Zara White’s just moved into wintry Maine territory, a far cry from sunny Charleston. She’s been sent to live with her grandmother after the death of her stepfather, and finds herself struggling to adjust to the slew of new faces, and the unsettling feeling of being watched…

It’s not a bad first effort on Jones’s part – Need holds readers in veritable suspense for the first half of the book, which is more fluff than fantasy. While some obvious references are dropped here and there, the protagonist only discovers that the guy she’s got the hots for (Nick Colt) is a shapeshifting werewolf midway into the book. And it’s not just him, either. Her grandmother’s a weretiger. One of her newly acquired buds is a were-eagle. The school administrator is a werebear. And if things couldn’t get any weirder, Zara discovers that pixies aren’t all like what she’d imagined.

I’m kind of undecided to this point on the kind of audience Jones was shooting for – early into the story, I was under the impression that it was targeted to teens (tweens, even), given the high school setting and the varying degrees of “youthful innocence” her characters harbored. Come on. “Crap” isn’t even a halfway decent swear word, yeah? Additionally, the Romeo to Zara’s Juliet was too… virginal. Not all of the characters were bad, though Jones could have veered away from the trap of creating characters that fell into overly defined stereotypes: the typical bad boy (Nick), supportive best friend (Issie), creepy love rival (Ian), queen bitch (Megan)… The list goes on.

The story’s pace does pick up some after Zara finally finds out about the supernatural, the disturbing truth about pixies (and the lengths they go to feed), and the identity of her real father. Throw in kidnappings, multiple snowstorms, and a short (if action-packed) rescue mission, and you have Need.  Fluffy at the start, with a darker twist wrapping up the story.

Recommended to those craving a quick urban fantasy fix. It’s no literary gem, but a passable read.

Plot/originality: 3/5

Characters: 2.5/5

Writing style: 2.5/5

Total score: 8/15

For those with a masochistic streak running through your veins: this book will undoubtedly satisfy.

I did try to be objective when I picked up Clockwork Angel, the first book of Clare’s newest Infernal Devices trilogy. Let it be known that I kept my mind wide, wide open, despite the fact that I knew it was the prequel to Clare’s craptastic Mortal Instruments trilogy. Writing is a skill that only gets refined with time and practice, eh?

… Well, probably not in Clare’s case. I expected only to be mildly entertained (at most) by her latest foray into urban fantasy. Clockwork Angel, however, was so unimpressive that I may actually have been impressed by how unimpressive it was.

The entire story reads like a very long, convoluted piece of fanfiction with stilted, predictable characters popping up every now and then to remind the readers of their presence. Characterization, in particular, bothered me to no end – while it is apparent that Clare attempted to inject some personality into them by inserting some “witty” repartee here and there, it completely failed to resuscitate the flatlining story. The main character (Tessa Gray) is a blatant Mary Sue that will doubtlessly trick younger, inexperienced readers into “relating” with her predicament. In fact, Clare’s heroines seem to be largely interchangeable; no-one would bat an eyelid if Clary (the protagonist of the shitfest that is The Mortal Instruments trilogy) strolled along and took Tessa’s place.

No one.

Plot-wise… there is little to say other that the fact that it was entirely unremarkable. The story draws on numerous parallels with The Mortal Instruments: Shadowhunters, Downworlders, the Clave,  and so on. The story opens with Tessa being trapped under the instruction of the Dark Sisters, forced to live in prison-like conditions until Will Herondale comes to her rescue. An American girl trapped in Victorian London, Tessa/Clare describes the landscape as droll, dark, grimy… not exactly the most flattering picture, and Clare seems to deliver very forced “English” mannerisms to all her characters. Tessa plays the malleable, self-sacrificing heroine to the snarky (surprise, surprise), dashing hero, and it has to be said that her complete lack of personality serves her well as a cardboard cutout protagonist. Super awesome ability of being able to inhabit ghosts of the past? Check. Self-deprecating “I’m plain and won’t ever be as pretty as the other side characters, but I’m actually too critical of myself” complex? Check. A noble mission? Check. Astonishing heritage? Check (Spoiler time: GET OUT OF HERE SHE’S A WARLOCK)

The plot only gets more convoluted and painful as the story meanders along. One can only imagine the yawn-fest that follows the decidedly uninspiring first chapter (one can only imagine because I refuse to recount every excruciating plot “twist” that Clare whips out), but I will tell you this: it’s one hell of a cure for insomnia. Clare’s pretentious writing style will either have you snoozing or frothing at the mouth.

Do not read. Seriously. Every copy of Clockwork Angel sold will only spur Clare to reach a higher level of mediocrity (if such a thing may be imagined). Remember: Every time someone gushes about how awesome and well-written this book is, a fluffy kitten dies.

See also: City of Bones, City of Ashes, City of Glass

Plot/originality: 1/5

Characters: 1/5

Writing style: 1.5/5

Total score: 3.5/15

Sunshine by Richelle Mead (10/15)

Those who have picked up Mead’s Vampire Academy series will be familiar with the setting and characters of Sunshine – in a world inhabited by Moroi (full-blooded vampires), Strigoi (vampires gone evil) and Dhampirs (half-blooded vampires serving as guardians to the Moroi), trouble strikes a cruise boat when a Strigoi attack sends a boat of vacationing Moroi into a frenzy of chaos.

Eric Dragomir finds himself questioning his future as the sole heir of the royal Dragomir line, and running into Rhea Daniels turns out to be the best part of his vacation. Things aren’t exactly boding well for him, though. He doesn’t make the best first impression, and he already has a girlfriend. She’s engaged to someone else. And there’s a crazy feeder lusting after his newfound romantic interest…

Mead’s writing style is engaging, with interactions between characters coming to life in this refreshing short piece. The concept of Eric and Rhea ditching their significant others in a heartbeat to run off into the sunset was stretching it a bit thin (you can’t help but feel bad for Stephen, Rhea’s fiancé). But hey, that’s paranormal romance for you. Recommended to fans of Mead’s work.

Bring me to Life by Alyson Noël (13/15)

Alyson Noël, author of The Immortals series of books, spins a chilling tale centering around budding young artist Danika Kavanaugh, a seventeen year old with a rebellious streak a mile wide. She finds herself flying to the UK as one of the winners to a prestigious art contest, which is a welcome reprieve from the stresses of home. The manor she’s staying in, the servants that appear to become more and more youthful every time she sees them, the strange, vivid dreams, her strange attachment to the place – unsettling, to say the least. And to top it all off, there’s an attractive, mysterious guy on the scene…

Bring me to Life is a brilliantly written story, with a plot twist that you definitely won’t see coming. Dark and chilling to the core, with the appropriate doses of mystery and romance to match. An excellent read!

Above by Kristin Cast (6/15)

I…

I didn’t know quite what to make of Above. I dove into the story expecting something in the lines of the House of Night series (which Cast co-wrote with her mother, P.C. Cast). What I got, however, wasn’t even close.

Above centers around Rheena, a girl trapped “Below” with her parents. When she unexpectedly gains access to “Above”, she finds herself assaulted with the sum of her greatest fears. But all is not lost – a handsome stranger by the name of Sol finds her and falls in love with her. But then she’s found once again by her pursuers, and Sol exacts his revenge…

Got all that? Yeah, I didn’t either. Cast writes the entirety of Above in something closely resembling poetic verse. I say “closely” because the formatting of the story was all over the place. Messy and confuzzling, Above is a real head-scratcher.

Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong (8/15)

Katiana (Kat) is a genetically engineered vampire, the product of years of experimentation by the Edison Group. Her vampirism kicked in 6 months ago, but to her chagrin, Kat has yet to feed on a real human. Her wish for more freedom from her strict vampire guardian, Marguerite, unexpectedly comes true in the worst of ways – Kat winds up in a car crash and gets recaptured by lackeys of the Edison Group.

Trapped in a van with two other captives, Chad and Neil, the three formulate a plan to escape. When Kat starts thirsting for their blood, though, things get a little messy…

I didn’t enjoy Hunting Kat as much as I did the other stories (Above excluded). The plot mostly fell flat, with the action sequences stilted and unremarkable. One of the weaker stories of this anthology.

Lilith by Francesca Lia Block (9.5/15)

Lilith stands out from mainstream paranormal fiction in that it’s told largely from a male point of view. Paul Michael lives a painful, teenaged existence. The bullying at his high school has forced to to escape into an imaginary fantasy world of his own, a planet where he isn’t maladjusted or mocked relentlessly for how he looks.

All that changes when the new goth student, Lilith, turns up at his school. He’s instantly drawn to her, and the fact that she’s a vampire doesn’t even faze him. A series of blood-exchanging rituals sends him off-kilter – he’s stronger, thinner, he doesn’t smell quite as bad – but he can’t quite put a finger on what Lilith’s motives are…

Lilith certainly tells it from an unexpected source – it’s hard not to feel sympathy for Paul Michael and his trauma from the bullying. The story ends abruptly, leaves the reader hanging with a certain sense of dissatisfaction. If you’re the sort that gets bothered by depressing endings, this one isn’t for you.

It’s been a while since I’ve read anything by Meg Cabot – she’s well-known for her young adult fiction series (the most famous being The Princess Diaries). Those closely acquainted with her amusing, somewhat self-deprecating writing style will be pleasantly surprised by Cabot’s latest foray in adult paranormal fiction.

Insatiable is a fast-paced, entertaining read that puts readers in protagonist Meena Harper’s shoes. Meena has a odd “gift” – she knows when and how people are going to die. Her life’s thrown in chaos when she’s introduced to real-life Romanian prince Lucien Antonescu, a dark, brooding character that captures her interest. What she doesn’t know is that Lucien is… well, a lot more bite than bark. And to top it all off, the attraction’s mutual…

Throw in a vampire war, a love rival (Alaric Wulf, a very yummy demon-hunter charged with the extermination of all that is unholy), multiple kidnappings, plot twists galore, and you have a real page-turner. Cabot manages to blend her unique brand of humor into an action-packed romance that manages to avoid the terribad cliches we’re all too familiar with in adult paranormal fiction. Side characters were portrayed realistically, though there probably could have been more focus on the Lucien-Meena-Alaric love triangle.

Do be prepared, though – Insatiable is a far cry from Cabot’s other works, which have been largely geared towards children and teens. The story contains numerous sexual references, though there’s no flat-out smut involved.

All in all, an enjoyable read. Look out for its sequel, which will be hitting shelves in Summer 2011!

Plot/originality: 3/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Total score: 11/15

If this book could be summed up in a few words, they would probably be “gratuitous smut”.

Then again, this is a Christine Warren book, so instead of being a normal PWP (read: Porn Without Plot), there’s actually some character strife/development involved.

Big Bad Wolf is part of The Others verse, a world occupied by humans and shifters, a curious race of magical folk that run the gamut from wolves to various animals of the savannah (if you haven’t already been mentally scarred by Warren’s rendition of lion sex, here’s your chance). The story is pretty much a fluffier rehash of one of Warren’s previously published stories, Fur Factor.

The story centers around Melissa “Missy” Jane Roper, your run-of-the-mill kindergarten teacher who snags the interest of the Alpha of the Silverback Clan, Graham Winters. If you’ve already read Fur Factor, then you pretty much know how the plot goes from there – Graham gets challenged by Curtis, a pregnant lady runs from a pack of wolves in a lycra bodysuit (because it’s just so safe and exciting that that shit needs to be made into a national sport), yada yada yada.

Warren’s made a few changes from the older, more hardcore version of the story – basically, just tossed a bunch of euphemisms in for genitalia, cut out the parts which were too raunchy, added some bits in to pad out the middle… Basically, it’s Fur Factor Lite.

That said, Big Bad Wolf was a fairly fluffy read (as fluffy as smut goes, anyway). Recommended for fans of Warren’s works, or those hoping to venture into the raunchier realms of paranormal fiction.

Plot/originality: 2.5/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing style: 3/5

Total score: 8.5/15

To put it plainly: I love The Olympians series. Rick Riordan manages to spin a vibrant and captivating story told from the eyes of 12 year old Perseus (Percy) Jackson, a boy who suddenly finds himself dragged from the relative safety of his snobbish boarding school into a world he had never before imagined – Camp Half-Blood. As it turns out, Percy is no ordinary boy. He’s part of a morbid prophecy foretelling the doom of the realm of the Greek gods. When his godly heritage is revealed, things take a turn for the worse when he gets accused of stealing Zeus’s  lightning bolt.

Together with his newly acquired friends Annabeth (mandatory potential love interest) and Grover (mandatory comic relief), Percy goes on his very first demigod quest to retrieve his missing mother and clear his name. Riordan’s writing is quick and snappy, painting a lively, entertaining vision of ancient Greek mythology colliding with the modern world. Two thumbs up!

(If you’ve watched the completely bastardized film adaptation of this book, well… at least Grover was funny. Percy was a complete Zac Efron clone and Annabeth was a complete disaster. The plus side: James Bond is a centaur!)

See also: Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters, Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse, Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth, Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian, The Demigod Files, Demigods and Monsters

Plot/originality: 4.5/5

Characters: 4.5/5

Writing style: 4.5/5

Total score: 13.5/15

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

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

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

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