the last of the series suddenly threw me for a loop with its shocking ending. While I’m not sure it qualifies as a true cliffhanger, this book will definitely have you desperate for more from the world of Pandora Scott.

We meet back up with Pandora and Jax in their hideout with the conduits. There is obviously still some massive tension between the two of them. Jax still feels super guilty about having betrayed Pandora to who he thought were the good guys and Pandora isn’t quite sure where she stands with any of the men in her life. Sure, there’s the wonderfully tormented Jax who is desperate for every shred of emotion she can give him, but there’s also the king of the bad boys, Sam, who has suffered lifetimes in the hopes of getting her back.

I have to admit to being a little bit on Team Sam, but this book completely turned me around. Along with this love triangle drama, there is also the larger end of the world storyline (I guess that should really be the primary story in my head, but I’m a romance addict). Pandora is more determined than ever to end this cycle of rebirth and murder one way or another. One thing we know for sure – when Pandora sets her mind to something, don’t get in her way. As I said before, the ending blew my mind and I’m sure you’ll be stunned, too. I cannot wait to see where the story takes us next!


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Review: Gunmetal Magic

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I admit that I was kind of excited to get out of Kate’s head and into somebody else’s. That lasted only a few chapters in and then I was kind of sad to be completely without Kate. There’s something about her sarcasm and wit that really keeps things moving for me. Andrea is a different beast (haha) entirely.

So, as I already said, this really is exclusively an Andrea story. Kate is in maybe 5% of the book and that’s really only as a supporting character. Yes, you get Raphael (of course), but it really hurts for a while to watch Andrea muddle through her broken relationship and her feelings towards said relationship. Sure, Andrea is a tough chick who can handle herself in analytical situations, but she is severely lacking when it comes to the interpersonal stuff. Maybe that’s why she and Kate get along so well.

What’s the main story? Gah – in keeping with the rest of the series, this gets complicated. Andrea is called in to help Jim out with a murder investigation. It (of course) happens on one of Raphael’s sites, which puts them in direct contact for the first time since their “break-up.” We do finally get to learn what happened to Andrea during her time MIA. I’m glad I read the short story that runs parallel before this book, too, and highly recommend it.

Andrea’s adventure in this book takes her to visit Roman, who we met in the previous book. He was a welcome addition to the usual crew and I look forward to more interaction with the witches (am I allowed to call them that?). Do we get some resolution on the Andrea/Raphael front? Yes. Do we get to watch Andrea fall apart for most of the book? Yes. If you want both of those things, you’ll have to check this book out.


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Review: Blood Guard

Blood Guard by Megan Erickson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was filled with sarcasm, an amazingly strong female lead, and sizzling smutty goodness. Overall, it was an awesome introduction to this world and left me dying for the next installment!

Tendra has been living her life through a haze of grief lately. Her mother recently passed away, leaving her adrift and unsure of herself. All her life, they’ve moved from place to place, on the run from some unseen force. Now that she’s on her own, she finds herself wondering when she needs to leave. Turns out, she hung around a little too long. Now she’s thrown into the world of vampires and other paranormals, most of them trying to hunt her down for her blood lineage.

Athan, the blood guard tasked with guarding and bringing her to his brother, has been training all his life for this job. Nobody could have predicted that it would be filled with so much confusion and temptation. Fighting is easy, but working on his interactions with Tendra is turning his world on its head. There’s a prophecy and his race’s survival in the balance, too. No pressure, right? These two somehow find their way to a really great solution, but it’s not without a lot of drama and surprises. I really enjoyed watching these two hit things head-on and become a phenomenal team.


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Review: Suicide Queen

Suicide Queen by S.M. Reine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow – what a shocking way to end the series! I have to say, this author never stops surprising me.

No spoilers, but this is the last of the series, so you know some big things have to go down. We watched Nissa escape at the end of the previous book, so it’s no surprise that she’s still up to no good with her crazy psychic powers. There’s also (like we need more bad guys) a new serial killer going around making vampires and killing lots of people. Dana has been recruited, much like the suicide squad, to help catch a killer and get severely punished (with head exploding consequences) if she tries to make a break for it.

There’s also a lot of soul searching (at least as much as Dana does that) thrown in to make things even more complicated. Can she kill Nissa? Will she reconcile with her wife/ex-wife? Can she let go of her vendetta to save her marriage? Oh, and then there’s the looming daylighting from the OPA that’s coming up quickly. Don’t worry, though, because somehow we get to a very satisfying conclusion by the end of the book. I was shocked and amazed by the way things played out, but happy none the less.


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Review: Small Magics

Small Magics by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m usually not one for short story anthologies. I’d much rather dig into a full size book or at least a novella, but these stories made for a good, quick read that reminded me that there is more in the Kate Daniels world than just Kate.

There are 5 stories in total. 1 happens before the series begins, 3 are mysteries to me (and don’t directly involve any familiar faces), and 1 is supposedly taking place around where we left off in the series. The first and last were definitely my favorites (for obvious reasons) but the rest (particularly the pig story) were still solidly written and engaging. I’m not really a fan of historical fiction and some of them did read a little… old. I was expecting corsets and petticoats to be on the next page.

Pushing all that aside, this collection of short stories was a nice diversion to hold someone over waiting for the next book. Of course, I didn’t exactly wait and am listening to the Andrea book at the same time. Who knew the Kate Daniels world would grow so big?


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Review: Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats

Pink Lock Picks and Sequined Witch Hats by Carla Rehse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was just brimming with awesomeness. I will admit to being a little worried at first about following around a very spoiled rich teenager but Gracie grew on me rather quickly.

Gracie Mason is a cheerleader and a master manipulator. Fear not, though, because she is determined to put her evil power to good use. Sure, it starts off with her trying to use this skill to get in good with her latest crush, but she soon finds herself knee deep in witches and magic. The source of said magic? That’s Asher, a guy who ended up saving her life and bonding them together. He’s got trouble of his own, however, and Gracie just can’t help herself. These two make a very powerful combination.

What starts out as a mutually beneficial partnership soon grows into friendship and then sizzling chemistry. Maybe there was chemistry all along, but it really heats up when the magic starts flying. As an intro book, this story certainly had me hooked. I want more of Asher and Gracie and I’m dying to see what happens next!


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Review: Magic Gifts

Magic Gifts by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this short (long-ish) story set in the Kate Daniels world! There is something so very light about a story that begins with a date between Kate and Curran. Sure, it isn’t easy and doesn’t end well (sort-of), but it is so… nice.

The larger story (aside from the awesomeness that is Curran and Kate’s witty banter) is about a magical item that ends up threatening a child’s life. By working together to locate a solution, we end up going on a very entertaining journey to the Vikings and their mythological creatures. I don’t think I can adequately sum up how spot on the dialogue is throughout this story. It had me smiling, laughing, and just generally loving on some Kate and Curran goodness. If you’ve read the rest of the series, you deserve this wonderful little nugget.


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