November 2011 Releases

Done with October 2011 Releases? Here are November 2011 Releases. To see future titles, check Reading Wishlist.

August 2011 Releases

Done with July 2011 Releases? Here are August 2011 Releases. To see future releases, check Reading Wishlist.

10 New Covers: Caine, Cremer, Fitzpatrick, Meding, Rusch, Stiefvater, Vincent & Wendell

September 2008 Reads

Reminder: September 2008 Releases & October 2008 Releases.

Blood Bound – Patricia Briggs “…a decent read.” Buy

Night Child – Jes Battis “Night Child stands above most…Definitely one of my favourite books of the year…” Buy

Netherwood – Michele Lang “…outstanding, a true example of fabulous world-building…if you’re looking for an ace setting with vivid detail, you’ve come to the right book.” Buy

The Bride of Casa Dracula – Marta Acosta “Highly quotable, this third book is the best in the series…” Buy

Blood Lite – Kevin J. Anderson (ed.) Pre-order

Night Shift – Lilith Saintcrow “…enjoy the ride…a good, different read.” Buy

Awaken Me Darkly – Gena Showalter “Fascinating world-building and a unique serial killer make Gena Showalter’s Awaken Me Darkly an engrossing read.” Buy

[REVIEW] Blood Bound – Patricia Briggs

Patricia Briggs
Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2)
Penguin Ace (US: 30th January 2007); Hachette Orbit (UK: 3rd July 2008; AU: October 2008)
Buy

Vampires, sorcerers and demons take the stage in Mercy Thompson’s second chronicled adventure.

A coyote “walker”, she often has to intervene when her werewolf buddies are doing the whole “mine’s bigger than yours” faff, and the vampires are no different in this respect.

But the link between vampires, sorcerers and demons becomes clear; placing innocents in danger, and Mercy’s vampire pal Stefan goes missing. Not to mention the wild outbreak of violence from seemingly on-the-level citizens. So where you do find a demon? In a church, of course.

I had the same problem with this that I had with the first book in this series, Moon Called. They’re okay, but they’re just not wowing me. And the endless talk of dominants and submitting to them gets old fast. As a coyote, Mercy’s more American than the werewolves and vampires, who came from Europe. Yes, Europe has royalty, but it’s evident that North America has blatant class systems of its own, so don’t go thinking that dominance and submission is an archaic European thing that’s come along to the free-spirited West. I’m not sure what the author’s trying to say with this.

But while this series isn’t quite a page-turner, it’s still a decent read. Even if some werewolves and vampires do deserved to be kicked in the crotch.

October 2008 Releases

Patricia Briggs
Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 2 – Paperback)
Hachette Livre Orbit (AU: October 2008)
Buy
Mechanic Mercy Thompson is woken at 3am by a vampire calling in a favour. He has to deliver a message to a fellow undead and needs a witness that won’t be noticed – and Mercy’s shapeshifting abilities make her the perfect candidate. But the assignment turns into a bloodbath and Mercy attracts the attention of not just a powerful vampire, but the even more powerful demon possessing him. She can count on the supernatural community for protection – and alpha werewolf Adam would like her to rely on him in other ways too – but when it comes to being proactive, she’s on her own.

Anya Bast
The Chosen Sin (Trade Paperback)
Penguin Berkley (US: 7th October 2008)
Buy
The Chosen are vampires fighting for their very existence. It is Daria Morris’s destiny to become one of them…Daria is a special forces agent with one obsession: to wreak vengeance on the vampire who nearly destroyed her. But to succeed, she must become something she detests: a vampire. Her fate rests upon Alejandro Martinez, a sexy vampire with whom she once shared an unforgettable night of scorching passion. Now, while Daria struggles against her newfound bloodlust, the two must slip into the shadows to bring a monster to justice – even as their desire threatens to consume them…

Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner (eds.)
Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (Hardcover)
Penguin Ace (US: 7th October 2008)
Buy

The holidays can bring out the beast in anyone. They are particularly hard for lycanthropes. Charlaine Harris and Toni L. P. Kelner have harvested the scariest, funniest and saddest werewolf tales by an outstanding pack of authors, best read by the light of a full moon with a silver bullet close at hand.

Kevin Anderson (ed.)
Blood Lite: An Anthology of Humorous Horror Stories Presented by the Horror Writers Association (Trade Paperback)
Simon & Schuster Pocket (US: 21st October 2008)
Buy
Charlaine Harris reveals the dark side of going green, when a quartet of die-hard environmentalists hosts a fundraiser with a gory twist in “An Evening with Al Gore”…In an all-new Dresden Files story from Jim Butcher, when it comes to tracking deadly paranormal doings, there’s no such thing as a “Day Off” for the Chicago PD’s wizard detective, Harry Dresden…Sherrilyn Kenyon turns a cubicle-dwelling MBA with no life into a demon-fighting seraph with one hell of an afterlife in “Where Angels Fear to Tread”…Celebrity necromancer Jaime Vegas is headlining a sold-out séance tour, but behind the scenes, a disgruntled ghost has a bone to pick, in Kelley Armstrong’s “The Ungrateful Dead.” Plus tales guaranteed to get under your skin – in a good way – from Janet Berliner, Don D’Ammassa, Nancy Holder, Nancy Kilpatrick, J. A. Konrath and F. Paul Wilson, Joe R. Lansdale, Will Ludwigsen, Sharyn McCrumb, Mark Onspaugh, Mike Resnick, Steven Savile, D. L. Snell, Eric James Stone, Jeff Strand, Lucien Soulban, Matt Venne, Christopher Welch.

Kelley Armstrong
Living with the Dead (Women of the Otherworld, Book 9 – Hardcover)
Random House Spectra (US: 21st October 2008)
Buy
Robyn Peltier moved to Los Angeles after her young husband’s sudden death, trying to put some distance between herself and her memories. Though she’s still grieving, the challenges of her new life as the PR consultant to Portia Kane – the world’s most famous celebutante wannabe – can sometimes be amusing, even distracting. But when her client is gunned down in the back room of a nightclub, Robyn is suddenly on the run as the prime suspect in the murder. And as more bodies pile up around her, it seems like only Hope Adams, Robyn’s best friend, and Hope’s somewhat spooky boyfriend Karl are on Robyn’s side. Hope Adams follows the kinds of stories whose headlines scream from supermarket checkout lines. But the difference is that Hope’s stories are even weirder – and they’re all true. Though determined to help Robyn, Hope knows it’s only a matter of time before her friend is caught. But it’s not the police Hope is worried about. For Robyn has gotten herself in the middle of a turf war between two powerful Otherworld cabals who’ll spill any amount of blood – human and inhuman – to protect what they consider theirs for all eternity. And the only way Hope can keep her friend alive is by letting her enter a world she’s safer knowing nothing about.

Mario Acevedo
The Undead Kama Sutra (Felix Gomez, Book 3 – Mass Market Paperback)
HarperCollins Eos (US: 28th October 2008)
Buy
Felix Gomez returned from the war in Iraq a changed man – once a soldier, now forever a vampire. So the undead underworld put his skills to work as a private detective, specialising in the sordid, the sexy, and the supernatural. After surviving aliens, nymphomaniacs, and x-rated bloodsuckers, it’s high time for a vacation. Now the aliens are back in a fiendish conspiracy with the U.S. government, and only Felix stands between them and the Earth women they covet. But when an army hit man attacks Felix and the bodacious vampire sexpert, Carmen, not even the astonishing erotic powers of the Kama Sutra for the Undead may be able to save them.

Keri Arthur
Destiny Kills (Myth & Magic, Book 1 – Mass Market Paperback)
Random House Dell (US: 28th October 2008)
Buy
When Destiny McCree wakes up beside a dead man on an Oregon beach, she knows only this: she has to keep moving, keep searching, and keep one step ahead of the forces that have been pursuing her from the heart of Scotland to this isolated spot. Why? The death of her lover has left her alone, with little memory of her past. A glimmering serpent-shaped ring is the one clue she has – and a bargaining chip in a most dangerous game. Enter Trae Wilson, a master thief with a sexy, knowing grin and a secret agenda of his own. Destiny and Trae both have powers far beyond the human – and both are running for their lives. Together they’re riding a tide of danger, magic, and lust…but with killers stalking their every move, they must use any means necessary, even each other, to survive – until the shocking secret of one woman’s destiny finally unravels…

Kim Harrison
A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows, Book 4 – Hardcover)
HarperCollins Eos (US: 28th October 2008)
Buy
The evil night things that prowl Cincinnati despise witch and bounty hunter Rachel Morgan. Her new reputation for the dark arts is turning human and undead heads alike with the intent to possess, bed, and kill her – not necessarily in that order. Now a mortal lover who abandoned Rachel has returned, haunted by his secret past. And there are those who covet what Nick possesses – savage beasts willing to destroy the Hollows and everyone in it if necessary. Forced to keep a low profile or eternally suffer the wrath of a vengeful demon, Rachel must nevertheless act quickly. For the pack is gathering for the first time in millennia to ravage and to rule. And suddenly more than Rachel’s soul is at stake.

A. J. Menden
Phenomenal Girl 5 (Elite Hands of Justice, Book 1 – Mass Market Paperback)
Dorchester SHOMI (US: 28th October 2008)
Buy
Lainey Livingston has just been made a member of the Elite Hands of Justice, the world’s premiere cadre of superheroes. Her work with the Red Knights and the Power Squad was impressive; all her senses are extraordinary, and her great strength and ability to fly are equally remarkable. But no one gets a free pass to active duty, and Lainey’s next test is going to be her hardest. She’s to train with the Reincarnist. Robert Elliot, the Reincarnist. A magician who has lived multiple lifetimes, he’s the smartest man in the world – and Lainey’s last obstacle. He was personally responsible for seeing Pushstar wash out. But his eyes are the softest, kindest that Lainey has ever seen, and he’s just the sort to knock her for a loop. Lesson #1: Romantic entanglements among crime fighters are super exploitable, and falling in love with a man who “can’t die” is like waving a red flag at a bull. Especially when the most fiendish plot ever is about to break over Megolopolis like a wave of fire.

July 2008 Releases

In case you missed them, check June 2008 Releases. I accidentally forgot to list some titles, unless they were on the May page. Anyway, those extra books are below, as well as the July 2008 Releases. For titles even further in the future, check my Reading Wishlist.

Jeaniene Frost, Terri Garey, Maggie Shayne & Kathryn Smith
Weddings from Hell
HarperCollins (US: 1st June 2008)
Buy

Some marriages are made in heaven… Some are not. What happens when “the happiest day of your life” turns into a nightmare? Forget the drunken best man or the bridesmaid dresses from the ’80s…none of these wedding day disasters can compare to a cursed bride determined to make it down the aisle, or a vampire who is about to disrupt your wedding. Join New York Times bestselling authors Maggie Shayne and Jeaniene Frost, USA Today bestseller Kathryn Smith, as well as Terri Garey in four unforgettable tales of unholy matrimony…where the grooms are dark, dangerous, and mostly dead, and to love and cherish till death takes on a whole new meaning.

Vicki Pettersson
The Touch of Twilight (Signs of the Zodiac, Book 3)
HarperCollins (UK: 2nd June 2008)
Buy

Joanna Archer has won the trust of the Light Zodiac, and issued a challenge to the Shadows, but in doing so has made herself and those she loves a target. The shadows are stalking her human lover who believes Joanna to be dead. She is powerless to help him, for in doing so she will have to reveal her identity and put the entire city in peril.

Stephenie Meyer
New Moon (Twilight, Book 2)
Hachette (UK: 4th June 2008)
Buy

For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is more dangerous than Bella ever could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of an evil vampire but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realise their troubles may just be beginning…

Lilith Saintcrow
Night Shift (Jill Kismet, Book 1)
Hachette (US: 24th June 2008; UK: 3rd July 2008)
Pre-order

Jill Kismet is a dealer in dark things and demon slayer, and it’s her job to patrol the nightside. In the cold pre-dawn, Jill is called in to assess the aftermath of a particularly savage cop-killing. Under the haunted eyes of the forensic techs, Jill picks up the stench of hellbreed and something else – something dangerous and tainted. But this makes no sense as hellbreed always work alone, distrusted even by their own kind. Jill’s a Hunter, trained by the best, but she’s in over her head. Welcome to the night shift…

Kelley Armstrong
The Summoning (The Darkest Powers, Book 1)
HarperCollins (US: 1st July 2008); Hachette (UK: 3rd July 2008)
Pre-order

My name is Chloe Saunders and my life will never be the same again. All I wanted was to make friends, meet boys, and keep on being ordinary. I don’t even know what that means anymore. It all started on the day that I saw my first ghost – and the ghost saw me. Now there are ghosts everywhere and they won’t leave me alone. To top it all off, I somehow got myself locked up in Lyle House, a “special home” for troubled teens. Yet the home isn’t what it seems. Don’t tell anyone, but I think there might be more to my housemates than meets the eye. The question is, whose side are they on? It’s up to me to figure out the dangerous secrets behind Lyle House…before its skeletons come back to haunt me.

Eve Kenin
Hidden (Northern Waste, Book 2)
Dorchester (US: 1st July 2008)
Review
Interview
Pre-order

Tatiana has honed her genetic gifts to perfection. She can withstand the subzero temperatures of the Northern Waste, read somebody’s mind with the briefest touch, and slice through bone with her bare hands. Which makes her one badass chick, all right. Nothing gets to her. Until she meets Tristan. Villain or ally, she can’t be sure. But one thing she does know: he has gifts too – including the ability to ramp up her heart rate to dangerous levels. But before they can start some chemistry of their own, they have to survive being trapped in an underground lab, hunted by a madman, and exposed to a plague that could destroy mankind.

Patricia Briggs
Blood Bound (Mercy Thompson, Book 1)
Hachette (UK: 3rd July 2008)
Pre-order

Mechanic Mercy Thompson is woken at 3am by a vampire calling in a favour. He has to deliver a message to a fellow undead and needs a witness that won’t be noticed – and Mercy’s shapeshifting abilities make her the perfect candidate. But the assignment turns into a bloodbath and Mercy attracts the attention of not just a powerful vampire, but the even more powerful demon possessing him. She can count on the supernatural community for protection – and alpha werewolf Adam would like her to rely on him in other ways too – but when it comes to being proactive, she’s on her own.

Cassandra Clare
City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments, Book 2)
Walker (UK: 7th July 2008)
Pre-order

With her mother in a coma and her father hell-bent on destroying the world, Clary is dragged deeper into New York’s terrifying underworld of werewolves, demons and the mysterious Shadowhunters. Discovering the truth about her past was only the beginning, now Clary must save the world from her own father the rogue Shadowhunter Valentine. With two of the Mortal Instruments at his command, Valentine is assembling an army of demons to wage war on the council of Shadowhunters and destroy them once and for all. As the battle begins, Clary must face her darkest fears and come to terms with her feelings for a boy she wishes wasn’t her brother.

Trisha Telep (ed.)
The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance
Running Press (US: 8th July 2008); Robinson (UK: 28th July 2008)
Pre-order

Paranormal romance is a supernatural force to be reckoned with. Packed with a menagerie of werewolves, shape-shifters, and assorted demons, its undisputed king is none other than our favorite centuries-old bloodsucker-the vampire. Let the biggest and brightest names in the paranormal romance business show you the bewildering array of complex vampire codes of conduct, dark ritual, and dating practices, as they chat up the locals and engage in the most erotic encounters you will sink your teeth into this side of un-Death. These ain’t your mother’s vampires! In a quickly expanding genre, here are 30 short stories of hot blood and inhuman passions.

Michelle Maddox
Countdown
Dorchester (US: 29th July 2008)
Review
Pre-order

THREE. Kira Jordan wakes up in a pitch-black room handcuffed to a metal wall. She has 60 seconds to escape. Thus begins a vicious game where to lose is to die. TWO. The man she’s been partnered with – her only ally in this nightmare – is a convicted mass murderer. But if he’s so violent, why does he protect her? And stranger still, what is it behind those haunted sea-green eyes that makes her want to protect him? ONE. No one to trust. Nowhere to run. And the only hope of survival is working together to beat the COUNTDOWN.