Grimm: The Chopping Block-John Passarella

Grimm: The Chopping Block
John Passarella
Titan Books, Feb 18 2014, $7.99
http://www.titanbooks.com
ISBN: 9781781166567

In Portland, Brian Mathis and his tweener son Tyler are hampered by the wet grounds while on an internet treasure hunt in Claremont Park. Brian finds the hidden cache while Tyler finds bones buried in a nearby shallow grave.

Portland Homicide Detectives Nick Burkhardt the Grimm and Hank Griffin on his crutches lead the investigation. The ME bleakly informs them that someone cooked the remains before disposing of the bones. Another shallow grave filled with bones is found, but neither Nick nor Hank can figure out how the numerous victims are chosen as the demographics cross all groups. The partners believe Wesen are involved so they consult with Bluthbad Monroe who mentions his grandfather told him a tale of the elitist Silver Plate Society who gathers every twenty-five years to dine on human meat.

The key to this exciting adaptation is the storyline remains true to the theme and the TV cast (Grimm, Hank, Captain Renard, Monroe and Juliette) keep the traits that series fans will recognize and newcomers will appreciate. This action-packed paranormal police procedural is fast-paced fun but the audience will not eat meat while reading.

Harriet Klausner

Ruberah: Age of Jeweled Intelligence-P. Christina Greenaway

Ruberah: Age of Jeweled Intelligence
P. Christina Greenaway
girl by the sea, Mar 19 2013, $14.95
ISBN: 9780615949871

The Age of Jeweled Intelligence ends with the destruction of Az’Rayelle when the Ruberah Kingdom Princess Li’ram fiddles away her time thinking only of her love for Emerald Kingdom Prince Da’krah while the Dark Master assaults her land. Realizing too late she allowed her desires to supersede her people’s safety, self-loathing Li’ram pleads with the River Spirit to grant her a chance one day for redemption.

Eons later in the Kingdom of Kernow, teenage Princess Tamara refuses to perform her official duties compounded by her defying customs. Her anguished father decrees his rebellious daughter will be changed into a river of tears.

In the present, as Americans Mitch Devere and Miriam Lewis drive a car across the Tamar Bridge into Cornwall, she is stunned by seeing a glowing girl floating on the river. This jogs an odd memory of a vow she made a long time ago and also recalls flashes of a royal life in the ancient Kingdom of Ruberah. Confused, Miriam believes she made a sacred pledge in a previous life that she feels a deep commitment to honor. To do so she must rely on the River Tamar spirit to guide her and Mitch; yet unaware that her otherworldly ally is limited with what she can do to help. Miriam’s arrival also awakens the dormant Dark Master.

Written in Ruberah is a superb romantic fantasy as M&M aided by the river spirit have a second chance in the war against the Dark Master. The key to this vivid thriller is that the prime players past and present seem genuine. Readers will appreciate this exhilarating tale as redemption does not guarantee defeating evil.

Harriet Klausner

Netherworld-Lisa Morton

Netherworld
Lisa Morton
JournalStone, Jan 10 2014, $18.95
http://www.journalstone.com
ISBN: 9781940161082

In 1878 since her beloved husband Lord William Furnaval vanished and is probably dead, Diana lost interest in life including her mission as a Netherworld Gatekeeper partly because he was her diligent partner preventing wickedness from entering our world. Since William’s disappearance, Diana performs her duty to patrol the supernatural portals, but lacks the vigilliance she possessed when teamed with her husband.

As she shuts portals, Diana becomes concerned that evil has begun crossing over unchecked. She fears a war with demons will devastate her world if she fails to act immediately. With help from Yi-Kin the Chinese sailor, Mina the guardian and Stephen the scholar, all whom she meets on her globetrotting escapades, Diana fights malevolence while closing gates and searching with little hope for William.

The keys to this fascinating first Chronicles of Diana Furnaval are the alternate vivid Victorian era and the wonderful anachronistic heroine who is way ahead of her time. Although Diana and her loyal band too easily and quickly defeat seemingly more powerful demons leading to the immediate next escapade against a new beast with no respite for the weary, readers will enjoy this action-packed historical fantasy.

Harriet Klausner

Wicked After Midnight-Delilah S. Dawson

Wicked After Midnight
Delilah S. Dawson
Pocket, Jan 28 2014, $7.99
ISBN: 9781451657913

In the freaky world Sang, former college student Demi Ward feels guilty as she appreciates what Criminy Stain has done for her starting with rescuing the young Bludman by turning her, but also is bored after six years as a contortionist in his traveling circus. Ignoring warnings from her paper-holding savior Crim and her mentor from her world Tish, Demi insists she needs to escape ennui. Crim agrees to allow her and her caravan roommate Cherie to attend the university in Ruin.

The twenty-six year old looking like a teen Demi persuades her BFF Cherie to skip Ruin and go to Paris with her to sing at a cabaret. However, before they arrive in the city, slavers assault them. The vicious thugs capture Cherie while Vale Hildebrand rescues Demi. Loaded with crippling remorse for convincing her friend to accompany her to Paris, Demi vows to rescue Cherie. Though he expects the worse, doubting Vale offers to help her beginning with kisses while she performs at the cabaret seeking info from her decadent admirers.

The latest “Wicked” Blud steampunk fantasy (see Wicked as They Come and Wicked as She Wants) is an entertaining paranormal romance starring another modern day “Alice” falling through the rabbit hole. Demi’s desperation amidst depravity makes for an enjoyable thriller as Sally Bowles sang: “Life is a Cabaret.”

Harriet Klausner

Carousel Sun-Sharon Lee

Carousel Sun
Sharon Lee
Baen, Feb 4 2014, $15.00
ISBN: 9781476736235

Ten years ago the Guardian of the Land Katherine Fae Archer left Archers Beach, Maine but recently returned when the by the SOPs Fun Country manager Marilyn demanded remittance from her for her space in the amusement park as her missing grandmother failed to pay. While Kate avoided her responsibility leaving the town and land in a horrid downward track, her Fantasy Menagerie Carousel lost a horse when the spirit within awakened and took off.

Kate needs to replace the empty spot while Fun Country demands she does so immediately or face penalties. She reluctantly goes to the Enterprise who has no horses or any items to fit the menagerie. Instead she settles on a fiberglass chicken to fill temporarily the void. Mechanic Nancy Vois works the carousel’s night shift and helps install the chicken; while newcomer Vassily Abramovich Davydenko works days. Borgan the trenvay and Bonny the dryad recover from injuries and much of the land also begins to heal since the Guardian came home.

The sequel to the exciting Carousel Tides is an insightful cerebral Maine fantasy though muted compared to its action-packed predecessor. The entertaining storyline focuses more on the healing of the land, the paranormal, the humans and the Guardian although there is rematch with the drug gang who has a fiery ally in round two. Sharon Lee enables her audience to look deep into the soul of the guilt-laden heroine as she tries to make right what her decade of neglect caused.

Harriet Klausner

The Queen’s Choice-Cayla Kluver

The Queen’s Choice
Cayla Kluver
Harlequin Teen, Jan 28 2014, $17.99,
ISBN: 9780373210923

The Queen of Chrior is dying. Two heirs qualify as the next monarch of Chrior, but the Queen selects her niece Anya as more suitable for the kingdom than her other niece Illumina. She also assigns Illumina to find her long lost son Prince Zabriel in Warekum.

However, as she grieves for her beloved aunt, Anya feels she may be a better candidate than her cousin, but is still not qualified to rule. Anya decides to leave her Fairie realm to find Zabriel in the human world. For the most part nothing goes right once she crosses over starting with losing her wings, which not only severs her bond with Davic, but also exiles her on this mortal plane. However, the one plus is Anya meets human Shea who mentors her on her misadventures.

The first Heirs of Chrior young adult fantasy is an engaging tale that provides a fascinating mythos. The storyline is fun when the heroine stumbles from one blunder to another due to her stubborn refusal to accept she has been de-winged and so no longer indestructible. However, in between her blunders are long stretches of seemingly nothingness; as this is a solid opening act but not at the level of Cayla Kluver’s Legacy trilogy.

Harriet Klausner

Dark Duets-Christopher Golden (editor)

Dark Duets
Christopher Golden (editor)
Harper Voyager, Jan 7 2014, $25.99
ISBN 9780062240279

This seventeen story collection focuses on “tales of horror and dark fantasy” with the caveat that each contribution must be coauthored by a collaboration of at least two writers who previously never teamed up. The compilation is very well written as expected by the highly regarded participants, but the entries often miss the dark adjective requirement and ergo are rarely horrifying. “Violence is as American as Cherry Pie” (H. Raps Brown) for the deceased as much as the living in “Wielded” by Tom Piccirilli and T.M. Wright. In “Dark Witness” (Charlaine Harris and Rachel Caine) the female struggles to cope with rape. Erin persuades her BFF Jana to come to the party where the latter learns the hard way about the cost of “Blind Love” (father-daughter team Lansdale). The troll’s feeding tastes would lock him away for life or execute him in human society for two distinct reasons in “Trip Trap” by Sherrilyn Kenyon and Kevin J. Anderson. This is a fun anthology but many of the tales use humor that lightens the intended darkness.

Harriet Klausner

Moon Rising-Lori Devoti

Moon Rising
Lori Devoti
Harlequin Nocturne, Jan 7 2014, $5.75
ISBN 9780373885886

The human may be living in squalor in Cave City, Kentucky, but his claim on a blog to have found hidden treasure sends hermitic vampire Marc Delacroix to his abode as he believes the man found a vampire cache. Moments after his arrival at the dump, two werewolves enter the building. Russell and Cece Parks learned of the hidden werewolf treasure when a drunk bragged about it. A dog angry over the invasion has the three intruders fleeing.

Marc and Cece are attracted to each but distrust supersedes desire. Though her pack wants their natural enemy dead, Cece risks becoming an exiled lone wolf by rescuing him; while a third party paranormal hunt for the same artifacts killing anyone, regardless of species, in their way.

Moon Rising is an exciting paranormal taboo romance due to the fully developed lead characters whose relationship goes from attraction to love rather quickly; while trust proves more convoluted and extremely difficult to achieve due to conflicting loyalties. Fast-paced readers will enjoy the treasure hunt teaming by the vampire and the were in the ideal locale, Mammoth Cave National Park.

Harriet Klausner

Fury Of The Demon-Diana Rowland

Fury Of The Demon
Diana Rowland
Daw, Jan 7 2014, $17.99
ISBN: 9780756408305

Though still recuperating from Demon Lord Rhyzkahl’s vicious betrayal, still shocked Demon Summoner Kara Gillian has no time to heal. She and her beloved rescuer and mentor Demon Lord Mzatal rely on one another as they plan to rescue his kidnapped ward Idris from summoners loyal to Rhyzkahl.

They leave the land of the demons as clues lead them to earth where Kara not too long ago was once a mundane Beaulac, Louisiana Police Detective. FBI agents Ryan Kristoff and Zack Garner assist them starting with making her an agency consultant. When Kara and Mzatal become embroiled in a homicide by magic, the summoner fears this is much more than a simple S&R as the pair concludes Rhyzkahl’s minion grows exponentially.

The latest Kara Gillian urban fantasy (see Mark of the Demon and Touch of the Demon) is a fabulous tale as the heroine psychologically struggles with betrayal by so-called friends while reassessing her interpretation of her recent past. She also deals with the horrific revelations of what happened on her home plane while Mzatal trained her for months in his realm. Fast-paced throughout, series fans will appreciate the Bayou Summoner’s return home.

Harriet Klausner

Touch-Michelle Sagara

Touch
Michelle Sagara
Daw, Jan 7 2014, $17.99
ISBN: 9780756408008

Teenager Emma knows heartbreak as her beloved boyfriend Nathan died one month after they first got together. Three months have passed since his demise, but for Emma that seems like eternity as besides missing him, she has learned she is a necromancer who sees and communicates with the dead; for instance her late dad lecturing her over the importance of high school. At Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Emma visits Nathan’s grave, just like his mom always does, but unlike his mother they talk and touch.

Emma learns from two friends, necromantic-hunters Eric and Chase, that the Queen of the Dead prevents souls from leaving this plane. Her heart conflicts over alienating the powerful Queen by helping Nathan depart and keeping him with her.

The second Queen of the Dead teen fantasy (see Silence) is an exciting tale as the heroine must choose between a Hobson’s Choice of the ghostly status quo and her love moving on. Newcomers would better understand the protagonist by reading Silence first as Emma has come a long way in a seemingly short time from her reluctant early days as a necromancer and the importance of her ability to make friendships with anyone even those needing to kill her.

Harriet Klausner