A really good look at the first day of the outbreak from a civilian viewpoint. The characters are all three dimensional and have the feeling of reality to them. The story starts a little slowly but quickly picks up and brings you into the action of what is about to be a very bad day for the world.
Henry and Charlie, father and son, go on what should be a routine favor to pick up Henry’s younger brother Lewis from the airport. While on the way they find themselves in the traffic jam from hell and end up running late. They believe there must be some type of accident up ahead until they see SWAT making its way up the shoulder and realize something much more serious is going on.
As they follow behind the SWAT vehicles all Henry can think about is getting to his brother and getting away before any of them are hurt in the chaos. Henry, Charlie, and Lewis witness something that none of them can understand but know that it is deadly.
I found this to be a really nice look into the early days of the infection. I am not so sure about the rapidity of the infection but this was definitely entertaining. I have never read anything by this author and it makes me want to read something by him. I would recommend this to anyone who likes the Extinction Cycle books or just this author in general.
To be fully honest I was interested in this book mainly because it had a story by Jim Butcher and I am always happy to find a new Dresden Files story. This is an anthology that contains 10 short stories all based around the same theme. Each story is based on the idea of good and evil, two aspects of the character and how complicated it can be to live as one or the other. The rating is based on the average of all 10 stories.
Cold Case by Jim Butcher: 3.5 stars The story is about Molly Carpenter in her capacity as the new Winter Lady. Mab has sent her to collect a tribute from a small group of Fae, the Miksani, in Unalaska. There is something odd going on in the town and it may cause trouble for what she needs to do. Carlos Ramirez also happens to be in town which makes it even more clear that there is a problem in the town that could make the Winter Ladies job even harder.
The characters are just as well drawn here as if they were simply pulled away from their lives in Chicago and the never-never. The new characters are a little hazy and their place in the Fae world are not very clear. The story is enjoyable if a little slower than expected. There is also no appearance by Harry, this is strictly about our Molly and the lesson that Mab has to teach her.
Sleepover by Seanan McGuire: 3.0 stars Elsinora ‘Elsie’ Harrington is half human/half succubus in a world that does not really know that supernaturals live among them. Elsie is at a roller derby match rooting for her cousin when she meets a pretty girl and does something totally silly, she follows her out without telling anyone. Before she can formulate a thought she is drugged and taken away by a group of teenage boys who want her to get back the sister of one of the boys.
The characters are a little dull and boring but they still manage to keep you reading. The story has not real snap to it but you can push through and find something interesting in what the are doing. Not sure it really fits the theme.
If Wishes Were by Tanya Huff: 2 stars Vicki Nelson is a detective who also happens to be a vampire, though this does not seem to have any bearing on anything. When a woman comes to her about a lamp she has found which contained a Jinn, she wants help to set things right. The problem is that she is tricked into doing just what the Jinn wants. Vicki makes an attempt to handle it on her own with less than satisfactory results.
Truth be told this was one of my least favorite stories. I could see potential but it never materialized. I was bored with it almost from the start and it never got better for me.
Solus by Anton Strout: 2 stars The Department of Extraordinary Affairs-Other Division goes to investigate the claims of ghosts in a castle. They found the ghost of a lonely young woman, Agatha Sedgwick, who was haunting the castle.
I was so bored I cannot even remember anything much about this story. I actually went to sleep while reading it so draw your own conclusions.
Peacock in Hell by Kat Richardson: 3.5 stars Emily Ann Peacock is half dead and a master thief. She is sent into Hell to rescue Lenny Red Mane for a sketchy character named Peter Fiori. What she finds is though Lenny may be the one in Hell she is working for a devil. The thing is what can she do about it.
I really liked this story and the characters. They held my attention and made me like them and the situation they found themselves in. This is a good one.
Eye of Newt, A Dan Shambles Zombie P.I. by Kevin J. Anderson: 2.5 stars Dan Shambles has a new client, a newt named Geck who comes to him because there seems to be a hit out on him. He was attacked and one of his eyes was taken out. He needs help and Dan goes on the case.
This was a nice story with a different kind of hero and a different kind of world.
What Dwells Within by Lucy A Snyder: 3 stars Jesse Shimmer, a magic user and his ferret familiar Pal are outlaws in the magic community. When a friend of hers is compelled to kill himself and his girlfriend is taken Jesse steps in to help. She is very good at killing devils and this one needs it more than most.
Nice short story that holds your interest and makes you want to know more about the characters.
Hunter Healer by Jim C. Hines: 4 stars Julia Chapel ran from a life that she could not live any longer. Now she is a Healer who has an assistant who is a hearth fairy, Hob. Terrence Chapel is Julia’s father and a Hunter, he is also the reason that Julia ran away. Julia had a twin sister, who was a very good Hunter, but now her sister resides within her making Julia double souled. When a Harvester comes to her it is only to gain her attention because it also leads a rogue hunter named Shard to her, and he wants to be the only one with a double soul.
Good story that draws you in and sets up the back story in a quick and effective way. The characters are well fleshed and give you a good look at who they are and can be. I enjoyed this one a lot.
Baggage by Erik Scott de Bie: 3 stars Vivienne Cain, aka Lady Vengeance, former demon possessed super-villain turned edgy it-girl superhero turned fugitive from vigilante justice. She is a high functioning alcoholic who uses the drinking to keep her powers under control. V has been going to a gym working through some of her frustrations for a while when she senses a demon lurking about. As V becomes friends with a girl at the gym the demon gives glimpses of itself but never fully shows itself.
I really like the character of V but she is never as fleshed out as I would like her to be. None of the other characters are very fleshed out either and the story is a little thin. But it was still a good read.
Sales.Force. by Kristine Kathryn Rusch: 3.5 stars Kaylee loses her fiancee, Dex, in a car accident after he has sworn that they would be together forever. Kaylee had not worked very much while she and Dex were together, her job is killing evil supernaturals. Kaylee goes back to work after only a week and her boss gives her an assignment that is not exactly up her alley, she is sent to investigate, not kill. When she looks into a love potion it may be the best thing for her.
Good story premise with characters who are likeable and make me willing to see more of in a longer version.
Impossible Monsters by Rob Thurman: 4 stars “Infernally heroic Caliban Leandros takes a trip down memory lane as he deals with some overdue-and nightmarish vengeance involving some quite nasty Impossible Monsters”. Caliban has two lists, one that his brother made for him in order to keep him from doing something unforgivable and inhuman. The other list is one he has made for himself that has the names of people who have done things he feels are wrong but that he wants to give them a chance to change. It’s time for him to start working on that second list.
I totally like Caliban and plan to read the books which can give me a closer and deeper look into who and what he is.
Like with most anthologies this one has good, bad, and iffy stories in it. What did not work for me might work for someone else just as what I liked might not be as good for another. I would recommend this to anyone who likes urban fantasy.
This was a really nice side trip in the Extinction Cycle. I love the books by Mark Tufo and have read most of them because I am enamored of Michael Talbot. By the same token I am totally into Nicholas Sansbury Smith and his great books, also with a character who makes me wish he were real. Sometimes you can have someone do a mash up and it falls flat but that is so not the case here. You get a good taste of both worlds as they collide in just the right way.
Mike and his family and friends are staying in Maine with brother Ron and the rest of his siblings. They have finally found a little peace from the dead at last though they stay vigilant at all times. Mike’s mother-in-law is very sick and even though she is taking medicine he thinks they need a nebulizer to help her recover. B.T. (Big Tiny) says that he will go but it turns into a field trip for those who want to stretch their legs.
John the Tripper decides to make the trip and this stoner has some type weird stuff happen when he is around. While driving to the hospital Mike, B.T., and Mrs. Deneaux find themselves in Atlanta being told by Trip that they must help a world on the verge of extinction even though they have fought for their own.
While you never actually interact with the characters from the this world if you have read the books then you know exactly what was happening during that time. You get to see the reaction of someone new to the variants which is almost comical. If you have read either of these authors then you should read this for sure. The best of both worlds!
This was one of those books that gave you some good and some bad. The good ended up outweighing any bad by a nice margin. The characters are definitely quirky and bigger than life while the surroundings are more of a blur. I kept forgetting what state this was supposed to be happening in unless they mentioned it specifically. The hunt for the killer was not really so much of a hunt as it was something that just happened almost. You get some misused words such as drooping when it should be drop.
Ryan Porter is an ex Marine who has a lot of issues since he got out of the service. He has recently gotten his license as a Private Detective after doing his internship. Mindy Miller is working as a waitress at the strip club that Porter frequents and uses for business. They make one good detective when they get together.
When Gary, a local bag boy, goes missing his sister wants to hire Porter to find him. She is afraid that he may have been one of the latest victims of a serial killer known as the Sandman. As Porter and Mindy investigate his disappearance they get closer to finding the killer than even the police have been able to do.
There is a nice twist near the end that comes as complete surprise. I will also mention that the story seems to be more about Porter and Mindy than it is about the killer. It is told from multiple points of view so that you get a chance to see how everyone is feeling without filtering through a central character. I would recommend this to those who like weird mysteries.
This second book did not pull me in like the first book did. The characters felt a little less interesting but I couldn’t really put my finger on the reason why. They are the same as they were before but seemed just a little duller, which could be because they are changing. The action seemed a bit more subdued than it had been in the first book even though we had some new aliens show up. It still had it’s moments that kept me wanting to know more. Some of the problem may have been that the narrator, while okay, does not add a lot vocally.
Dr. Sophie Winston and her team, along with the military personnel they have acquired continue to survive in the Biosphere. The Organics continue to empty the Oceans and every other body of water. The temperatures are continuing to rise and the last surviving humans on the outside are being herded into farms. Dr. Emmanuel Rodriguez has developed a weapon that may help to turn the tide on the Organics.
Sophie and Sgt. Overton is not getting along as well as they could and he is starting to chafe under her command. Overton wants to take on the aliens and make a rescue attempt which might result in finding more of his men. Sophie would prefer to be cautious and not draw attention. Just as things seem to hit rock bottom they get some news that makes them all feel a little better about the future.
I have to admit that this was not one of my favorite reads even though I love Nick Smith and pretty much everything he has written. I would recommend this if you have read the first book because it does advance the story and you cannot miss that.
This very complex and circuitous story. It took me eighteen (18) days to read this book and that is about twelve (12) days too long for any book. The problem was not so much with the story as a whole, but that there just seemed to be almost too much going on. There were wars, conspiracies, secret societies, romance, intrigue, and a host of other things. The characters were all good and I was happy to get to know them. I became very invested in the bulk of the characters, and there were quite a few of them. It was kind of hard keeping track sometimes though because there are so many twists in relation to the characters and the situations which change on a dime.
A mysterious outbreak starts to spread across Kenya and the CDC and WHO respond but are unprepared for what they find. A submarine with no identification markings is found sunken one hundred miles north of Alaska with evidence of scientific experiments having been performed there. Dr. Peyton Shaw is deployed to Kenya from the CDC to help trace the pathogen, as she does she starts to believe the outbreak may be a part of a larger plan. Desmond Hughes wakes up in a Berlin Hotel with a dead man and no memory of who he is, but a clue leads him to Peyton Shaw who knows him but will not tell him how. All this and more.
While I liked the book there were a few things that made me a little crazy. While I appreciate the fact that the book was well researched I don’t think every bit of that research needed to go into this one book, particularly since it is the beginning of a series. The thing was 137 chapters long, I hate having to go through that many when some are only a paragraph long. Though it may only be me, I do not think Disco music was around in 1965, even in Hong Kong. The thing that I did like a lot was that things tied up well for all the roundabout that went on.
I would recommend this but warn you to be prepared for a lot of information. If you like medical thrillers this may work for you.
I have to say that as soon as I started reading I was pulled directly into the world of Micah Black. Though I did not know who he was at first I knew that this was going to be someone I could like based on how dark and tortured he appeared because you know that he feels deep. The plot of this book is very straight forward and keeps moving at a good pace which allows you to follow the action without getting bogged down. There are no slow spots of weird changes to deal with, no shifts in time or tense to keep track of, you know what is going on every step of the way.
When you consider that most of the main characters are vampires, you can still relate to them and what they are dealing with as people. I could imagine knowing someone like Trace, a nice guy who is quiet and keeps to himself but is looking to make a friend of the guy everyone else avoids. I know sometimes the dialogue in these books can seem kind of stilted or forced, but that is not the case here. The dialogue seems to be very true to who each of the characters are, keeping in mind that some of them are quite old. 😉
Our main character is Micah Black who works at AKM (All the Kings Men) as an enforcer, he keeps the peace between the drecks (lower vampires) and upper level vampires. Micah has fallen into a dark place because of the lose of his mate and is looking for a way to continue living as he is or to die. Samantha Garrett is working as a stripper after leaving her abusive husband and simply wants to make enough money to get a new identity so she can feel free. They have nothing in common but when they cross paths it is salvation them both.
My favorite quote from Micah, “If they made a move on Sam, he’d fuck up their world so righteously the galaxy would shift from the gravitational pull of his wrath.”
Micah is not a man you want to get in the way of, he is fierce, passionate, and loyal. Who wouldn’t want a man to feel like that about them. You see these traits in all the characters, they are a group I cannot wait to find out more about! In this first of the series we get to meet Micah but in subsequent novels we will get more on the other enforcers at AKM. Each should be just as exciting and hot as this one. I will be reading them as fast as I can get them.
There is some talk of BDSM but it is fairly mild though some of the scenes are good and hot even without it. Also if M/M action makes you squeamish you may want to skip.
**I listened to this for my second time around and it was just as good or even better than my reading it. The narrator, Mikela Drew, does a fantastic job of bring this story to life. While the second book is available, and I plan to listen to it also, I can only hope that they soon bring the rest of the series to audio too.
This is my first time listening to any of the books in this series and I was very happy I did. Though it may not be the voices I have heard in my head (not killer voices), Bronson Pinchot does a fabulous job of bringing them to life. This is a nice short story that gives us a chance to see a little more of the new Team Ghost as they learn how to work together. As usual there is a surprise waiting for our newly minted Master Sargent and his team.
Fitz and Team Ghost just barely made it out with their lives from their recon mission in Italy when they are sent out again. This time they are being sent to Greenland to handle what appears to be a routine demolition, and we know how those turn out these days. Team Ghost has backup from Team Fox and another team but what they fin is like nothing they have faced before.
This is going to take us right into what may be the last book in the series Extinction War. I say if you have not started this series now is the time. I recommend this and the rest of the series.
I do love getting with my favorite outlaws. I did read this a little back words so this should be the starting point for those who want to read these comics. 2. With them being hunted by the Alliance, sought out by the New Resistance, and the need for medical attention. Things get just as bad as they always are for our crew. Mad at Jayne. 3. Well here we have the return of characters we last saw not involved with our crew in a good way. Jayne is optimistic about Mal but you know there is going to be trouble just from that. 4. I love that so much is being added to the story that gives even more life to my favorite characters. 5. Mal, Jayne, and River go to make a daring rescue at the facility she was held. What none of them know is that they have been played. But our Mal never leaves anything to chance and is prepared. 6. Saved the best for last.
Like all the previous books in the series this was a great read that left me wanting more. I loved the characters from the moment I met them and was totally invested in their lives entirely. The new world that we get to explore is very interesting with some of the most diverse people so far. I was into the book from the opening sequence with our future heroine in her natural habitat.
Rylee Hale is a paralegal in Florida and a friend of Zoe, the Zoe who disappeared without a word or trace. Though she does not know it things are about to get very weird for her. Rylee is being watched from the AMI by two alien males who want her help in dissolving their accidental bond. Drace and Lucian are Denarins, two males who bond in order to join with a single female. The pairings are usually between an Alpha and a Beta, they are both Alphas and find themselves in an embarrassing situation that could earn them ridicule.
They were told that a Pure One could break their bond with just a touch and so pay a large sum to bring Rylee to the station. When she touches them what happens is the opposite, they seem to be bound closer together. What ensues next is a quest to find an artifact which can severe their bond. But do they really want that?
Though all the books can be read as a standalone I think that the best way to do this is read the them in order. These are some very colorful, very hot and very sexy alien males who are devoted to their chosen females. The females are not what you would expect and make you like them because they have the type of personalities that make them great friends. Highly recommend this !!
"I have enough time to rest, but I don't have a minute to waste". Come and catch me with your wise words and we will have some fun with our words of wisdom.
Bookgirl 