3 UF Reviews: Blade Song, Nightwalker and Kitty goes to Washington

Kit Colbana - half breed, assassin, thief, jack of all trades - has a new job: track down the missing ward of one of the local alpha shapeshifters. It should be a piece of cake.

So why is she so nervous? It probably has something to do with the insanity that happens when you deal with shifters - especially sexy ones who come bearing promises of easy jobs and easier money.

Or maybe it’s all the other missing kids that Kit discovers while working the case, or the way her gut keeps screaming she’s gotten in over her head. Or maybe it’s because if she fails - she’s dead.

If she can stay just one step ahead, she should be okay. Maybe she’ll even live long to collect her fee...

My thoughts:

I think I have e-book related issues. I have this nagging feeling that if I had read this in print then I would have enjoyed it more. Why? Because I am WEIRD. I hate the one page thing, it makes me read fast and that is bad cos I already read fast. Ebooks makes me skim faster too.

Ok end of ebook rant, I need therapy.

Anyway, Kit is half amazon with ISSUES. Yes all caps cos she thinks about her sadistic evil family all the freaking time. If I need therapy then this girl seriously needs it. Because she seems more human, shifters tend to treat her badly. And she constantly has to prove that she can be strong. Just leave Kit. Just leave. She seems weak a lot.

Damon is a cat shifter who protects her while she is on a job. She hates him, he is an asshole (but not too bad.) I liked how he was all want! But still stays away. Though at first I wanted him dead, asshole as he was. I mean effing ahole!

Good action, story, (I would have liked less of my granma beat me though). But, here is the thing, it was good but with lots of issues. But would I buy more? Nah. If I found it at the library, then yes, not at once, but it would be there.

Cover

eh

ebook, 174 pages
Published August 1st 2012 by Shiloh Walker, Inc
Colbana Files #1
Urban fantasy
Own

Stormwalker Janet Begay, proprietor of the Crossroads Hotel, a place where the paranormal stop for a safe night’s rest, discovers the hard way that a slayer is targeting Ansel, a Nightwalker who’s become the hotel's more-or-less permanent resident.

When Janet and her lover Mick intervene to save Ansel’s un-life, they find that the attack is the beginning of an oncoming storm. Janet has her hands full already with the upcoming marriage of her father, the return of a woman who claims to be Coyote’s wife, her crazy half-sister, a couple dragons on her back, and her worry about Mick, who’s behaving strangely again. 

But it seems that everyone is after Ansel, who fears he killed the woman he loves in a Nightwalker frenzy. Janet must choose between protecting Ansel, or facing the most powerful magical beings in the world, who are willing to destroy Janet, Mick, her hotel, and everyone she cares about to get to Ansel and his secrets.

My thoughts:

I thought this was the last book, and now I checked and saw it's not. I thought I had finished a series ;) Sigh

Story:

Someone is trying to kill Ansel. Lots of different people are now gunning for Janet. So she tries to solve this mystery. What does they all want and what happened?

Characters:

Janet is totally cool.

Mike is a dragon I want. Especially when he got all I will protect my mate, mmm

Other stuff (see I have forgotten how I do this)

Plenty of action, and hot loving too. A fun series. I also love when there is more of her culture.

I am glad I read this one late as the next book comes first next year.

Cover

nice

Kindle Edition, 322 pages
Published September 23rd 2012 by JA / AG Publishing
Stormwalker #4
Urban fantasy
Own

Celebrity werewolf and late-night radio host Kitty Norville prefers to be heard and not seen. So when she's invited to testify at a Senate hearing on behalf of supernaturals, and her face gets plastered on national TV, she inherits a new set of friends, and enemies, including the vampire mistress of the city; an über-hot Brazilian were-jaguar; and a Bible-thumping senator who wants to expose Kitty as a monster. Kitty quickly learns that in this city of dirty politicians and backstabbing pundits, everyone's itching for a fight.

My thoughts:

I find myself not having a lot to say. It was good, book 1 was also good, and sure I could read more. But there are 12 more or something and that is a lot for just good, and sometimes just ok.

Kitty was cool. A bit too cool at times, I'd be angry, she was just cool.

She met a sexy jaguar shifter. New friends. She understood that all packs are not bad. She met a politician who screamed about God and she had to testify about her being a were. So now the world knows that there are Others. 

It was good. I said it before, not much to say. Danger and a tiny bit of passion. Eh, I will leave it here and not continue the series.

Cover

meh

Mass Market Paperback, 321 pages
Published July 1st 2006 by Grand Central Publishing
Kitty Norville #2
Urban fantasy
own

Review: Shadow Walker - Allyson James

Racing her motorcycle down a lonely winter highway, Stormwalker Janet Begay feels the ground collapse beneath her feet. After tumbling two hundred feet into an underground cavern, she manages to escape with help from her sexy dragon-shifter boyfriend, Mick—but not before they disturb some dark forces.

As Janet contends with a hotel inspector intent on putting her out of business, as well as her grandmother, who's taken up residence, Mick's behavior becomes strange and erratic, until he is a clear danger to Janet and her friends. Janet's drag-queen, attitude-ridden magic mirror insists that Mick has been touched by shadows, and the Stormwalker realizes that someone is out to enslave her dragon. Now she must free Mick before he kills her.

My thoughts;

Sometimes I hate a series..why? Well cos I do not have the next book read when I finish! Haha, yes the book ended and I cursed myself for not having the next one. Not that it ended in a cliffie, but cos I just wanted more.

Janet is cool as always. Here she tries to deal with her dragon boyfriend Mick who acts all weird. The hotel is not doing so well and there is always something going on. It's a thrilling ride and a race against the clock. I even liked Nash, I know! He has been such an ass, he still is in the beginning, but he is slowly getting that Janet is good..and weird. I just hated him hounding her all the time.

Everyone else in the cast is good as always and now we see more of her grandmother, who is a very cool old lady.

I never know where to place this series. UF no, Pnr, no, a mix, yes so UFR it is. Cos I do not want to put it in just one genre. Sure there is smexing, but a gal needs smexing too while kicking some series ass.

Conclusion:

I like this series.

Cover

Cool

Stormwalker #3
UFR
Mass Market Paperback, 282 pages
Published June 7th 2011 by Berkley Sensation
Own

Review: Firewalker - Allyson James

Janet Begay's Crossroads Hotel has attracted the supernatural from the day it opened. Witches, Changers, and a mouthy magic mirror have decided to make it their home. But a new, dark power is rising—this time inside Janet herself. 

Her boyfriend, Mick, a sexy dragon shape-shifter the Navajo call a Firewalker, knows what terrifying magic is threatening to overwhelm Janet and her Stormwalker powers. He watches over her, ready to fight for her, to do anything to keep her safe. 

But then a mysterious corpse is found near the Crossroads Hotel—and Janet becomes Sheriff Nash Jones' main suspect. Trouble is, even she can't be sure she didn't do it. Now Janet and Mick must uncover what really happened, and their investigation leads to the most perilous decision of their lives: Mick must choose between protecting his own people or guarding Janet, the woman he loves, from the many forces amassing against her.

My thoughts:

As it is the holidays I will write shorter reviews..well try to.

This time around Mick is having problems with idiotic dragons, yes those guys are not cool. I am unsure about Mick though, I like him...or do I? he is good, but, something was mission this time around.

And Janet is trying to solve a murder. Now she is kick-ass and is dealing with her powers that are tough to handle. Sure the passion is there between these too, but...

Coyote is mysterious and cool. The Magic horny mirror is awesome. Nash is an ass as always.

Conclusion:

I still can't think of this as just pnr, I am naming it PNR UF mix. And I do want more even if it was not fantastic.

Cover:

Cool

Series: Stormwalker #2
Genre: PNR with a dash of UF
Pages: 329
Published: 2010 by Berkley
Source: own

Review: Stormwalker - Allyson James

Series: Stormwalker #1
Genre: I felt it was more a PNR/UF hybrid
Pages: 330
Published: 2010
Publisher: Berkley
Source: My own

Half-Navajo Janet Begay possesses extraordinary power which is tied to the storms that waft across the desert. The only person who can control her when she's caught in the storm's evocative power is Mick, a dark-haired, blue-eyed biker Janet can't seem to touch with her powers. He can wield fire and not get burned, and Janet's never sure where he goes when they're not together. 

Together they investigate mysterious disappearances, which Janet fears are tied to her mother's people, the mythical gods from below the earth. They are helped along the way by Coyote and Crow, but these shapeshifting gods have their own agendas.

My thoughts:

I read a short story in the anthology Hexed and knew I wanted more, and this does no happen often. So I bought book 1 in this series and what I felt in that short story rang true. It was a good book.

It does say it is pnr, but I do not know, it feels like more. These days I think they are so many pnr/uf hybrids out there and I would even want to make this one more UF in a way. At least that is how it feels for me. She is out there kicking ass, but yes there is romance too. But is not that in your face as it can be (not that that is a bad thing, it is just I want a story more than romance with these sorts of books.)

To the book then, I really liked Janet, she was pretty kick-ass with a cool power and one bad momma, scary as hell is the word. The love interest is Mike, who is all mystery, which made me crazy curious and I am so glad we found out what is going on with him. They have a long history and I am very unsure what to think oh him. He kind of comes and goes.

Then we have a bunch of side characters, Nash (whom I hate hate hate), he is so unfair that it drives me insane. *mutters something about evil cops*. A talking magic mirror (oh love him ;), Coyte (gotta love a trickster.) And more to get to know.

The story is filled with action, questions, a bit of smexing and good detective work. I liked what she has used and especially the mythology on how we came to be. And who are still beneath. That I do like.

Conclusion:

A good start to this series and I sure want more. Recommended.

Cover:

Cool

Review: Hexed

Anthology by Ilona Andrews, Jeanne C.Stein, Allyson James and Yasmine Galenorn
Genre: Urban Fantasy and Paranormal romance
Pages: 336
Published: June 7th 2011 Berkley

Shapeshifting tigress Dali Harimau finds herself in deep waters when she must challenge a dark being to a battle of wits or risk losing the man for whom she secretly longs.

Iris Kuusi, a Finnish house sprite, journeys to the frozen Northlands to confront the crazed shadow of her former lover and break the curse that is keeping her from marrying the man she loves.

 Stormwalker Janet Begay and her friends are trapped by a powerful curse. It will take every bit of magic simmering beneath her skin for the Stormwalker to survive being "Double Hexed."

Bounty-hunter-turned-vampire Anna Strong is visited by three witches who ask her to right an old magical wrong. Anna will have to live up to her last name to make it through alive. 

My thoughts:

Since this is an anthology I am going to review the novellas separately.

Magic Dreams by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels #4.5)
In this one Dali and Jim fight together to bring down a Japanese demon. Dali is not a scary shifter, but she does know her magic. Jim is an alpha and they have always been at odds. That is you know they both like each other but never get together. So therefore I looked forward to reading this novella knowing it would finally happen. Interesting mythology and in a way I did not feel like you had to have read the Kate Daniels series to understand the novella. Of course by having read them you would have met these two before and wanted the same thing I wanted. I enjoyed this novella.

Ice Shards by Yasmine Galenorn (Sisters of the Moon #9.5)
I never ever come across Finnish mythology and here I did. Iris Kuusi is a house sprite from Finland and she is going to the Northlands to find out if she killed someone 600 years ago. Ok I was a bit lost here at times, not really lost, but it was the fact that there have been 9 books in this series about three sisters. And this character who I guess is a minor character there. Also, they would not have had last names that far back and some names in it would not have been used. Still it was interesting in its rich mythology. There seems to be a lot going on in that world (worlds).

Double Hexed by Allyson James (Stormwalker #3.5)
This one was my favorite because it really made me want to read the series behind it. Janet and her friends are trapped in her hotel because someone has put a hex on it. I found myself wanting to read more about Janet and her dragon lover Mick. Coyote was funny, the vampire seemed nice (when not crazed) and the rest of the cast interesting. It's a world I want to read about and book 1 made it to my wishlist.

Blood Debt by Jeanne C. Stein (Anna Strong Chronicles #6.5)
Yes 6 before this one but I never felt at loss. I got a bit of explanations what Anna was and what she had been through. In this book she stands trail for something she has done. And that made me know about her history. I would definitely be interested in reading her story from book 1. The writing and story was good and I do like kick-ass UF heroines.

Conclusion:
Interesting novellas that made me want to read more about the worlds presented. And as always some better than other.

Rating:

Good in the end

Cover: 

Cool