Geist by Philippa Ballantine  Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Ace Available: September 29th 2010 Genre: Fantasy Source: Publisher Reviewed by: Catherine 

Between the living and the dead is the Order of the Deacons, protectors of the Empire, guardians against possession, sentinels enlisted to ward off the malevolent haunting of the geists…

Among the most powerful of the Order is Sorcha, now thrust into partnership with the novice Deacon, Merrick Chambers. They have been dispatched to the isolated village of Ulrich to aide the Priory with a surge of violent geist activity. With them is Raed Rossin, Pretender to the throne that Sorcha is sworn to protect, and bearer of a terrible curse.

But what greets them in the strange settlement is something far more predatory and more horrifying than any mere haunting. And as she uncovers a tradition of twisted rituals passed down through the dark reaches of history, Sorcha will be forced to reconsider everything she thinks she knows.

And if she makes it out of Ulrich alive, what in Hell is she returning to?

Wow, this book turned out to be quite the dark horse for me! It had a pretty rough start. It took me days to get past the first three chapters. I just kept setting it down for something more interesting…like cleaning. I know, right? Buuuut somewhere before page one hundred things seemed to click for me. Even though I wasn’t rooting for every character whose pov I read (yet), I finally understood their motivations and cared about their storyline.

The first chapter was incredibly awkward. If you read the first chapter while browsing in a bookstore and set it back down because it didn’t seem like it was well written, you might want to give it another chance. It was almost like the author had this great idea but didn’t know how to start it off. So the beginning felt forced and awkward. Don’t despair, it didn’t stay like that forever!

Fantasy is not my genre of choice. I like the ideas in it, but it usually comes off feeling more distant than most of the other genres I read. Maybe it’s a symptom of having so many pov’s? I know it’s not just because it’s not focused on romance. I felt the same way in C.L. Wilson’s Tairen Soul books and those were romance… Anyway, I have a problem connecting with them. I felt that same thing in the beginning, but somewhere along the line it went away. I may have had a hard time getting into the book, but I had no problem finishing it! I hit my stride around page one hundred and read the rest of the book in one gigantic gulp.

The book focused on three people. There was Sorcha, the Active Deacon, Merrick, the Sensitive Deacon, and Raed, the Pretender. Sorcha was the hardest of all of them to like. The two guys had more mellow personalities, and even though they had a strong sense of self they were more willing to bend than Sorcha was.

In the very beginning Sorcha came off as hard instead of strong. She reminded me of a warlord in a way. All rough edges and hard and in control with no real care for anyone else’s say in the discussion. She’s the boss and what she says goes. You either agree or get out of her way. She grew and softened the more she got to know the people she was stuck with and she became more likeable without losing any of her strength. I’d actually venture to say that she became stronger as her worldview expanded. It may have taken a while for me to truly like her, but she grew on me to the point that I wouldn’t have changed a thing about her.

We met Raed right off that bat, but his story didn’t actually intersect with Sorcha and Merrick’s for a while. It was interesting getting to see how difficult it is to be him. I wish we could have gotten a bit more history about his family and how they lost the throne, but I suppose we’ll learn more as the series continues. We did get enough information about Raed’s past and curse to keep me satisfied. I rather like the thought of getting to know him slowly.

Merrick was quite the surprise to me. I liked him in the beginning, but I expected that the author would just have him fade into the background and become the “sidekick.” He ended up being a very compelling character. I liked that something specific about his past was revealed at the end. It just helped bind them all even closer. I really liked his love interest and all the secret potential I sensed there, but ended up shocked by how some of those things turned out. I wish I had my hands on the next book!

The world was interesting but it wasn’t given to you in one big dump. We learned new things as the characters experienced something that brought it up. I liked that the author didn’t overload us all at once. The world was important to the story, but I felt that the author spent more time focusing on the characters and developing their relationships and connections. Some might be bothered by that, but I consider that a boon. There’s nothing worse than having an intricate world with flat characters. I’d rather have a slightly less detailed world with richer characters.

Just as a warning: Sorcha is married to someone other than the guy she falls for in this story. Some of you may be giving me the fish eye because of my previously stated hatred of cheaters. I still don’t like them! I really wish she hadn’t been married, but my rules for Romance are different from my rules for other genres. I didn’t expect a romance going into this one, so it was just a sweet bonus for me. It wasn’t a very in depth relationship, but I have hopes for it.

I would have given a higher grade for this one if only the beginning had been smoother. I think that I’m definitely going to have to reread this one before reading the next book. I’ll need to be fresh on all the reveals and machinations that happened in this book.

Favorite Quote: (Page 194)

"I’ve been running all my life, Sorcha–I shouldn’t trust anyone, and yet I have already given my life into your hands twice this week." Sorcha’s lips twitched upward in a beautiful and cruel smile. "I’m just that sort of woman, my lord Pretender."

 

Series list:

• Geist (Book of the Order #1)

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Selfish Is The Heart by Megan Hart Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Berkley Trade Available: October 5, 2010 Genre: Romantic Historical Fantasy

To escape an arranged marriage, Annalise Marony decides to become a Handmaiden of the Order of Solace. But she is thwarted at every turn by Cassian, a teacher of the faith, who must test her dedication. Older than most of the girls, Annalise knows that she will be expected to please a patron in pleasures of the flesh-and she is not shy about teasing Cassian. And as they both play out the game of master and student, the secrets in their souls will either tear them apart-or bind them together forever.

Reviewed by: Amy 

Pleasure and purpose. This is the ultimate goal of a Handmaiden who serves in the religious Order of Solace.  A Handmaiden’s greatest desire is to provide absolute solace to the Order’s patrons – satisfying the needs of the mind, spirit, and body.  Selfish is the Heart by Megan Hart is the third installment of the Order of Solace series and one that explores the story of a Handmaiden in training and a callous man who teaches the art of solace, but can’t seem to find it himself.

Annalise Marony is betrothed to her childhood friend Jacquin Kirkol and she is looking for an escape.  While their love is mutual for one another as friends, Annalise feels no passion for Jacquin and he is far from being sexually attracted to her.  Due to their engagement being arranged by both fathers, Annalise knows that she must find a clever way to remove herself from the impending nuptials and therefore decides to become a Handmaiden in training of the Order of Solace.  Annalise is intelligent, feisty, bold both in thought and action, and well versed in the faith, but has not put it to practice in many years.  However, she is certain she can play the part required long enough to be able to end her pending engagement.  Former Priest, now master teacher in the Order, Cassian Toquin is a man living with many demons. The greatest being the death of his twin brother, Calvis.  Words unspoken. Forgiveness unsought. These are the emotions that drive Cassian to carry on with life and also shield him from allowing anyone near his mind or his heart.  During her travels to the Order, Annalise encounters a man in the forest to whom she asks direction.  Thinking her a privileged fool, the man purposefully sends her on the wrong path.  After finally arriving and settling into the Order’s Motherhouse, Annalise soon discovers that Cassian, the man who mislead her in the woods is her assigned teacher at the Order.  Both her intelligence and boldness to speak up and challenge Cassian in class infuriates and ignites him beyond reason.  And, Annalise soon discovers a tortured soul in Cassian which fuels her to know him better and furthers a simmering attraction between the two.  Once the attraction is finally acknowledged, both of their pasts come back to haunt them.

Megan Hart creates an imaginative, mythological world in her Order of Solace series and while the beautiful covers imply the erotica genre, it is not always the dominant tone in this fantasy/historical series.  Though I have not yet read any of Ms. Hart’s contemporary novels, I can see the allure of her style of writing.  Rich in emotion and depth of character, Selfish is the Heart is my favorite of the three books in the series.  The intense zeal and furry that is evoked from Annalise and Cassian’s interaction caused me to feel like a third wheel who should not be privy to their heated exchanges.  I was, at times, emotionally overwhelmed with Cassian’s lack of self worth and Annalise’s pursuit of tearing down his emotional blockade.  But once they succumb to an intimate union, it’s as if a dam breaks and they become uninhibited in their passion for one another. The strength of Selfish is the Heart is built upon its memorable characters which makes for an intriguing and emotional read.

Favorite Quote:

"He was a discontented man. He was a brooding puzzle. He was, Annalise thought, watching him through the fringe of her lashes, delicious."

 

Other books in the series:

• Pleasure and Purpose
• No Greater Pleasure

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I have an extra copy of Selfish Is The Heart to giveaway.  To enter, just leave a comment on Amy’s review.  Open to all.  Giveaway ends October 16, winner announced soon after.

Dark and Disorderly by Bernita Harris  eBook Publisher: Carina Press Available: June 28, 2010 Genre: Paranormal Suspense  Book received from: NetGalley

"I was standing there naked when my dead husband walked into my bathroom…"

Lillie St. Claire is a Talent, one of the rare few who can permanently dispatch the spirits of the dead that walk the earth. Her skills are in demand in a haunted country, where a plague of ghosts is becoming a civic nuisance.

Those skills bring her into conflict with frightened citizens who view Talents as near-demons. Her husband comes to see her as a Freak; so when Nathan dies after a car crash, she is relieved to be free of his increasingly vicious presence. Lillie expects to be haunted by Nathan’s ghost, but not to become Suspect #1 for her husband’s murder and reanimation.

But what’s most surprising of all is the growing attraction between her and psi-crime detective John Thresher. He thinks that Lillie killed Nathan–and Nathan must agree, because his zombie is seeking revenge. Now she and Thresher must work together to solve her husband’s murder–before his corpse kills her…

Reviewed by Fiction Vixen

When I heard Carina Press was on NetGalley I headed right over hoping  for a chance to check out their offerings.  The cover for Dark and Disorderly caught my attention immediately and I was pleasantly surprised to realize it’s a good representation of the story and main character.  Bernita Harris is a new-to-me author and so I was very excited to have the chance to review this book. 

Dark and Disorderly is a unique urban fantasy style, paranormal thriller with more than a few surprises.  Just when I thought I had it all figured out the author tossed in unexpected twists and sent my mind in another direction keeping me on the edge of my seat.  For me it was definitely the second half of the book that really took hold though. In the beginning I was bombarded with quite a lot of information, never quite clear if it was just information for a general foundation or details that needed to be remembered as key to the plot.  The inclusion of mythology was interesting but with my lack of knowledge in that area, I admit I felt a little lost.

Lillie is an interesting character.  She comes off strong and somewhat tough but she has vulnerabilities.  You’d think that she’d be quite celebrated because of her talent but in fact she’s had to endure quite a lot of prejudice causing her to lack some self-confidence.  At times I thought perhaps her lack of confidence was a bit overdone but she was still quite likeable. I do like my heroines with a vulnerable side but Lille pushed the boundaries just a bit in that department.  I’ll be curious to see how she grows with the series. 

Lillie’s love interest Johnny is quite an enigma.  I wanted to love him, and to trust him but I was never quite sure what his actual motives were and he certainly kept me guessing, even as to what his true nature actually was.   He’s one of those characters you suspect is bad news but he’s loaded with charisma and you just can’t help it, you want to go back for more.  By the end of the story I still wasn’t quite sure about him, but I’m quite intrigued to say the least.

Dark and Disorderly is not a story that is heavy on the romance.  There is romance of course, with plenty of romantic tension between Lillie and Johnny, but there are no graphic sex scenes and the romance is secondary to the suspense and mystery.  I do love romantic urban fantasy however I never felt let down that the romance was secondary and I think there was just enough romantic tension to enhance the story. I quite enjoyed Johnny and Lillie’s relationship. 

Dark and Disorderly is a good start to what I think will be a fantastic new series.  The characters are real and likeable, and the world has some unique elements. Now that I have a good feel for the author’s writing style and the fantasy world she has created, I look forward to seeing the characters grow with the series.  

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Demon Hunter: Seek and Destroy by Cynthia Vespia  e-book Publisher: Aspen Mountain Press Available: November 27, 2009 ISBN-13: 9781601682581 Genre: Dark Fantasy Book received from: Author

As the newest demon hunter, Costa Calabrese has a lot to contend with when the portal to hell opens up in his backyard. Aided by his constant companions, Talisa and Paralay, they must face evil in many forms. But what happens when familiar faces become your opposition? Will love be enough to conquer evil? 

Demon Hunter: Seek and Destroy is the second book in the Demon Hunter series by Cynthia Vespia.  It’s action packed with demons, zombies, dragons, werewolves, hell hounds and even Satan himself. Costa Calabrese seems to be somewhat reluctant demon hunter dealing with the hand that fate dealt him.  He, along with his companions Telisa and the Elven Paraly have set out on a journey across the sea to find and kill the Dragon Sark.  However their sea voyage is cut short by a tsunami and they are blown off course and shipwrecked on an island. 

This is where the action really gets going.  Once they land on the island they encounter evil in many forms , zombies and shape shifting demons to name a just a few.  Costa’s fighting skills and the wisdom passed down from his demon hunter father pull them through from one adventure to the next. 

Costa and Talisa develop a romantic relationship and Costa’s fear of losing love now that he has found it  leads him to challenge the Dark Lord and confront his own personal demons in the process.  He must come to terms with his fate as a demon hunter in order to find happiness in himself and his personal relationships.

A fast paced, thriller with surprises at every turn, I found this book difficult to put down once I started reading. If you enjoy an action adventure story with a dark edge and lots of supernatural creatures you will certainly enjoy Demon Hunter: Seek and Destroy.

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Other books in the series:

Demon Hunter: The Chosen One

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