Tag Archives: urban-fantasy

House of Earth and Blood book review

The House of Earth and Blood is the first book in the new Crescent City series by Sarah J Maas. Bryce Quinlan is a half-human and half-fae living a life of work and partying in Crescent City. Her world crashes when her best friend is murdered by a demon. But as hard as that was, things become more difficult when the demon behind the murder re-emerges two years later. Now Bryce is being roped into the investigation and she is seeking revenge.

Hunt Athalar is an angel of death. A slave and assassin to the Archangels, Hunt has been recruited to track down the murderer stalking the streets of Crescent City. He doesn’t want to work with Bryce, but if they find who is responsible, Hunt can win his freedom. Together, Bryce and Hunt will face a formidable enemy and risk their hearts along the way.

So, that is the jacket-cover overview of the book. Now for my thoughts.

Book cover for Sarah J Maas’s House of Earth and Blood. I find this cover very busy and slightly baffling – and that is after I read the book. Image from the internet.

It was good. And it was long.

Let’s start with the things I liked about the story. I loved the world setting. It was a fun mix of technology and magic. The world was flavoured with ancient Roman/Greek vibes mingling with the modern urban fantasy trend of multiple supernatural races. There were angels and demons, vampires and werewolves. There were temples housing oracles and a goddess called Luna! The environment felt Mediterranean in climate. The city was a mix of ancient stone buildings and modern glass skyscrapers. And it worked. The old-new city was vibrant, the mix of different races was seamless. I loved that Bryce worked for an antiques dealer. The magic played well with the modern technology. It was all integrated and fun.

The story itself was compelling. There was lots of emotion to be had. Life for Bryce really collapsed when Danika was murdered. The struggles she faced felt believable and tragic. Certainly the twists and turns were gut-wrenching as the story progressed.

Hunt’s story paralleled Bryce’s, though older and blunted by time. His decisions and their consequences again seemed realistic. His slow change in attitude and the budding hope made for a power shift in the book.

It was good, but there were things that I didn’t love. I read a lot of Sarah J Maas’s Throne of Glass series, which was young adult. I was expecting something similar in tone and language. House of Earth and Blood was far more adult. There was a great deal of swearing, drugs, alcohol and sex in the book. Between the tone, language and themes, it was a mature story with an adult (over 18 years old) focus. Which was reflected, I suppose, by the age of Bryce also in her early twenties.

Book cover for Sarah J Maas’s House of Earth and Blood. I like this cover better than the other one for its simplicity. Though I don’t know what it is representing. Image from the internet.

I also found the pacing of the book a challenge. Every time I thought we had reached an endpoint there would be a new twist. The betrayals that happened along the way were epic. My first thought was I didn’t like them, but reflecting later I was impressed with how the actions of a person can seem both good and bad when viewed through different lenses. I think each shocking twist worked, but it did make the progression to the conclusion feel like a string of mini-peaks – more awkward than anything.

Finally, this is book one in the Crescent City series. I don’t know how many books are going to be in this series, which I assume will focus on the evil Empire. The Empire is evil and change is never easy. But while I liked this book, I worry that this series will become bloated and melodramatic. Is there really more to be done with Bryce and Hunt? Or will Maas take a different approach and follow other related characters. I think the latter holds more hope for a good sequel, but the last teasing scene in the book left me hesitant about the future of Crescent City.

So, in summary. I loved the world being developed. The story was interesting with strong characters and high emotional impact. This is an adult book that is long. Worth reading. 4.5/5 stars.

Magiford Supernatural City – Series Review

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Between pandemic and work, life has been a bit stressful of late. Then Artifact was cancelled by valve, which was very sad. So, when I went looking for something to read, I knew that I was not feeling adventuresome. I wanted something light, positive and … safe. I am not in a position where emotionally draining is what I am looking for. I have had enough of that in life recently.

Hazel’s story – book 1. Image from the internet. Don’t let the cover art be a turn off, they are good books.

So I turned to an author I am familiar with, K.M. Shea. I have read a number of her books, including various fairy tales and urban fantasy. Her new series are set in the Magiford Supernatural City setting and are urban fantasy. They have all the key supernaturals, wizards, vampires, werewolves and fae. Not necessarily my favourite mix, but the characters are compelling. The stories were fun. And everything was cohesive. While you might describe the books as being young adult, I am so grateful the characters are in their early 20’s – post-college age. They are young enough to be optimistic and occasionally make brash decisions. Old enough I am not dealing with teen-aged angst.

Hazel’s story, book 2. Image from the internet.

Currently there are two series the first follows the wizard Hazel as she strives to regain her magic house and family (think coven). Driven by the betrayal of her cousin, Hazel falls in with the powerful vampire, Killian Drake. I liked the series. I loved the secondary characters, which really help to create a rich, believable world – and ground all the fantasy in the real world.

Hazel’s story, book 3. Image from the internet.

While Hazel is an orphan (and that is sad), she has family in the form of distant relations and friends. I like that family is a driving force within this book and especially in the next series. The magic is a mix bag – with so many supernaturals present, it would hard to be anything else. However, for all their powers, they can be killed easily with modern weapons. This helps to ground everything and help to explain why supernaturals are not ruling the world.

My biggest complaint was that reading the preview for the second series set in the same world, kind of spoiled some of the big reveals in Hazel’s trilogy.

Leila’s story, book 1. Image from the internet. Don’t let the cover art be a turn off, they are good books.

The second trilogy stars Leila. Leila was a super minor and unassuming character in the stories about Hazel. However, her adventure in the same city starts directly after the events in which Hazel fights to reclaim her birthright. Leila is not an orphan, and in fact her family is more modern with a biological father that left when Leila was a toddler and was replaced by a step father later on. Family again, plays a huge part in the motivations and design of the characters, which is so true to life. We love and hate our families. We struggle to understand the actions of our parents and to develop different relationships as we, ourselves, become adults. Because I had fewer indications of how the story would turn out, I would say that Leila’s trilogy was my favourite. But then I really liked Hazel and her friends, so…

Leila’s story, book 2. Image from the internet.

The best part of the books was the message of hope. The idea that by working together, by everyone working together and finding common ground, we can all move forward into a brighter future. That our strengths lay more in the relationships we can build than in the personal power and prestige we can achieve as individuals. (I am trying really hard not to spoil the plot lines – hence the vague wording).

Leila’s story, book 3. Image from the internet.

The short version is that I liked these books, all six of them. I liked the world, which surprised me a little. I loved the small, practical details, like Leila having to deal with the debt of her predecessor and so is very budget focused. Most importantly I liked the characters. Yes, this is a series I would recommended, even though I am going to be stingy and only give it 4.5 stars out of 5 – mostly because I am sad I don’t have any more books to read.

Hazel’s story (Hall of Blood and Mercy): Magic Forged (Book 1), Magic Redeemed (Book 2), and Magic Unleashed (Book 3)

Leila’s story (Court of Midnight and Deception): Crown of Shadows (Book 1), Crown of Moonlight (Book 2), and The Queen’s Crown (Book 3).

Sinister Magic – Book Review

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It is summer reading! Look at how many books I am getting through. So, this latest book was urban fantasy rather than scifi. This is book 1 in Lindsay Buroker’s new series, Death Before Dragons. The title Sinister Magic. Beware of spoilers.

First, to be upfront and honest, I like Buroker’s writing. I don’t love all her series and I haven’t read all her books – though I have read quite a few. This is still good writing. The characters are engaging. There are a range of personalities and viewpoints. There are also a range of races in this particular novel.

Book cover for Sinister Magic: Death Before Dragons, Book 1. Image from the internet. Please notice how bad-ass Val is with her magical tiger and cleverly named sword. (Note that is sarcasm abut the name of her sword.) Yes, there is also a dragon.

For one of the first times I do not love her female protagonist. I certainly want to love Val (Valmeyjar). She has obvious issues: inflammation of the lungs possibly related to stress that is certainly a problem when slaying evil monsters. She has relationship problems, mostly because everyone she knows has their life in danger by proximity – including an ex-husband and daughter. Though, I do like that she has family. A mother she struggles to relate to along with her own ex and daughter. But few other friends, mostly a tiger from another dimension. She is also a half-elf. And who doesn’t remember being a child and wanting to be a half-elf?

I love Val’s let’s get this done attitude. She is confident, snarky and stubborn. All excellent traits in a storybook heroine. I love that she has a moral outlook, a challenge when she is essentially an assassin against magical beings. What I don’t love about Val is her approach to killing everything. She is off to save her friend, but in doing so causes a great deal of damage. While this is pretty standard fare in action films, it does question how morally sound is Val’s decision to kill things for a living. Especially when the Dragon appears and offers a different system. Granted we don’t know the details about the Dragon Courts Justice system, but mass slaughter is not the primary method.

I do like how there is some effort put into questioning Val’s methods for dealing with rogue magical creatures. I am not suggesting they should be ignored, but is killing them without trial or effort at rehabilitation really the best option? The fact that Val appears to be so narrow minded in her dealings with magical creatures (amusing because she is half magical herself) is my biggest problem with the story.

This is not a reflection on the writing. Rather, Buroker’s portrayal of Val left me thinking poorly of the main character. And while I agree you can have great stories with unlikeable protagonists, these are not usually the stories I read. While on one hand I admire Val for her ability to defend herself and friends while taking down large and scary monsters. I find Val’s use of weapons heavy handed when dealing with problems. I prefer characters that solve problems cleverly with words (and occasionally swords), like Amaranth in the Emperor’s Edge series. Though, Sinister Magic is at least aware of all the collateral damage Val causes.

Conclusion: Sinister Magic is a good book, but I don’t particularly like the main character. Still, I am interested to see where the series goes next. I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Highland Magic – Book Review

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It is finally summer and my goal is to read – at least for the first couple of weeks.

The Highland Magic Series by Helen Harper includes all four books: Gifted Thief, Honour Bound, Veiled Threat and Last Wish. The series stars Integrity Taylor Adair a thief reluctantly pulled back into the politics of the Sidhe courts. Over the course of the four books Integrity is going to have to learn the truth about her parents, the motivations of the Fomori across the veil and her own inner strength.

Highland Magic is an urban fantasy set in the highlands of Scotland. This northern section of Scotland has been separated from the lowlands by a magical barrier originally designed to separate the Sidhe clans from the barbarous Fomori. While Sidhe might claim to be the honourable group, their racist, bickering, manipulative and violent actions really call into question who the true demons are.

Joining Integrity on her journey are her adopted father (human) and close friends (merman, pixie, and wizard). Oh, and then there is Ben, the jinni of the letter opener whose wishes all come with unwanted consequences. The motley crew makes for some entertaining hijinks and discussions of what family means – is it blood or those you choose to be around?

The distinctly Scottish setting is filled with obvious landmarks – Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Obin. At least these are the names of places that jumped out at me. The collection of magical creatures felt more Scottish than American, with a greater emphasis on the Sidhe, Trolls, Pixies and several species I am not familiar with. There were no vampires or werewolves in this story.

But the thing I liked most about this series was Integrity’s perspective on violence – she is a pacifists. This is not an excuse for our heroine to be a damsel in distress. Integrity is very much the type of character to charge, well sneak, forward to get things done. She does question her own non-violence policy throughout the series but in the end she is able to find a way around the various problems in a non-violent manner. I like that we are given a strong female lead whose strength does not rely on her ability to fist punch the problem into submission.

With quick, witty writing and a distinctly Scottish setting I really enjoyed this atypical urban fantasy. I thought it was another successful series by Helen Harper – who also wrote The Lazy Girl’s Guide to Magic series (and many other things I haven’t yet read).

A solid 4.5 stars out of 5!

Modern Magic – Enchanted, Inc. and Vampires Drink Tomato Juice

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Book cover for Enchanted, Inc. Image from the internet.

Title: Enchanted, Inc.

Series: Enchanted, Inc.: Hex and the City

Author: Shanna Swendson

Tags: Urban-Fantasy, Comedy, Fairy-Tales, Magic

Title: Vampires Drink Tomato Juice: A Chicago Urban Fantasy

Series: The Magical Beings’ Rehabilitation Center

Author: K.M. Shea

Tags: Urban-Fantasy, Comedy, Magic

Between binge watching the Olympic games and working, I have managed to read a couple of books. Recently, I have been sucked into two worlds that share a number of delightful similarities.

Both series take place in urban settings, though neither book is the dark urban fantasy that has been very popular recently. Shanna Swendson’s magical New York city is filled with frog-princes, winged fairies, gargoyle security guards and Magic, Spells and Illusions, Inc. It is a world where magic is mostly hidden as the lives of wizards and other magical beings runs side-by-side with the corporate business world. K.M. Shea has integrated the more classic urban-fantasy species of vampires and werewolves into her Chicago setting. But again, they remain hidden from the eyes of the average human.

Book Cover for Vampires Drink Tomato Juice. Image from the internet.

I know nothing about either city, having not visited or lived in either New York or Chicago. So, I cannot comment on the authenticity of the settings. They seemed interesting enough. New York felt more like a bustling city while Chicago setting seemed to have less of an impact on the story. However, I thought that the species of Swendson’s New York leaned more towards classic fairy tales – with a twist. There were fairies with wings and elves with pointed ears, but both species are placed in a corporate business setting. Shea seems to prefer the more popular collection of vampires, werewolves and elves. Though she also gave her mythical species a unique spin to make them a little more interesting. Mostly by making them less like their most popular examples. The vampires are not all ruggedly handsome and sparkle in the sun. She also expands the usual collection of creatures to include some goblins, that are seen more like mafia than small dirty individuals.

Book Cover for Once Upon Stilettos, book 2 in the Enchanted, Inc. series. Image from the internet.

Both books are comedies. These are light-hearted books about friends, friendship and even a little romance. The bad guys are more devious in Swendson’s book, as he does want to take over the world – through business. Actually, the kidnapping at the end of Shea’s novel also revolves around a business transaction. Cooperations are dangerous business it seems.

Swendson’s main character is a grown career woman, with schooling, smarts, and a sweet Texas drawl. Katie Chandler was perfectly adorable in her down-to-earth attitude, and complete normalcy. Her change in job leads her to the MSI – Magic, Spells and Illusions, Inc. As an executive assistant, Katie works for the CEO of this interesting downtown business.

Sixteen year old Morgan Fae hails from the suburbs of Chicago. Still attending, high school, Morgan finds herself employed by the Magical Beings Rehabilitation Centre. Here she mostly teaches the magical creatures of this hidden world about being human – at least a human teenager. Can any student really be considered normal? Certainly Morgan makes a good effort at being as practical as possible for a high schooler.

Book covers for the Enchanted Inc. series. Image from the internet.

The quirky style of both plots, the solidly built characters and the entertaining secondary characters works to draw in the reader for both series. While, my leanings might be for the older, business women in Swendson’s Enchanted, Inc., there is no denying the appeal of Shea’s Magical Rehab Centre. Certainly, both books are filled with enough magic and modern mayhem to entertain any reader. The stories are built up competently, the pacing is solid and character development makes sense. These authors know how to pepper their writing with just the right number of clues that the big twist at the end fits internally with the story. I have enjoyed other books by both Shanna Swendson and K.M. Shea and these stories did not disappoint.

Full marks for both Enchanted, Inc. and Vampires Drink Tomato Juice. I will certainly be reading more in both series.