Anthology - Strange Brew

An anthology of stories edited by P N Elrod, published July 7, 2009.
Genre: urban fantasy
Cover: good



Today's hottest urban fantasy authors come together in this delicious brew that crackles and boils over with tales of powerful witches and dark magic!

A lot of famous authors in this anthology, and the stories are sweet and short. I do know all the authors, but not all the stories/series those stories take place in.

Patricia Briggs - Seeing Eye

A blind witch is asked for help by a werewolf, to find his kidnapped brother, who is an undercover policeman. As the kidnapper is her evil father, Moira feels obliged to help him. But when touching him while working a spell, she can actually see again!
Great story, with a happy ending, and this couple is mentioned again the Patricia Briggs' books. I enjoyed it, but I have read it before in other anthologies.

8 stars.

Jim Butcher - Last Call

When Harry Dresden needs a beer and a sandwich, he goes to his favourite pub, where he finds all the patrons in need of medical attention. Apparently, someone has tampered with the beer, and it is up to Harry, his apprentice and police detective Murray to figure out who, why and stop them from.

A nice little story, and as Harry has an apprentice, a lot farther in the series than were I am at yet.

7 stars.

Rachel Caine - Death warmed over

Holly is a resurrection witch, and the police want her to resurrect the famous Andrew Toland, again. If she refuses the job, they will ask the next in line, and that is her biggest enemy, a woman who enjoys torturing those the resurrects. And so, very reluctantly, she complies. She had real trouble putting Andrew back to death the last time, and she doesn't look forward to the heartbreak again.
When she brings back Andrew, he remembers everything about last time and his previous life, and that should not be possible! How can she be in love with a dead man? But it is Holly who needs protection as someone is killing resurrection witches, and the police send to protect them…

A great story I enjoyed. I have read a short story with this couple before and it was nice to read the start of it. I am not sure if this is part of a series I have not read yet by Rachel Caine.

8 stars.

Karen Chance - Vegas Odds

Again a short story about a mage I have read another short story about before, but I think this one is the sequel of the previous one, so I was glad to have some back story. Lia is attacked in her own home, and nearly killed by her own students. But the one who is supposed to be behind it, is not the real one, something closer to home is behind it all, to protect his own secrets and evil deeds …

Good story, lots of action as I am used to with Karen Chance, and I hope to see Lia again. Part warmage, part werewolf and part human make for a very interesting mix.

9 stars.

P.N. Elrod - Hecate's golden eye

Charles Escott and vampire Jack Fleming form some sort of private investigation firm, and they are hired by Miss Mabel Weaver, to steal her precious yellow diamond pendant back from her cousin, before she can sell it to a collector. The stone has been in her family for generations, and she inherited it from their grandmother, while cousin Agnes inherited the house.

I haven't read anything by this author yet, but I liked the writing style, and her take on a vampire with Jack Fleming. I will try something else from her hand.

7 stars.

Charlaine Harris - Bacon

I am not a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse series, and this story seems to belong to that series. Vampire Dahlia takes her revenge on the witch and the werewolves who killed her husband, and I enjoyed reading this. I might try more of Charlaine Harris after all.

8 stars.

Faith Hunter - Signatures of the Dead

I think this is the very first story in the Jane Yellowrock series, and as I am a huge fan of it, I was glad to finally read this story. I don’t think I would have liked it as much without having read some of the books in the series, as there is not much of a background on Jane and her friend Molly. But knowing the series I really loved this short story, as there is some mention of it in start the series.

9 stars.

Caitlin Kittredge - Ginger

A short story in the Nocturne City series I believe. I haven't read anything by this author yet, but I liked this story and her writing style. A young witch with a werewolf cousin detective, who always is stronger and braver and faster, finally shows her own courage and saves some children in the process.

8 stars.

Jenna MacLaine - Dark Sins

Jenna MacLaine used to write the Sin Craven series, about historical vampires. It was and still is an amazing series and I loved it. But when the publisher pulled the plug on it, as far as I can find out, she never wrote another story. And that is a real shame as she is very good at it.
If you can find the books in this series (beautiful covers as wel!), give them a try!

So, discovering a new to me short story in this world was awesome, I enjoyed it very much.

10 stars.

All in all, a great anthology, with famous names and no duds at all. Recommended.

8 stars.

© 2016 Reviews by Aurian

Jess Haines - Smoke and Mirrors

The first book in the Blackhollow Academy series, published April 28, 2016.
Genre: urban fantasy
Cover: I don't like it.



A girl who uses her illusions to fool the world into thinking she's just like all the other magi.
A dragon who sees through her lies.
Together they just might survive a world that wants to control or destroy them both.

Kimberly may wield ultimate cosmic power, but even a mage has to pay the rent. No one will hire her for her magic talents until she's got the credentials, so she's stuck in a crappy rent controlled apartment with her mother, yearning for treats she can't afford at her part time job in a cafe, counting down the days until she graduates the secret Blackhollow Academy school for magi. Only then will she have the certificate she needs to land her dream job in a coven.
The problem? She needs a familiar to graduate.
As an illusionist, she doesn't have the ability to summon or create a familiar of her own. Her only option is to convince a supernatural creature to let her bind it instead. Since having a powerful Other at her beck and call would guarantee her a place in a coven after she graduates - and legendary treasure hoards are an added bonus - she thinks binding a dragon as her familiar will solve all her problems...
Because sometimes a girl needs a dragon, not a knight.


I was asked by the author to review this book, which was a very nice surprise, and after reading the blurb, I quickly said yes. And I am not sorry at all, as I absolutely loved this story. It is set in the world of her Others, as Alec Royce is mentioned once and there were other familiar bits and pieces.

I soon fell for Kimberly, who does not have an easy life. She and her mother both work hard to be able to pay the rent for their shabby apartment and buy food and other necessities. She is a sorcerer in a world where sorcerers are reviled and killed on sight, so she has to hide that fact. Sure, she could use her powers to make her own money and buy what she wants, but she has standards and honor, and she won't do that, just to make life easier. I admire that about her. She goes to school, to work long hours in a small café, and then home to study. That's it. She doesn't have friends, although one might become one, or anything resembling a social life.
Kimberly is a last year student and Blackhollow Academy for magi. But her sorcerer's magic just can't do everything magi can do, so she uses a lot of her illusion magic to make it appear like she can do it. But one thing won't be possible to fake: to summon a familiar into a circle.
One of her teachers who knows what she is, suggests that she approaches an Other to ask for his of her acceptance of being bound as her earthbound familiar. And not just an ordinary Other: a Dragon! And she gives Kimberly an address and a name of someone who can help her: Cormack Hunter.
Cormack Hunter is a Dragon himself, but he hides the fact. He is not sure why Kimberly has been sent to him, but he does not trust it. So he wants to learn more about her first, before he reveals himself. But when he puts Kimberly in danger from a dangerous Wyvern called Viper, he is very sorry and will have to work hard to earn her trust back.

I enjoyed this story a lot, the places that Cormac takes Kimberly, the things she learns and about the Others she does meet. How she helps a herd of Centaurs and protects their land from a nearby werewolf pack.
The more Kimberly learns about familiars, and how the bond work, the less she wants to do it. But she needs to be able to bind a familiar to be able to graduate. And her dreamjob in a Coven doesn't seem so good anymore either. She will have to re-evaluate what she wants and how to live her own life. Kimberly is not a weak heroine, she is strong, and so is her magic. She can fight her own battles. And Cormac, he is a dragon, he is handsome, arrogant and rich, he is good in battle, what more can you want? But being around Kimberly changes him as well, makes him rethink what he has taken for granted. He can't buy her and she won't take charity.
There are no sex-scenes, but there are a few hot kisses.

I want more, and can't wait for the next book in this series. There are a lot of series out there, but this one feels fresh and original to me.

9 stars.

© 2016 Reviews by Aurian

Jeffe Kennedy - Negotiation

The prequel novella to the Twelve Kingdoms series, published May 23, 2015.
Genre: fantasy romance
Cover: nice



A wounded warrior trapped by the sorceress who knows him better than he does himself...
General Uorsin escapes the last devastating battle, only to find himself alone on a mountain, feverish and no closer to finding the paradise that drives him on. Salena, greatest shapeshifter and magic-worker of her people, springs the trap she's set to protect her land - and to prevent the ravager Uorsin from ever reaching it.
Together, they spend a night setting the terms that will determine not only the rest of their lives, but the fates of the peoples of the Twelve Kingdoms - and the thirteenth.


I haven't read the series yet, but I do want to. Reading this novella gave me a taste of Jeffe Kennedy's writing style, and I like it.
Salena is a witch, a shape shifter, a seer, and she belongs to the Tala. To keep her beloved country safe, she convinces Uorsin to marry her and she will make him High King of the Twelve Kingdoms. But not of the Thirteenth Kingdom, she will do anything she can to prevent him to ever see it …
Almost dying, Uorsin doesn't have much choice, but he won't be a loving husband, he warns her. He will be brutal and he will cheat, and he forbids her to teach her magic to their children … Salena knows the faith that awaits her at his hands, and she knows it will be horrible, but it is necessary…

Yes, I enjoyed it, and I think if you have read the series, you will enjoy this little prequel novella and the insight in those two people.

7 stars.

© 2016 Reviews by Aurian

New books to look forward to for June 2016

This is the list of new releases for the month of June 2016 I am looking forward to:

Christine Feehan - Shadow Rider - Shadow 1
Darynda Jones - The curse of tenth grave - Charley Davidson 10 HC
Heather Graham - The Rising HC
Julie Hyzy - Grace sees red - Manor of Murder Mystery 7
Julie Hyzy - Grace cries Uncle - Manor of Murder Mystery 6 HC
Lorna Barrett - Title Wave - Booktown Mystery 10 HC
Maggie Sefton - Knit to be tied - Kelly Flynn mystery 14 HC
Maggie Sefton - Purl up and die - Kelly Flynn mystery 13
Nora Roberts – Bay of Sighs – Guardians 2
Sherrilyn Kenyon - Born of Legend - League 11 HC
Kresley Cole - Sweet Ruin - Immortals After Dark 16 PB
Laurell K. Hamilton - Crimson Death - Anita Blake 25 HC
Nalini Singh - Allegiance of Honor - Psy-Changelings 15 HC
Stephanie Laurens - The Daredevil Snared - Adventurers Quartet 3 PB


I have read a total of 13 books in May, which is really not much. I hope to do better this month.

Did I match my reading solutions for last month? Nope, not by a long shot!

I have read 0 cozy mysteries, although there is one in my purse at the moment.

4 new books longer than 1 year on my shelf:
Anthology - Strange Brew
J.R. Ward -The King
Jennifer Estep - Deadly Sting
Eileen Wilks - Mortal Sins

and I re-read Dragonsong and Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey again.

1 historical romance:
Suzanne Enoch - Mad, Bad and Dangerous in Plaid

0 Nora Roberts books.

© 2016 Reviews by Aurian