Review: 135. Unholy Magic by Stacia Kane...

I really enjoy the world that Stacia Kane created in her Downside Ghosts series, especially the language. I'd love to have her swing by one of these days and tell us more about how this world evolved.

Title: Unholy Magic (Downside Ghosts #2)
Author: Stacia Kane
ISBN-13: 9780345515582
eBook
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Purchased

drey's thoughts:
Oh, Chess. I so wish you'd get some help with that addiction of yours,  because right now your life just seems to be based on a series of choices--when you get to choose, that is--that you make based on whether or when you can get more... You need to get more rest, take better care of yourself, move out of the Downside...

I do understand that if you did, though, you would probably be a different Chess than the one I know and want to read more of. Who knows, maybe making better decisions means that you're not entangled in situations that just seem to pop up out of the blue, with all four loyalties digging their talons into you and pulling you in different directions... Which four, you ask? Well, there's the Church you work for, asking you to look into the supposed haunting of a famous actor's home (shhhhh, keep this on the down low!). Then there's Bump, the drug lord in Downside, who seems to think you're his personal Church-witch, because he has the drugs you want. Or maybe it's Lex, whom you get more than just drugs from (you can do better, you know...). And, of course, there's your personal little helper, those little pills that help you make it through each and every day... When Bump and Lex approach about dead prostitutes, you wonder if you're getting in the middle of a gang war. But they'd tell you if you were, right?

Anyway. I really am glad you made it through Unholy Magic in one piece (although you sure had me on tenterhooks for quite a bit there!). I'm sorry that Terrible's not on speaking terms with you anymore though--except when he's on Bump's business, of course. I sure hope you get help--and soon--because I'm not sure how many more of these stories you can keep going through, without causing permanent harm to yourself. And that would not be good.

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub

132. Wild Ride by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer...

Title: Wild Ride
Author: Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer
ISBN-13: 9780312533779
Hardcover:
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Wild Ride came from my local library (I love my local library!). I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
I always love a Jennifer Crusie book for a quick fun read, and when I saw this one in the "new books" section at my local library, I just had to bring it home... And when work for my day job drove me completely nuts, I picked this up for some brain relaxation.

And brain relaxation it provided. Mab--Mary Alice Brannigan--is working on restorations at Dreamland (an amusement park) when she gets run over by a clown. Not the kind that scares kids at parties, but one of the metal statues that decorate the grounds. How is that possible? Well, consider that Dreamland was built as a prison for demons, and one got loose...

Ethan Wayne has a bullet in his chest from Afghanistan, and returns home to Dreamland to live out his last days. Then Dreamland throws him a curve and a lifeline, but it takes him a while to appreciate the chance...

Then there are the government agents intent on finding out if there really are demons at Dreamland, and how the demons can be used. Because that's what governments do, right? Add in the Dreamland regulars, Mab's icky uncle, and the demons themselves, and Wild Ride is a quick breezy read with a dash of romance and a tablespoon of action. No brains required. *grin*

drey's rating: 3/5 Good

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Support Your Local Library

98. Apocalypse Happens by Lori Handeland...

Title: Apocalypse Happens (Phoenix Chronicles #3)
Author: Lori Handeland
ISBN-13: 9780312366025
Paperback: 328 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Apocalypse Happens stopped by from my local library. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
Well, well, well. In book #3 of Lori Handeland's Phoenix Chronicles series, we find out about Liz's mom, and let me tell you, she's a nutjob! Liz is still fighting (ok, sometimes indulging) her attraction to her two men--ex-boyfriend Jimmy and shaman Sawyer--neither of whom she's certain of, or trusts. Must be from all the bad ju-ju floating around!

Liz is still kick-ass, and tougher than she's ever been. Of course, she's also darker than she's ever been. Due to decisions made in Doomsday Can Wait, she can no longer hear her former mentor Ruthie. Instead, she's got new voices in her head, and a bespelled collar to keep her newfound darkness contained. To add to her headaches, now Jimmy's stand-offish, Sawyer doesn't quite put out the I'm-on-your-side vibes, and a seer seeking refuge is murdered at her doorstep.

Between figuring out what to do about the bad guys, worrying about the boys and her group of seers and DKs (demon killers), and trying to find the traitor in their midst, Liz sure has her hands full in this third book. I'm off to get number four.

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100, Support Your Local Library

97. Doomsday Can Wait by Lori Handeland...

Title: Doomsday Can Wait (Phoenix Chronicles #2)
Author: Lori Handeland
ISBN-13: 9780312947163
Paperback: 337 pages
Publisher: St. Martin's Press, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Doomsday Can Wait was a library book that waited patiently to be read. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
I'm really enjoying Lori Handeland's Phoenix Chronicles series so far. I didn't review the first book, Any Given Doomsday because I read it a while ago and it had to get back to the library (because I was this this close to late!). But I liked it enough that I got the next few in the series, and practically devoured this one.

One reason I like this series: the heroine--Elizabeth Phoenix--lives in Milwaukee. Gotta root for the local kick-ass gal! She's an ex-cop who's bartending for her former partner's widow. And, she's also the head honcho for the forces of good in the race to stop the Apocalypse and defeat the evil minions of Satan. (All of a sudden I have the theme song from Transformers floating through my head...)

Now, being head honcho has its benefits, but also drawbacks--especially the all-the-bad-guys-want-to-kill-her kind. I won't tell you what happens because you really should read it for yourself. But Doomsday Can Wait packs in non-stop action, romantic tension, and quite a few surprises. I'd read the rest of the series even if Liz didn't live in Milwaukee!

drey's rating: 3.5/5 Very Good

Challenges: 100+, Support Your Local Library

94. The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu...

Title: The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss #1)
Author: Marjorie M. Liu
ISBN-13: 9780441016068
Paperback: 305 pages
Publisher: Penguin Group, 2008
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository

FTC Disclosure: My copy of The Iron Hunt came from my public library. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.

drey's thoughts:
I picked up The Iron Hunt because I'd heard quite a bit about it--all good, of course. I love the cover--yes, there's a chick with tattoos, but in this case, the tattoos actually serve a purpose. Of course, the chick is the heroine, and her name is Maxine.

Apparently, Maxine is the latest (and last?) of a line of demon hunters--each born to the previous, each inheriting the mantle upon their mother's death. And those tattoos? They're her armor, rendering her invincible during the day. At night, they're tricky little demons who will stop at nothing to protect her. With an appetite for anything from Snickers bars to teddy bear stuffing, the five are entertaining little buggers.

Marjorie Liu's The Iron Hunt is a fast-paced read, with a world full of demons and zombies and other bad things that go bump in the night. Not that it's all about Maxine and those she hunts. There's the boyfriend who has a penchant for song, a zombie queen who manipulates everyone she can, and a few new "friends" who're there to help her in the upcoming apocalyptic battle for the souls of humanity.

With an interesting backstory and potential for a really gripping rest-of-the-story, I will definitely be picking up the other books in the series.

Check out Ms. Liu's website for an excerpt

drey's rating: 3/5 Good

Challenges: 100+, Support Your Local Library

53. Black Magic Sanction by Kim Harrison...

Title: Black Magic Sanction (Rachel Morgan #8)
Author: Kim Harrison
ISBN-13: 9780061138034
Hardcover: 487 pages
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon

FTC Disclosure: My copy of Black Magic Sanction spent a little vacation time on my bookshelf, and will return to the library shortly. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.


drey's thoughts:
In Black Magic Sanction, Rachel Morgan spends countless pages running from the white coven, who are intent on bringing her to justice--their version of it anyway--for her use of black magic. They've already shunned her, now they're outright kidnapping and attacking her. First, they attack her in the grocery store. Then, they use her slimy ex Nick to summon her, and this gets Rachel thrown into Alcatraz. Luckily for her, her friends manage to come through and help her out. Only for trouble to find her again.

Ironic, isn't it, that the white coven is using lethal means to capture and confine Rachel? Sure, she's got some smut on her aura, but the how of getting that should count for something... When even her sanctuary is attacked, Rachel comes up with a daring plan to get the coven off her back. So what if it involves playing  people way more powerful than she is? She can handle it. Hopefully.

I really enjoy Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series. Rachel takes on demons and more, to help save her friends, whether they deserve it or not, whether they appreciate it or not. Now she has to come to terms with what she is, if she can live long enough to figure that out. Can't wait for #9.

drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent

Challenges: 100+, Pub, Support Your Local Library