Review: Death Scream: A Descent Short

Death Scream: A Descent Short by S.M. Reine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I read this free little short on the author's website. It was short, quick, and... fun. I thought I was done reading James and Elise, so I will gladly gobble up any additional stories the author puts out there.

This story takes place while James and Elise are still traveling and hunting evil together. James is still wonderfully in love with Elise, but diligently hiding his feelings. Elise is still adorably young and trying to find a way to be a woman in a field of all men. The two of them are such a wonderful pair that they communicate without any extra words or discussions.

The main story is a paying gig from a castle owner. He's been subject to a haunting and wants the spook gone (no matter how much business he's getting from it). While James and Elise follow through to banish it, neither feels the job is really done. Obviously, nothing can ever be easy for them. This one ends very messy, even for James and Elise, but a lot is learned along the way.



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Review: After Dark

After Dark by Gena Showalter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was a combination of 2 books that really didn't have a continuous theme. I'll review them separately because unless you're familiar with one series or the other, reading both was just... disjointed.

Darkest Angel (4 stars)
I'm a fan of the Lords of the Underworld series and this was a nice little treat to read. It's probably the same length as a full novel, and is certainly fully developed. The romance in this book is between Lysander (the Sent One we've met before) and Bianca (the Harpy I am in love with). As can be expected, the harpy is the only one that ends up using her brain (and her body) to get what she wants out of the situation she finds herself in. That situation is being kidnapped by Lysander and forced to hide out in his "cloud."

Lysander is obviously struggling to deal with his attraction to Bianka and has instead decided to try to "reform" her. Their romance is one of my favorites if only because they are so very opposite. If you have read the rest of the series and love the harpies like I do, this is a must read that will leave you smiling.

Shadow Hunter (3 stars)
I'm not really familiar enough with the series that this book predates, but it is certainly more gritty than I usually like my books to be (especially after the yummy HEA from the previous book). Brock is on a mission to hunt down the vampire who killed his best friend. He works for a shadowy organization that boosts their warriors so they have a better shot at protecting the city against beasts that prey on innocents. Tiffany is the sister of Brock's fallen friend. She suffered the loss and decided to being a hunter herself. That's where Brock and Tiffany first meet each other in person, but they met each other through letters years before.

While Brock was in training, he reached out to Tiffany as a pen pal to "ground" himself. After his friend got killed and he was somewhat implicated with negligence, Tiffany and Brock ended up unable to heal the divide. When they butt heads over the hunt, the sparks really fly (even if it takes Tiffany a little longer to put together who he is). The romance was definitely a highlight of this book, but don't expect a HEA. You are thrown a massive cliffhanger and no resolution here. I can only assume that this prequel is necessary for character insight later on in the series.




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Review: The Darkest Prison

The Darkest Prison by Gena Showalter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I feel like I read this story somewhere else (maybe it's included at the end/beginning of one of the Lords of the Underworld books?). Either way, it was relatively short, so even a re-read wasn't a burden.

Atlas has finally turned the tables on Nike. Once his jailer, now Nike will have to suffer all the things she put him through over the years. Somehow, though, Atlas and Nike developed something hotter than hate. The chemistry sizzles, even though they are an unlikely pair.

I don't think this story is necessary to complete the series, but it certainly doesn't hurt. Who would mind a sexy read from this author?



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Review: The Darkest Fire

The Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



In an effort to complete my Lords of the Underworld reading, I went back to the beginning to read this prequel. Warning: If you're looking for a HEA, this delivers a pretty dark and unhappy one.

Geryon is a man who sold his freedom for a woman who didn't want him. Transformed and self-conscious, he was tasked with guarding the gates of Hell. Kadence is the goddess of oppression who has unwittingly bonded with the wall into hell. Each crack in the wall hits her like a direct blow. Her constant visits eventually begin to bond the two unlikely allies. On a mission to fix the wall and destroy the demons who are determined to break it, she bargains for Geryon's freedom.

Yes, expect hot sexy times (as with all Gena Showalter books), but this short story doesn't really give you a lot of development. It suits its purpose, though, in that we end up with Kadence setting up her next role in the series.



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Review: The Witch With No Name

The Witch With No Name by Kim Harrison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. 13 books is a lot of time to invest in a main character and I wasn't sure what to expect in this last installment. Yes, I'm on Team Trent (for some reason... I mean, he was torturing her and threatening her life in the beginning of the series, right?). I wanted to big resolved ending with HEA for everyone. If that's what you're looking for, you will be endlessly satisfied by this book. We get just about everything tied up in a happy way. So why do I have mixed feelings? I guess the fault probably lies with my other expectations - growth from Rachel.

Before I start in on my issues, let's discuss the main plot here. As expected, we are finally tying up some loose ends. First, remember how Rachel promised Ivy to work on her soul/vampire problem. Now it's been bumped up to priority number one, thanks to your favorite vampire kingpin. As if that wasn't a big enough task, Landon is back and being as manipulating as ever. He's got his hooks in Trent's ex, the elves, and even the vampires. While this overlaps a bit with the vampire story, it also manages to force another loose end to completion - the goddess story.

Much action ensues (of course) with a lot of luck, a parade of familiar characters popping up, and (yay) lots of Al (and the demons... but Al is really important... and the best). To balance the best of all things, we are still stuck in the head of one Rachel Morgan. Rachel started this long series as a bit of an annoying whiner. It's part of why it took a lot of effort to move through the first few books, but I persevered. I was rewarded by a character that recognized her faults and grew endlessly stronger and more likable. Unfortunately, at the end of the series now, I'm confronted by a Rachel that looks a lot like the one who started this series. She spends a large portion of the book throwing a big pity party, forcing herself to believe that she doesn't deserve Trent, that she will have to leave him so he can go after bigger and better things, etc. Rather than being able to bask in the glow of the final installment of the series, I found myself questioning how I got here.

All in all, this book delivered a solid last installment (which was greatly redeemed by the amount of Al). If the first few books bothered you, then you will probably be in the same boat as me -- conflicted. If you loved the entire series, you probably think *I'm* the whiner. Either way, it felt good to finish and I'm completely satisfied by the many, many happy endings.



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Review: Forbidden Witches

Forbidden Witches by S.M. Reine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This second book in the Tarot Witches series and it is even hotter than the last! We get a new tarot witch story mingled with a sexy rocker tale.

Leah is a straight-laced overachiever who would never dress up and go to a Goth concert. Her BFF Chad ends up convincing her to go after she received a mysterious tarot card in the mail (that they assume is the ticket to a much sought after “Forbidden” concert). All gothed up and sexy looking, they head to the concert only to get separated before they even go in the door. Turns out, the card she got has attracted the dangerous attention of Donne, a member of the band’s road crew.

Much sinful sexiness ensues, pretty much detailing everything I assume happens to hot rock stars backstage and in the tour bus (oh, and throw in some magic, too). Leah really takes her “destiny” pretty well. Save the werewolves and figure out her magic? All while being bombarded by unstoppable attraction? Sure! In reality, Leah struggles to digest what the previous tarot witch at least had some experience with before the card showed up. These stories are completely yummy and fun to read, linking together in a way that shows we’re heading somewhere awesome.




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Review: Revenant

Revenant by Larissa Ione

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sadly, this appears to be the last installment in the Demonica/Lords of Deliverance series (at least for now). The author manages to seamlessly weave the two worlds together in a really satisfying and well written end to all the outstanding storylines.

Revenant is the focus of the story as he attempts to reconcile his fallen angel past with his shadow angel future. He’s gained a twin brother along with all these conflicting emotions and (not surprisingly) he’s lashing out at everyone in his way. Rev is truly caught between the two worlds and yet is unable to live in either. In Satan’s domain, he’s simply a whipping boy being ordered around by the man responsible for his mother’s torture and his own misdeeds. In Heaven, he’s an evil force that damages even the ground where his feet touch. As Satan’s latest play to prove Rev’s loyalty, he puts him in charge of Gethel and her evil offspring’s care. Lucky for him, he already knows a doctor he’d love to spend more time with – Blas. Blas is also going through a lot of deep emotional drama. She’s spent her life hiding her race (vyrm, the child of a fallen angel and an angel) because they are universally hunted by both heaven and hell. As her enchantment wears off, she’s confronted with options to renew it with a sacrifice, or to go back on the run.

Aside from the sizzling hot romance between these two emotionally scarred supernaturals, there is also a bunch of wrapping up that has to get done. Raphael, still being the most horrible angel ever, is plotting against… everyone that we like. Also, as Lucifer grows, Harvester is weakening, making Reaver’s life tailspin out of control. Every one of the previous characters has a role to play in what could either be the end of the world or a gigantic reprieve. We get oodles of happily ever after out of this book, enough to satisfy even the most cynical of readers. It was wonderful to get this great blend of awesome romance (with super hot sexy time scenes) and a conclusion to all the big bad storylines we’ve accumulated along the way. I’m sad to see the conclusion, but so happy with how it was done. I’ll eagerly pick up whatever other series spawn from this great world.




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