Review: The Mage in Black - Jaye Wells

Sabina Kane doesn't have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her own grandmother, leader of the vampire race, wants her dead. So when she arrives in New York to meet her mage relatives, the reunion puts the fun in dysfunctional. Not only is mage culture completely bizarre, but everyone seems to think she's some kind of 'Chosen' who'll unite the dark races. Sabina doesn't care who chose her, she's not into destiny.

But the mages aren't Sabina's only problem. In New York's Black Light District, she has run-ins with fighting demons, hostile werewolves and an opportunistic old flame. Sabina thought she'd take a bite out of the Big Apple, but it looks like it wants to bite back.

Sabina Kane Series:
Fool's Gold (Novella)
Red-Headed Stepchild
The Mage in Black
Violet Tendencies (Novella)
Green-Eyed Demon
Silver-Tongued Devil
Blue-Blooded Vamp
Rusted Veins (Novella)

Visit Jaye Wells' website for more information

Review:
While I enjoyed the first book in the Sabina Kane series I ended up absolutely devouring The Mage in Black and for me this is where the series really kicked up a gear. Sabina's whole life has been turned upside down by previous events, everything she ever believed in has been torn away from her and she's left without any kind of anchor. The vampires were the only family she ever knew but her grandmother betrayed her terribly and now she has discovered that she has a twin sister who was raised by the mages. Sabina had to leave everything behind and now she's trying to make a new life for herself in New York but it's not easy being constantly surrounded by mages, especially considering she was raised to see them as the enemy.

It was really interesting to see Sabina so totally out of her comfort zone in this book, she is faced with meeting her sister Maisie and although they're twins they couldn't be more different. Thanks to upbringings that were pretty much polar opposites Maisie is the sweetness and light that Sabina was never given the opportunity to become. Sabina is the darker, much more cynical sister and considering her grandmother's actions she has understandable trust issues when it comes to family, especially family she's only just met. It's quite heartbreaking watching Sabina realise how different her life would have been if she'd been the lucky one picked to go and live with the mages at birth but she plays the hand she was dealt pretty well and doesn't let the resentment affect her relationship with Maisie for long.

The side characters who stole my heart in the previous book have just as big roles in this book and Gighul is still my favourite, who knew he could be quite so badass though! He adds a lot of humour to the series and he makes a couple of interesting new friends who I'm looking forward to seeing more of. I did find myself missing Adam though, he's busy with another task for the mage council so he's not around as much as I hoped he would be but I still love the connection between him and Sabina when they are together. They have great chemistry and I have high hopes for them becoming a couple but he has a little competition for her affection in the form of a new character known only as The Shade. If you've read the prequel novella Fool's Gold then The Shade won't be such an unknown quantity and I really do think that novella will give you a better insight into why Sabina's reaction to him was quite so intense. He's definitely going to make life interesting for her that's for sure!

The plot of this book was fairly fast paced and I found this was a very quick read because I didn't want to put it down, I enjoyed getting to know some of the mages and I hope we'll see more of the other races (especially the newly introduced werewolves!) as the series continues. The Dominae have stepped things up a gear now and Sabina is about to head into all out war so I'm sure the series is just going to get even better from here onwards.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Red-Headed Stepchild - Jaye Wells

In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina doesn't really fit in. And being an assassin - the only profession fit for an outcast - doesn't help matters. But she's never brought her work home. Until now.

Her latest mission is uncomfortably complex, and threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races. As Sabina scrambles to figure out which side she's on, she uncovers a tangled political web, some nasty facts about her family and some unexpected new talents. Any of these things could be worryingly life-changing, but together, they could be fatal . . .

Sabina Kane Series:
Fool's Gold (Novella)
Red-Headed Stepchild
The Mage in Black
Violet Tendencies (Novella)
Green-Eyed Demon
Silver-Tongued Devil
Blue-Blooded Vamp
Rusted Veins (Novella)

Visit Jaye Wells' website for more information

Review:
Sabina Kane has always been an outcast thanks to her mixed blood heritage, as a half-vampire/half-mage she is seen by most as an abomination. Abandoned by the mage side of her family as a baby she was raised by her grandmother, a member of the Dominae (the ruling council of the vampires). Sabina has never been able to fully live up to her grandmother's expectations of her, and the vampires are able to find fault in pretty much everything she does but they are the only family she has ever known and she is completely loyal to them.

Although Sabina usually works as an assassin her latest task is much more dangerous and it's not going to be an easy one to pull off. Sabina must convince the entire supernatural community that she has broken ties with the Dominae and go undercover with the enemy to try and uncover his plans. That would be hard enough if she wasn't being stalked by a mage who wants to train her to use her magic and introduce her to the other side of her family but Adam adds a whole new set of complications. Sabina has been raised to hate mages and she doesn't find it easy to trust but the more she uncovers about her past the more she starts to realise that the Dominae, and her grandmother, have been keeping a few too many secrets from her. She is forced to question everything she's ever been told but how can she decide which path she should take from now onwards?

I've seen mixed reviews for Red-Headed Stepchild but I thought it was a great introduction to the Sabina Kane series and it definitely left me wanting to know more. Sabina isn't always the easiest character to get along with, she's spent years being brainwashed by the vampires and even when certain things are staring her in the face she is very quick to try and justify her grandmother's actions. I can't say I blame her for that though, the vampires are the only family she has ever had and no matter how badly they treat her they are still the only ones who have ever been there for her. She may be stubborn but she's not stupid and even though it takes a while she does start to put all the pieces together later on in the story. Once she's made a decision about the right thing to do she is determined to see things through no matter what it costs her.

Although I liked Sabina I have to admit it was the side characters who really stole the show in this book. My favourite was her demon sidekick Giguhl who added a lot of humour to the story and constantly made me laugh while I was reading. I also really liked Adam, the mage who has come searching for Sabina. It took me a while to decide he could be trusted but I liked the chemistry between him and Sabina and I hope we get to see a lot more of them working alongside each other. The world building was done well and I enjoyed finding out about the history of vampires and mages, I still have a few questions but I'm sure it'll all come clear as the series continues. We have a good mix of supernatural characters, alongside the vamps and mages you also have demons, faeries and nymphs but I wouldn't be surprised if there are more species yet to be introduced. Yes this is a fairly standard urban fantasy world but I think the characters are strong enough to pull it through and I'm hooked enough to want to continue reading.

Source: Purchased

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Review: River Road - Suzanne Johnson

The hurricane may have passed, but in New Orleans the storm rages on.

With the borders between the city and the otherworld in ruins, new and dangerous species have swarmed into the waterways. There is talk of war between rival clans in the darkest depths of Louisiana's swamps and it falls to wizard sentinel Drusilla Jaco and her partner, Alex Warin, to keep the peace.

When wizards start dying and it becomes apparent that the waters of the mighty Mississippi itself have been poisoned, DJ will have to really focus if she is to find out who - or what - is responsible. And with an undead suitor, the amorous pirate Jean Lafitte, on her back that isn't going to be easy . . .

It's anything but smooth sailing in the bayou as the Sentinels of New Orleans series continues.

Sentinels of New Orleans Series:
Royal Street
River Road
Elysian Fields

Visit Suzanne Johnson's website for more information

Review:
Three years on from the hurricane that devastated New Orleans and brought down the boarders between here and the otherworld wizard and Sentinel DJ is still trying to keep things running smoothly between the pretes (preternatural creatures) and the humans who have no idea of their existence. Along with her partner and fellow Sentinel Alex it is up to DJ to keep the humans in the dark and make sure the pretes don't get out of control so when the poison in the Mississippi threatens to cause a war between two different clans of merfolk they must work quickly to keep the peace. Add in the mysterious murder of a group of wizards and things are about to get even more complicated.

I have to admit that I was a little confused by the 3 year time jump from the end of Royal Street to the beginning of River Road, it took me a chapter or two to get my bearings but it didn't take long to realise how much sense it made. If the story had carried on directly it would have been hard not to focus on the aftermath of Katrina and the rebuilding of New Orleans and that would have taken the focus away from DJ's role as Sentinel. Although New Orleans hasn't been rebuilt to it's former glory at the time this story takes place enough of the rebuilding work has been completed that Suzanne Johnson is able to concentrate on the effects of the boarders between here and the otherworld being broken down.

As much as I enjoyed Royal Street there were a few things that irritated me, the main one being the love square that was forming between DJ, shapshifter Alex, Historical Undead pirate Jean Lafitte and Alex's cousin Jake. Although that square is definitely still in place I found myself enjoying it so much more in River Road, probably because it wasn't so much the main focus of the story. I have actually developed a little bit of a crush on all three of the men in DJ's life so I can understand why she is having difficulty figuring out her feelings - I do know which team I'm on though and after the way things ended I have high hopes that my favourite Alex is going to start pushing DJ for more in the next book! Each of the guys bring something different to the table though so it will be interesting to see which one manages to win DJ's heart, especially when she is working so hard to resist all of them because she is so afraid of losing yet another person that she loves.

The main focus of River Road is definitely on the different pretes and how they all interact with each other though. We get to find out a lot more about the Wizards and how they ended up pretty much taking charge of the other preternatural beings. Sentinels basically act as the supernatural police force so we get to see a lot more of Alex and DJ working together as they try to uncover who is behind poisoning the river. It was nice to see how well the pair of them get along now, after a rocky start they have become best friends and I really enjoyed the way they banter with each other but always have each others backs. It was good to see a few new species introduced into the series - you have the two different clans of merfolk, some highly sexed nymphs and we even get our first (but I have a feeling not our last!) elf sighting!

The Sentinels of New Orleans is developing into a fantastic urban fantasy series and one that I'm incredibly excited about continuing. I would recommend reading the series in order but as this is only the second book you have plenty of time to catch up before Elysian Fields is published sometime next year (I wasn't able to find a publishing date yet). If you like your urban fantasy full of drama, action and fun characters with snappy dialogue, great banter and just a hint of romance then you should be adding this to your to read list. If you enjoyed Royal Street then you're going to love River Road even more, Suzanne Johnson has definitely added her name to my must read list of authors after this one!

Source: Received from Amazon Vine in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Some Girls Bite - Chloe Neill

They killed me.  They healed me.  They changed me.

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn't exactly glamorous, but it was mine.  I was doing fine until Chicago's vampires announced their existence to the world - and then a rogue vampire attacked me.  He only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker...one who decided the best way to save my life was to take it.

Turns out my saviour was the master vampire of Cadogan House.  Now I've traded sweating over my thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan 'Lord o' the Manor' Sullivan.  Of course as a tall, green-eyed, four hundred year old vampire, he has centuries' worth of charm, but unfortunately he also seems to expect my eternal gratitude - and servitude.  Right...

But my burgeoning powers (all of a sudden, I'm surprisingly handy with some serious weaponry), an inconvenient sunlight allergy, and Ethan's attitude are the least of my worries.  Someone's out to get me.  Is it the rogue vampire who bit me?  A vamp from a rival House?  An angry mob bearing torches?

My initiation into Chicago's nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war - and there's going to be blood...

Chicagoland Vampires Series:
Some Girls Bite
Friday Night Bites
Twice Bitten
Hard Bitten
Drink Deep
Biting Cold
House Rules
Biting Bad
High Stakes (Novella in the Kicking It anthology)
Howling for You (Novella)
Wild Things
Blood Games
Lucky Break (Novella)
Dark Debt
Midnight Marked
Phantom Kiss (Novella)
Blade Bound
Slaying It (Novella)

Heirs of Chicagoland Series:
(Spin off set approximately 20 years on from the end of the Chicagoland Vampires series)
Wild Hunger
Wicked Hour

Visit Chloe Neill's website for more information

Review:
Merit is a graduate student who doesn't live the most glamorous life but is happy with her lot, that is until she is attacked on campus by a rogue vampire.  The rogue is chased off by Ethan but to save Merit's life he does the only thing he can do - he turns her into a vampire.  Waking up to discover that she has been turned comes as quite a shock to Merit, even though she is aware of the existence of vampires (they came out to society several months ago) she had no interest in them and the last thing she wanted was to become one herself.  Now she has no choice but to try and fit into the vampire world - unless she wants to live her life on the outside like the rogue who attacked her.  She has to come to terms with what happened to her while at the same time try to find the rogue vampire and stop them from attacking someone else.

I'd heard good things about Some Girls Bite so was looking forward to reading it but I didn't realise just how good it was going to be.  For the first book in a series I was very impressed and Chloe Neill managed to suck me into the story right from the very beginning.  Although there is a lot of world building going on I really liked the way this was handled and didn't feel overwhelmed with information like you can be in some series.  With the story told in first person narrative from Merits point of view you experience things exactly as she does and get to join her on her journey into the unknown.  She isn't happy that she was turned into a vampire without being given any say in the matter but I liked the fact that she didn't spend the whole book moaning about her lot, she accepted things and worked to find a way to fit in.  That doesn't mean she was a pushover though - she was willing to stand up for herself and earned my respect by doing so.

Merit is a very likable character and I found her easy to relate to but I was also impressed with the secondary characters in the story.  I loved Merit's human best friend Mallory, it's always good to see strong female friendships in books and they have a strong bond and care deeply for each other.  I loved the banter between the two of them and they had me laughing out loud on several occasions.  I also loved Merit's Grandfather, Merit has never had particularly supportive parents (in fact I wanted to smack her father more than once when I was reading!) but her Grandfather was a great role model.  He has a few secrets of his own and I'm pleased that we'll probably get to spend more time with him in future books.  Catcher and Jeff are also both interesting characters who I'm looking forward to getting to know more about.

When it comes to love interests you have 2 very different characters to choose from.  First there is Ethan - the master of Cadogan House and the vampire who turned Merit.  At 400 years old he is very removed from his human life and comes across as very arrogant.  There were a few things he did that really made it difficult for me to like him but there is something about him that makes you want to get to know him better.  There is a strong sexual attraction between him and Merit but I liked the fact that Merit didn't immediately jump into a relationship with him.  She stands up to him and puts her own needs first which was another thing I admired about her.  I'll be very curious to see how things develop between them throughout the series and find out whether Merit can help him adjust his attitude.  The other love interest is Morgan who is second in command of the rival Navarre House.  He comes across as sweet and loyal but although there is an attraction between him and Merit it wasn't as strong as the heat between her and Ethan.  I can't quite put my finger on it but there was something about him that I found off putting.  I'll be curious to see if this continues when I read further books.

Overall this was a fantastic start to a new series and a book I thoroughly enjoyed.  It wasn't as action packed as some urban fantasy series I've read but there was a lot of character development and I did enjoy the mystery of who was behind the rogue vampire attacks.  This is definitely a series I'm looking forward to continuing and one I would strongly recommend to fans of the genre.

Source: Library

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