Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

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The Holidays

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Holidays Are Hell (The Hollows #5.5)Holidays Are Hell by Kim Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This anthology features 4 short stories by some very talented women.

Two Ghosts For Sister Rachel gives us an eighteen year old Rachel before she joined the IS and moved out into the world. We also get to view her home life with her mother and her true start at earth magic.

Run,Run,Rudolph is a fun story with a great romance and tense pursuit scenes. Jill and Nick make a great couple and I want more of them. It was funny,sexy, and very interesting.

Six is set in China and is the name of our heroine. She finds herself up against vampires and partners with a necromancer against her will (at first). She is very strong and makes things interesting.

The Harvest is set in of all places Las Vegas and features a plot of good vs. Evil. Some Archer is an agent of the Light who has dropped out only to return when she needs help from the man she left behind. Their reunion is brief and she steps into danger to secure her legacy.

All of the stories are well written and well worth your time.

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Carwyn

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Building From Ashes (Elemental World, #1)Building From Ashes by Elizabeth Hunter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have loved this family of vampires from the first book I picked up and this one is no exception.

The basics: Carwyn, a 1000 yr old priest finds that he is no longer as satisfied in his life or vocation as he once was. We see the events of the previous books from his perspective as well as find out what was really happening to him during this time without interruption. Can a thousand-year old vampire find love after so long? Carwyn is the “father” of a large and close-knit clan in Ireland that he will do anything to protect.

What made this nice was that you still had cameos by characters you had come to love and miss. Gio and Beatrice had a voice, so it was not like you only had new characters to get to know. We even get to see a bit of what Ben was doing while Beatrice was getting her blood lust under control.

I loved this because it had all the romance, mystery, blood lust, family, vampire intrigue that I come to expect. If you have a love of vampires with the best powers and best personalities then you will want to read this. Never disappoints and leaves me wanting more!

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Bride of Fae

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Bride of Fae (Tethers, #2)Bride of Fae by L.K. Rigel
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I would give this 3.5 stars because while I enjoyed it, there were places that it lagged. This is the second in a series though the action takes place prior to the events in the first book.

Having read the first book it took me a while to reconcile what was happening here because the threads were pulled in several directions. Beverly is the mother of the heir of Dumnos, she is a simple woman who marries an Earl not for love but for the sake of a legacy. The love of her life is a faerie by the name of Dandelion, a prince of the Fae court.

There is travel through time, faerie intrigue, romance, corruption, and family loyalty.
It is worth a read!

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Wyrd and Fae

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Give Me: A Tale of Wyrd and Fae (Tethers #1)Give Me: A Tale of Wyrd and Fae by L.K. Rigel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m going with 4 1/2 stars here, it would have been 5 but it didn’t totally blow me out of the water.

I started this not really expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. 😉 The writing is good and combines two of my favorite things witchcraft (wyrding) and the Fae. The story stretches from the middle ages to modern-day England in a small county off the beaten track which does not have cell reception or access to the internet. But they have a rich heritage and a wyrding woman who has been there from the beginning. The story goes from that castle in the middle ages to modern-day California and finally to modern-day Dumnos and back.

This is a story of love and loss and the desire to fix a mistake made a thousand years ago. The characters are well established and likable bringing you into their world more fully. Not something for everyone but romantics will enjoy this I’m sure. No real sex but descriptions of desire and longing that work for this.

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Brot’ân’duivé

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The Dog in the Dark: A Novel of the Noble Dead (Noble Dead Saga: Series 3 #2)The Dog in the Dark: A Novel of the Noble Dead by Barb Hendee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have been reading this series since the beginning, though I started with book three and had to backtrack. I love the characters because they are not always who you think they are. Each is searching and hoping to be more than what is expected of them from various factions.

This entry does not have the action of series one, or the interesting fumbling in matters over their head of a scholar like series two. What is does have is a chance to fill in all the gaps between the ending of one series and the other. The chance to get a voice other than Wynn, Chap, Magiere, or Leesil on the current threat to the world.

Brot’â’duivé, who’s name means The Dog in the Dark, is an Anmaglâhk (spy & assassin) of the an’Cróan elves of Leesil and Magiere’s continent. He comes to protect Magiere from ‘Most Aged Father’ and his loyalists. What he gives to us the reader is the story of what happened after Magiere and friends left the Elven lands. He gives his story slowly and only with reluctance as they travel.

We are also allowed to find out what happened to Magiere, Chap and Leesil as they separated from Wynn and went to hide the orb that they had uncovered. Each of them has been changed by the experience and have memories which weigh heavy on them.

If you have enjoyed this series in the past I think you will not be disappointed by this entry. Just know that there are not a lot of battles with Nobel dead but there is action.

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The Hollows

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Ever After (The Hollows #11)Ever After by Kim Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been reading this series of books from the beginning and I love Rachel. You don’t often find yourself liking a heroine who sometimes seems completely lost but this girl has endured so much and come so far. I got to watch her mature into a pretty cool person even if she cannot pick men for anything. A world populated with everything from witches, demons, elves, were-persons and vampires is an interesting place indeed.

This book finds Rachel in over her head (as always) and trying to save the world once again. She does not have her usual crew of Ivy (a living vampire) and Jenks (a pixie) to back her up this time. Instead she is working with Trent Kalamack (rich handsome elf) and Al (her demon teacher) to go up against a threat to the demon realm and magic. The story is fast paced and grabs you from the start. All the questions from past adventures are answered here, but of course we get a whole new set to ponder.

If you have read any of the books in the past you will definitely want to read this one and if not you should maybe start. This is not a stand alone novel so pick up that first one and see if you don’t get interested enough to read them to this point. I do not think you will be disappointed.

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Reunited

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The Reunited (The FBI Psychics, #3)The Reunited by Shiloh Walker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received this book for free through Goodreads first reads and I would give 4 1/2 stars if I could. I really liked this book.

I got caught up in it because of the possibilities it presented for the characters. The characters are vivid and you either love them, hate them, or don’t care (but still are interested). I could visualize them, which made them more real, which in turn made the story that much more enjoyable. It started a bit slow for me but once I passed page 20 it got moving and putting it down was not an easy thing to do. Every time I decided I had to go to bed, something would happen and I had to get to that next chapter to see what was going to happen and to whom. The subject matter could be considered distasteful but it’s handled in a mature and tasteful manner.

I will be reading the previous books and looking for the next with anticipation. For me the mark of a good book is if I find myself absorbed in the characters and rooting for them. If romance and mystery/suspense interest you. Then this is a book to go for.

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Sven the Zombie Slayer

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This was a good book with likeable characters and one you will hate or pity. The zombies are localized to the Virginia area and so no one is aware of how or why they have started to walk.

The title character, Sven, is a competitive bodybuilder who works as a personal trainer. He is working out with his friend and spotter, Lars, in his basement as the zombies start to walk. When the action begins Sven can only think to grab his cat, Ivan, and run.

Sven rescues Jane, his ex-girlfriend, and they take off for a safe place. Jane has had her own bad morning and is glad to see him. She appears to be a quiet person, but has a love of guns that comes in handy in this situation.

On their journey they run into two teenagers, Lorie and Evan, who are also looking for a safe place. Lorie runs track and has an unhealthy predilection for up close carnage, but is very good at it.

The story moves swiftly from scene to scene and will keep you wanting more. There seems to be a mystical quality which is not fully explored so expect more in coming volumes.

If you like/love zombies I would say to give this a look and decide for yourself.

Sven the Zombie SlayerSven the Zombie Slayer by Guy James

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Psychic Intrigue

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This was not what I expected at all. You think of psychics and the first thing to come to mind is not the cold war.

The story moved so slowly that I put the book aside more than once because it was just not interesting. This is a spy novel with a psychic involved. It has components of a love story as well, though not very well done for my tastes.

The premise is that the Russians are using a psychic to make their enemies change sides and gain them the upper hand. The psychic is a young woman who is being slowly killed by using her abilities. She is in love with an American pianist who she met once and listens to often, daydreaming about him. The Americans consider her to be the most dangerous person on the planet and want to stop her one way or the other.

The characters are a bit lackluster and I really could not care about them one way or the other. KGB men who were stereotypical of what you have seen a million times. CIA operatives that could have come from any other novel. I found it alright but a boring read.

If you like stories about spies and foreign plots it may be more for you.

Summit (The Psychic Thriller, #1)Summit by Richard Bowker
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

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Bacchanal

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I was drawn to this book because of the title.

The Lady Lucrezia Grimaldi has been unable to achieve satisfaction during the week of the Bacchanal and this is her final chance to do something about it. She can go to the dance which ends the festivities, as she should as a representative of her family, or she can seek fulfillment elsewhere. Her brother refuses to take her place and sends Carlo Castellan, a man she detests, to ensure her attendance.

Lady Lucrezia sneaks out and goes to a place that she knows will be able to bring her the satisfaction that she seeks. What she finds there is more than just release, but about her own self-image. We all have it in us to be dominant at times but sometimes we must submit to find what we really want and need.

I would say if you do not have an open mind then this title would not be for you. But if you want a peek at something titillating but fairly tame this could be for you.

The Lady Submits (BDSM Bacchanal)The Lady Submits by Chloe Cox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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