When I found the Elemental Mysteries I thought things could not get any better but then this author just kept throwing me new and different stories and characters who I fell in love with. This is definitely the case with Linx and Bogie which I started reading in Elizabeth Hunters news letters and hoped for and finally got something much longer. This is a fun duo who are very different form each other but mesh perfectly. This book contains 3 super short stories which kind of lay out how things began with the final story being longer and giving some background on our ghost. The mystery is light but very workable.
Linx Maxwell has had a the ghost of a grown man attached to her since she was an eighth grader and often wishes that he would go away. The Maxwell women are known on both sides of the veil as powerful mediums and each has a specialty when it comes to spirits. Linx just wants to be normal and able to pursue her art without all the supernatural hoopla.
Frank ‘Bogie’ Bogle was a Los Angeles homicide detective who died in the 1950’s. Though everyone knew about the Maxwell women he never expected to become attached to the youngest and by far strangest of the family. He has no idea why or how he became attached to her and certainly has no idea of how to end the attachment.
Fourteen years later and they are still attached. The art career Linx has always wanted seems about to take off but she still has Bogie with her and that means she sometimes gets sucked into investigating crimes instead of painting. But this time the case is more personal and she may be able to lose that extra baggage if things go right.
The characters are wonderful and colorful. They make you want to know more about their lives. This is a fun quick read with a mystery thrown in that may not be deep but can keep you guessing and on your toes. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Enjoy!
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.
In this 14th book about the Wizard Dresden you get some things you expect and some things you might not see coming. I love these stories because I get to check out of reality and step into another world when I start to read/listen to this series. The characters are fun and continue to grow and change as the series does. This parallel universe is peopled by some of the most fantastic creatures and a lot of them are seriously deadly.
Harry comes back to himself after being dead (see Ghost Story) at the mercy of Mab in her court. He has a nurse who helps bring him back from the brink and when she does Mab starts his true training. Harry now carries the mantle of the Winter Knight and he is going to have to fight every day to keep it from taking his humanity. That is going to hard going with less than scrupulous beings surrounding him day in and day out.
His first assignment as the Winter Knight is not something you would ordinarily have right out of rehab, but it is par for the course. Mab tells Harry that he must kill a member of the Winter court and do so swiftly. There is only one problem with the order and that is Harry needs to figure out how to kill an immortal being. In the midst of that dilemma Harry also finds that he must defend his Island and all of Chicago from annihilation.
Once again James Marsters brings Harry and Company to vivid life. I could listen to him all day and never get tired of his voice. I see Harry and everything that happens as I follow the narrative. Ready for the next book and hoping that James Marsters will be continuing to bring me enjoyment of my favorite wizard/knight.
The conclusion was a little less than satisfying and seemed really rushed. The battle was like 4 panels and done. I wanted something a bit more dramatic since they were facing off against a creature that held so much of the darkness. But it does give a mini finality to all the team has gone through. Still worth it for a true fan.
These are the characters I met in the novels. The mission continues as it has always been, destroy the evil in the world. I love having this extra time with all of them. Perfect for fans.
The story continues to evolve and with only one more entry I cannot see where it is headed. Damali is being reckless, Carlos is being overprotective, and Marleen is not stopping either of them. The conclusion is going to be explosive. Enjoy!
The conclusion was a little less than satisfying and seemed really rushed. The battle was like 4 panels and done. I wanted something a bit more dramatic since they were facing off against a creature that held so much of the darkness. But it does give a mini finality to all the team has gone through. Still worth it for a true fan.
I have been reading the Dresden files for years and still cannot get enough. This is my second time around with this particular title having read it for the first time in 2012. I even watched the short lived television series, which may not have been perfect but was nice for those who wanted to see Harry brought to life. He truly lives in these books however with James Marsters as his voice.
While this may not be the best of the series it still gives us the true feeling of who Harry and his friends are. We have a lot of growth from characters that we have seen in the past for a short time. A lot of the usual characters are only seen sporadically in a limited capacity. I would have liked to get more from Murphy and the Alphas as well as Thomas, though it was nice to have Butters in a more active role. This picks up from the end of book 12 with Harry realizing what has happened.
Harry Dresden once a Warden of the White Council and the only practicing wizard in Chicago finds himself on the other side of the veil. There he is met by several people who he knew in life who inform him that he has to go back and identify his killer or some of his friends will die. In order to communicate he has to go find Mortimer Lindquist who is an ectomancer (?), he can see and speak to ghosts. What Harry does not know is that with his death all the power hungry supernaturals have converged on Chicago and his friends are the only thing standing between them and a nightmare.
Yeah, like I said it may not be the best but a true Harry Dresden fan will still have to read/listen to it. If you have not tried the audible book version I would suggest you do just that, the narration is well worth doing this again.
This is a short story but it did not pull me in right away, I was not happy with the characters and the story itself was not very coherent to me. There were a lot of grammatical issues that made me stumble as I was reading and so took away some from the action. When I say action I do not mean anything very exciting but it is the vampire feeding. The concept was kind of interesting which is why I got the book, but the execution just left me less than enthusiastic, not to mention the fact that the blurb was different from what actually was going on.
Derek is not really a people person though he goes out to a bar regularly so he is not alone, then goes into a corner. He basically watches people and spots a woman that he finds fascinating one night and decides to follow her. When he discovers something sinister about her he brings his girlfriend into it and tries to distance himself. But it is to late for that and he finds out the hard way that stalking has consequences.
I’ve never read anything by Faith Hunter before but I liked this, maybe because it was a fast read. I did not read it even close to in order but still could figure out what was going on with the characters and what it was about. The Jane Yellowrock series is one I will add to my TBR.
Some might think this a waste of time, but even though I do not go into any detail I still enjoyed the listen . It is a short and to dive to deep means giving away all the plot.
I have been enjoying listening to the books after reading them a few years ago. James Marsters has brought so much life to the characters that I cannot imagine any other voice as that of Dresden. He gives a true vibrancy and personality to each of the characters which distinguishes them from one another. The stories have continued to evolve from that first introduction to the wizard and his world. Things can sometimes drag a little, but it is never for long and always picks up.
Morgan has been the bane of Harry Dresden’s life since he was a 16 year old kid hauled before the White Council for the crime of killing with magic. When Morgan finds himself on the other side of the good graces of the Council he goes to the one person who you would expect to laugh in his face and send him to his fate. But that is not how Harry operates, he believes Morgan when he says he is innocent, and at the risk of his own life sets out to prove that innocence.
A well written ride through the world of Harry and all those creatures, friend and foe, who inhabit it. This is a good one!
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“You’re in America now,” I said. “Our idea of diplomacy is showing up with a gun in one hand and a sandwich in the other and asking which you’d prefer.”
― Jim Butcher, Turn Coat
This one is a little more fun than some of the other books though you get laughs with them all in one way or another. The wit and sarcasm really flow. As has been the case James Marsters does a fantastic job of bringing our hero and his friends to life. The story continues to evolve along with the characters.
The war with the Red Court Vampires continues to rage and take casualties. Necromancers have come to town looking for The Word of Kemmler, a book, that will elevate them to the role of a god. Halloween is going to be less than stellar once again for the people of Chicago if Harry cannot stop the latest threat.
We get a lot more of Waldo Butters in this one as he is kind of featured. I had some laugh out loud moments because Harry has some of the wildest lines. James Marsters as usual brings it home in a big way as he continues to bring life to Harry and his merry band of friends and enemies.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“In the action business, when you don’t want to say you ran like a mouse, you call it ‘taking cover.’ It’s more heroic.”
― Jim Butcher, Dead Beat
I am listening to the Dresden Files because I have read all of the books over the past several years and it became one of my favorite series and Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden became one of my favorite characters. I am gearing up for the next entry in the series, which I hope will arrive soon after I finish the last book. The series is total urban fantasy without the major romance you find in some, and that is appropriate for the main character. The characters have a rich life that you get to share in as they evolve more and more before your eyes. The stories always have an element of mystery and a noir feel that you expect within this world.
Thomas Raith hires Harry to help a friend who seems to be under some type of curse which is causing problems for those around him. The Black Court, Mavra in particular has taken over a downtown location and is causing problems. There is only one of him and yet he is trying to make sure that everyone comes out alive. To top things off Karrin Murphy is having family issues and Harry must be there for her. Murphy returns the favor and is there for him when he needs her the most.
Some surprises are popped, some alliances are forged, some new characters are introduced. This is a wonderful piece of work. Cannot recommend it more highly.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“Jobs are a part of life. Maybe you’ve heard of the concept. It’s called work? See, what happens is that you suffer through doing annoying and humiliating things until you get paid not enough money. Like those Japanese game shows, only without all the glory.” ― Jim Butcher, Blood Rites
"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 