Location: United States
Member Since: Sep. 23, 2010

Tiger Holland


Biography

Reader, writer, reviewer.

Where to find Tiger Holland online

Twitter: TigerHolland
Blog: http://tigersallconsumingbooks.blogspot.com

Books

This member has not published any books.

Smashwords book reviews by Tiger Holland

  • Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble on Sep. 30, 2010
    star star star star
    Jolie Wilkins is cleaning her fortune-telling shop and listening to 80's pop when she sees her first-ever ghost. He doesn't have anything in particular to say, but soon she gets another visitor, a live one, who does have something to communicate: he tells Jolie that's she's a witch, a powerful one to boot, and he knows this because he's a warlock. Rand wants to hire her to help him with a case involving magic, murder, and time-travel, and Jolie's completely incredulous. Except for seeing auras and getting brief visions of the future, she sees herself as a normal woman and besides, she's never had a brush with any sorts of supernatural creatures. Jolie quickly finds out that there are plenty of things that go bump in the night, including vampires, werewolves, and fairies, and that she has a previously hidden talent that everyone in the otherworldly community covets—the ability to raise the dead. I adored Jolie's girl-next-door appeal. She's not naïve, but she's very sweet, a humble girl who loves her mother, is loyal to her flirty model-like best friend Christa, and doesn't think of herself as anything special, regardless of her unique skill set. I liked that she was skeptical of both Rand's offer of employment and his claim to be a warlock. Jolie's main shortcoming is her lack of confidence, and she grows over the course of the novel into a stronger version of herself as she gets more training and hones her magical talents. I also like how she's not greedy in the slightest; she doesn't want all the power and money that her newfound witchhood might bring her, and her idea of a perfect future involves true love, 2.5 kids, and the whole calm suburban landscape. That's not to say that she's too complainy about her situation. Even when Rand has to protect her because she's being hunted by an evil witch who wants her as a pawn in her alliance of otherworldly creatures, Jolie doesn't whine, she just shows the appropriate amount of sadness or frustration. My one difficulty with the story relates to the romantic subplot. Rand is mostly wonderful—more on him later—but there are a few other guys in the mix as well. In urban fantasy, there are often a lot of romantic choices for the heroine, and I usually like for there to be only two suitors per book (just a personal preference—it keeps the plot streamlined), but I also think that some of these love interests don't bring out the best in Jolie. She starts dating Trent, a playboy werewolf alpha she brought back to life, and though Trent is hyper-possessive, she just goes along with it. Then there's Sinjin Sinclair, a baddie vampire who's interesting but not a real contender for her affections (not like, say, the “bad guy” option Eric from Sookie Stackhouse), though he does create some complications. The other trouble that arises from all these handsome men is that Jolie can get pretty jealous of their attention, and that takes away from her charm. I would like to note, though, that these guys do have more than one reason to like Jolie because not only is she attractive and likable, she's mind-blowingly powerful. Any man who has her on his side has a serious weapon, so all the attention she gets makes perfect sense in the context of her universe. Then we come to Rand, the only guy in the book who doesn't seem to have any real hidden agenda when it comes to Jolie. Rand fights a magic duel for the right to protect and employ Jolie, once it becomes clear that the evil people in the supernatural world just aren't going to leave her alone. He tries to do what's right by her because he knows she didn't willingly choose the life of a witch, and she can never go back to her old life. Rand helps her harness her power and hires fairy tutors to teach her, so he's encouraging her to become a stronger person at every step. Personality-wise, he's smooth, polished, and well-mannered (it comes from being 150 years old and British), but he'll get a little irrational over Jolie, which is nice. When it comes to their relationship, Rand and Jolie are like the unstoppable force and the immovable object. Or maybe they're both immovable objects, because Jolie likes to play it safe and avoid heartbreak, while Rand keeps stepping away from their developing attraction, at first because they're working together and he doesn't mix business and pleasure, and later because he's her employer and doesn't want to abuse his power. I kept wanting to tell Jolie to forget about the other guys and just wait around for Rand to come to his senses! He's a keeper. Jolie's story is fun, action-packed, and full of romantic tension, and I can't wait to read the next installment.
  • To Kill A Warlock on Oct. 04, 2010
    star star star star
    When we first meet supernatural law enforcement officer Dulcie O'Neil, she has been horribly (temporarily) disfigured by Fabian, a warlock importer of illegal potions who she's been trying to put away. But though Dulcie goes from being a pretty, petite and pointy-eared fairy to a hideous chimera with nine eyes, slime membranes and four webbed hands, the spell wears off and she's perfectly fine the next day. The same can't be said for Fabian, who is found ripped to shreds in his dark arts shop. An investigation is launched and unfortunately, Dulcie seems to be the prime suspect. But when Knight, a guy who's very high up the food chain in the Association of Netherworld Creatures bureau, shows up and tells Dulcie that he needs her help on the case but that he only wants to work with her without informing her boss...well, Dulcie knows there's more to this murder case than meets the eye. What she doesn't know is who she can trust. To Kill a Warlock is a good, gritty urban fantasy that's definitely darker in tone than H.P. Mallory's Jolie Wilkins series, but there's still plenty of humor in just the right places--I was very much enjoying the comedy of poor Dulcie beginning the novel as an enchanted slime monster. So though there are several gory murder victims courtesy of a beastly Netherworld creature that never should have seen the light of day, the story never gets too macabre. I like Dulcie's dedication to her job as a Regulator and her commitment to stopping all types of forbidden magical shenanigans among people of the Netherworld. She's not a goody-goody, but she's definitely wearing a white hat and can always be counted on to do the right thing. But Dulcie has other aspirations, too. She dreams of retiring to write fulltime, and I loved seeing an urban fantasy heroine who enjoys writing stories--it's a nice kind of metafiction moment every time she's working on her manuscripts. Early on, she's writing a pirate romance novel (these were pretty popular in the 80's)featuring characters named Captain Slade and Clementine, which really got me laughing, especially when people she works with find out what she's writing. Then when the agents she queries say that historical novels are out and paranormals are in, she starts a new book that's mostly a biography of her vampire friend Bram, which is even more wonderfully surreal because you have a fictional character writing fiction that's actually reality...I thought it was cool. I only had a few small issues: About two-thirds of the way through the book, Dulcie makes some accusations against Knight that really don't seem to add up. She knows he's very powerful and that she doesn't have all the information about him or about the case she's working, but I still think she jumps to some big conclusions. Also, she has to do some undercover work with Knight a few times, and on both occasions Dulcie basically blows their cover. I know why she needed to leave and the reason the scenes needed to end, but it makes Dulcie look a little less capable than she does at other points. Finally, I like the pacing of the novel and the emphasis on action more them romance. That's not to say that there isn't any romance. Dulcie has harbored feelings for her elf boss Quillan for a while, though Knight's appearance complicates her long-held crush. Bram is around for the vampire fans though he and Dulcie aren't really involved except for business. My favorite guy is Knight, the apparent front runner for Dulcie's affections, though I like how slowly things are progressing and how she keeps a safe distance from him instead of falling head over heels. Knight is very capable and slightly bossy, but he doesn't do much alpha posturing, which is much appreciated. To Kill a Warlock is urban fantasy mixed with a little romance, some good old-fashioned detective work (going undercover, toting firearms and tailing suspects) and a killer ending that makes you wonder what's in store for Dulcie, Knight, and everyone else involved the Netherworld.
  • The Ghost Hunter on Oct. 10, 2010
    star star star star
    When Ashley Hunter goes to Crossroads, England to take possession of The White Horse Pub and Inn, a historical building left to her by her aunt, she assumes she'll have to deal with fixing the old place up before she can open for business, but she definitely doesn't expect to find the property occupied by ghosts. Ashley has seen ghosts since childhood, but she's still not at peace with her ability, and if the ghosts weren't enough to make her uneasy, she has to deal with Cristian, an incredibly stubborn man who insists that she needs to sell the place to him. Ashley refuses to let go of the place because she hopes it holds some clues about her deceased father, but when she learns more about the mysterious door in the inn's basement, she might just need Cristian around to combat the evil that's about to be unleashed. I really felt for Ashley's past trauma. When she saw ghosts as a child, her own mother pretty much classified her as crazy and had her submitted to all kinds of borderline abusive medicines and treatments to make the "delusions" go away. At first, I wished Ashley wasn't so angry with Maggie, a lonely little girl ghost who only wants to talk with her, but Ashley's past experiences were so awful that she can't stand being in the presence of any ghost, though she more than makes up for her initial coldness to Maggie by eventually becoming her friend and protector. After a while, she's befriending the ghosts and recruiting their help instead of fighting against them, which is a wonderful illustration of her personal growth. She's leaving her ugly childhood behind, and coming into her own as a brave woman who can come up with creative sulotions to her problems. Cristian is classic alpha: he rides into town on a motorcycle, makes the heroine an offer he doesn't expect her to refuse, and absolutely knows that he's right. Than again, since he's a warrior angel on a mission from God, he pretty much IS right about wanting to get Ashley away from the house and the nasty whatever-it-is in the basement. He doesn't trust easily, and he has a nice military air about him--even when he walks into a regular business establishment, he immediately cases it for security, exits, and potential enemies. He's gruff with Ashley early on, and frustrated because she won't sell him the house, but part of the reason he's angry is because he knows she's in danger. Ashley has a kind of earnestnes and genuineness that he likes, and he sees her vulnerability and wants to keep her from experiencing any more pain. When she won't sell, he doesn't give up, he simply rents a room and moves in as a boarder. I found it very sweet that he doesn't really know what to do with her emotions, because he doesn't have any experience caring for humans, and it's endearing to see his uncertainty. He's a very bossy guy and does some stuff he wouldn't be able to get away with if he were normal, but since he's an angel protecting her, he gets a pass. Plus, it's hard to hold anything against someone who speaks with a Scottish accent. The plot thickens when Devon, a Victorian ghost who haunts the inn, comes back to life and some serious problems in Cristian's past (and in Devon's) make Ashley's rough situation even more desperate. The Ghost Hunter is written with vivid sensory details that aren't ever over-descriptive, and really make you feel the environment of the old house and the town. Overall, it reminds me a little of Sherrilyn Kenyon's writing, mixed with some Christine Feehan--solid paranormal romance that will keep readers coming back for more installments. I was happiest when things were going well between Cristian and Ashley--it's so difficult seeing them angry with each other!--but though they have their share of troubles and quarrels, they still manage to pull out a good, "aww"-worthy ending. Good stuff.
  • NO REST FOR THE WICCA on Oct. 14, 2010
    star star star star star
    Morgan Hawkes is a pararnormal investigator with a small genetic advantage—she's half Wiccan, meaning that she has enough supernatural ability to deal with ghosts and send them along their merry way to the next world. Her father was a bokor, a master of voodoo, but she's not really comfortable with either side of her heritage because her father delved into dark magic and her mother never stood her ground on any important moral issues. For Morgan, whose mixed parentage assured that she was was shunned by almost everyone on both sides of her family, her genes are a constant reminder of an unhappy past and the only benefit she gets from being half-and-half is a little added power while she's on the case “ghostbusting”. She even left her awesome former job working in the Central City homicide department because a mixed voodoo/magic spell she used on a criminal backfired and killed her partner. Now, Morgan's being offered a chance to work with Special Forces to bring down a serial killer who seems to be using his victims for voodoo rituals. The job will mean re-opening old wounds and working with a partner again, a self-assured Inheritor vampire named Cole St. John. Is a possible relationship with Cole worth crossing co-worker boundaries? And even more importantly, is Morgan willing to take the risk of tapping into her dark side to solve these crimes? The worldbuilding is pretty solid, here, and I admired the variety of species and forces at play. It's an “everything and the kitchen sink” paranormal world, containing not just vampires, weres, shifters, witches, daemons, and trolls, but subspecies of each, all of which have their own unique strengths and weaknesses. No Rest doesn't overload the reader with too much information early on, but later in the novel there's some pretty seriously detailed discussions of rituals and spell books, partly because of the lecture scenes when Morgan has to go undercover at a university, since all the victims have been witches, like herself, who were taking classes in the Supernatural Sciences. The voodoo facts get deeply chilling at times, but Morgan's strong, unfliching POV keeps the story from ranging too far into creepy territory. Speaking of Morgan, she's a heroine to love. She has a great snarky sense of humor, and is a kind of modern successor to the tough, fast-talking dames in old detective novels and black and white movies like His Girl Friday. She's good and she doesn't use her powers to benefit herself—basically just the kind of gal you'd want on your side during any problematic situation, big or small. But though she has a certain magical ability, I was most pleased by her human side. The practical details can make or break an urban fantasy for me, and Morgan lives in a very realistic fashion: she can defend herself, but that's because she works out regularly, not because she's supernaturally strong; she can't afford to buy top-line business suits; if she goes without sleep, she's exhausted (and looks it) the next morning; if she gets hungry, she has to slap together a ham and cheese sandwich. The character doesn't exist in a vacuum—she breathes and deals with everyday stuff along with supernatural challenges and crime scenes straight out of CSI. Cole St. John is a good counterpart for Morgan. He's only a half-vampire (he might be called a dhampir elsewhere) and except for some mind-reading, he's just like any human guy. He's kind of high-handed is his first dealings with Morgan, but she needs someone who doesn't sugar-coat the past. While other people try to spare her feelings, Cole agrees with her that the accident that killed her partner was her own fault, but he also says that she has to learn from her past and forgive herself. It's hard not to like Cole. He's good at what he does, tough without being a jerk, and polished without coming off as overly smooth. I love the insights we get into his character, like how he's conflicted about his vampire heritage since he also had a troubled family life, very similar to Morgan's upbringing. I'm hoping for future books with these two, so that we can see further details about Cole and what makes him tick. Apart from a few coincidences and some typos, this story was fantastic. I read and enjoyed it just like any urban fantasy I'd pull off a bookstore shelf, and I love the worldbuilding, the romance, and Morgan's growth as she faces her past problems and forges ahead to build a new future for herself. Here's hoping there are more installments coming!
  • Assumptions on Nov. 27, 2010
    star star star star
    In this novella, William Emerson and Jordyn Quig are teenagers who get caught up in the search for an ancient sacred book of knowledge that could solve the world's problems or inflict complete devastation. William's parents are archaeologists, but since his mother was abducted, he and his father have been like the walking dead, going through the motions of life. When Jordyn enrolls at his school, they initially look like they're from completely different social worlds--he's an outcast (despite being a very sweet, decent sort of guy), while she's the instantly popular, much sought after daughter of a famous video game developer. But then Jordyn shows her integrity and shies away from her snippy hangers-on to befriend Will. Will and Jordyn's interaction is believable and natural, and they are a rare example of platonic opposite-gender friends in YA. Any scene where they are together is instantly engrossing. The big supernatural plot involves The Book of Raziel, an artifact that Will's dad has been assigned to locate. This grimoire of unfathomable knowledge was believed to be housed in a small town curio museum, but now that the museum's owner has died, the book goes missing, which could mean serious trouble if the book is a genuine magical object and if it falls into the wrong hands. Most of the plot-forwarding scenes about the book and the museum are from the POV of a man called Timothy Stillman, but I was more interested in the sections with the Jordyn and Will--they are the emotional center of the story. There seemed to be a few too many POV shifts early on, which made it difficult to pick out the main thread of the story, but the connections between the POVs cleared up before long. There are several thing to love about the characters. William is Catholic, and his faith is a part of his everyday life; attending mass, praying, even quoting Scripture to himself at times. I particularly love the scene where Will has been beaten up by some preppy boys and he starts mumbling the verse about loving your enemies, blessing those that curse you, etc. He complains that turning the other cheek is pointless in this case, but he still tries to strengthen himself by recalling the guidelines in these words. Jordyn's a great, bold character too, and not only does she stand up for Will, she reaches out to Deirdre, a scholarship student who wears secondhand uniforms and is nastily bullied by the other girls. Lastly, Assumptions is written in an artful but not over-descriptive style which pays attention to the beauty of individual words while still getting from point A to point B in the story. It's a nice intro volume for a series, and I'm betting the future adventures of Emerson and Quig will get even better.
  • Toil and Trouble (Book 2 of the Jolie Wilkins Series) on Dec. 14, 2010
    star star star star
    Jolie Wilkins' magical powers are strong enough to raise the dead, and she may have to do a lot of dead-raising very soon if the impending supernatural war goes on as planned. The evil Bella wants to rule all otherworldly peoples, and she has a huge army on her side, while the good guys (led by Rand, Jolie's warlock boss) have a relatively small group of fighters to back up their noble intentions. Jolie's got to get stronger if she wants to convince Rand to let her fight in the battle, and when Sinjin, the sorta-bad vampire from the previous book, starts showing an interest in her, she has to decide where her heart and her allegiances truly lie. Toil and Trouble is action-packed, but I like how Jolie spends the first portion of the novel incapacitated. At the end of Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble she beat the fairy king Odran's champion in a duel, in order to convince Odran to support Rand in the upcoming war. She succeeded, but the fight has drained her energy so badly that she's bedridden for awhile, then spends a few chapters regaining the use of her limbs. It's always good to see a heroine with weaknesses as well as strengths; it makes Jolie very humanized, despite her extreme magical talents. Rand and Jolie's love story is the emotional core of the book. They both love each other, but because of their magical natures, if they decide to commit to each other, it'll be a forever-and-eternity no-going-back sort of thing, which is a weighty prospect, even with all they've been through together in the past months. Rand is all the more leery of the commitment because he had a former love who died, and apparently the experience of losing her was so painful, almost all of his memories of her had to be erased. Rand and Jolie are really at a stalemate, and are frustrated by the fact that they can't be together and can't really be apart, either. Enter Sinjin. Jolie's love life is a little complicated even with just Rand around, but now that Sinjin is on their side, he's constantly around her and he seems more appealing as time passes. They start spending even more time together because Jolie needs Sinjin's help. Rand doesn't want her to fight in the war, but Jolie knows that she needs to be the one to kill the super-evil vampire Ryder, so she gets Sinjin to help her train in secret. Sinjin's not so bad (and I know he has some major fans), but I'm not fond of the back-and-forth triangle that starts. It would be great if Sinjin were the main guy, but he's less of a leading man and more of a temptation away from Rand. But ultimately, a good clue about the guys is how they treat other people: Rand is a gentleman, and while he may prefer keeping to himself, he's a generous person when placed in social situations. He's nice to ladies other than Jolie, and even kind to complete strangers, while Sinjin's kindness and gallantry are directed almost solely at Jolie. Luckily, after extensive fight training, a lot of magic-using, some time-travelling, and a hardcore battle, things look like they're finally resolved once and for all on the romantic front. Plus, we still have plenty of adventure left to look forward to as Jolie takes on some new challenges and responsibilities. Jolie's still got that great, smart but not too sarcastic narrative voice that feels like a good friend is telling you about her joys and misadventures, so her stories are always going to be fun to read.
  • My Superhero Sister on Feb. 07, 2011
    star star star star
    Holly Hamilton lives in Century City where her dad, Invincible Man, defends the good citizens against all evil--or at least he did until he lost most of his powers fighting against Anti-Hero. Now he leaves all the city-saving to Ellen, Holly's big sister, who flies about in a cape as the superhero Suprema. Holly is 100% human, like her mother, and she's going through an awkward phase complete with glasses and retainers. While Holly spends all her time collecting bugs, doing science experiments, and hanging out with her equally uncool friend Mona, she can never measure up to her super sister who's not only high-powered but also an academic whiz and a head cheerleader. But the presence of a new superhero in town begins to put Holly's sisterly jealousies on the back burner as she tries to figure out whether Magna Boy is a friend or foe. Holly has a pretty good family life--her mom adores her, her dad's a vet in his spare time, and her sister Ellen's not stuck up, she's just naturally good at everything. Holly's getting along fine in life until a new guy shows up at school. Well, actually, two new guys. Eddie McGee is a classic nerd archetype, but Holly's interest is drawn by another new guy, Tad, who's a classic hunk archetype. She develops an instant crush on Tad, but she knows that he's more in her sister's league. Holly's distressed that he'll never see past her exterior to give her a chance, though she's interested in him mainly for his exterior qualities. Still, this is a light, sweet story so nobody's really trying to objectify or use anybody else. When I started this book, I wondered if it would have a comedic or sarcastic slant to it, but the superhero tropes are played pretty straight from the 1960's and earlier comic book eras. The 80's comics started deconstructing heroes in stories with gritty settings and gray morality (Watchmen, most of Batman, etc), and even though heroes are getting rebooted and reconstructed these days, I think I usually expect a twist. If you like the classics heroes, villains, powers, and mysteries, then this story is a great example of how the original plot elements work. To me, the story is clean enough and sweet enough that it feels more like a Mid-Grade, and it'll be a good superhero adventure for younger teens and tweens.
  • Beautiful Demons on Feb. 25, 2011
    star star star star
    Harper has been through six foster homes in one year, mainly because she starts levitating objects when she's angry and everybody's pretty freaked about by that. Now she's moving from Atlanta to smalltown Peachville to stay at the Shadowford Home, a last-ditch residence for girls who can't go anywhere else. Shadowford is an old plantation house and the very feel of the place gives Harper doubts. Then she gets to school and finds that the Peachville cheerleaders are much clique-i-er than they are even at normal schools. The fawning attention they get doesn't make any sense to Harper, so she knows that something shady's going on, and it's a whole lot weirder than a town obsessed with school spirit. Harper starts to have troubling dreams and she gets a serious warning about the future from resident bad boy Jackson. What kind of secrets is this rural town hiding? The heroine's great, and I really like the supporting cast in this book. There's bubbly Agnes who is super friendly, but isn't a standard best-friend character. Agnes often compliments Harper, but she's also quick to subtly put Harper down by suggesting that the quarterback couldn't ever be interested in her or implying that Harper can't be smart enough to take senior Calculus as a sophomore. (I think that's a type of person a lot of us have met!) Then there's Drake, a nice football player, or at least he seems nice and flirty until he learns that Harper's living in the local home for teenage rejects. He's not a good guy and not a villain, and he plays a secondary role to the cheerleaders who run the school. Then there's Jackson, my favorite character. He's a non-mainstream guy, but he's definitely not "bad" at all, and he shows himself to be kind and down-to-earth. He's got a ready smile, and he and Harper have an instant rapport, so any scene with Jackson interacting with Harper is a good one. I also love some of the little nuances in Harper's character. With her many moves, she's left with a limited wardrobe of mostly plain black clothes. But one of her foster moms worked at a crafts store and gave her lots of ribbons, so Harper routinely ties different colored ribbons around her wrist to make up for the lack of variety in her clothes. It just struck me as a very cool detail, something that sounds true to life. There's a point where Harper gets short-term amnesia, which is never my favorite plot point because it tends to make characters act unlike their previous selves, but it all works out okay and there's a paranormal reason for it. With brief chapters that move the action along at a good pace, Beautiful Demons is a novella-length story that will give readers a quick, tasty bite of paranormal YA.
  • Seeing for the First Time on April 03, 2011
    star star star star
    At a brief 17 pages, this short story is a nice taste of of a new YA universe. Ana spends all her summers with Grams, but Grams is a little "off" in her thinking--she likes to garden all day long and talk to creatures that only she can see. But suddenly, Ana sees little floating colored lights around her grandmother and discovers that she can partially see the fairies that Grams has seen all her life. There are plenty of big revelations about Ana's family and the power she might have inherited from them. One thing's for sure, now that she has entered the world of the paranormal, there is no going back. There were only a couple of issues I had with this fun story. I did wonder why Ana's parents didn't take the time to explain to her that Grams wasn't senile, or to at least hint to her that Grams wasn't as off-kilter as she acted. But hey, it's a short story, so there's almost zero time to explain motivations. The bigger trouble happens when Ana goes looking for selkies in Paradise Cove, but gets lost and asks for directions at an old house that looks abandoned. I wished she hadn't done that particular thing, because a little real-world common sense can go a long way for YA characters--driving out alone on unknown backroads and getting out of your vehicle is usually not the best move. Again, just my opinion, and Ana does survive the ordeal and she gains new knowledge from her mistakes. This story presents some really unique changes on the standard supernatural tropes. There are "seers" of all types, fairy seers and werewolf seers and so on, and every type of seer can sense just one specific creature. I thought that was cool. I've never heard a story where werewolves were invisible, since they're usually very physical monsters while faeries tend to more mystical and are visible only to a select few people, but here werewolves and vampires and everything else walk around totally unseen. Beyond the mythology, the characters are nice, too. Grams is an absolute sweetheart, happily telling Ana about the new world she has entered and mentioning her sincere hope that Ana will be able to see something nice and gentle, like unicorns (and who wouldn't want that?) There's not much time to establish Ana's personality, but she is kind to her grandmother and is a quick adapter--in paranormal YA, it's always nice to have a heroine that can accept the weird things quickly and move on. Overall it's a good story that's going to lead to more adventures involving Ana and her new power.
  • Vampire General: Intern with the Vampire on May 04, 2011
    star star star star star
    Dr. Aline Harman never meant to become a staff member of Grace General Hospital for paranormal patients. After all, she's human and she's enjoying her second year of residency at a normal hospital where the staff is unfriendly but the emotional reward of helping patients is very high. Then she lends a hand to the mysterious Dr. William Rocque and his bizarre zombie-like patient, and makes a mistake that gets her dismissed from her workplace. To Rocque, this shows that Aline's the kind of person who will take a risk to help someone, making her the perfect candidate for an internship at his hospital. Aline has never heard of Grace General, but Rocque assures her that it is a well-known “private facility with a unique clientele”. She's about to find out just how unique. This story is really a genius kind of genre-blend. Some people love medical stories and some love paranormal stories, and what better way to make a lot of readers happy at once than to write about urban fantasy medicine? The glimpses of worldbuilding are really cool, because Grace General isn't just for vampires—werewolves, pixies and other creatures are treated, too, and one of the first patients Aline sees is a mermaid who had an unfortunate collision with a yacht propeller. Aline is thrown into a tough world where the patients are dangerous and the doctors are slightly psycho, but just when the story's getting really crazy, it is grounded by Aline's sympathy and how much she wants to help hurting people. The support cast is great, though most of them just cause more problems for Aline. Rocque is sweet and kind, but he's only slightly helpful and rarely offers his much-needed guidance. Kessler, the grumpy Chief of Emergency, is looking for any excuse to fire Aline, and Dr. Arlington dislikes Aline so much that she worries she might not even survive her first shift. One neat thing about this novella/short novel is that it actually makes you care about the lives of these paranormal creatures, because Aline does. It's a fast, fun ride of a story, but it's also surprisingly heartbreaking in places as Aline faces tough situations and tougher choices about her patients' welfare. Looking for some fresh urban fantasy that really stands out from the pack? Check into Vampire General.
  • Between on May 11, 2011
    star star star star
    Lindsey's a college girl who is enjoying life with her boyfriend, but when he drops the "L" word, she knows she's not ready to say "I love you" back. But she doesn't have much time to ponder their relationship's depth because half a minute after Ravi confesses his feelings, the two of them are caught in horrible car crash. Instead of waking up in the car wreckage, Lindsey finds herself regaining consciousness in beautiful meadow in springtime. She meets Aiden MacRae of Eilean Donan Castle, a dashing Scottish fellow who is not an angel, but a Transporter--he's basically her guide to get from earth to heaven. But the trip might not be so simple after Lindsey falls for Aiden and begins to hope she can stay in the in-between place forever. Lindsey and Aiden have some cute moments. He actually goes all-out Scottish and wears a kilt, and is one of those extra-perfect heroes who knows just what to say to the heroine and appreciates all her virtues as well as overlooking her flaws. Lindsey has a tender heart and cares about things like how her parents will feel after losing her, and how Aiden feels about his job as a Transporter. Between's subgenre is kind of an afterlife-meets-time-travel setup because Aiden can manipulate their surroundings to reflect his past. There are lots of accurately drawn historical flashbacks in the form of Aiden's memories, which he replays for Lindsey. A realistic battle scene, a visit to the palace at Versailles and the streets of France (pre-Revolutionary War), and some scenes of his boyhood in Scotland are all interesting. Lindsey can re-experience her memories too, and the visits to her past help flesh out her character, since we didn't really get to know her before she met Aiden. The real conflict of the story comes from the ever-present possibility of separation, and there may be more keeping the two sweethearts apart than just Lindsey's imminent move to heaven. Can a supernatural love endure even a permanent separation? The book is aimed at older teens, but it doesn't so much follow YA tropes as it does more grown-up-book plot movements, so I think it'll work better for adult readers who are fans of highland stories
  • Vampires Rule on June 10, 2011
    star star star star
    Jack is a young vampire returning home to visit his family's property. He has to be careful, because he can't be seen by his only surviving relative; ten years have passed since Jack was turned into a vamp and his 15-year-old kid brother Billy is now his 25-year-old big brother Billy. But evading Billy's notice is not Jack's only problem. his friend Lily sees the future (kind of) and tells him to run the other way when he meets a girl in a pink fuzzy sweater because this girl will cause his death. Her prophecy is partially true. When Jack sees Silver being attacked by a werewolf, he tries to help her and he winds up dying, but the death isn't permanent. He wakes up the next day as a human, and Silver reveals that she is a werewolf hunter and that the two of them are the subject of some very important prophecies. Even after he's regained his humanity, life is going to be anything but normal for Jack Creed. Jack is so thrilled to be human again, he wants to pick up where he left off and get a real high school experience. He attends school with Silver, but between a creepy teacher who seems to know a little too much about Jack, werewolf threats, and the fact that Silver's keeping bigtime secrets from him, Jack has a lot to be concerned about. There's plenty of action and emotional drama as Jack and Silver try to make sense of their relationship and figure just what the bloodthirsty werewolves are up to now. I like the family bonds in this story. Billy is the only family Jack has left after the rest of the Creeds were killed by a werewolf, and the interaction between Billy and Jack is pretty believable. Jack is willing to do anything to protect Billy, and Billy is eventually ready to accept and protect Jack, too . Silver's family adores her and they're cutely overprotective, considering that their baby girl can remove souls from people's bodies. The romance is nice, also. Silver and Jack may be linked by dreams and prophecies, but they still have an appropriately long getting-to-know-you process. There were some elements that didn't quite work for me: 1. Vampires aren't really a match for werewolves, and a single scratch from a wolf can kill them. I'm just surprised at seeing vampires this vulnerable. 2. Silver's full name is Silver Reign, which is a little too paranormal of a name. 3. Early on, Jack and his vampire friends act very lighthearted in the face of tragedy, which is a nice break from angsty vampires in some ways, but can also seem like they have an emotional disconnect. A vampire named Cowboy leaves a dying Jack on his brother's front porch like he's dropping off a friend after school, and as Jack is dying, he requests a cigarette and some loud music on the radio. In regard to mythology, many of the traditional vampire rules are still in place: vampires can't enter a home unless they're invited in, they fry in the sunlight, and they can manipulate objects with their minds. But I like that Jack's a young vampire. In most stories, we don't see the vampires until they've built up several decades or centuries of boredom or sorrow. Seeing a guy whose life was so freshly left behind makes him very sympathetic--he's been a vampire just long enough for things to be awkward because he can't fit into his old world anymore, but he's not far enough gone that he doesn't still want to fit in. It's an interesting premise with a few rough spots, but worth looking into.
  • The Curse Girl on June 11, 2011
    star star star star star
    In this novella based on Beauty and the Beast, teenage Bee (Beauty) has heard the stories about the Beast and his nightmare of a magic house--all of the stories sound impossible, and none of them give her the slightest confidence that she won't be harmed by the Beast inside. Bee's father has made the ultimate mistake of trespassing on the Beast's property, and Bee is the one who has to pay for the mistake by living with the Beast. When the Beast shows himself, Bee discovers that he's nice-looking except for the scar that marks one side of his face, and he's not particularly frightening, except for his disdainful, snobby attitude. His real name is Will and he lives in the house with his younger sister Rose, and his named-for-what-they-do servants Housekeeper and Butler. He's under a curse and needs Bee to help him break it, but he doesn't know how she can help, and Bee's barely convinced that she wants to help such a nasty person. She tries to use her wits to escape from the magic house, but the doors refuse to open and the windows are unbreakable. And the house truly has an eerie Gothic vibe, from the smiling statues in the Hall of Regret to the underground Labyrinth, to the dead conservatory. The setting really contributes to the mood of the story, and it's clear that while Bee might not be in any life-threatening danger, any number of weird, impossible things could happen in this place. And weird things do start happening, especially after Bee discovers a certain chained-up prisoner in the labyrinth. We might not know much about Bee's background, but she's still a strong and sympathetic character who's acting brave in the midst of a bad situation. There's some really rough emotional issues between Bee and her dad because, lets face it, he has sacrificed his own daughter to who-knows-what in order to save himself from the magic that marks him as a trespasser. We expect this sort of bizarre abandonment to happen in dark old faery tales, but when it happens in modern fiction, you experience the full weight of a parental betrayal that's impossible to justify. In Alex Flinn's Beastly, she made Beauty's father be a drug addict, to explain why'd he'd willingly hand his his own daughter to a dangerous stranger. In The Curse Girl, the father seems like he's just very thoughtless and weak, and Bee resents him for it, but his mistake allows her to find out what she's really made of. The romance starts as a near-enemies relationship, like you'd expect. Will and Bee exchange a lot of verbal barbs because she automatically distrusts him and he's immediately dislikes her, though he needs her to break his curse. I really like this version of the Beast--not a brawny monster like in the Disney version (though I love him, too) and not really the standard handsome-guy-turned-ugly guy either. He's intelligent and caustic and he's trying to figure out the rules of his own little supernatural world, just like Bee is. In another upside, he's not some stalker that demanded that Bee's father hand her over to him--getting Bee wasn't really even his idea, so he's still a bit of a brat but he's no kidnapper. I like the gradual development of Bee and Will's relationship. It's halfway through the story before they've even established a good, tense friendship and their struggles to connect are fantastic to watch. The end of the story definitely made me smile. With a strong heroine, a well-layered mystery, and a truly great setting, The Curse Girl makes for a very solid paranormal read. It's a really compelling take on Beauty and the Beast, and I'll be looking forward to seeing what Kate Ellison comes up with in the future.
  • Gravity on June 12, 2011
    star star star star
    It's Ariel's fifteenth birthday, but nobody's too happy about it. Her calmly dysfunctional family only has a tiny 4-person party because Ariel's mom Claire decided it was necessary. Claire is an ultra-perfectionist who runs the perfect business and maintains the perfect home, while Ariel is a standard messy teenager feeling the weight of her mother's disapproval. Ariel's not-so-great birthday gets weirder when she looks out the window and sees her friend Jenna who has been missing for three months. Ariel follows as Jenna runs into the nearby woods and enters the old Dexter Orphange building, which is supposedly haunted. The house catches fire, then Ariel wakes up, still missing her friend. Ariel stars her sophomore year of high school in a daze, feeling lost without her best friend and wondering what connection her dreams might have to reality. More paranormal phenomena start cropping up, and Ariel gets the unsettling feeling that she's being watched. On the bright side, Ariel does meet a new friend, an outsider girl named Theo, who is a great supporting character. At school, Ariel also she hears other girls gossiping about a cute new guy named Henry, but Ariel doesn't think she'll like him. And at first she doesn't--he tries to win her friendship and make her laugh, but she's not in a mood for joking because she's still dealing with survivor's guilt after losing Jenna. Henry's actually kind of intrigued that she's annoyed by him, but though he shows some interest, Ariel knows that she shouldn't even think about flirting back because the most popular girl at school has already called dibs on him. Henry has a genuine charm, and his presence seems to be a benefit to Ariel. It's always nice to see a YA guy who isn't especially mysterious or brooding, though Henry does have a few secrets to hide. There are only a couple of difficult elements in Gravity: 1. The school scenes can be a little longer than necessary when there's no particular action or character development we need to see. 2. Ariel and Henry go back and forth a few too many times about whether they're involved with each other or not. Ariel tries to manage her school life, plus her new friendship with Theo and new potential relationship with Henry, but she's plagued by her memories of Jenna. Ariel is certain that there's more going on in her town than meets the eye, and Ariel and Theo start spying on the suspicious-acting Principal McPherson. Ariel also begins digging into her town's dark past, particularly as it relates to the creepy ancient orphanage, and she uncovers some truly chilling secrets. Gravity is a good read for younger teens who'd like something that's on the scary side, and it'll probably be the most interesting to read around Halloween.
  • Werelove: Midnight Revelations on June 12, 2011
    star star star
    In New Florida Territory in 2221, Laylah Le Croix has a pretty terrible life. Her dad controls her every move, she has lived through a kidnapping and a murder attempt, and now she's being moved about like a pawn in a power struggle between different Alphas. Her guardian Jacques warns her to behave nicely at an upcoming dinner with her father, which will be the first time she's been out of the house in weeks. But it's not a pleasant father/daughter dinner--it's a meal with a purpose, as Henry Le Croix introduces Laylah to his new business associate Dayid Yon, a man who seems to be interested in letting her work as as intern for his company, but who clearly has a much more personal interest in her. Laylah is in despair. Jacques can barely protect her from her father, her best friend Britta can't really intervene on her behalf, and her boyfriend Donil hasn't contacted her in a month, despite the fact that he can speak to her through dreams. How will she handle all the challenges that life throws at her? The romance is pretty sweet. In Donil's POV we learn that he's a werepanther Alpha, and he's missing Laylah but doesn't know how to face her after he failed to save her during a big skirmish. Flashbacks show that Laylah was brave enough to stab the evil Alpha Zina with a dagger when she threatened Donil's life. Donil can't live down his failure, but what he doesn't know is that Laylah needs him because he's almost the only person in her life who isn't abusive or supportive of her abusers. Donil views Laylah as his one true mate, the only person he'll ever love, so he does finally swallow his pride so he can be close to her. I only have two real issues with the story: 1. For most of the story, Laylah still doesn't know that she's a "were". For her whole life, she's been secretly given a drug that keeps her from morphing into anything besides a human form, but it's rough that she's caught in middle of all the scheming and were-politics and has no idea of her own power. It was fine that she didn't know in book one, but I would have loved to see her learn the truth a little sooner. 2. Laylah's father Henry is endlessly cruel. He berates his daughter for being rebellious one minute, then insults her for being spineless when she falls into line. Henry's emotional abuse is bad enough, but when he escalates up to physical abuse by beating her with a bamboo stick, the scenes with him got really hard to read. I really like Laylah's character. She's naturally gentle and sweet, and I get serious protective feelings about Laylah. It's such a relief when people stand up for her or when she actually gets to defend herself. There are some really well-done action scenes in this volume, and Laylah's venturing out into new emotional territory by having to make career decisions and decisions about her love life.
  • Priscilla the Great: Too Little Too Late on Aug. 03, 2011
    star star star star
    This third book in the "Priscilla the Great" series starts with superpowered tween Priscilla trying to avoid getting killed by Marco, her new boyfriend who has tons of dangerous genetic enhancements. Marco has been brain-hijacked by the villain Colonel Selliwood, and since Marco can turn his whole body into metal, he can do some serious damage to Priss, even though she can shoot fire out of her hands. Chapter 2 gives us a flashback to explain how Priscilla wound up in this terrible predicament in the first place; two weeks ago, Priscilla's superhero mom went crazy and tried to kill Priss' dad. Things went downhill from there. Priscilla's got her work cut out for her, because in this book she's not just having to save the world--she has to save everyone she loves. This story packs a bigger emotional punch than the previous one, because Priss has to deal with having her mom go criminally psycho and seeing her dad in life-threatening condition from his wounds. None of the previous battles against dangerous baddies have ever felt so serious. That was one of my few issues with the second book The Kiss of Life--that the peril never really worried me, but here I actually feel that something big is at stake. Priss' dad may be a big, strong man, but he's fully human and can't heal overnight like his mind-reading son or his fire-shooting daughter. If Dad gets mortally injured, it's all over for him. Priss' mom is also surprisingly vulnerable since she's one of the enhanced "specimens" who still has the Selliwood Institute's hooks in her brain. Having the parents in such dire trouble a scary thing, even in an actiony Mid-Grade, so I was really fond of the way the emotional impact was ratcheted up for this volume. And yet, the fun elements are still around. There's still a cute romantic subplot going on. Even though Priss sort of got together with Marco in the last book, she's still hung up on Kyle, the boy she's known all her life. Inbetween major superpower-related crises, Priscilla has to figure out her own feelings and loyalties, which is difficult for any 13-year-old girl, even a supernatural one. The side characters are amazing, as always. I love Priss' computer-genius best friend Tai, and her older brother Josh who takes turns teasing Priss and working together with her for the greater good. The new character Ian with his New Zealand accent is a pretty fun addition to the cast, too, even if he causes problems for Priss. Priscilla's a great young heroine who can trade punches and do some backflips, but who still seems very down to earth. Three books into the series, and Priscilla's still bringing the action-adventure and I'm still invested in finding out about her and her family and friends. I really like how Priss is growing as a person and taking on more of a leadership role in her mini-group of superheroes, and having to deal with some very tough, sad problems. Pop culture bonus: It's pretty much hilarious to hear Specimen W, a German man, singing the theme song to the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. "In West Philadelphia born and raised..."
  • Limerick: The Shimmer Trilogy, #2 on Aug. 03, 2011
    star star star star star
    THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BOOK #1 One week after the events of Shimmerspell, Jensen's having disturbing dreams of a water nixie who talks about a curse Jensen is under. A normal teenage girl wouldn't have to deal with these wacked-out dreams, but Jensen is the halfling granddaughter of the dark nixie Morgan Le Fae, and she's now staying with Dermott, her recently discovered father who also happens to be a skilled magic user. Jensen's best friend Zoe is still providing her with emotional support, but it's hard for Jensen to regroup after learning that her "sister" Lauren was actually her mother, and that she wasn't one of the good guys. Everything Jensen has known to be true has turned upside down, and she still has plenty of unresolved issues. Brennan the spike-haired siren is back, and he seems to be ready to help Jensen stay safe from the supernatural creatures who would try to harm her, but she's really not sure if he's trustworthy. Jensen's enjoying the little time she gets to have with her faerie boyfriend Liam, a Sidhe Guard who's part of the Seelie Court living on Earth. But her dad is convinced that Liam has some nefarious intentions, and Jensen has to admit to herself that she doesn't fully know this paranormal guy who seems so perfect. There's a very small number of people that she can truly trust in, and they keep changing. This volume contains even more surprise revelations for Jensen, and they're all very attention-grabbing. For me, the only real downside to the story was seeing Jensen using her magic for kind of selfish reasons. Nothing evil, but still on the shallow side. The writing style has some good, rich descriptions like I enjoy seeing in faerie fiction--you can get away with some really pretty flourishes when you're discussing the dark and beautiful faerie courts. But the language never kicks over into being flowery because the story really does have its roots in urban fantasy, where there's enough action and grittiness to balance out the beauty. And the Arthurian legends are still woven into the story, which makes it even more interesting. Overall, this is a very engaging second volume in Jensen's ongoing story. And there are dragons in it! Grade: B+