Book Trailer: Honor Bound - Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre

I really loved Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre when I read it last year so I'm looking forward to reading the sequel, Honor Bound, too. It's currently on my wish list so when I have some spare cash I'll definitely be grabbing a hardback but in the meantime I thought it would be fun to share the trailer.

Savvy criminal turned skilled Leviathan pilot Zara Cole finds new friends and clashes with bitter enemies in the second book of this action-packed series from New York Times bestselling authors Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre that's perfect for fans of The 100 and The Fifth Wave.

Zara Cole was a thief back on Earth, but she's been recently upgraded to intergalactic fugitive. On the run after a bloody battle in a covert war that she never expected to be fighting, Zara, her co-pilot Beatriz, and their Leviathan ship Nadim barely escaped the carnage with their lives.

Now Zara and her crew of Honors need a safe haven, far from the creatures who want to annihilate them. But they'll have to settle for the Sliver: a wild, dangerous warren of alien criminals. The secrets of the Sliver may have the power to turn the tide of the war they left behind--but in the wrong direction.

Soon Zara will have to make a choice: run from the ultimate evil--or stand and fight.

Visit Rachel Caine's website or Ann Aguirre's website for more information



and just in case you missed the first book in the series here's all the info on Honor Among Thieves (you can read my review here)

Meet your new favorite kickass heroine in this daring YA series by New York Times bestselling authors Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre, a thrilling yet romantic futuristic adventure perfect for fans of Claudia Gray's A Thousand Pieces of You.

Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that's made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn't much better than a prison cell.

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she's headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan--a race of sentient alien ships--to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth's dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she's assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.



What do you think? Have you started this series yet? If you have leave me a link to your reviews in the comments.

Book Trailer: Great Library Series - Rachel Caine

I know I'm not the only blogger who struggles to read all the books on their to read mountains, there are just so many amazing books out there and not enough hours in a day to actually read them all. Anyway, I want to continue highlighting a few that are on my radar but I haven't quite managed to get to yet.

I honestly have no excuse for not getting to the Great Library series sooner though, not only am I a huge Rachel Caine fan but this series is set in a library which is surely heaven for any bookworm? From what I've heard it's full of action and adventure and I even preordered the first book when it was published way back in 2015. So why haven't I read it yet? I think I'm possibly a little nervous that it won't live up to my expectations but thats just silly really. I'm going to have to try and prioritise this series and catch up with the first 4 books before Sword and Pen comes out in September!

Anyway, if you're unfamiliar with the series, or not completely up to date, I've included the blurbs and trailers for the first 4 books here. Please be aware that there may be spoilers in the trailers and blurbs for later books (I've tried very hard not to read or watch beyond the first one myself to avoid them!).

Ink and Bone:

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When his friend inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn…

Paper and Fire:

Let the world burn.

With an iron fist, the Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion and, in the name of the greater good, forbidding the personal ownership of books.

Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower, doomed to a life apart from everything she knows.

After embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.

But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, and the Library, which is willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control…

Ash and Quill:

Words can kill.

Hoarding all the knowledge of the world, the Great Library jealously guards its secrets. But now a group of rebels poses a dangerous threat to its tyranny…

Jess Brightwell and his band of exiles have fled London, only to find themselves imprisoned in Philadelphia, a city led by those who would rather burn books than submit. But Jess and his friends have a bargaining chip: the knowledge to build a machine that will break the Library’s rule.

Their time is running out. To survive, they’ll have to choose to live or die as one, to take the fight to their enemies—and to save the very soul of the Great Library…

Smoke and Iron:

To save the Great Library, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone, Paper and Fire, and Ash and Quill put themselves in danger in the next thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.

The opening moves of a deadly game have begun. Jess Brightwell has put himself in direct peril, with only his wits and skill to aid him in a game of cat and mouse with the Archivist Magister of the Great Library. With the world catching fire, and words printed on paper the spark that lights rebellion, it falls to smugglers, thieves, and scholars to save a library thousands of years in the making...if they can stay alive long enough to outwit their enemies.

Considering how late I am to this party I'm sure loads of you must have at least read the first book and I'd love to know what you think of this series!

Review: Kicking It - Anthology

Featuring stories by SHANNON K. BUTCHER * RACHEL CAINE * LUCIENNE DIVER * CHRIS MARIE GREEN * CHRISTINA HENRY * FAITH HUNTER * CHLOE NEILL * KALAYNA PRICE * ROB THURMAN

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine has modern-day potions witches Holly and Andrew facing off against a firebrand politician who wears literally killer boots in a Texas-sized rodeo of trouble.

Boot-loving Cadogan vampire Lindsey must team up with off-again, on-again vampire partner Luc when a woman from her past is targeted by supernaturals in New York Times bestselling author Chloe Neill’s all-new adventure.

And New York Times bestselling author Rob Thurman features Trixa Iktomi from her Trickster series dealing with magical vengeance and magical footwear.

Taking kick-ass urban fantasy literally, USA Today bestselling authors Kalayna Price and Faith Hunter bring together the best of the genre to once again prove when you’re fighting supernatural forces, it helps to keep your feet on the ground.

For more information about any of these authors click on their names below to visit their websites:
Rachel Caine
Shannon K Butcher
Chris Marie Green
Faith Hunter
Chloe Neill
Lucienne Diver
Christina Henry
Rob Thurman
Kalayna Price

Review:
The great thing about anthologies is that they often give you a chance to try out a whole bunch of new authors. Kicking It has some big name authors from the urban fantasy genre so although I was most excited to read Chloe Neill and Kalayna Price's stories it was great to get to try some other new-to-me series too.

I'll talk briefly about each story below but my overall opinion of this book is good. With any anthology there will always be some stories that you enjoy more than others but this collection definitely contains more hits than misses and even the ones I didn't love were well written, I just believe I'd have enjoyed them more if I was already familiar with the series they belong to.

Forked Tongues by Rachel Caine:

Holly and Andrew Series:
Death Warmed Over (Short Story in the Strange Brew anthology)
Holly's Balm (Short Story in the Hex Appeal anthology)
Forked Tongues (Short Story in the Kicking It anthology)

In Forked Tongues Holly & Andy are facing off against a demon who is riling up the general public against witches. It's already led to one murder and and Holly is the demon's latest target so they need to work fast if they want their lives to get back to normal. This is the second short story that I've read about this couple and I'm really enjoying getting to know them both, I love that Holly is a resurrection witch and that Andy is someone she brought back from the dead but I really must read their first story so I can find out how they first met. I actually think it's a shame Rachel Caine hasn't written a full length book about these two because they're such interesting characters.

Stolen Goods by Shannon K Butcher:

I believe Stolen Goods is a stand alone story but it would make a great start to a series so I'd definitely read more if the author decided to expand on it. It's an action packed story starring a thief and a master craftsman who is an expert at making weapons. He has something she wants but she'll only get to keep it if she helps him pull of the heist to end all heists.

The Girl With No Name by Chris Marie Green:

Vampire Babylon Series:
Night Rising
Midnight Reign
Break of Dawn
Double the Bite (ebook novella, also in the First Blood anthology)
A Drop of Red
The Path of Razors
Deep in the Woods
Soul Stains (Short Story in the Those Who Fight Monsters: Tales of Occult Detectives anthology)
Raising the Darkness (ebook novella, also in the Dead for a Day anthology)
In Bad Spirits (ebook novella, also in the Strange Spirits anthology)
The Girl With No Name (Short Story in the Kicking It anthology)
Shadows Til Sunrise

The Girl With No Name features a character from Chris Marie Green's Vampire Babylon series and is about someone who has completely lost her memory. Imagine waking up in a strange room with no idea how you got there, or even who you are, and then trying to figure out how you got there. While this story did make me curious enough to add the first book to my to read mountain I do think I'd have enjoyed this more if I was already familiar with the world.

The Devil's Left Boot by Faith Hunter:

Jane Yellowrock Series:
Skinwalker
Blood Cross
Mercy Blade
Raven Cursed
Golden Delicious (Short Story in the An Apple for the Creature anthology)
Death's Rival
Blood Trade
The Devil's Left Boot (Short Story in the Kicking It anthology)
Black Arts
Broken Soul
Dark Heir
Shadow Rites
Cold Reign
Dark Queen
Shattered Bonds

I feel a bit ashamed to admit I've never read the Jane Yellowrock series, its one I've heard great things about and have been meaning to read forever so now that I've enjoyed two stories set in this world I don't really have any more excuses. This story focuses on twin sisters Cia and Liz, both are witches who I believe have been side characters in the main series. When they are contacted by one of the mean kids who used to bully them in school they are reluctant to help her in any way but, once they realise her mother is missing and that blood magic may have been involved in the disappearance, they feel like they have to step in. There is only a brief appearance from Jane but I like this world and I really want to spend more time in it.

High Stakes by Chloe Neill:

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

I honestly can't believe it's taken me this long to discover High Stakes, I absolutely love the Chicagoland Vampires series and really like both Luc and Lindsay so I'm not sure how I missed this story about them being published. I didn't even realise Chloe Neill had a story in this anthology until I picked it up to start reading (observant I am not LOL). Anyway, this was by far my favourite story in Kicking It, it was great to learn more about Lindsay's past before she moved to Chicago and it answered some questions about why she has always been so determined to keep Luc at arm's length. They're such a cute couple and I liked that Luc always had her back even when she tried to push him away. Their relationship seems much more solid by the end of the story but I'd still love to read at least another short story about them to learn more about Luc's background and just to spend more time with them. This was a lovely addition to the Chicagoland world.

The Parlor by Lucienne Diver:

Latter-Day Olympians Series:
Trickster Blood (Short Story)
Bad Blood
Crazy in the Blood
The Parlor (Short Story in the Kicking It Anthology)
Rise of the Blood
Battle for the Blood
Blood Hunt

I've not read anything by Lucienne Diver before but The Parlor definitely left me wanting to read more from the Latter-Day Olympians series. The story is about P.I. Tori who has been asked to run surveillance on a suspected cheating husband. It should be a pretty boring job but when the husband goes into a gambling den called The Parlor and doesn't come back out things get much more interesting. With hints of Greek mythology and ancient Gods roaming around in the current day this series ticks a lot of my boxes and I can't wait to carry on reading it.

Red Isn't Really My Color by Christina Henry:

Black Wings Series:
Black Wings
Black Night
Red Isn't Really My Color (Short Story in the Kicking It anthology)
Black Howl
Black Lament
Black City
Black Heart
Black Spring

Christina Henry's Black Wings series is another one that's been on my radar for years but I haven't quite got around to reading it yet. Although I'm not familiar with this world I still enjoyed the story and I'm now even more curious about the rest of the series. The main character Madeline has been sent to track down a pair of red shoes but when you're given a mission by Lucifer you know things are going to get complicated and these aren't any ordinary shoes. I liked Madeline and this was a fun read.

Snakeskin by Rob Thurman:

Trickster Series:
Snakeskin (Short Story in the Kicking It anthology)
Trick of the Light
The Grimrose Path

Snakeskin is the introduction to Rob Thurman's Trickster series and it added yet another series to my to read mountain! Main character Trixa runs a bar but also makes very good money on the side by taking on special projects for clients. I was completely hooked by this story, it totally defines the phrase "be careful what you wish for" and I loved the way Trixa went about granting her latest client's request. Sometimes the bad guys really do get what they deserve!

Ruby Red by Kalayna Price:

Alex Craft Series:
Grave Witch
Grave Dance
Ruby Red (Short Story in the Kicking It anthology)
Grave Memory
Grave Visions
Grave Ransom
Grave Destiny

The main reason I actually picked up this anthology is because I'm currently rereading the first few Alex Craft books so that I can finally catch up with the latest releases. Ruby Red introduces us to new characters Briar and Derrick, both members of the MCIB, Magical Crimes Investigation Bureau. They were supposed to be on vacation but get called back into work thanks to the outbreak of a mysterious magical virus. These characters haven't been in the first two books in the Alex Craft series but I believe they have a role to play in the third book Grave Memory (it's been a long time since I first read that book so I really can't remember now!). I liked them both so hope that they'll become series regulars and that we'll see a lot more of them in the future.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Honor Among Thieves - Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre

Meet your new favorite kickass heroine in this daring YA series by New York Times bestselling authors Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre, a thrilling yet romantic futuristic adventure perfect for fans of Claudia Gray's A Thousand Pieces of You.

Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that's made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn't much better than a prison cell.

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she's headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan--a race of sentient alien ships--to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth's dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she's assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.

The Honors Series:
Honor Among Thieves
Honor Bound (2019)

Visit Rachel Caine's website or Ann Aguirre's website for more information

Review:
I've been wanting to read Honor Among Thieves ever since I heard Ann Aguirre give a reading last year, let's face it you don't often get to read stories about a girl who falls in love with a sentient space ship so the concept had me hooked! This was such a fun story and the writing switched seamlessly between Ann Aguirre and Rachel Caine, I definitely couldn't pinpoint who wrote which parts.

The story starts by showing us Zara's life on earth, things have been hard for her and she ended up living on the streets and working with a gang to survive, she's done things she's not proud of but she's only ever done what she needed to do to survive. When things go badly she ends up in a young offenders institute and without drastic changes she knows her life is on the line when her old gang eventually manage to catch up with her. It's then that she is offered the chance to take part in the Honors Program, a highly specialised training program that gives her the opportunity to travel through space with one of the Leviathans. The Leviathans are huge, whale like aliens that swim through the galaxy like it's an ocean, they are ancient and powerful and they have the ability to allow humans to live inside them to join them on their journeys.

After training Zara and her crew mate Bea are paired with Nadim, one of the younger Leviathans who is only just beginning his own journey. Working together the girls have to figure out how to survive in space and when Nadim gets injured in a fight with one of his own they start to realise how little humans really know about the Leviathans and what they want with us.

I really enjoyed this story, the world building was great but it was once Zara and Bea go to space and start to bond with Nadim that things really get interesting. I loved that both girls were immediate allies and friends rather than two women facing off against each other like you so often see in YA. They both have different strengths and personalities but they're happy to work together so there are no petty issues to worry about. What I liked most was getting to know Nadim though and seeing the girls through his eyes, the way the Leviathans are described and the way they see and hear the universe was just fascinating and the authors made it so easy to picture what was happening. Leviathans form a psychic bond with their crew and the developing feelings between Nadim and Zara were really well written, there is definitely love there but it's more of a soul bond than anything particularly romantic so there was nothing that weirded me out.

This was a great introduction to the series and it definitely left me excited to see how the story continues. I think we still have so much to uncover about the Leviathans and the reason they contacted humans in the first place and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how that plays out.

Oh and in case you're interested in knowing what Nadim looks like check out this gorgeous illustration from the book:

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review, I also won a signed copy from Ann Aguirre.

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Hardback / Paperback (Preorder):

Book Trailer: Honor Among Thieves - Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre

Last year I was lucky enough to meet Ann Aguirre and hear her give a reading from her upcoming book Honor Among Thieves, written with Rachel Caine. I have been looking forward to this book ever since, I mean how often do we get to read a story about a girl who falls in love with a sentient space ship? The book is out on the 13th of February so not too much longer to wait now but in the meantime you can check out the trailer below and add the book to your Goodreads shelves here!

Meet your new favorite kickass heroine in this daring YA series by New York Times bestselling authors Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre, a thrilling yet romantic futuristic adventure perfect for fans of Claudia Gray's A Thousand Pieces of You.

Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that's made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn't much better than a prison cell.

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she's headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan--a race of sentient alien ships--to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth's dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she's assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.

Visit Rachel Caine's website or Ann Aguirre's website for more information



Hardback:

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten 2015 Releases I Meant To Get To But Didn't

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different theme & you can find all the details about how to join in HERE.

Today's topic is Top Ten 2015 Releases I meant to get to but didn't. There were actually a lot of 2015 books that I was really excited about but never got around to reading but here are the ones I REALLY want to try and get to soon!

My top ten releases I meant to get to in 2015 but didn't:

1. Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner - I absolutely loved the first two books in this trilogy so this book was at the top of my Christmas wish list. Thankfully Santa (in the form of my Dad!) left this wrapped up under the tree for me so I really need to get to it soon.
2. The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May - It has been a long 2 year wait for this book to be published so I'm really excited about this one, I did manage to reread The Falconer in December so I'm ready to dive into The Vanishing Throne.
3. Mind Games by Jana Oliver - I'm a huge fan of Jana Oliver and her Demon Trappers series is one of my favourites so I ordered a copy of Mind Games the minute I found out about it and I have absolutely no excuse for why I STILL haven't read it!
4. Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger - I finally managed to finish Gail's Parasol Protectorate series last year but I have this one last book in the Finishing School series.
5. A Whole New World by Liz Braswell - I was intrigued by the idea of this book from the moment I first heard about it, it's a retelling of Aladdin with one major difference. What would have happened if Jafar was the first one to find the lamp? Doesn't that sound brilliant? Yup, no excuses for why I've not read it yet!
6. Ink & Bone by Rachel Caine - I love Rachel Caine so this is another preorder that I've failed to get around to reading.
7. November 9 by Colleen Hoover - Colleen is another autobuy author for me, her stories never seem to go in the direction you expect them to but I always fall in love with her characters.
8. The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski - After loving The Winner's Curse this was high on my wish list for 2015 but now I've left it so long I think I'm going to wait for the release of The Winner's Kiss and read the whole trilogy in one go.
9. Soundless by Richelle Mead - I saw some amazing reviews of Soundless which made me really want to read it but since then I've seen some not so great reactions that have made me nervous. I will be brave and to try it soon though!
10. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard - I'm not sure why but the hype for this book pretty much passed by me unnoticed but I was recently sent a copy of Glass Sword for review and the blurb sounds great so I ordered a copy of Red Queen to read first.

So what books are on your list? Have you read any of the ones on mine? Which ones do you think I should read first?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Series I Want To Read in 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different theme & you can find all the details about how to join in HERE.

Today's topic is Top Ten Resolutions We Have For 2016. This year I want to focus on reading some of those books and series that I've been meaning to catch up with for years.

My top ten series I want to catch up with in 2016:

1. Mercy Thompson and Alpha & Omega series by Patricia Briggs - Patricia Briggs is one of my favourite urban fantasy authors and I absolutely adore the Mercy Thompson world. It's one of my go to series for when I need something that I know is going to be amazing and I recently started rereading it (for the third time!) with a friend in preparation for the newest book, Dead Heat, in March.
2. Fever series by Karen Marie Moning - I absolutely loved the first five books in the Fever series but was too scared to read Iced and Burned after seeing so many negative reviews for them. Anyway, I've been rereading the series with a group of friends in preparation for the release of Feverborn, we've finished the original five books so I'm finally going to get to read the later books for the first time!
3. Dark-Hunters and Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon - I started reading the Dark-Hunters series a couple of years ago now and it's one I've been wanting to catch up with for a long time now so I'm determined that 2016 is going to be the year I FINALLY catch up with the rest of the world!
4. Immortals After Dark by Kresley Cole - This is another series that I'm part way through but have never quite managed to catch up with so it's also on the list.
5. Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward - I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the BDB, the earlier books were AMAZING but the series lost it's way a bit and I kind of lost interest in it. I took a 2 year break though and last year I really enjoyed Lover Unleashed so I'm going to give the series another chance.
6. Weather Warden Series & Outcast Season by Rachel Caine - This series is another old favourite, in fact I read the earlier books before I even started blogging (so over 6 years ago now). It's been one I've wanted to go back to for a while now but then Rachel Caine launched her kickstarter campaign and is now writing a new book set in that world so I HAVE to reread the rest of the books before the new one is published.
7. Darkest London series by Kristen Callihan - Another series that I love but have fallen woefully behind on so it's beyond time for a catch up.
8. Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich - I read about 16 books in this series 6 or 7 years ago and loved them but it's been a long time so I've forgotten all the details. I'm rereading the series with some friends, we're reading one book a month so it's going to take us about 2 years to catch up but I want to make sure I stay on track with this group read.
9. Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson - This is an absolutely ginormous series - 14 books and most of them are over 700 pages long! - but it's one I've had so many people recommend to me. I've always been a bit too intimidated to start it but another group of friends (I love my Goodreads reading buddies!!) have decided to read the series one book a month for the next 14 months. I'm only part way through the first book but I already love it so I'm definitely planning on keeping up with this group read too. Having people to hold my hands is going to help keep me motivated I think :o)
10. In Death by J.D. Robb - I've wanted to try this series for absolutely ages so I'm making it a personal goal to start it in 2016. I'm reading this series by myself (unless anyone wants to join me?!) but as long as I enjoy the first book I'm planning on reading at least one a month until I'm caught up. There are over 30 books available already so this is another very long ongoing project but we'll see how far I manage to get with it!

So what are your reading resolutions for 2016? Do you have certain books or series that you want to get through or have you set completely different kinds of goals? If anyone is interested in joining the buddy reads I'm taking part in you're very welcome - I'm part of a great group on Goodreads & we have a lot of fun reading together and chatting about the books along the way :o)

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Urban Fantasy Series

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week has a different theme & you can find all the details about how to join in HERE.

Today's topic is a Halloween Freebie so I've decided to talk about my Top Ten Urban Fantasy Series. These are all adult series so most of them won't be suitable for younger readers but they're all fantastic and books I'm happy to shout from the rooftops recommending. It was actually REALLY hard to narrow this list down to just 10 series so I may have sneaked a few extra in there! All links below will take you to my reviews the different series mentioned.

1. My absolute favourite urban fantasy writers would have to be Ilona and Gordon Andrews, their most well known series is about Kate Daniels, a sword wielding, totally kick arse heroine who has a great deal of power and is half of one of my favourite fictional couples. I just have one word for you - Curran. I LOVE him and that's all you need to know! These books are full of action and danger, have a great supporting cast of characters and just never fail to make me smile. You can find my reviews of the Kate Daniel's series here but I'd highly recommend EVERYTHING by these authors including their Edge series and Innkeeper Chronicles and their most recent Hidden Legacy series which I'm desperately waiting for the next instalment of. Ilona and Gordon are undoubtedly the Queen and King of urban fantasy so if you've not read any of their books you're definitely missing out.

2. Nalini Singh is another author that I absolutely adore. I'm kind of cheating with this one because her Guild Hunter series definitely straddles the line between urban fantasy and paranormal romance but it's absolutely excellent so I had to include it. The series follows vampire hunter Elena as she hunts rogue vampires to keep humanity safe. This is a world where angels are in control, they're powerful and often terrifying creatures and they rule over humanity with an iron fist. The world is divided into territories, each controlled by an Archangel and Elena catches the attention of Raphael, the Archangel who runs New York. While many of the books in this series focus on Elena and Raphael and are definitely what I would consider urban fantasy (with a fairly high level of romance!) there are some books that feature other couples and are probably more paranormal romance. The world building is very strong in the whole series though and there is an incredibly likeable cast of secondary characters who all have major roles to play. If you enjoy Nalini's writing then it would be well worth checking out Nalini's Psy-Changeling series too, it's definitely PNR but also has very strong world building, wonderful characters and a lot of action. Nalini is an auto-buy author for me and I've yet to read a book by her that I didn't love.

3. I recently reread Rachel Vincent's Shifters series and I loved it just as much the second time around. The main character of this series is Faythe Sanders, a twenty something cat shifter and her family. The Shifters world is very male oriented and Faythe struggles to make some of the old fashioned council members take her seriously because she's a woman but she's stubborn, intelligent and stands up for what she believes in so she refuses to back down. This series can be quite dark in places and there were a few parts that absolutely broke my heart but I love it.

4. Another series I absolutely adore is Rachel Caine's Weather Warden and the spin off Outcast Season. It's been a long time since I read these books, in fact I read most of the series before I started blogging so it would have been about 6 or 7 years ago, but I love them. I was incredibly excited when Rachel Caine recently announced that she is going to revisit this world and I'm planning on rereading and reviewing the entire series before the new book releases next summer. These books are about humans who have the ability to control the weather and the Djinn they use to help them, the series is very different to anything else I've read and I'm looking forward to revisiting it.

5. You can't really talk about urban fantasy and not mention Patricia Briggs and her Mercy Thompson series (or the spin off Alpha & Omega books!). This is a series full of werewolves, vampires and fae and Mercy Thompson is the only known coyote shifter. She is less powerful than the other supernatural creatures around her but that never stops her for standing up for what she believes in no matter what it costs her. I love Mercy, she's one of the bravest characters you'll ever meet and I've been rooting for her from the beginning. The spin off series allows us to spend time with werewolf couple Anna and Charles and lets us explore more of the world that Patricia Briggs has created. There is always so much going on in these books and I just wish we didn't have to wait so long for new instalments!

6. So I've already included series with shifters, angels, vampires and even humans with magical abilities but the fantastic Katherine "Kitty" Katt series by Gini Koch is a little different because it's all about aliens. Kitty's whole life is turned upside down when she discovers not only that aliens exist but that they're living among us and hiding in plain sight. Not all of the aliens are benign though and when she manages to kill one of the monsters using just a pen from the bottom of her handbag Kitty is recruited to fight alongside the good aliens to protect humanity. This series is absolutely hilarious and never fails to make me laugh out loud, the characters are brilliant, the antics are madcap, the plotting is superb and I guarantee you'll never know what's coming next.

7. There is a reason that Karen Marie Moning's Fever series is such an incredibly popular one and it's a series that I'm going to be rereading over the next few weeks. Mac isn't your typical urban fantasy heroine, in fact at the very beginning I wasn't sure if I was going to like her much because she comes across as quite weak, but she goes through a baptism of fire and we really get to see what she's made of throughout the series. I ended up absolutely loving Mac but even if I hadn't these books would be worth reading just for Barrons. He's a totally mysterious, unapologetic alpha arse and I just can't resist his charms!

8. Another one of my favourite authors is Keri Arthur, she writes brilliant paranormal romances as well as urban fantasy but my favourite is her Riley Jenson series and the spin off Dark Angel books. Riley is a half werewolf- half vampire hybrid and alongside her twin brother Rhoan she works for the Directorate of Other Races, an organisation that is tasked with keeping humans safe from the huge variety of supernatural creatures that are wandering around. Life isn't easy for Riley, she is often forced into difficult situations because of her job but she always comes out fighting and I love her for that. This is a vast world and has a great range of characters and I loved meeting the next generation in the Dark Angels spin off, I keep hoping that Keri Arthur will revisit some of the other side characters in the future but I've not seen any indication that it will actually happen.

9. If you love vampires you should definitely check out Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series, Merit never asked to be a vampire but she was turned by Master Ethan when he found her badly injured after she had been attacked. He may have saved her life but he also turned it upside down at the same time and now she has to find a way to come to terms with what happened and rebuild a new life for herself with the vampires of Cadogan House. I love this series, Merit is brilliant and there are some great side characters, the series has plenty of humour but also plenty of danger, there's magic, sorcery, shapeshifters and interesting vampire politics, not to mention a brilliant romance.

10. I can't compile a list of my favourite urban fantasy series without including the Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost. I discovered this series back in 2010 when it was recommended to me by several UK bloggers and I've been hooked ever since. Cat Crawford is a half vampire who was born after her mother was attacked by a vampire. She has dedicated her life to killing every vampire she meets believing them all to be evil but then she meets Bones and he makes her realise that not all vampires are monsters. Cat is kick arse, Bones is hot and I absolutely love them as a couple. It's been a long time since I read these books but it's still a favourite series and I think I might be due a reread soon!

Honourable mentions:

So those are my top urban fantasy series but I feel like there are a lot of other series that also deserve some love, these are mostly (but not all) newer series so haven't quite earned such a huge place in my heart (yet!) but they're definitely ones I'm excited to continue and worth giving a try!

1. The Hollows series by Kim Harrison: I started this series before I was a blogger so I've not reviewed any of the books but I remember loving the world Kim has created and it's a series that I'm planning on starting again next year.
2. Cassandra Palmer & Dorina Basarab series by Karen Chance: Two more series that I started years ago and haven't reviewed, I love Karen's writing and really want to catch up with these books.
3. Weird Girls - Cecy Robson: This series is about four sisters, each with their own unusual magical ability thanks to a curse that was placed upon them when they were children. The curse backfired and left them extremely powerful but it also placed a target on their backs and now they're trying to deal with the aftermath.
4. The Colbana Files - J.C. Daniels: Kit is a warrior born and bread and she is incredibly skilled with weapons of all kinds. She was raised to be an assassin but escaped from her family and now works as a PI trying to help people in need.
5. The Veil - Pippa DaCosta: Muse is half human and half demon, she was raised in the hell where she suffered horrific torture until she was able to escape and make it to the human realm. Her whole life has been about survival and now she just wants to live a quiet life but with the veil between the worlds starting to fail and old enemies looking to catch up with her Muse is going to have to choose which side of the upcoming war to fight for.
6. Fallen Siren series by S.J. Harper: This series is all about a siren who was cursed by Greek Goddess Demeter and it's quickly becoming a favourite, Emma is an FBI agent who specialises in tracking down kidnapping victims and her partner at the agency is a werewolf.
7. Monster Haven series by R.L. Naquin: The Monster Haven books are really light hearted and very funny reads, the author includes a huge amount of different supernatural creatures and they cause all sorts of mischief for the main character, Zoey, to deal with.

So those are my favourite urban fantasy series! Do any of them make your top ten? Have I missed any series that you love? Urban fantasy is definitely one of my favourite genres so I'd love some new recommendations :o)