Review: Strange Brew (anthology)

Seeing Eye by Patricia Briggs (12/15)

Seeing Eye tells the story of blind witch Moira Keller, who’s faced with a dilemma when cop/werewolf Tom Franklin from the Emerald City Pack requests her aid in finding his brother, who went missing on an undercover mission. The thing is, the person responsible for the kidnapping (wolfnapping?) is the same person who took out her eye – her father, Kournos.

Fans of Briggs’ works will recognise Moira and Tom as side characters from her second Alpha and Omega book, Hunting Ground. It was great reading more about witchcraft in Briggs’ predominantly werewolf fantasy realm. The interaction between Moira and Tom was great to read, and the concept of Moira being able to see when touching Tom was an interesting one to process.

Last Call by Jim Butcher (8/15)

Last Call follows Harry Dresden, a snarky modern-day wizard as he navigates some very messy business in Chicago. Jim Butcher tells the tale from a… well, very male perspective. The story exuded an excessively masculine “I am a P.I. wearing a hat with a holster at my hip, crime-doers begone” vibe, which didn’t really do it for me. If you’re into that kind of thing, though, you’ll probably enjoy the action a lot more than I did.

Death Warmed Over by Rachel Caine (10/15)

Holly Anne Caldwell is a seventh-generation witch that specializes in resurrecting the dead. Rachel Caine spins a fast-paced, engaging tale of Holly and her reluctance to raise a particular dead man – Andrew Toland, a resurrection witch dead from the zombie wars. Orders from higher-up demand that Holly resurrects him (again) as a disposable for one of their missions – witches like Holly are being attacked en masse, and Andrew has to play bodyguard. Things get a little more complicated when Holly’s feelings for the dead man are reignited, but there isn’t much time to reminisce about old days when there’s a monster on the loose.

Overall, an enjoyable read. Caine doesn’t take it overboard with the romance, and the action keeps the plot flowing smoothly.

Vegas Odds by Karen Chance (12/15)

Accacila de Croissets (Lia, in short)’s job is to train young recruits at the War Mage Corps, and her life takes a turn for the worse when the delivery guy ends up being a trained assassin determined to blow her head off. Thankfully, her werewolf boyfriend Cyrus has some pretty good timing – the two manage to exchange some witty banter with gunfire going off around them. In the riot of action, Lia winds up accidentally killing one of her students, Jason.

I adore Karen Chance – she manages to inject life into all of her characters. Vegas Odds is no exception. The story is full of unexpected twists and turns that will have you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended read!

Hecate’s Golden Eye by P. N. Elrod (9/15)

Hecate’s Golden Eye is told from the perspective of Jack Fleming, a vampiric investigator situated in Chicago. His client happens to want to retrieve a little something known as Hecate’s Eye (eek!), an item known for bringing good luck to women and cursing men. Fleming and his partner, Escott, are flung into a wild goose chase up around town in search of the mysterious diamond, with one clue leading to another, culminating in an action-packed conclusion.

Bacon by Charlaine Harris (13/15)

Fans of Charlaine Harris (author of the now famous Sookie Stackhouse series) will LOVE Bacon. Dahlia Lynley-Chivers is an age-old vampire, and she has revenge on her mind. To avenge her late husband (a werewolf of the Swiftfoot pack)’s death, she seeks out Kathy Aenidis, a direct descendent of Circe, to aid her in killing her husband’s murderers – or so it seems. What Kathy doesn’t know is that what Dahlia’s really after is her prized grimoires. With the help of her friends, Taffy and Clifford, the impassive Dahlia manages to hatch a brilliant plan to turn the tables in an ending that you won’t soon forget.

Signatures of the Dead by Faith Hunter (9.5/15)

Faith Hunter steps it into gear with Signatures of the Dead, a tale told from Molly Meagan Everhart Trueblood’s (that’s a name I won’t soon be saying out loud anytime soon) perspective. An earth with with a flair for sensing the dead, Molly gets caught in more than she bargained for when vampires come into play whilst investigating a grisly murder. With help from Paul Braxton, Jane Yellowrock, and husband Evan, Molly pulls through some very messy vampire business. Not the best from Hunter (who’s authored some notable series, like the Rogue Mage), but a decent read nonetheless.

Ginger by Caitlin Kittredge (10.5/15)

Ginger branches off from Kittredge’s Nocturne City series (if you haven’t read it, give it a shot – it’s not half bad) and is told from Rhoda Sunflower (Sunny) Swann ‘s  POV. The story opens with Sunny on trial in a courtroom, but things go awry and Sunny is left using her magic to protect herself. As a witch using primarily white magic, Sunny is startled when she gets recruited to do some undercover work, wire and mouthpiece and all. The next thing she knows, she’s being caged as a prisoner underground, and it doesn’t look like anyone’s coming to her rescue…

Dark Sins by Jenna Maclaine (10/15)

If you’re a follower of Jenna Maclaine, then you’ll be familiar with Cin Craven, a key protagonist in Maclaine’s works. A vampire and a witch, Cin and romantic interest Michael get sucked into yet another mystery as Marco Gage, Regent and local master vampire, has blood and revenge on his mind. Fast-paced and engaging, Dark Sins draws in readers with its quick, snappy narration.

See also: Hunting Ground

Review: Warrior Rising

Warrior Rising is the 6th installment in P.C. Cast’s Goddess Summoning series, and it couldn’t be more different when compared to her tamer House of Night series of books (which is more for the kiddies, as they say).

The story revolves around 36 year old shrink Katrina Marie Campbell, who finds herself in a predicament when Greek Goddesses Athena, Venus and Hera decide to relegate the task of halting the Trojan War to her. As it turns out, both Kat and her best friend, Jacky, have died from a modern-day car accident, and their only choice is to assume the slain bodies of Polyxena (for those unfamiliar with the tale, Polyxena is a princess of Troy, and sister to Cassandra and Hector) and her handmaid, Melia. In exchange, the Goddesses decide to grant her a boon at the end of it.

Kat is presented to Achilles as a war prize under the guise of being granted oracle powers by Athena herself, only to discover that he’s a scarred man, overcome by an inner berserker when agitated. Men and women alike fear him for his violence and invulnerability on the battlefield. The plot flows predictably from there – Kat asserts herself as his personal psychiatrist, looks beyond his outer wounds and heals his spirit, hatches a plan that magically ends the war and the pillaging… the book practically writes itself.

The sex: what P.C. Cast book would be without? The smut was fairly tame by Cast’s standards, though the random hypnosis sex creeped me out.

I’ll admit that I was drawn to the story since I’ve always been a big fan of the Trojan War and the characters involved – not too many cameos in this story though (Agamemnon, Briesis, Odysseus, and a smattering of others), and character development was fairly weak. The notion of Kat and Jacky blending seamlessly into olden-day Greece, frequently using modern day lingo and colloquialisms and pandering about without being beheaded for their insolence was ludicrous in every sense. Cast also took liberty with various aspects of the history of which I’m still a tad undecided on; examples include Odysseus’ true love being the Goddess Athena (and not Penelope, the whole reason why he’s trying to sail home to begin with??), Briesis being a conniving nymphomaniac, Agamemnon cast as that fat guy from Borat but with numerous piercings and a golden throne… the list goes on.

Only recommended if you don’t mind a load of inaccuracies in favor of a very predictable romance. Not one of Cast’s stronger works.

See also: Goddess of the Sea, Goddess of Spring, Goddess of Light, Goddess of the Rose, Goddess of Love

Plot/originality: 2.5/5

Characters: 2/5

Writing style: 2.5/5

Total score: 7/15

Review: Wicked (Resurrection)

Resurrection picks off where Legacy/Spellbound of the Wicked series of books ends. A joint collaboration by Nancy Holder and Debbie Vigiué, Resurrection‘s primary focus is on the feuding families of Cahors and Deveraux (their descendants, to be exact), with star-crossed lovers Holly and Jer being the Romeo et Juliette equivalent in a tale of blood, gore, and betrayal.

The plot was all over the place in Resurrection. It was difficult to get my bearings, with all the new characters added to the mix (including Nicole’s new Mamma Mia! baby, Owen – more on that later) and to my horror, the return of Kari/Karienne, Jer’s annoying ex-lover. Reanimated by her professor, Kari becomes a lifeless zombie speaking in monosyllabic sentences. Creepy.

Scenes jump from France, to India, to Japan and back again – the coven splits up into various groups and the story moves along from there, which was extremely difficult to follow. Another point that irked me was the copious (and unnecessary) amounts of French inserted randomly into the story. Yes. Je m’appelle Jeraud. Et bien. It was like reading a poorly written fanfic, with appendix of phrases to boot. A lot of flowery, hoity-toity malarky thrown in here and there to give the story a more “authethic” feel, which in actuality makes it fall flat.

Somehow, Catholic elements were also dragged into the story: Mary Magdalene makes an appearance, as well as numerous other not-too-subtle references (Star of Bethlehem? sigh.) It turns out Nicole’s child had three probable fathers – Eli, James, and Philippe (jeez, sleep around much?) but in zomg!plot twist, it’s more of a case of immaculate conception.

The problem with Resurrection was that there were too many elements, too many characters and too many sub-plotlines branching off the main story, making it one big, convoluted mess. The romance that I was waiting for between Jer and Holly ended up being extremely half-assed, and the ending (where everything was resolved nicely and most of the minor characters killed off) was a complete load of rubbish.

Do. Not. Read.

See also: Witch/Curse, Legacy/Spellbound

Plot/originality: 2/5

Characters: 1/5

Writing style: 1/5

Total score: 4/15

Review: Wicked (Legacy & Spellbound)

I dug into Legacy/Spellbound straight after Witch/Curse, which, in retrospect, was probably a bad idea. One book flows right into the plot of the next, making it a highly depressing read at times. Regardless, I barreled on, determined to at least find some enjoyment in the series.

Legacy/Spellbound jumps right into the action where the previous book left off – Holly and her Coven are on the run (again. Does the running never end) from the Deveraux and the Moore, which makes things exceedingly tiring, for both the characters involved as well as the reader – I can honestly say that my stress levels skyrocketed after picking it up. No foolsies.

If you’ve already read Witch/Curse, then you know that the general story circles around Holly and her ever-growing coven (shrinking, at times, when evil warlock Michael Deveraux gets his way). I’d recommend not getting attached to any minor characters, since they drop like hot potatoes – and really, who cares about whether the minor characters live or die? Richard Anderson comes into his own by reverting to his G.I. Joe ways, Nicole hatches an escape plan, Holly undergoes an exorcism, Amanda and Tommy Nagai get together, aggressive bitch Kari gets even more unbearable, Nicole and Jer escape, only to be recaptured/imprisoned in Ayer’s rock, Nicole gets pregnant, more people die, new untrustworthy people join the team (I’m looking at you, Alex Carruthers), and there’s angsting abound. And… that’s the entire plot, condensed in an easy-to-swallow nutshell.

I found Legacy/Spellbound to be a tedious read – though, to be fair, the writing style was alright and there were plot twists at every corner. There was a strong focus on the action and less so on the romance bit, which was a shame since I found the interactions between Holly and Jer to be the saving grace of the series. Sadly, Jer can’t seem to move beyond his scarred visage to actually get it on with an increasingly depressed Holly, which in turn makes everyone else around them depressed as well (except maybe Kari. Who dies at the end. Whoo!). The only romances I detected were between Amanda/Tommy and Nicole/Philippe, which were fairly predictable and boring, for the most part.

I’d recommend Legacy/Spellbound to those who read Witch/Curse and enjoyed it throughly (enough to warrant a second read). If you’re more into the romance aspect of paranormal fiction, then this book isn’t for you.

See also: Witch/Curse, Resurrection

Plot/originality: 3/5

Characters: 2.5/5

Writing style: 3/5

Total score: 8.5/15

Review: Wicked (Witch & Curse)

The books of the Wicked series are the result of a collaboration between authors Nancy Holder and Debbie Vigiué. The five books in the series have been compressed to three – the first two, Witch & Curse, the next two, Legacy and Spellbound, and the final book, Resurrection.

Wicked follows Holly Cathers, an average girl who loses her parents and her best friend on an unfortunate rafting trip whilst on vacation. At a loss, she gets adopted by her best friend’s mother, Barbara Davis-Chin. Nothing’s that simple, though. She barely gets time to grieve when disaster strikes in the form of one cunning Michael Deveraux. Michael’s the father of two warlock sons, Eli and Jeraud (Jer) Deveraux, and he has an agenda. Descended from the line of the noble Deveraux family, he’s adamant in exterminating the last of the rival family line (the Cahors).

It turns out that the history of the family feud between the Cahors and the Deveraux goes way back – to the 1800s of France, or so it seems. Both families betrothed their offspring, Isabeau Cahors and Jean Deveraux, in marital union. Though the two powers loved each other intensely, betrayal and politics tore them apart, with their story ending tragically in the Black Fire. Subsequently, the Deveraux line has tried numerous times to end the Cahors family line – all was thought to be lost until Holly Cathers appeared on the radar.

Now, Holly must move to live with her biological aunt to Seattle, where she gains two new sisters, Nicole and Amanda Anderson. Unbeknownst to Holly, her aunt and Nicole are practicing witchcraft, and it isn’t long before a chance encounter with Jer Deveraux that she realizes the spirit of Isabeau Cahors is within her. As such, Holly and Jer are inexplicably drawn to each other. Amanda’s powers awaken as well, and the three sisters find themselves part of their own exclusive circle of power as the treachery of Michael Deveraux comes to light. Jer is lost to the Black Fire, leaving behind a distraught band of witches and friends.

The attacks grow stronger and increase in frequency, and Nicole, unable to cope, decides to flee to Europe to find a safe haven. Instead, she finds herself running from chapel to chapel from Michael’s evil minions and spies, finally finding allies in a coven of men, who are determined to bring her to safety. Holly becomes the High Priestess of the Coven, and is torn between leading her coven to Nicole’s location and leaving the coven itself to find Jer (or what remains of him). Burned and scarred beyond recognition, Jer lives in self-loathing in his prison located in the Supreme Coven’s headquarters. Things spiral out of control when the gang finally lands in Paris and have to navigate their way to Nicole, who has been captured and forced to marry James Moore, an evil warlock in his own right. Familiars get killed, sacrifices are made, Isabeau screws with Holly’s mind at every turn, and the final showdown’s on the watery horizon. Fun times.

The book wasn’t as lighthearted or fluffy as I thought it would be – by the end of Witch, the plot had become significantly darker and went in that general vein from there. Numerous flashbacks interspersed with the actual story made it somewhat confusing to follow, though the writing, in general, was decent (if a bit heavy at times). While it wasn’t the most terrible book I’ve ever read, I don’t think I’ll be revisiting it anytime soon.

See also: Legacy/Spellbound, Resurrection

Plot/originality: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing style: 3/5

Total score: 9/15