The dragon's playlist - Laura Bickle

Di fled rural West Virginia to study music and pursue a bright future as a violinist. But when a mining accident nearly kills her father, she is summoned back home to support her family. Old ghosts and an old flame emerge from the past. When Di gets a job as a bookkeeper at the same mine where her father worked, she is drawn into a conflict pitting neighbor against neighbor as the mine plans an expansion to an untouched mountain.

If the mining company’s operation goes forward, there will be more at stake than livelihoods or the pollution of the land: Di has discovered a dragon lives deep within Sawtooth Mountain, and he is not happy with this encroachment upon his lair. When catastrophe strikes, Di must choose between her family’s best interests and protecting the dragon – the last surviving bit of magic in Di’s shrinking world.

In every fight, sides are chosen. And there can be no yearning for what has been left behind. 

My thoughts:

I guess I never saw things from the miner's pov. Sure they know this might not be the best work, but what else can they do? It is the only work where they live. The greenpeace like peeps protesting just do not get that.

But this was not a book about miners. This was about Di that returns to get small hometown. She does not want to. She wants to continue her studies, to be away. Alas, her dad was in an accident. And you just feel how the town is trying to drag her back kicking and screaming.

The town where her ex lives. The town where she meets a new friend. There town where she meets the people protesting the leveling of the mountain (and yes that is effed up. Destroying an entire mountain!?) The town with her over bearing mother. Her sick father....

And let us not forget the dragon. That made me think of that movie Pete's dragon. There are dragons still in the wild, not many, but there. And he was a decent dragon too...to her at least.

It's not a long book, but it does make you think about a few things. I liked her wonder of things, I wish there was magic around too. Good and short.

Cover
meh

Kindle Edition, 219
Expected publication: June 1st 2017 by Pronoun
Urban fantasy
For review

Urban fantasy Tuesday: Thorn Queen and Dark Alchemy

Eugenie Markham is a shaman for hire, paid to bind and banish creatures from the Otherworld. But after her last battle, she's also become queen of the Thorn Land. It's hardly an envious life, not with her kingdom in tatters, her love life in chaos, and Eugenie eager to avoid the prophecy about her firstborn destroying mankind. And now young girls are disappearing from the Otherworld, and no one--except Eugenie--seems willing to find out why.

Eugenie has spilled plenty of fey blood in her time, but this enemy is shrewd, subtle, and nursing a very personal grudge. And the men in her life aren't making things any easier. Her boyfriend Kiyo is preoccupied with his pregnant ex, and sexy fey king Dorian always poses a dangerous distraction. With or without their help, Eugenie must venture deep into the Otherworld and trust in an unpredictable power she can barely control. Reluctant queen or not, Eugenie has sworn to do her duty--even if it means facing the darkest--and deadliest--side of her nature. . .

My thoughts:

I do think I liked this one better than book 1, with book 1 I liked it, but it never packed a punch. This one was better, but of course those things that I did not really care for where still here, but here they did not bother me for some reason.

Let's start with the love triangle. Now I do not really see it as a love triangle anymore. Sure she is dating Kiyo. All is well. But every time she meets Dorian she goes all dang! And who can blame her, Dorian sounds like sex on a stick, wile Kiyo is so boring. Not to mention about to become a father to a fairy queen's kid. Eh. Maybe they both are wrong for you. She will surely end up with Kiyo in the end, but at the moment he bores me, he turned into the nice guy. While King Dorian is mmmm, and that dark side of his, mmmmmmm.

The smexy scenes I skim, who cares, get to the real action!

She is queen . So lots of things to deal with there.

There is one part that I wish that had not been there...why? Really why?!

Conclusion:

All in all it was good. I wish she would just kill her sister, and I will totally read more.

Cover

ok

Mass Market Paperback, 374 pages
Published August 1st 2009 by Zebra (first published July 13th 2008)
Dark Swan, #2
Urban fantasy
Own

Geologist Petra Dee arrives in Wyoming looking for clues to her father's disappearance years before. What she finds instead is Temperance, a dying Western town with a gold rush past and a meth-infested present. But under the town's dust and quiet, an old power is shifting. When bodies start turning up - desiccated and twisted skeletons that Petra can't scientifically explain - her investigations land her in the middle of a covert war between the town's most powerful interests. Petra's father wasn't the only one searching for the alchemical secrets of Temperance, and those still looking are now ready to kill. Armed with nothing but shaky alliances, a pair of antique guns, and a relic she doesn't understand, the only thing Petra knows for sure is that she and her coyote sidekick are going to have to move fast, or die next. 

My thoughts

I can't decide whether this was a 2 or 3. Yesterday it felt like a 3 for the reason that if the library got book 2 I'd read it. Today I am more like, if the library got book I would just say meh. I'd say 2,5 then, but give it a 2. Because I do not really want to read more. I could just leave it like this and be fine with it.

Petra come to Temperance to find her dad. She meets a coyote. I never got if the coyote is magical or not. She makes friends. She does not do much for her work, the reason why she officially is there. She meets a hunky weird guy. She finds a few corpses.

There is a bad Rancher, a real asshole. There is a bad alchemist, I never really got him,

There are strange...stuff.

Conclusion:

So all in all...meh? Yeah meh. I still read it and all, I was never omg, boring! But still, meh.

c over

meh

Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Published April 28th 2015 by Harper Voyager Impulse
Dark Alchemy #1
Urban fantasy
Own

Review: Sparks - Laura Bickle

Sparks

Anya Kalinczyk is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern, who holds down a day job as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department—while working 24/7 to exterminate malicious spirits haunting a city plagued by unemployment and despair. Along with her inseparable salamander familiar, Sparky, Anya has seen, and even survived, all manner of fiery hell—but her newest case sparks suspicions of a bizarre phenomenon that no one but her eccentric team of ghost hunters might believe: spontaneous human combustion.

After fire consumes the home of elderly Jasper Bernard, Anya is stunned to discover his remains—or, more precisely, a lack of them; even the fiercest fires leave some trace of their victims—and she is sure this was no naturally occurring blaze. Soon she’s unearthed a connection to a celebrity psychic who preys on Detroit’s poor, promising miracles for money. But Hope Solomon wants more—she’s collecting spirits, and in a frantic race against time, Anya will face down an evil adversary who threatens her fragile relationship with her lover, her beloved Sparky’s freshly hatched newts, and the wandering souls of the entire city.

My thoughts:

First of all, I should have written this one when I finished it, but I was shocked that there are no more books! I want more :/

Anya is back, being her cool self, investigating fires, keeping track of her guardian/pet Sparky and being in a new relationship. She is always so cool, not kick-ass, just cool. She does not bring a katana to the table, but she can suck in ghosts. And that gives her heartburn.

There is just so much to talk about, so much more it could be. But there are no more books at the present. And I do find that sad, because this world has so much promise. Like what is her connection to Ishtar really? And..something else that I found out and really want to know more about. But for now it ended well, they could all be happily ever after. So no cliffie or so. But yes, more things are hidden, more things could be told. And I hope they are one day.

Conclusion:

For now, just read these two books and enjoy a different UF with a ghostsucking heroine and the coolest of side kicks, Sparky, the electricity eating salamander. 

Series: Anya Kalinczyk #2
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 368
Published: 2010 by Pocket
Source. Own

Review: Embers - Laura Bickle

Truth burns. Unemployment, despair, anger—visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit’s unease. A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city. Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya—who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern—suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders. By Devil’s Night, the spell will be complete, unless Anya—with the help of her salamander familiar and the paranormal investigating team—can stop it. This time she’s risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is. Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she’s ever faced.

My thoughts:

I do love a good sidekick and this book had such a good one. A salamander named Sparky who chased cats and licked toasters cos he likes electricity. 

But to the book then. Anya can see ghosts and eats them. Well the bad ones as she does not always feel good afterwards. She is a Lantern. She was not kick-ass but at the same time she was. She was more protective kick-ass. A former firefighter turned fire investigator. To serve and protect. That is who she is. She loves this city.

The story is about her chasing after an arsonist. Can I say more? Well it has darker undertones and here we learn so much more about this world. Demons, ancient mythology, dragons. It's really interesting and we also learn more about Anya. As she does not know much about her gifts, or curse.

I have book two so I will read it, I actually started it first by mistake, oh bad me, so I quickly started book 1 instead ;) But book 2 seemed good too.

Conclusion:

A good world, interesting story and characters I'd like to learn more about. It felt like a solid beginning to a series.

Cover:

it works

Series: Anya Kalinczyk #1
Genre: urban fantasy
Pages: 359
Published: 2010 by Pocket
Source: My own