Series Review: Outlaw Hearts + Do Not Forsake Me by Rosanne Bittner

Outlaw Hearts and Do Not Forsake Me
by Rosanne Bittner

Genre: Western / Romance / Adventure / Historical

Ages: 16 and up

I received advance e-copies of these books through NetGalley in exchange for fair and honest reviews.

Outlaw Hearts:

Miranda Hayes has lost everything-her family, her husband, her home. Orphaned and then widowed, desperate to find a safe haven, she sets out to cross a savage land alone...until chance brings her face-to-face with notorious gunslinger Jake Harkner.

Hunted by the law and haunted by a brutal past, Jake has spent a lifetime fighting for everything he has. He's never known a moment's kindness...until fate brings him to the one woman willing to reach past his harsh exterior to the man inside. He would die for her. He would kill for her. He will do whatever it takes to keep her his.

Spanning the dazzling West with its blazing deserts and booming gold towns, Jake and Miranda must struggle to endure every hardship that threatens to tear them apart. But the love of an outlaw comes with a price...and even their passion may not burn bright enough to conquer the coming darkness.

My Thoughts:

Western romance is not my usual cup of tea; while I read a few every once in a while, it is rare that I have enough to say about one to fill a review. Outlaw Hearts, however, caught my attention. It took almost half of the book to do so, though. Miranda Hayes, Randy to her friends, is a sweet, likable, almost too-perfect heroine. Jake Harkner is her opposite with a plenty of flaws and a dark enough past for three romance heroes. I liked them well enough at first, and the story was entertaining, but there was no pop.

The 'pop' I was looking for never really showed, but the story and characters gradually grew in intensity and depth until I was engrossed. I confess I came close to tears at a couple of points in the second half. It caught me by surprise, which was nice. I always love a story that manages to exceed expectations.

The story has several very dark elements such as rape and murder, but despite that there was a peculiar sense of innocence to it, even during the sex scenes. The villains and heroes were always very easy to tell apart; the only morally ambiguous character was Jake, and even he took to the high road with relative ease. There are gently placed Christian themes throughout, no heavy-handed preachiness.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It turned out to be unexpected and refreshing, both sweeter and more dramatic than anticipated.


Do Not Forsake Me:

Miranda Hayes' life was changed the day she faced down infamous gunslinger Jake Harkner...and walked away with his heart. Their fates have been intertwined ever since. Hunted by the law, fleeing across a savage land, their desperate love flourished despite countless sorrows. Now, twenty-six years later, their family has finally found some measure of peace...balanced on the knife's edge of danger.

Jake has spent his years as a U.S. Marshal atoning for sins, bringing law to the land he once terrorized. But no matter how hard he fights the demons of his brutal past, the old darkness still threatens to consume him. Only Miranda keeps the shadows at bay. But when outlaws looking for revenge strike a fatal blow, Jake risks losing the one woman who saw past his hard exterior and to the man inside.

He always knew there'd be the devil to pay. He just never realized he might not be the one to bear the ultimate price.

My Thoughts:

While the first part of Jake and Randy's tale just got better and better, part two, Do Not Forsake Me, did the opposite. It started well enough, though there was the minor annoyance of a certain character dying off-page for no good reason...Anyway, I liked the new side character, Jeff, a writer who wished to pen the true story of notorious outlaw turned lawman Jake Harkner, but other than him this book had very few redeeming qualities.

The core story was okay. Not great, but okay, maybe even good. However, it could have been told with maybe 150 fewer pages. It was the sheer repetitiveness that really got me. Every time something happened, the author showed every single character's reaction to it. Separately. This might have been okay once or twice, or maybe if the characters' reactions had varied, but it happened over and over again and their reactions were nearly identical. Yes, Randy is sick and it may be serious, let's show Jake's reaction, their son's reaction, their daughter's, a neighbor's, another neighbor's, etc. The repetitiveness was not limited to that, though; there is a guy who is in love with Randy but who will never do anything about it because he's so noble and knows she loves Jake, exactly like in the first book. *facepalm* I could go on, but then I would just be ranting.

My other biggest complaints are the moral plot holes. The male characters make a big deal over trying to be less violent and not kill people, yet at the end they basically just shrug off shooting an unarmed man in the back and promise each other not to tell the women! He may have deserved to be shot, but still, it was painful.

For the redeeming factors, there was Jeff (mentioned above), and Randy. Her storyline was the only one that kept me reading; I had to know how sick she was, but that curiosity was mostly leftover from enjoying her story in the first book.

Overall, this book was pretty bad. It tried copying Outlaw Hearts too much rather than trying new things, the characters quickly dulled as they repeated the same conversations over and over again and even though it was not an unusually large book, it felt way too long. My advice would be to read Outlaw Hearts and just skip this disappointing sequel.

Content Ratings: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:
I rate it 7.10 for several uses of the f-word as well as quite a bit of mild to mid-level swearing.

Sexuality:
I give it 7.10 for multiple scenes of varying explicitness.

Violence:
I rate it 7.10 for rape (not graphically described), murder, violence against children, fights, torture, etc. Little was described with gruesome detail.

                         Lieder Madchen

Series Review: Blood Hunter, Books 1-4 by Nina Croft

Blood Hunter Series, books 1-4
by Nina Croft

The series is also known as the Dark Desires series.

Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy / Romance / Action / Adventure

Ages: 18 and up

Note: Because this is a series review, there will be spoilers in all but the first one, since even the premises of the subsequent novels give hints to the previous ones.

I received e-copies of these books through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Break Out (Rico & Skylar)

Description:

The year is 3048, Earth is no longer habitable, and man has fled to the stars where they’ve discovered the secret of immortality—Meridian. Unfortunately, the radioactive mineral is exorbitantly expensive and only available to a select few. A new class comprised of the super rich and immortal soon evolves. The Collective, as they’re called, rule the universe.

Two-thousand-year-old Ricardo Sanchez, vampire and rogue pilot of the space cruiser, El Cazador, can’t resist two things: gorgeous women and impossible jobs. When beautiful Skylar Rossaria approaches him to break a prisoner out of the Collective’s maximum security prison on Trakis One, Rico jumps at the chance. Being hunted by the Collective has never been so dangerous–or so fun!

My Thoughts:

I'm always on the lookout for a fun new space opera and Break Out certainly fits the bill.The stage is a Firefly-esque spaceship full of misfits who pull dubious jobs while trying to survive a dangerous universe. When they are hired to break a prisoner out of jail, they get more trouble than they bargained for.

I love the crew of El Cazador de la Sangre. Rico, the hero, is the charming, ne'er-do-well vampire/owner/pilot. Captain Tannis is the standoffish but unfailingly loyal captain. Janey (of the dark and dubious past), Daisy (who is actually part daisy due to genetic experiments), Al (a suspicious cabin boy) and the Trog (who is mostly very quiet) fill out the rest of the crew. And then there is Skylar, who is lying to them all and yet cannot helped but start to care for them.

The pace is fast-moving, but not so fast that you miss out on the world building, which was very well done. I got a very clear view of the galaxy El Cazador travels without ever feeling like there was too much exposition. Overall, a solid, entertaining beginning to a series. I wouldn't recommend reading it as a standalone, though, because there are several things that are left unexplained.

Deadly Pursuit (Jon & Alex)

Deadly Pursuit picks up right where Break Out ends; with El Cazador and her crew in deep trouble. Jon, the newly liberated werewolf assassin, stars as the hero along with High Priestess Alexia, formerly known as Al when people thought she was a boy. The crew just keeps getting more and more diverse by the page. With a member of the Collective and the figurehead leader of the Church of the Everlasting God aboard, it is only a matter of time before they get someone from the Rebel Coalition to join in the fun, right?

Jon and Alex make a great team and Jon has possibly the best character arc in the series (at least so far). He's a loner with no interest in making friends or falling in love, especially not with a naive, fragile girl. He has lost too many people to want to care about someone who can't protect herself. Their relationship has a touch more sweetness than Rico and Skylar's tempestuous romance.

I like how this series has just the right amount of self-awareness when it comes to the improbabilities and coincidences that conspire to get the characters into trouble. It doesn't overdo it and laugh out loud at itself, but every once in a while there is a quiet chuckle. There are some serious themes that come into play, but mostly it is just good, lighthearted fun.

Death Defying (Callum & Tannis)

Callum Meridian, Leader of the Universe and discoverer of the element that makes people immortal, is a very complex hero. For one, he is not particularly heroic.He has done terrible things over the centuries, some deliberate, others through carelessness, and only now is he beginning to realize the extent of the repercussions. For some reason, this makes him one of my favorite characters in the series, which is weird, because I don't usually go for the morally ambiguous types.

Tannis, captain of El Cazador, is not a particularly heroic person either. Or, at least, she doesn't picture herself as such. Her actions say differently on more than one occasion. While Callum is strangely fascinating, Tannis is the one I wish I could have as a friend.

Death Defying is significantly darker than the previous books. There are not so many laughs, but instead there are dazzling displays of temper, lovely new characters (I knew the Rebel Coalition would show up sometime), answers to questions that I have been asking since the beginning, and a wonderful aha! moment when I realized just how much sneaky foreshadowing led up to the finale. I'm not sure whether said foreshadowing was planned ahead or not, but either way, it was very, very well done.

This book is the one that really cements all the world building of the previous novels and ups the scope of the storyline from this point on.

Temporal Shift (Devlin & Seffira)

Ah, Devlin and Seffira. Since time travel has now been introduced to the series, they have a very difficult time of it. I'm just sadistic enough to admit that I enjoyed every minute of their troubles.

We first met Devlin Starke, the handsome leader of the Rebel Coalition, in Death Defying. Grieving at the loss of his brother, he is out for revenge. This revenge gets sidetracked when he goes through a black hole and into another world. A world that has a very pretty, very young woman who sees the future and promptly informs Devlin that he is going to fall in love with her and together they will save mankind. Devlin says no way in heck and that is how the rocky romance of Devlin and Seffira begins.

I don't want to spoil too much, so I can't tell you my favorite things in this book. I will just say that it takes some very interesting twists and turns, contains several moments that made me laugh and a finale to beat all finales. Ah, the joys of time travel, alien secrets, paradoxes, d-...Nope, not allowed to mention that one. You will just have to find out for yourself when you read the book. I'm not sure exactly where the series is going, but from what has been revealed so far, I like it.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme). Ratings may contain spoilers.

Profanity:
I rate it an 8.10 for quite a bit of swearing and multiple uses of the f-word.

Sexuality:
I give it an 8.10 for multiple scenes of varying explicitness and a great deal of innuendo.

Violence:
I rate it an 8.10 for fights, torture, murder, attempted rape, kidnapping, etc.

                       Lieder Madchen

Series Review: The Titan Series by Cristin Harber, Part 1

The Titan Series (Books 1-3)
by Cristin Harber

Genre: Action / Romance / Adventure / Suspense / Espionage

Ages: 18 and up

I received e-copies of this series through the author and NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. Since the series has three books and two novellas (with another novel on the way), I've divided the review into parts.

Winter's Heat

After putting her life on the line to protect classified intelligence, military psychologist Mia Kensington is on a cross-country road trip from hell with an intrusive save-the-day hero. She'd rather take her chances without the ruggedly handsome, cold-blooded operative who boasts an alpha complex and too many guns.

Colby Winters, an elite member of The Titan Group, has a single objective on his black ops mission: recover a document important to national security. It was supposed to be an easy in-and-out operation. But now, by any means necessary becomes a survival mantra when he faces off with a stunning woman he can't leave behind.

When Titan's safe houses are compromised, Colby stashes Mia at his home, exposing his secret--he's the adoptive father of an orphaned baby girl. Too soon, danger arrives and Mia lands in the hands of a sadistic cartel king with a taste for torture. As hours bleed into fear-drenched days, Colby races across the globe and through a firestorm of bullets to save the woman he can't live without.

My Thoughts:

This book jumps right into the action with a kidnapping and rescue in the first chapter, making me feel like I was watching an action movie. Despite that, it took me a little while to get into it. The pacing at first was a bit awkward, making me wonder once or twice what the heck was going on, but that cleared up in the first quarter of the book and it was smooth sailing from there on out with a fun, romantic adventure.

Mia and Colby are a good, straightforward pair of protagonists with excellent chemistry. They do have jump-into-bed-too-fast syndrome, but it was done well enough that they didn't lose the tension and spark that makes a romance entertaining. Plus they still had to learn each others' secrets. Arriving at Colby's home and meeting both his mother and adopted daughter was an interesting twist that added dimension to their relationship.

All in all, this was a fun novel with solid characters and storyline and a few spectacular action scenes mixed in.

Garrison's Creed

Nicola is an injured CIA agent on the run from a failed undercover operation. Her escape plan shatters when she slams into the man who buried her a decade ago. Cash Garrison. Her first and only love. Now, sexier than her best memory and cradling a sniper's rifle, he has questions she can't answer. Why was she alive? And armed?

Cash is an elite member of a black ops organization, The Titan Group. He thought Nicola died his senior year of college and swore off love to focus on a decade of military missions. But when she shows up behind enemy lines, bleeding out and wielding a weapon, his heart and mind are unsure how to proceed.

Titan and the CIA join forces to uncover a mole hidden in a network of international terrorists and homegrown mobsters, teaming Cash and Nicola again. When disaster strikes, Nicola's hidden past makes her the hunted target and Cash's best kill shot may not be enough to save them.

My Thoughts:

Oh, this book could have been written just for me. A hero and heroine with a messy, painful past relationship, long lost relatives, a faked death...I've always had this thing for characters who fake their own deaths. From the first page I was gleefully glued to the page as I watched the whole glorious disaster unfold.

Garrison's Creed didn't have the minor pacing weirdness that Winter's Chase had, so there was nothing to mar my enjoyment. This book would make an awesome movie. Danger, betrayal, romance...what's not to like? Cash and Nicola have a great dynamic; he's shocked and angry that she never told him she was alive, and she's never really stopped loving him. The sparks are enough to singe anyone.

The more of the series I read, the more I like the Titan team as a whole; their banter and teasing and loyalty. They fit well together, but they each have distinctive, interesting personalities. The more I read, the more clearly I can hear their different voices.

While I liked the first book, I loved this one.

Westin's Chase

Jared Westin knows his reputation and likes it. He gets the job done. No emotion. No baggage. That's why his elite ops company, The Titan Group, is better than the best. They complete projects classified as mission impossible.

And then, in walks a woman as tough as she is sexy. His counterpart in every way, should he choose to admit it.

Ousted undercover ATF agent Lilly Chase only answers to "Sugar." Jared is the only man who can see past her leather-and-lipstick demeanor, and that revelation is terrifying. She was fired for helping Titan on a questionable arrest she should've ignored, then partnered with Jared's rival on an assignment in Afghanistan.

Saving Sugar isn't a normal rescue operation. It pits Titan against its rival, Jared against his nemesis. Chasing Sugar's heart isn't a simple task, either. She fights him, fights them, always ready to run. Jared must risk his life to save her--the woman whose bravado and surprising sweetness has given him the one thing he never had. Love.

My Thoughts:

Jared's story. I was looking forward to it with great anticipation, and it did not disappoint in the slightest.Jared and Sugar had such a sizzling chemistry, there were sparks flying on every page. Since they first met, their relationship has been one of bantering, occasional colleagues. Both of them try very hard to keep it that way, even though their friends know that they are perfect for each other. When they get caught up in one dangerous situation after another, though...You can see where this is going. It was endlessly entertaining watching master-of-all-he-surveys Jared fall in love with madcap, independent Sugar.

The storyline was good, with an evil twist. It wasn't all that much of a surprise twist, because there was quite a bit of foreshadowing, but rather more of a oh, no, I can't believe this is actually happening kind of twist. It was evil, but I loved it. At least, once I got past my initial anger at its sheer evilness.

Like the other Titan novels so far, this book is just fun. Explosions, gunfights, betrayals, steamy romance and addictive as heck.

*****

Stay tuned for my reviews of the rest of the Titan Series thus far, coming soon. :)

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme). Ratings may contain spoilers.

Profanity:
I rate it 8.10 for strong language in all three books.

Sexuality:
I give it 8.10 for multiple descriptive scenes of sexuality.

Violence:
I rate it 8.10 for several scenes of violence, injuries, etc. and attempted rape.

                             Lieder Madchen

Series Review: The Mine Novels by Cynthia Eden 1-3

The Mine Series 1-3
by Cynthia Eden

Genre: Romance / Suspense / Mystery / Thriller / Action


Ages: 17 and up

I received e-copies of Mine to Keep and Mine to Hold through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. I decided to add Mine to Take to complete the trilogy and review them together.

Description:

Mine to Take

Sometimes you want someone so much…
Sometimes you need someone so much…
Lust can become love.
And love can turn into a deadly obsession.

***

Skye Sullivan knows that someone is watching her. Not just watching—stalking her. Months ago, Skye was involved in a dangerous car accident. The accident ended her dancing career and sent her fleeing back to Chicago. Skye is convinced that her stalker caused the crash, and she fears that he won’t stop pursuing her, not until she’s dead.

When someone breaks into her apartment in Chicago, Skye turns to the one man she believes can protect her—Trace Weston. Once, Trace was her lover. Two lost souls, they’d come together in a firestorm of need and desire. But then Trace had pushed her away. He’d joined the military, vanishing from her life. She’d put all of her emotion into dancing, and she’d tried to forget him.

Now Trace is one of the most successful men in the United States. Rich, driven, and carrying dark secrets, he agrees to help Skye. He’ll protect her from the danger that lurks in the darkness, but Trace wants more than to just be a guard for Skye.

He wants her. And he’ll take her. The years have changed him, hardened him. He’s not just a poor kid from the streets any longer. Now, he can have anything—or anyone—that he wants. And the one woman he has always wanted has just come back into his life. He won’t let her go again.

But with the threats mounting against Skye, she suspects that her stalker may be intimately close. He’s a man who knows her too well. As his attacks grow ever more dangerous, she realizes that if she trusts the wrong man, she could be making a fatal mistake.

Lust. Love. Obsession.

Just how far would you go in order to possess the one person you want the most?

Mine to Keep

Love is the most dangerous obsession…

Skye Sullivan is trying to put the pieces of her life back together. She survived a brutal stalker and escaped his abduction, and now she is looking to the future—a future that includes Skye’s lover, billionaire Trace Weston. Skye thinks the danger is finally over for her.

She’s dead wrong.

When Trace’s past comes back to haunt him, Skye discovers that the man she loves isn’t quite who he seems to be. Trace has been leading a double-life. An ex-special forces agent, his military training turned him into the perfect killing machine. He made more than his share of enemies during his time in the military—and as he built his security empire—and one of those enemies is striking back.

He won’t lose her.

Skye is the one weapon that can be used against Trace—his only vulnerability. But he won’t let her go—he can’t. Trace will do anything necessary to protect Skye. Anything. Yet when she discovers the secrets that he’s tried to keep hidden, Skye’s pain and rage may send her running directly into the cross-hairs of a killer…

Mine to Hold

She was one man’s obsession…

Nine years ago, Claire Kramer’s lover brutally killed her family, and he tried to kill her. She escaped, but she’s been haunted ever since that attack. Too afraid to trust another man and too worried that her past will catch up with her, Claire never gets too close to anyone. But then she meets Noah York.

He must have her.

Noah York is a man with secrets. The world sees him as a billionaire hotel tycoon, but Noah has a dark and dangerous side. For years, he worked covert military operations before he built his fortune. When it comes to death, Noah is a master. He knows that he should steer clear of Claire, but the white-hot attraction Noah feels for the delicate beauty is instant—and consuming.

He will never let her go.

Someone else is just as consumed by Claire—someone who will kill to possess her. And if Noah can’t stop the hunter in the darkness, he may just lose the one woman that he can’t live without.

My Thoughts:

Ms. Eden first caught my eye when I read an excerpt from one of her books. The intensity of her writing caught me immediately, so I set out to find a full novel. I found the covers a little off-putting in an 'oh dear, is it going to all be about sex?' sort of way; I was hoping to see her intensity put to use in more action and drama than just straight romance. Once I started reading, however, any and all doubts were erased. Sure, there was sex, but it didn't take over the story, despite the blatant covers. All of that lovely intensity hinted at in the excerpt was put into making creepy, dark mysteries full of emotional anguish; suspense at its best.

Mine to Take had a great dynamic from page one; two characters who love each other deeply but have been separated for a decade are brought together when Skye seeks out Trace, who left her, as her last hope against a stalker. While she sees him as a desperate measure, he sees her as a second chance. The two of them dance around each other warily, and it is most engrossing to watch. With some stories, the author does such a good job with the characters that I can practically feel them, and this is one of those stories.

The mystery in this novel is fairly simple, taking second place to the interactions between Skye and Trace, but that was okay. The villain could have been slightly more fleshed out like in some of Ms. Eden's other novels, be he managed to deliver a couple of shivery moments.

Mine to Keep picks up where the first book left off, with only a short period of time passing between them. Both Skye and Trace are suffering from nightmares after the events of Mine to Take, unable to forget how close they came to losing each other. Watching the different ways they react to what happened was fascinating; Skye struggles to return to a semblance of normalcy, to prove that she is not a victim, while Trace is determined to make sure that nothing bad ever touches her again, protecting her even when she doesn't want to be protected. Their relationship is strained almost to the breaking point as secrets are revealed and they learned things about themselves and each other that they never suspected before.

The mystery in Mine to Keep is much more complex than the one in the previous novel; I spent the book guessing and wondering and never quite figuring it out, and in the end...Wow. I thought Ms. Eden was intense before, but with this book the angst and suspense was through the roof. This is a great sequel, both building on the first book and surpassing it completely and setting up for an interesting third novel by introducing some lovely new characters.

Mine to Hold takes the series away from Skye and Trace, giving them a well-deserved break from murder and mayhem, and tells the story of Noah and Claire. I loved both of them on sight when they appeared in Mine to Keep and was very interested in both their pasts and their future. Claire has been running since she was sixteen, and desperation has driven her to Noah's door in search of work. Their relationship was very well written; him protective, her afraid to trust, neither of them able to stop. Their romance becomes downright fascinating, taking on that signature Cynthia Eden intensity, when Claire's enemies start dying and each of them thinks the other might be the one killing them, both jumping instinctively to protect the other whether they are guilty or not.

I figured out most of the mystery in Mine to Hold pretty early on, but there were a couple of surprises along the way and I loved the darker tenor to the novel. The story was more focused on what the villains and peril caused Noah and Claire to learn about each other than it was about the villains and peril themselves, which was fine with me. This is a wonderful continuation of the series, opening it up for more books about certain other characters, especially a certain man who has the worst luck with women...Oh, yes, I would love to read that book.

I recommend this series to those who like an edge of danger to their romance and spine-tensing suspense.


Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence 
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme). Ratings may contain spoilers.

Profanity:
I rate it an 8.10 for several uses of the f-word per book, as well as some mild and mid-level swearing.

Sexuality:
I rate it an 8.10 for some fairly descriptive scenes, innuendo, references, etc. throughout the series.

Violence:
I give it an average of 7.10 for murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, fights, blood, etc.

                                Lieder Madchen

Series Review: The Kate Daniels Series (1-6) + Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

The Kate Daniels Series (1-6) + Gunmetal Magic

by Ilona Andrews

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal / Mystery / Adventure / Romance

Ages: 15 and up

Note: This review contains SPOILERS! I try to avoid them as a rule, but when reviewing multiple books in a series, they are impossible to avoid. The whole review is kind of weird and not in my usual style, but I've never tried to review a series this long in one post before.

Description:

The world has suffered a magic apocalypse. We pushed the technological progress too far, and now magic returned with a vengeance. It comes in waves, without warning, and vanishes as suddenly as it appears. When magic is up, planes drop out of the sky, cars stall, electricity dies. When magic is down, guns work and spells fail.

It’s a volatile, screwed-up world. Magic feeds on technology, gnawing down on skyscrappers until most of them topple and fall, leaving only skeletal husks behind. Monsters prowl the ruined streets, werebears and werehyenas stalk their prey; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds.

In this world lives Kate Daniels. Kate likes her sword a little too much and has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target, and she spent most of her life hiding in plain sight.  But sometimes even trained killers make friends and fall in love, and when the universe tries to kick them in the face, they kick back.

My Thoughts:

I recently read this series start to finish, including the spin-off novel Gunmetal Magic and most of the short stories, in under 48 hours. It was a marvelously entertaining 48 hours. Since I read them all together, I thought I would review them the same way. There will be some spoilers, just so you know. And I'll throw in some quotes, just because. :)

First of all, the series in its entirety is amazing. The world is well-developed and interesting, the characters are unique and perfectly written, and the stories are a perfect combination of dark fantasy, hard-edged mystery and humor that left me laughing to the verge of tears. If you like sword-fighting heroics, magical misadventures and an eyebrow-raising courtship, this series will be perfect for you.

Magic Bites introduces us to Kate Daniels, a snarky mercenary with many secrets and a large sword who is setting out on a very personal investigation; the murder of her mentor and friend. A simple set-up, all the better to flesh out the world and all of its wondrous inhabitants. I liked the book from the first page, but it wasn't until Kate knelt down in a dark alley and called 'Here, kitty, kitty, kitty' to the lion shape-shifter Beast Lord that I started cackling in gleeful anticipation for what was to come. I can mark that one sentence as the place where I fell in love with the series.

Magic Burns starts with a bang, or rather, a large fire and a crossbow bolt. The scale of the plot is larger than that of Magic Bites, what with a trouble-making ancient thief in town trying to steal kisses from Kate, among other things, and certain Celtic deities running amok. The tension between Kate and Curran, the Beast Lord, reaches delightful new heights and Julie, a street-savvy witch's daughter, makes her appearance. So does Raphael, the charming werehyena who takes a liking to Andrea, Kate's best friend. This book was maybe a shade darker than the first, but had just as much fun. Curran has far too much fun teasing. Plus I highly approve of Kate's favorite book.

"I kiss like a madman!"

Magic Strikes begins with a banshee on a telephone pole. I loved how random a start that was. In this book, Kate is called to aid her teenage werewolf sidekick Derek, who has gotten himself into a spot of trouble involving a pretty girl and illegal fighting. Suddenly it seems like half the Pack is keeping secrets from Curran, and Kate is caught right in the middle, and isn't that a fun place to be? Just to complicate things more, mwahaha, Curran's teasing is becoming more serious. I love how the authors have managed to keep the perfect level of sexual tension between Kate and Curran. As someone who hates it when characters fall into bed too quickly, I really appreciate a drawn-out romance. It also has what are, in my opinion, some of the best action scenes of the entire series.

"What happened to barely winning?" 
 "You said sloppy! Look, I didn't even use my sword; I hit him with my head, like a moron."

Magic Bleeds starts with Kate waiting for Curran to show up for their date. And waiting. And waiting. When he stands her up, all heck breaks loose between them and it is oh so wonderful to watch. A battle of words and elaborate pranks is waged as their friends attempt to keep a safe distance while watching the fireworks. The teasing and sparring and tension have all lead to this; will they, or won't they? *chuckles evilly to self* This is my very favorite book of the entire series. I laughed so hard I could barely breathe. Even as Kate and Curran duke it out once and for all, someone else is launching their attack on Atlanta. Add Kate's past coming slowly to light and you have a brilliantly chaotic, endlessly entertaining recipe for utter disaster. I loved every word. Plus there's Grendel, the ever-vomiting poodle. And pie. Lots of pie.

"There is catnip all over my bed."
"Catnip? How peculiar. Perhaps you should speak to your head of housekeeping."
"I have to kill you. It's the only reasonable solution."


Magic Slays has Kate trying to get her new magical investigation business off the ground while learning the ropes of being Curran's mate and saving the world at the same time. So, business as usual, yes? She handles everything with her typical aplomb and lack of tact. I love watching her and Curran work out the kinks in their new relationship. The story takes a decidedly dark turn when some of the Pack's kids, including Julie, are attacked. Everyone becomes grim and protective and very, very determined. Despite the fewer laughs, I enjoyed this installment of Kate's adventures just as much as the others.

"You sure you don't need your Prince Charming to come and save you?"

"Sure, do you have one handy?"

"Oh, I think I could scrounge one up somewhere. As often as I have to rescue you..."

"I'm going to kick you in the head when I get home. Repeatedly."

Gunmetal Magic takes us on a side trip into the life of Andrea, Kate's best friend, as she deals with her heartbreak after the ruination of her relationship with Raphael and that fact that she is beastkin, a rare and reviled form of shapeshifter. When Raphael drags a new girlfriend into her office, she goes a little nuts. Which, strangely enough, is just the thing to get them talking again. Watching them argue through their issues while trying to work together was immensely entertaining. Kate and Curran made an appearance, but they kept to the edges of the story for the most part. I loved that one of my favorite mythological beings showed up in a villainous capacity; he made a great bad guy.

"I know it's difficult, since I have a shapely butt and all, but try to focus on our illegal burglary."

"As opposed to legal burglary?"

Magic Rises returns to Kate and Curran, just in time to see them off on their way to Europe and their first truly serious relationship difficulties since they became mates. They've hardly stepped off the boat before Curran appears to have taken up with another woman and Kate's past catches up with her. There aren't nearly as many laughs in this book, but it is the first one in the series to bring me to the verge of tears over the main characters' sheer emotional anguish, which is a different sort of entertainment. Is this the end of Kate and Curran? Will Kate's secrets come fully out in the open? Who will win the truly epic sword-fight two thirds of the way through the book? Since when do weredolphins exist??? *more maniacal laughter* I think the authors were having fun torturing the readers with this book, and I say 'torture' in the best sense of the word.

"What does that mean?"
"Magic turtle crossing."
"I got that one, but what about the second one?"
"Beware the magic turtles."
"Why?"
"They spit fire."

So, there you have it, the series thus far. The books started out lighthearted (well, somewhat) and simple (relatively speaking) but have morphed into more of the darkly humorous (understatement) and complex (not to mention weird; they are definitely getting weirder) as Kate draws inexorably closer to the inevitable battle with her nemesis (that dark secret from her past I mentioned before).

I shall conclude my review thusly: This. Series. Is. Awesome.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme). Ratings may contain spoilers.

Profanity:
I rate it a 7.10 for some uses of the f-word as well as mid-level and mild swearing.

Sexuality:
The early books get a 3.10 for references and innuendo, books 4-6 plus Gunmetal Magic get 7-8.10 for some mildly descriptive scenes.

Violence:
All books get an 8.10 for bloody fighting, murder and some torture.

            Lieder Madchen

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Series Review: Girl Genius by Phil and Kaja Foglio

Girl Genius
story by Phil and Kaja Foglio, drawings by Phil Foglio, colors by Cheyenne Wright

Genre: Steampunk / Science Fiction / Alternative / WebComic / Graphic Novel / Young Adult

Ages: 13 and up

Description:

The Industrial Revolution has become all-out war! Mad Scientists, gifted with the Spark of genius, unleash insane inventions on an unprepared Europe. For centuries, the Heterodyne family of inventors kept the peace, but the last Heterodyne disappeared twenty years ago, leaving their ally Baron Klaus Wulfenbach to maintain order with his fleet of airships and army of unstoppable, if not very bright, Jaeger Monsters.

At Transylvania Polygnostic University, Agatha Clay dreams of being a scientist herself, but her trouble concentrating dooms her to be a lowly minion at best. When her locket, a family heirloom, is stolen, Agatha shows signs of having the Spark in a spectacular, destructive fashion and captures the attention of the Baron—and the Baron’s handsome young son, Gilgamesh.

Swept up to the Baron's Airship City, Agatha finds herself in the midst of the greatest minds of her generation, as well as palace intrigue, dashing heroes, and an imperial cat. Agatha may be the most brilliant mind of her generation and the key to control of the continent, but first, she just has to survive.

My Thoughts:

This is so freaking awesome! This series was recommended to me many times, first by my brother and then by multiple online friends, so I finally gave it a shot. I'm not usually big on comics or graphic novels, but I went through this whole series in four days. Ten years worth of mad scientists, zany monsters, romantic hilarity and more squished into ninety-six hours with at least fifteen cups of coffee...It's a wonder my brain didn't start leaking out of my ears...oh, wait, what is that grey stuff on my shirt?...Sorry, I shall endeavor to be serious. It is difficult, since I only finished the last page a couple of hours ago and I'm still drinking too much coffee.

Okay...(a few hours later with time to calm down)...now I can get to the serious review. A-ha! They posted a new page! Sorry, I must go for a minute...Ok, I'm back. This is turning into the most peculiar review. Anyway, so, first of all, I love the characters. I had to have fallen in love with the Jagers first, then everyone else nearly as quickly. I love the bantering interplay between them all, particularly when Gil and Tarvek meet...oh, yeah, that was way too much fun. Agatha is brilliant, first as she comes to terms with her sudden lifestyle changes and then as she starts to truly enjoy herself. She comes to enjoy herself just a little too much at times...

I love the bizarre tangents the story runs off in so frequently, I love the sheer quirkiness of any given page, I love the explosions, the gadgets, the Big Awesome Plant...what isn't to like? Plus there's the fact that you can read the ENTIRE thing online without taking any breaks, staying up to ridiculous hours until your eyeballs start to dry up like raisins and drinking coffee until you twitch at any sudden noise!

The art is lovely, full of fascinating details if you look at it closely enough. I enjoy reading the signs and labels scattered around. The outfits are so lavishly odd that sometimes you just have to sit there blinking at them for a bit. Most impressive. Not to mention the hats.

I would recommend this to lovers of steampunk, silliness, graphic novels or just plain fun. It was enervating, it was unnerving, and it was completely marvelous. Go here for the first page. You won't be able to stop.

Rating System: Profanity, Sexuality and Violence
1 (mild) through 10 (extreme).

Profanity:
I would rate it a 3.10 for mostly mild swearing.

Sexuality:
I would give it a 3.10 for quite a bit of innuendo that was for the most part harmless.

Violence:
I rate it a 6.10 for quite a bit of cartoon violence, most of which is shown with bright red blood.

                           Lieder Madchen