Book Review: I'm Dreaming of an Undead Christmas

I'm Dreaming of an Undead Christmas by Molly Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publication Date: December 2013 on audio, November 17, 2014 on ebook
Source: Netgalley review copy

College co-ed Gigi is headed home to Half-Moon Hollow for her first Christmas since her sister, Iris, was turned into a vampire by her beloved undead husband, Cal. Iris is working overtime to make this holiday as normal and special as possible. After all, it’s taken her months of working with Jane Jameson and the Hollow’s vampires to convince herself that she won’t bite her baby sister on sight.

Gigi has her own worries. She’s falling out of love with her high school sweetheart, Ben, and has no idea how to tell him. She’s got a secret job interview with terrifying teen Council official, Ophelia Lambert. And there’s a handsome but cagey vampire following her around town and then disappearing before Gigi can confirm that he’s not, in fact, a figment of her fertile imagination. Holidays with family are complicated. Christmas with an undead family can be downright dangerous.

This was a really fun read for the holidays, when you're busy and you don't have a whole lot of time or brainpower. It was really short, and I did feel like it ended rather abruptly. I realize it's a short story, and part of a larger series, but I really thought that we would at least find out who the mystery vampire was. Granted, I haven't read any of the other books in this series, so maybe it made more sense to those who had. I have read the Jane Jameson series, though. So this world wasn't entirely new to me.

I enjoy reading this author's books, and they always make me laugh, or at least smile.

Book Review: Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors

Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors by Molly Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Publication Date: February 2012
Source: Review copy from the publisher

I read this entire series back to back, and one good thing I can say about it is that I didn't get tired of it. A lot of times when I read a series (or even a couple books in a series) all at once, I get sick of the story, the characters, and the whole thing. This just felt fun.

I can't say I loved everything about the story, though. I just didn't find it believable. Not because of the vampires, werewolves, ghosts, etc. But because the main character, who is a book lover and former librarian, throws books when she's mad. SHE THROWS BOOKS! Sorry about the yelling. As fellow book lovers, I'm sure you see where I'm coming from. It's not even the bad ones. It's not like she read a horrible book she didn't like and threw it against the wall in a fit of anger. No, someone makes her mad, and she throws things like Lord of the Rings at them. Sorry, I just don't buy it. Her character is utterly unbelievable.

Now that I've got that out of the way, I did enjoy this book and the previous books in the series. I (mostly) like the characters, and they're varied enough to not all seem like the same person called different names. There's nothing deep or really thoughtful here, but it's a fun and easy way to spend a few hours, and have a few laughs, so I'd probably recommend the whole series, especially if you're a fan of urban fantasy.

Review: Hard Spell

Stan Markowski is a Detective Sergeant on the Scranton PD's Supernatural Crimes Investigation Unit. Like the rest of America, Scranton's got an uneasy 'live and let unlive' relationship with the supernatural. But when a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that's when they call Markowski. He carries a badge. Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets. 

The story here was interesting, but I just never really got into it.  I didn't care much who the murderer was, or when one of the characters was in danger.  The writing didn't draw me in that way.  I think this is definitely a story that would appeal to men.  If you've ever wondered what's the difference between urban fantasy and paranormal romance, you can look to this book as a fine example of urban fantasy.  There is really no romance whatsoever.  Some books straddle both genres to where you can't tell which is which, but this one is very clear on what it is.

It almost has that style of the old TV detective shows, especially at the beginning of the book, where I wasn't really sure I'd be able to handle that style all the way through. But it's definitely readable, and I think fans of urban fantasy in particular will enjoy this. I give it a C, and may continue if this is a series.

Review: Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer

Book Details

Title: Sleeping Beauty: Vampire Slayer (Twisted Tales)

Author: Maureen McGowan

Genre: Ya Fantasy

Page Count: 320

Publishing Info: April 1, 2011

My Review

Why I read it: netgalley review copy

The Plot: In this thrilling story full of adventure and romance, Sleeping Beauty is more than just a lonely princess waiting for her prince—she's a brave, tenacious girl who never backs down from a challenge. With vampire-slaying talents that she practices in secret, Sleeping Beauty puts her courage to the test in the dark of night, fighting evil as she searches for a way to break the spell that has cut her off from her family. In a special twist, readers have the opportunity to make key decisions for Sleeping Beauty and decide where she goes next—but no matter the choice; the result is a story unlike any fairy tale you've ever read!

The Characters: In a way, Lucette was the kind of kick-butt, strong heroine that I really like in YA books.  But in a different way, I found her pretty stupid and kind of annoying.  She just wasn't very likable, for me.  The only aspect to her parents that we are treated to is that they fight all the time.  That's almost all we really know about them.

The Setting: The set-up is a pretty typical fairy tale except for with a separate kingdom of vampires, which adds an interesting twist.

Who Should Read This? YA Fantasy fans

Final Thoughts: While I thought there were some fun and interesting aspects to this story, it failed to grab me.  Ultimately, it fell flat, and I thought the "choose your path" aspect was more annoying than fun. By the time I got to the last choice I really didn't care what she did, I just wanted to finish the story. It wasn't good enough that I'd go back and re-read to try different choices and paths.  The romance also seemed very abrupt, and I didn't buy it in the least. 

Grade: C

Cover Thoughts: The cover is pretty and eye-catching.  I like it.

 

Review: The Mage in Black

Book Details

Title: The Mage in Black (Sabina Kane)

Author: Jaye Wells

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Page Count: 326

Publishing Info: April 1, 2010 by Orbit

My Review

Why I read it: 2nd in a series, have the 3rd on my e-reader for review.

The Plot: Sabina Kane doesn't have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her own grandmother, leader of the vampire race, wants her dead. So when she arrives in New York to meet her mage relatives, the reunion puts the fun in dysfunctional. Not only is mage culture completely bizarre, but everyone seems to think she's some kind of 'Chosen' who'll unite the dark races. Sabina doesn't care who chose her, she's not into destiny. But the mages aren't Sabina's only problem. In New York's Black Light District, she has run-ins with fighting demons, hostile werewolves and an opportunistic old flame. Sabina thought she'd take a bite out of the Big Apple - but it looks like it wants to bite back.

The Characters: I liked Sabina a lot better here than in the first book.  She has calmed down a bit, and is not quite so violent at every turn.  The love interest(s) here were not really at the forefront, which is nice. 

The Setting: This book took place in New York, but could really have taken place in almost any large city, so the setting wasn't extremely important. 

A Sample of the Writing:
The Kum-N-Go's roadside-chic interior was bathed in a sickly fluorescent glow.  The aroma of stale smoke, urinal cakes, and rotgut coffee had me breathing through my mouth on the way back to the ATM.  It was my turn to pay for gas, so getting cash took priority over raiding the snack aisle for the moment.

Who Should Read This? Obviously I would suggest starting with the first in the series, Red-Headed Stepchild (Sabina Kane), and would recommend this series to fans of urban fantasy.  It's pretty straight-forward, typical urban fantasy, but it's entertaining enough.

Final Thoughts: I remember after reading the first book that I really didn't like the main character, and thought there were a lot of copycat elements in the story.  But I was willing to read the next in the series, because I thought the author had potential.  Well, I did and she does.  This one was better than the first, although nothing exceptional; it was pretty standard stuff.  I'll keep reading the series.

Grade: B

Cover Thoughts: The cover leaves a lot to be desired, if you ask me.  It's rather boring and generic.

Review: The Fallen Blade

Book Details

Title: The Fallen Blade: Act One of the Assassini (The Vampire Assassin Trilogy)
Author: Jon Courtenay Grimwood
Genre: fantasy
Page Count: 432
Publishing Info: Orbit, January 27, 2011

My Review
Why I read it: netgalley review copy
The Plot: I'm not quite sure how to describe the plot, it's quite complex, and I don't think I could do it justice, so I will give you the synopsis from the author's website: 
Venice 1407
The city is at the height of its powers. In theory, Duke Marco commands, but Marco is a simpleton so his aunt and uncle rule in his stead. They seem all powerful, yet live in fear of assassins better than their own.
On the night their world changes, Marco's young cousin prays in the family chapel for deliverance from a forced marriage. It is her misfortune to be alone when Mamluk pirates break in to abduct her – an act that will ultimately trigger war.
Elsewhere Atilo, the Duke's chief assassin, cuts a man's throat. Hearing a noise, he turns back to find a boy drinking from the victim's wound. The speed with which the angel-faced boy dodges his dagger and scales a wall stuns Atilo. He knows then he must hunt him. Not to kill him, but because he’s finally found what he thought was impossible – someone fit to be his apprentice. 
The Characters: There were a few main characters here, and although I think the book is supposed to be mostly about Tycho (the previously mentioned angel-faced boy), there were a few other characters that took center stage as well.  And I didn't really love any of them.  Don't get me wrong, the characters are all interesting, but I feel like they kind of took a backseat role to the setting.
The Setting: If the characters didn't feel completely fleshed out, it's because the author spent his time fleshing out the setting instead.  In every chapter, it seems there are detailed descriptions of Venice--the smells, the sights, the sounds, the history.  The main character in the story really is the setting. 
Who Should Read This? Fans of gritty, darker fantasy.  It's definitely not for the faint of heart, or those who like lighthearted fantasy.
Final Thoughts: The Fallen Blade started out with a bang, and I was really excited about reading it.  But somewhere in the middle I felt like it faltered a bit, to the point where I wasn't even sure what the story was supposed to be about.  But then it seemed to pick up at the end in a huge battle scene.  All in all I really liked this one, and will definitely continue on with the series, but feel like it had more potential than what is seen in the book.
Grade: B
Cover Thoughts: The cover is very well designed, from the picture to the font used for the title and author, and I think goes well with the feel of the story.

Lord of Misrule

Title: Lord of Misrule
Author: Rachel Caine
Genre: YA Paranormal
 Page Count:  231
Why I read it: 5th in a series
Grade: C

Synopsis:
The tenuous peace that exists between the living and the undead in the town of Morganville is once again threatened, forcing Claire Danvers to make a life-or-death decision. 




My review:
I feel like this series is going down a bit as it goes on.  It could just be that I'm not particularly interested in the direction the story is going.  Also, it's pretty slow moving.  The whole book only covered a couple of days.  Granted, it's not a long book, but it just felt like not a whole lot was happening.  They were just kind of running from place to place, with the usual action scene near the end.

I'm also not feeling the characters all that much.  There's no one that I particularly care about, or who stands out all that much.  I feel like after five books I should know these characters better.

I'll still continue on with the series, and I would recommend this series to someone who likes YA paranormal, but I think there's a lot better YA out there right now.