Review: Divine Descendant

It's been a long time since I read the Nikki Glass series by Jenna Black, but I remembered the intense ending and the excitement I felt for the final novel, Divine Descendant. Wrapping up a series is never easy, but I respect it when authors give it their all and do their best to leave fans satisfied while giving the series and characters the closure it deserves. That being said, I wanted more from this finale. Not to say the story wasn't strong and that the characters weren't as memorable as ever, but as I remembered what the Nikki Glass series was capable of, I felt the story was slower and a little more lacking than what I was familiar with. That isn't to say it's bad– far from it. I just think I expected more. Still, if you enjoy urban fantasy and mythology, this is definitely a series worth checking out. Note: Since this the final book in the series, there are major spoilers in the synopsis. I'll keep them out of the review, but be aware.

Sexy cover!

What happens when fertility goddesses go on strike? Nothing much—except maybe the end of the human race.

When private investigator Nikki Glass became immortal as a descendant of Artemis, she never dreamed she’d find herself playing marriage counselor to the gods. But she doesn’t really have much of a choice when the crazed ex-wife of Anderson Kane—a god in disguise who just happens to be the son of a Fury—decides to enact revenge by wiping out all of humanity. Somehow, Nikki must convince the two to kiss and make up, but with Anderson now gone AWOL, she'll have to find him first. To top it all off, the cat’s out of the bag that Anderson killed Konstantin, the Olympians’ deposed leader. Now their new boss—Konstantin’s son—is out for blood.

With every mere mortal’s fate now resting in Nikki’s hands, can she outsmart the gods…or will she be doomed to spend the rest of eternity in a barren and desolate world?

***
The third book in the series, Rogue Descendant, ended in a major cliffhanger and despite the three year wait, I didn't forget it or the complications it would bring main character Nikki Glass or the rest of her descendant allies in their battle against the Olympians. The stakes were raised and they grew even higher when Nikki's leader and friend Anderson's past returns with a literal vengeance.

Longtime readers of the series know that Anderson is way more than meets the eye and has secrets we can only begin to comprehend, but the truths we learned about him shocked even me. Black definitely has an understanding of how old gods reacted to indiscretions and slights, and the crux of the story was seriously appalling. It's always refreshing to read about a plot twist that doesn't involve excessive violence, but is nonetheless awful and sinister.

From there, the story progressed with a steady pace, though it was slower than previous novels with more talks and negotiation taking place than actual action. There was some, but I never Nikki or the other characters were in any serious danger until the end, and I'll talk more about that later.

On a whole, the characters grew very well. Nikki was stronger and braver than ever. I've enjoyed her struggles and determination as a character, and will absolutely miss her more than anyone else. Speaking of anyone else... Jamaal, the love interest. Look, I get that he was consumed with death-magic and had intimacy issues, and I won't deny that his changed attitude stunned me for the better in this instalment. He came a long way and I was proud of him, but I still can't find it in me to like him. He just caused too many problems, was too callous, and wasn't there for Nikki as often as he should have been for me to soften to him. Still, his progression as a character was spectacular and definitely a highlight of the book.

Now, onto the tricky stuff. The ending. A bit of a letdown. The main battle had some intense moments, but to be honest, I was expecting way more casualties, possibly even a major character death (a permanent one, if you know what I mean). Instead, the final confrontation didn't involve a lot of action at all. My first reaction was, "That's it?" Following that was a lack of resolution from a pair of characters I'd been rooting for as a couple. They definitely got shafted and I wasn't happy with how their story ended. Finally, the last scene. Though I can see how it would be a resolution for Nikki and closed out a mystery revolving around her past, I couldn't help but feel it was too major to throw at us and not know how it would be resolved. I mean, this is the last book, and you can't put something like that in the finale and not have longtime readers want to know what it means for Nikki's future.

But these are my opinions, and like I said, the novel is very good. I was happy to return to this universe and see how the finale played out. Yes, I could have done with a little more of almost everything, but if you're looking for a unique take on the urban fantasy/mythology genre, look no further than the Nikki Glass series.

Amy

Guest Post: Fae Visions of the Mediterranean

I'm excited to have today's blog post feature an interview with the two authors/editors of the newly released Fae Visions of the Mediterranean, which features a short story by fellow Ghost, Gears, and Grimoires author Mattia Ravasi. You all know how much I love mythology and how traveling to Greece has been one of the highlights of my life, so I couldn't say no. Enjoy!

*** -Author's Note:

Fae Visions of the Mediterranean is an anthology of short stories, poems, translations, and other arcane bits of written awesomeness published by The Future Fire. It is meant to represent the diverse and complex nature of the Mediterranean – as a geographical, cultural and historical entity – through tales both cheerful and dark... but generally quite dark. Monsters abound in the pages of Fae Visions, and moving as they are by and beneath the Mediterranean's waves, they hardly ever look out of place.

Valeria and Djibril, the guys who edited the anthology,chose one of my stories for Fae Visions. When it was time to start with the interviews-madness, I thought I should grab the chance and ask them about the anthology's behind-the-scenes, and about what they wanted to achieve. I'm sure all fans of the fantastical and horrific, and especially those of us who are striving to get their stories published, will appreciate this sneak peek at the world of editors, these bizarre creatures.

Thanks to both Valeria and Djibril for being such amazing people to work with, and to Amy for hosting this interview on her fabulous blog. Enjoy!

- Mattia

***

1) Let's start from the beginning, shall we: where did the idea for the Fae Visions anthology come from? What was your goal?

Valeria Vitale: It started with a discussion about material culture. Someone pointed out how the same card games can be found, with very little variations in the deck, among relatively distant cities that have in common “only” the fact of being ports of the Mediterranean. That Mediterranean cities have strong and old (although always evolving) links is something so apparent to me, born on the Ionian sea, that I had never really reflected on it; I had never tried to explain the beauty of growing up in an environment where national borders don’t make a lot of sense. The conversation moved quite naturally from travelling objects to travelling words, songs, tales and characters. If you look at the monsters painted on ancient vessels, you can easily imagine the stories travelling with them—I like to picture ancient sea-captains giving lifts to monsters, hidden in the hold!

So we decided to create a literary space for the wonders and horrors (sometimes the line is thin…) of the Mediterranean. We wanted to allow those peregrine stories to travel even further, reaching the new, dark and cold seas of the Anglophone countries.

2) The bit on the card games was seriously dope. I had no idea about it. Moving on: when you get a story - be it for an anthology or an issue of your magazine - what elements tell you that it's exactly what you are looking for? Do you take any background information about the story's author into account when you judge a story?

Djibril al-Ayad: It’s a more complicated process than that, I think. It varies depending on the editors, but often we start off by just filtering those stories that we both absolutely love: beautifully written, great imagery, that speak to us. Then we discuss that longlist, and decide which ones meet the theme most appropriately, and which contribute to a variety in theme, style, genre, representation (of authors, characters, settings)—apart from that, no the author’s background/gender/ethnicity never comes into the decision as to whether to publish a story or not. Then we have a shortlist which is typically double the length of the final table of contents, and we have to decide not which stories we want to lose—but which stories we know we *mustn’t* lose.

VV: Also, it is very good to work with someone that shares your general views on what makes a good story, but has different tastes and background. It makes you look at the stories with different eyes, and discover other perspectives. Sometimes, after discussing a story with the other editors, we end up with a complete different opinion about it (funnily enough, that means that we still disagree, but in a new way :-) ). It is a very interesting process, and has taught me a lot, not only about literature.

DA: That’s right. One of the most interesting things I’ve noticed with previous anthologies I’ve co-edited has been that the stories I hated but was talked into, or the stories my co-editor hated and I talked them into, are precisely the ones that end up being the strongest stories, most popular, most likely to win awards, etc. Having two sets of eyes helping to overcome each other’s prejudices is incredibly valuable.

3) If you could have one living writer — any writer — contribute an extra story to the 2nd, extended, golden, exclusive limited edition of Fae Visions of the Mediterranean, who would she or he be?

DA: Well, we really wouldn't like to prejudge the slushpile of a future anthology, because for example our very favourite author could in theory submit something and we might decide the story doesn’t fit (which is also why I never commission stories for anthologies). But you’re asking us to dream, so in the spirit of that I’ll say that it would be great to have people of the calibre of Amal El Mohtar, Lavie Tidhar, Pilar Pedreza, Ahmed Khaled Tawfik, Alda Teodorani or Vered Tochterman contributing to the slush some day. Who knows? Nothing’s impossible.

VV: Actually, we _are_ thinking of a second volume! (We had not really planned a golden, limited edition, but we could work on that...). First, it was such a good experience, and we got so many good and interesting stories, that we don’t really want to stop (well, maybe just for a while). Second, and more important, we felt that there were some voices and themes that didn’t get represented as much as we would have liked in Fae Visions. So, we plan to open another call in the future, looking especially for stories coming from—or talking about—North Africa and the Near East. So, in case Amal, Lavie, Ahmed or Vered were a bit upset because they missed the first call… they can cheer up!

4) A bit of behind-the-scenes: what is the best part and what is the worst part of your job as editors?

VV: That’s an easy one! The best thing is when, reading the slushpile, you stumble on a very, very good story. One of those you stop reading halfway through just to say “wow”; something that is so moving, and bold, and unexpected that it blows you away. When that happens (and, luckily, it is not a rare thing) you feel really privileged to have a role in bringing this amazing thing to life, you’re so proud to have built a little window for its beauty to shine.

DA: And it may be a cliché, but the worst thing is having to reject a bunch of stories from the final ToC that you really loved when you first read them. I’m sure authors never believe us when we write, “We loved your story, but we couldn’t include everything we loved in the final anthology,” but I make a point of only saying that when it’s true. It’s hard. It hurts. We know it’s necessary to make the anthology as strong as it can be—more than the sum of its parts, not just the best individual stories we have found, but the finest and most coherent collection of stories on the specific theme—but it still goes against the grain to turn down a story that’s so wonderful.

5) If you had to live one full year in a city on the Mediterranean, which one would you pick?

VV: I am deeply fascinated by the cities on the Mediterranean. They all seem to have incredible stories. Did you know that the island of Gozo in Malta is supposed to be Calypso’s island? Actually, it seems that Ulysses himself is buried in a port city of Libya. And, speaking of Libya, the city of Benghazi once carried the name of the fierce queen Berenike, whose luxurious hair mysteriously flew to the sky, where it can still be seen, among the stars. So, what I would really like to do is to spend one year visiting Mediterranean cities, travelling from tale to tale, following the most bizarre, poetic names.

But, I know, this is a cheating answer. You asked for one city. So, if I had to pick one, I’d say Tangier. I irrationally fell in love with it last year, the same way sometimes we fall in love with people and couldn’t really explain why. We only know that they look absolutely gorgeous to us.

DA: I’ve never lived on the Mediterranean, nor even spent more than a couple of days there, to be honest, so I’d probably pick a city where I can at least speak the language, and could work, but isn’t too touristy. Marseilles? Barcelona? (I’m told Taranto is grotesquely beautiful! ;-) )

6) Finally, big question: what plans do you guys have for the future, whether with the Futurefire.net Press or on your own?

DA: We’ve had a busy last year or so with both The Future Fire magazine and Futurefire.net Publishing anthologies, so things will be slowing down a little bit for the next few months. We still have a couple of projects in the pipeline: a feminist-themed issue of the magazine, and a possible follow-up to one of our earlier anthologies being mooted, and we’re open to new ideas, as always. I really want to be in the position to build up our baseline, though—for a start to be able to pay illustrators better, since we have a fabulous quality of artists now, and it’s starting to feel like we can’t impose on their goodwill and enthusiasm forever. But in the meantime we’ll focus on the magazine for this year, and see where that takes us.

VV: The best thing about plans for the future is that you always end up doing something else! So, I’m very curious to discover what we will be doing that we had not planned!

***

Thanks to Mattia, Valeria, and Djibril for stopping by! It was great to have you on the blog!

Amy

Monthly Goals: May

May. We're seriously in May now. My brain is trying to wrap around that concept, especially since May is going to be a month of madness for me. While April's blog posts were fairly simplistic, most of my time was spent promoting my second standalone novel, Storm Born, my which will be out in two days! 

I've already got my release-celebration events planned out, but my work is far from over. April was a good month– Not only was it my birthday month, I managed to complete Storm of the Gods, the first novel in the Areios Brothers series which will be sent to publishers once I work through the Beta edits. I got to participate in the cover reveal for Elise Kova's Crystal Crowned, one of my new favourite fantasy romance series. But May... Well, May is simply going to be almost madness. In addition to all the spotlights, reviews, and contests (one of which is going on now!) for Storm Born, I'm going to begin promoting the last novel in the Cursed series, Damnation's Door.

I'll likely be contacting a couple book promotion companies to help out with promotion, since I've got a lot going on and it will be nice to let someone else handle all that work. As I've learned, my reach can only go so far, and I can shift my budget to accommodate what will actually work for me rather than hoping for the best. I'll also be booking covers and editors for more upcoming work so I can keep the steady pace for my releases going until the end of the year.

In editing news, I'm hoping to have the edits for Midnight Sky, the sequel to Crimson Sky and second novel in the Dark Sky series back early so I can start working on those. The cover is supposed to come in at the end of the month, and I'm super excited to see what the wonder team at Deranged Doctor Design come up with. It gives me an excuse to bring out the old cover again and reminisce...

Now, for writing projects: I'm still writing the second novel in the Areios Brothers series, since I started it and hate to leave a project unfinished. While I do want the edits back for both Storm of the Gods and Midnight Sky, I would like to have this novel out of the way. Once the Beta edits for Storm of the Gods are done, I'll be holding my breath and sending them out to major publishers. While I bide my time with that and try not to chew my nails off with anxiety, I'll be working on the world building, story histories, plots, and quirks of a new series called Iron Gargoyle. Originally, I had planned to release a second urban fantasy series that I've wanted to write for years, but it might remind readers of Areios Brothers, a comparison I don't want to be made. Friends in my weekly writing group have edged me toward releasing Iron Gargoyle. Lots of the prompts I've done for the group have revolved around that series, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about it more often than not. It's a really unique world that I love creating, and I'm excited to plan it out. I won't say much right now, but here's the absolute vaguest description of what to expect: Humanoid gargoyles and actual gargoyles fighting mages in a post-apocalyptic war zone in the near future.

Once the world is built and the plots are ironed out (no pun intended!), I'll start the first novel, which will be titled the same as the series. That's my next major writing project, and I'm eager to start it soon.

So those are my plans for May. I can already feel the whirlwind headed my way. Let it never be said that I want to do things easy!

Cheers!

Amy

Review: Elsker

Since no one in their right mind would say no to fourteen free books in their favourite genre, I couldn't resist picking up the Gods and Mortals collection on Kobo. Mythology and urban fantasy are two great loves of mine, and I always love seeing how other authors explore the genre. The first novel in the collection was Elsker, the first novel in S. T. Bende's Elsker Saga. I knew going in that the novels in this collection would be the first books in the start of a series, a way to tempt readers to buy the rest of the series and support the author(s). I love that idea, am thinking about doing it myself, and really thought I could get into Elsker Saga the as a whole. Sadly, that didn't happen. The novel wasn't bad, but I felt that it lost momentum and became increasingly predictable. I didn't feel the danger the story was trying to convey, something that's important when you write a saga. There were some high points, but not enough to convince me to buy the other books.

Definitely like the scaled colours and the text. A hot-looking Ull isn't bad either.

Kristia Tostenson prefers Earl Grey to Grey Goose and book clubs to nightclubs. But when she transfers from her one-stoplight Oregon town to Cardiff University in Wales, she falls in love with Ull Myhr. Her new boyfriend isn’t exactly what she was expecting. His cashmere sweaters and old world charm mask a warrior who's spent an eternity fighting for his very existence. Ull is an honest-to-goodness Norse god — an immortal assassin fated to die at Ragnarok, the battle destined to destroy Asgard and Earth. On top of being marked for death, Asgardian law prohibits Ull from tying his fate to a mortal. No matter what she feels for Ull, Kristia knows she's the one thing he can never have. 

With Ragnarok on the horizon and a lunatic haunting her dreams, Kristia has to find a way to convince Ull that breaking the rules is the only way to survive; that defying the order he's sworn to uphold is their only chance to be together. And when someone starts asking the wrong questions, Kristia realizes the crazy visions she's had all her life might be the key to saving their realms... even if they end up costing her her life.

***
Frequent readers of urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and Young Adult romance will find this story very familiar. A young woman enters a new life and finds a handsome, mysterious stranger watching over her with more power than she realizes. While I really have read that story a thousand times already, I can cut the familiarity some slack because I can likely get invested enough in the story to see how the genre trope is altered/changed to adapt to a new story and world. I'm a reader who cares about details and subtle differences to turn said trope into something new and unique, which I might not of found had I quit the book because it was cliche.

That being said, this particular story moved way too slow for me. It was littered with details that didn't have any relevance to the story, simply being there to lighten the mood or show a passage of time. I really didn't care about Kristia's fashion designer friends, and was bored by her calling her best friend to talk about an irrelevant play or to get advice on her latest guy troubles. While we were introduced to some important characters and eventually got to the path that will lead Kristia to her destiny, it took forever to reach that destination. The only time we really see any action is in Kristia's visions or dream sequences. And the villain? I can't tell you who he is, why he up and disappears halfway through the book, or why he isn't truly threatening Kristia or Ull. The book was all introductions, and no actual action.

The characters? I hate to say it, but they were pretty stereotypical. We had the spunky, curious, strong female lead, the mega-hot, broody, mysterious love interest, the loveable, loyal friends, the over-bearing father figure, and the creepy villain when he decided to show his face. That being said, I did like the main characters. Kristia was a good person to view the story from, and Ull, while he started off being a creepy stalker, did have a big heart and was a true romantic, though I really didn't like how secondary characters made him out to be a grim lone wolf without giving us any current context to back that statement up. They definitely had a fairytale romance, and while overly sweet, considering the last novels I read, it was a nice reprieve.

But I think my biggest problem with Elsker was the lack of true conflict. Any problems Kristia and Ull had were repeats of their same argument or solved a few chapters later. Novels are carried on conflict. The more problems your character has to solve, the stronger they (and the book) become. Like I said before, there was little by way of action. Maybe it's just me, but I prefer my paranormal romances to come with heaps of cosmic danger. I love mythology, and I find it very hard to take these deities seriously when they're not exercising supernatural muscle at every turn.

Personally, this series was not for me. That being said, if you're looking for an easy-going novel with a soft heart, or are wondering what Thor would be like if he were less macho and more romantic, Elsker is for you.

Amy

Progress Report (And News For AIR AWAKENS Fans!)

Not much has gone on over the last few days, though I'm excited to close out the week. I should have the first draft of Storm of the Gods, the first in an upcoming urban fantasy/Greek mythology series. I should have it done by the end of the day (if I'm lucky), or for sure by tomorrow. I'll need to take a little break from Derek and Liam before I get to editing, Phase One, so I'll be working on the plots and getting a feel for another urban fantasy series, Agents of Limbo. Both of them will be sent out to publishers once they've been edited and completed, but if I don't hear any positive/exciting/life-changing feedback within six months, I'll self-publish both. I'm patient, but I would like to continue self-publishing so I can write more of the novels I have planned.

So for now, I'm just going to work on new books and promote the pre-orders for my upcoming novels, the standalone Storm Born and the last novel in the Cursed series, Damnation's Door.

A single night can change your life… for the worst.

It’s been a century since the last Centennial Storm, the calamitous phenomenon that covered the world in disasters– tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, tsunamis, and dust storms– caused not by nature, but by alien creatures from another realm. The Stormkind.

Ava Reid tries not to think about that night, when she was caught in a hurricane and brought face to face with one of the Stormkind, the man with a dagger, and the agony she felt when he stabbed her with a crystal blade. Yet as she and the rest of Florida’s citizens begin to rebuild their lives, Ava can’t help but notice strange things happening around her. Things she seems to be causing. The gusts of wind and sudden floods attract the attentions of a mysterious stranger who leaves her clues, and the deadlier men following her.

It isn’t long before Ava is swept up into a wild conspiracy, led by a secret society that knows the truth about the Stormkind– and what their enemies have planned for the world she loves. If she wishes to protect her friends and her family, Ava must harness her strange new abilities and become part of the Stormkind society. Because if she loses control, there will be no force strong enough to stop her… 

Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Smashwords | iBookstore |

***

Demons are free. Angels are fallen. Hope is dying...

Constance Ramirez and her adopted sister, Andromeda, have stopped Lucifer’s plan– They have closed the Heaven Gate and kept the demons out. But their choice came with brutal consequences, and now every angel on earth is trapped in their mortal body.

All that remains is closing the Hell Gate and establishing a balance once and for all. That means returning to the city of Constance’s nightmares, which has become a haven for murderers and monsters. But even more dangerous than their hunt is that Andromeda’s powers and instincts are turning darker, and this time Constance doesn’t know how to protect her.

Constance is ready to fight for her life, but her enemies have plans she can’t begin to imagine, and they’re prepared to make her suffer...

Trust is lost and hearts are broken in the epic conclusion in Amy Braun’s Cursed trilogy...

Amazon Kindle | Paperback | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Nook | Goodreads | Smashwords |

***

Finally, I have some fangirl news I'd like to share. Some of you might remember I was praising a YA fantasy novel called Air Awakens recently. Since that review, I've read the remainder of Elise Kova's novels and am eagerly waiting for the fourth book, Water's Wrath. I recently learned that Kova has a signup for the cover reveal of the fifth and final book, Crystal Crowned. Since I know from experience how well these promotions can work, I decided to throw my name on the list. On April 19, the cover will be revealed, and I'm really excited to be part of the many blogs that will share it. I still have to wait until April 26 to read Water's Wrath, which will make not reading the Crystal Crowned synopsis challenging, but I truly do enjoy helping and promoting other authors, whether their relative newbies like me or better known names like Kova. Besides, what avid reader doesn't love to gush about her favourite books?

Until the weekend! Cheers!

Amy

Review: Staked

There's nothing like a good ol' action packed urban fantasy story to get a creative mind in gear, especially when said story is littered with delicious mythology. I've been a fan of the Iron Druid Chronicles since basically forever, and the latest novel in the series, Staked is by far one of my favourites, which is saying something. Kevin Hearne masterfully brings us back into a world of fantastic history, rich characters, pulse-pounding action, shocking twists, witty and hilarious dialogue, and glorious meat references (if you've read these books, you know what I'm talking about, and for the record, yes I did have poutine a couple days after finishing the book. And of course it had bacon on it). Staked is everything I want from the Iron Druid Chronicles, bringing new elements to the table and raising the stakes (no pun intended!) for everyone's favourite geeky Druid.

I love every Iron Druid Chronicles cover, but this is one of my favourites!

When a druid has lived for two thousand years like Atticus, he's bound to run afoul of a few vampires. Make that legions of them. Even his former friend and legal counsel turned out to be a bloodsucking backstabber. Now the toothy troublemakers—led by power-mad pain-in-the-neck Theophilus—have become a huge problem requiring a solution. It's time to make a stand.

As always, Atticus wouldn't mind a little backup. But his allies have problems of their own. Ornery archdruid Owen Kennedy is having a wee bit of troll trouble: Turns out when you stiff a troll, it's not water under the bridge. Meanwhile, Granuaile is desperate to free herself of the Norse god Loki's mark and elude his powers of divination—a quest that will bring her face-to-face with several Slavic nightmares.

As Atticus globetrots to stop his nemesis Theophilus, the journey leads to Rome. What better place to end an immortal than the Eternal City? But poetic justice won't come without a price: In order to defeat Theophilus, Atticus may have to lose an old friend.

As with the previous novel, Shattered, the story is told from three different perspectives: main character Atticus, as he turns into a vampire slayer that would give Buffy a run for her money, Atticus's apprentice/lover Granuaile as she increases her knowledge on Druidism and attempts to free herself from Loki's eyes, and Owen Kennedy, a Druidic instructor whose dialogue might leave some readers cringing with mild disgust, but will have you smiling anyway (especially when it comes to Realtors. I finished the book a couple days ago, and I'm still laughing about that). All three stories take place in vastly different parts of the world, but it's Atticus's mission to eliminate the vampires hunting him and the only other Druids in existence– Granuaile and Owen. On the way, they run across old and new gods, werewolves, and witches, truly making this novel an epic story with various quests and challenges. 

I was pleased with the amount of growing that Granuaile did. She's always been a bit hotheaded, rightly earning her name as the Fierce Druid, and is a powerful female character, but to me her greatest depth came when she was at her most vulnerable. She is a fantastic character who's only getting stronger, and I really want to see where her story leads, especially in regards to her relationship with Atticus (they're made for each other and need to stay together, dammit!)

While I love Atticus and Granuaile to pieces, I have to admit that Owen had my favourite storyline. Not only was it hilarious (seriously, I had to bite my tongue at some points not to look like the crazy girl on the bus laughing at nothing), it was actually really deep regarding his character. Owen has had trouble integrating into a world vastly different than his, and it was refreshing to watch him begin to accept this and grow from it. I definitely want to see how this will come into play as he returns to his mantle as a Druid instructor.

That being said, Atticus had the story with the most action. Watching him fight vampires, face old enemies, and interact with gods was as fun as it has always been. Atticus himself has some growing to do, despite his age, as both Granuaile and Owen pointed out later in the book. I admit that I was hoping for a little more of a battle at the end, since I didn't find the major villain that intimidating. But I know that Atticus will have his hands more than full in future books.

I love the Iron Druid Chronicles. Each story brings something new to the table, and, as made clear in this book, no one is safe. I'm eager to see what the next book will revolve around, especially with the threat of Ragnarok looming over everyone's head. Regardless of where the next adventure takes place, I'll be waiting eagerly... with a healthy portion of bacon poutine as snack to make certain beloved hounds proud. 

Amy

Weekly Recap (Last One For 2015!)

And we're back! I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and holiday season. I know I did. Vampire encyclopedias, chocolate, sleep, new books, family and friends, action movies, promotional art, pre-orders, and writing. Oh, yes. I definitely made this most of all this time off. Shame that this is my last day before going back to the grind for six days in a row. Still, I'm super proud of everything I managed to accomplish, including:

• Set up pre-orders and proof copies for Crimson Sky

• Continue writing Storm of the Gods

• First round of edits for Storm Born

• Read over and do minor edits for Damnation's Door

I have to say that I killed it with editing recently, though Storm Born will still need a bit more work. I've already contacted my editor and cover artists, and hopefully I'll be getting some Beta readers interested in the book before it comes out. If you happen to be a Beta reader and are interested in storms/X-Men/sexy knights, email me at amybraunauthor (at) gmail (dot) com. 

This week will be a little tricking since I have to go back to the Real Job and set up new goals for the new year, but here's what I'm hoping to do this week:

• Continue writing Storm of the Gods

• Send out edits for Storm Born

• Finish editing Damnation's Door

• Complete cover request forms for Storm Born and Damnation's Door (the last Cursed novel)

• Start promoting Crimson Sky

• Write and complete the next Blood Moon chapter

I think that's all I can fit in for this week. It's going to be a challenging one, but doesn't everybody cram things at the end of the year? I know that I should be going through my old clothes and finding things I can donate, but I'm going to hold off on that until next week. 

I'm very excited to start promoting Crimson Sky. I've already set up the pre-orders on Kindle, Kobo, Goodreads, and Smashwords, and will be working on using the fantastic promo art from Deranged Doctor Design as best as I can. 

This has been a crazy year for me, and I can't believe it's almost over. I've got tons of plans for the new year, and I'll share them all on Thursday's blog post. Until then, keep enjoying your holidays!

Amy

Review: V-Wars

One of the gifts I got for Christmas was the Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology by Theresa Bane. I haven't read it cover to cover yet, but the ideas inside it are astounding and horrific. As I was skimming it, my mind went back to an anthology I recently read by Jonathan Maberry, titled V-Wars. The book is filled with new and different kinds of vampires emerge from a single mutated virus, and each one has its own bloody story to tell. Similar to Max Brooks's World War Z, there are different stories, timelines and characters, though it all plays back to the main story of the book, and ultimately, the world. Vampire lovers like me will find this collection unique, exciting, and in some cases, unexpected.

I didn't notice the vampire bites on the lower part of the globe! Awesome!

When melting Artic ice releases a virus it triggers dormant genes from junk DNA. The genes that once created vampires. Now, all over the world, people are beginning to transform. To develop unnatural and unstoppable hungers. Are they still human? Or is there now a brand new link in the food chain?

The world is filled with vampire legend. Each culture with its own unique brand of blood-thirsty killer, but the stories aren't mere myth. Strange, savage, immensely powerful, and driven by a need to feed on human blood - vampires are returning.

V-Wars is the chronicle of the first vampire war. From the savage murders committed by the patient zero of the plague to full-out battles with vampire terrorist cells, these are the stories of the most terrifying war mankind has ever faced.

The vampire wars have begun. The world will scream. . . 

The collection begins with "Junk" by Maberry himself, the recollection of a down-on-his-luck artist who spends his time working at Starbucks and taking advantage of young women. Yup. That's where we're starting. He's not a great guy, but he does not deserve to have a monstrous vampire gene awaken inside him and turn him into a bloodthirsty monster. From there, the virus spreads to different corners of the American states, and even a little further than that. The strain even awakens genes for other monsters, such as demons and werewolves. It's a brewing supernatural war, and all that anyone can do is run, hide, and hope not to get eaten.

The authors each created a story, but the chapters of each story were split and placed in different sections of the book. For me, that was the major drawback. Some of the stories were really compelling and exciting, and I wanted to see how they would end. Maybe it's because I'm one of those readers who has to read everything in order, but I felt that splitting the stories and their chapters up was confusing and a little weird at some points. Granted, the timeline was important, but I think the anthology would have been stronger the stories were in one piece rather than thrown every which way.

That being said, the stories that were submitted were very, very strong. "Junk" is by far the most powerful, and perhaps the scariest, but I really enjoyed "The Stalking of Anna Lei," the story of a vampire desperate to save his sister from something decidedly not vampire, and "The Ballad of Big Charles," a tale about a big-hearted politician who comes out as being a werewolf. The main character in "The Stalking of Anna Lei" was funny and easy to relate to, and the conspiracies and traps in "The Ballad of Big Charles" led to some surprising twists, and gave a clear insight as to what people would think if a beloved politician declared himself to be a supernatural creature right before the re-election.

Every story was exceedingly well written, and what I loved most about them was the way different mythologies and cultures were brought into the story. They weren't chosen randomly, and the creatures not only fit into the story, they added unpredictable elements of horror and excitement to the anthology. By the end, all I could think of was how I wanted more.

I never really got the feeling that I was reading a supernatural war. I hoped there would be more stories about soldiers fighting on the front lines of a paranormal battle, but as a huge fan of all things vampire (Twilight doesn't count, we all know that), I found this to be a fun read, and would recommend it to those who enjoyed World War Z and other vampire fanatics like me. It's a nice reminder that while zombies can be scary, if vampires attack, we are so screwed.

Amy

Review: The Three

I love books that change as you read them. That was one of the reasons I loved Max Brooks' World War Z (and before you ask, of course I though the book was better, Brad Pitt or no)– the effects of the book didn't just circle one person, but an entire world, various countries, and outsiders looking in on people directly involved in the issue. The same kind of journalistic approach is taken again in Sarah Lotz's novel The Three, one of the creepiest books I've read all year. It's not scary in the way horror movies are scary– very few jump scares and cliche horror moments– but a significant of realistic scares, the fears that people never want to voice aloud or consider might be possible, fears that will shake the foundations of the entire globe. The Three is unpredictable, deep, and not a book to be missed. Since it will be hard to delve into one of the reasons I enjoyed the novel so much, a spoiler alert is going into effect.

You would be amazed at how much this cover reveals...

Four simultaneous plane crashes. Three child survivors. A religious fanatic who insists the three are harbingers of the apocalypse. What if he's right?

The world is stunned when four commuter planes crash within hours of each other on different continents. Facing global panic, officials are under pressure to find the causes. With terrorist attacks and environmental factors ruled out, there doesn't appear to be a correlation between the crashes, except that in three of the four air disasters a child survivor is found in the wreckage.

Dubbed 'The Three' by the international press, the children all exhibit disturbing behavioural problems, presumably caused by the horror they lived through and the unrelenting press attention. This attention becomes more than just intrusive when a rapture cult led by a charismatic evangelical minister insists that the survivors are three of the four harbingers of the apocalypse. The Three are forced to go into hiding, but as the children's behaviour becomes increasingly disturbing, even their guardians begin to question their miraculous survival...

The book begins with various characters hearing or witnessing the crashes, and following them as they and the rest of the world struggle with the horrific ordeals, trying to discover what exactly happened, and why three small children were able to survive. As the story progresses and answers are demanded, a sharp religious factor comes into play, men of cloth stating that these children are none other than three of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Sounds ridiculous, right?

Except... things get weird. The remaining family members and guardians of the children begin to experience bizarre events, and it becomes clear that the children have been changed from their ordeal, and not in any way that indicates they could be in shock or suffering from amnesia. As the story continues and the events become increasingly disturbing, the concept of a religious/paranormal answer becomes more apparent, until the lines between the truth and fiction waver unpredictably. Watching how atheist and non-believers viewed the seemingly absurd religious perspective– and how quickly they turned to find comfort in it– was pretty damn scary.

I'm going to say straight off the bat that this may not be a good book for men and women with strong religious beliefs. While it wasn't blatantly offensive to them, it did seem to carry an undertone that extremists could go too far, and that in their desperation they would turn to truly appalling measures. It didn't vilify religion in any sense, but it didn't paint a flattering portrait either.

Though that could be said for all the characters. Nobody was perfect, which helped me empathize with the characters and believe they were real people. Writing the chapters and interviews gave a lot of different perspectives about the lengths people were willing to go to protect these children, and how they viewed the media constantly hovering over their shoulders. I even enjoyed the chapters told from the POV of a character who was seemingly random, save for the fact that they witnessed or took part in a crucial moment of the plot.

What I might have enjoyed most was the ending, and how the "author" of the book continued to tell the story from her perspective, and how radically it was received on its "publication." That was an angle I'd never seen before, and I liked the way it extended the mystery of the story.

If I have a complaint, it's about the ending. I like endings that are kind of left to the imagination, but I do like to have something to base my imagination on. The Three didn't really give me that. I decided on my own conclusion, but I would have liked a little more clarity.

So, who is this book for? Fans of thrillers who have an interest in conspiracy theories. Sounds like a weird, isolated target audience, but it holds true. The book fascinated me, and there were definitely a few twists that I did not see coming. Totally a book for a reader who wants to go on a ride, and have no idea where it will take them.

Amy