Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

  Blood Bound is the second book in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. Mercy is a walker who can turn into a coyote. For reasons I don't totally understand yet (beyond the fact of being different animal) this makes her strikingly different from the werewolves she grew up around. In the paranormal world Briggs has created, there are werewolves, vampires, fae, and walkers, or else at least one walker, as so far Mercy seems to be the only one. Humans have known about the fae for a while but have only recently found out that werewolves are real. The vampires have wisely decided to keep their existence a secret, at least for the time being.

Vampires are evil, or so Mercy has been told. Still, she counts one as a friend, or at least a fairly close acquaintance. When Stefan asks Mercy to accompany him to a meeting with another vampire and act as a witness, Mercy can't refuse. She does owe him a favor. This other vampire turns out to be more powerful than either Mercy or Stefan expected. And, he's a lot more trouble. There's a heat wave on and people's tempers seem to be shorter than usual. Everyone knows the heat can drive people crazy, but Mercy is beginning to suspect that it is more than just the heat is behind the string of violence erupting throughout the Tri Cities.

I like Mercy. She is strong willed, smart, and brave. She's not superhuman. She is well aware of both her strengths and her limitations, which notwithstanding that this is a paranormal story, makes her a realistic and believable. She's not trying to solve the world's problems, taking down one bad guy at a time. She's a mechanic who happens to have a lot of unusual friends and when she finds herself drawn into a situation, she figures out a way to handle it. Mercy is sarcastic and funny and an all around great character to spend some time with.

The side characters are also interesting. There's Sam, Mercy's first love. He clearly still wants her but he hurt her in the past and he and Mercy are trying to figure out what kind of relationship to have in the present. Adam is the local pack alpha, Mercy's neighbor and semi-boyfriend. They are awkwardly dating. As an alpha, Adam finds it difficult to not be controlling and domineering but realizes he cannot simply expect Mercy to be subservient to him the way other wolves are. Being in tune with her animal side herself, Mercy struggles to not simply submit to Adam and not get subsumed in the werewolf hierarchy and its politics. Stefan is the wild card. As Briggs writes them, vampires are inherently cold and untrustworthy. Yet Stefan clearly cares for Mercy, and he has a sense of humor, driving a van painted like the Scooby Doo mystery van. Mercy and Stefan have something going on but it's too soon to know yet if it is a genuine friendship, something more or something less.

This is a great series. I can't help but compare it to the Southern Vampire book series and its HBO counterpart, True Blood.  The Southern Vampire series and True Blood were over the top with craziness. It's early in the series but even with a bunch of supes running around making life difficult (but interesting), the Mercy Thompson series has a lot less melodrama. This isn't a criticism of either series, just noting that they're different. Next up, Iron Kissed.

The Book of Revelation by Rupert Thomson

  What a strange little book, this Book of Revelation. It centers around a 29-year-old British male dancer who lives and works in Amsterdam. He and his girlfriend Brigitte, who is also a dancer, live together and work for the same dance company. He's happy. As he steps out to buy cigarettes for his girlfriend - he tells her cigarettes will give her cancer but she doesn't care - he reflects on how perfect his life is at that moment. He knows his career as a dancer is nearing its end, but he has a burgeoning career as a choreographer and he has Brigitte.

On his way to purchase the cigarettes, the man is approached by three women.  They begin to praise his dancing. He is gracious. Then he feels something prick his arm and the world goes black. The man wakes up chained in a room. Over the course of the next eighteen days the women force him to have sex with them and to engage in various humiliating situations. They tell him that he is theirs. They mutilate him. Once the women are finished with him, they release him. The man is left confused, embarrassed, ashamed, and humiliated. He returns home. He tells his girlfriend what happened and she doesn't believe him. Let me just pause here and say this made no sense to me. Not only has the man never cheated on his girlfriend before, he disappeared from everything and everyone - family, friends, and job - for eighteen days, and she thinks it's all about her? His parents had the good sense to wonder where their son was but because Brigitte insists that her boyfriend simply ran off with another woman, the police never bother looking for him.

Anyway, after being kidnapped, raped, and then dumped by his girlfriend, the man is adrift. He never really tells anyone (except Brigitte) what happened to him. He doesn't go to the police or the hospital. He wanders about, literally and figuratively. He does have friends. One in particular, Isabel senses that something happened to the man but she doesn't know what. She tries to help as best she can. At some point the man becomes obsessed with the finding the women who abused him. Unfortunately he doesn't know anything about them or even exactly what they looked liked - throughout his ordeal either he was hooded or they were.

I am not sure what to think of this book. With such a provocative plot I would expect that the author is trying to say something but I have no idea what that is. I was reading reviews of this book on the web and saw at least one that suggested that at least up until the mutilation scene, the idea of a man getting kidnapped by three women who want to have sex with him is a typical male fantasy but I don't think that is what The Book of Revelation is about. At no point is the man happy with being kidnapped. He doesn't appear to enjoy the sex. Before the kidnapping and during the ordeal a large part of what gets him through it all is thinking about Brigitte with whom he is so in love. Nor does this book appear to be about society's treatment of male victims of sexual abuse because aside from Brigitte, no one gets a chance to react because no one knows what happened to the man. Maybe this book is little bit about how one's life changes after experiencing such an ordeal, but even that's a stretch because the man himself does little to confront his own feelings about his experience.

The most confounding and frustrating thing about the book is the lack of resolve. The book ends rather abruptly and it is entirely unsatisfying. I wanted, if not resolution, some sense of how the man plans to continue on in life. If anything The Book of Revelation is a good conversation starter. It provides no answers but may get you thinking.

The Bat by Jo Nesbø

  While on a trip through the Pacific Northwest a couple years ago I picked up a bunch of books from Jo Nesbø's Harry Hole series at one of my favorite bookstores, Powell's City of Books. For a variety of reasons I didn't start reading the series right away, but did read Headhunters and The Son, two of Nesbø's standalone books. It's been awhile since I read Headhunters. Mostly I remember it being violent and funny in a madcap sort of way. The Son was also violent, but much more somber. The Son also included a not entirely believable romance story line. Going into the Harry Hole series, I wasn't sure if I was in for a gritty crime series, a funny crime series, or something else entirely. With a name like Harry Hole I half expected funny, but suspected there would be a hefty amount of violence deaths added in. Seriously, I wonder if the main character's name sounds like something a school boy made up in Norwegian too.

The Bat is the first book in the series. As it opens Oslo police detective Harry is just arriving in Sydney, Australia to assist in the investigation of the murder of young Norwegian women. We're told the woman was a minor celebrity in Norway but in Australia the victim was a waitress so I was never quite sure what made her a celebrity. Whatever her celebrity status the situation apparently merited sending a policeman from Norway to Australia and Harry, having recently gone through some difficulties in Oslo, is all to glad to get away to the beach. Once in Sydney he makes friends with one of the lead detectives on the case. It isn't long before they come to suspect that what seemed like an isolated incident might actually be the handiwork of a serial killer.

For me, mysteries are usually about the plot (the mystery itself) or the characters, rarely both. I have to admit that the plot of The Bat didn't exactly grab me. There were multiple times when I was either lost as to what was going on or where my mind wandered off somewhere else. Maybe it was the writing; maybe it was me being distracted; maybe it was both. It was a little too convoluted and over the top. I mean, of the multiple deaths that occur in the story, one involves a clown and another involves a shark. I'm not sure if the intention was to be comical, but it came off as comical albeit in a very gruesome way. Having one crazy, weird death would have been enough. Multiple crazy, weird deaths and the phrase "jumped the shark" is justly applied.

One thing I did really like about the book was the integration of Aboriginal history and its influence on Australian society in the story. This played heavily into the plot and the stories of individual characters. I appreciated not only learning a tiny about this subject, but also the acknowledgement that the problems of the past have not been completely resolved, and further that they may continue to influence the present, often in unanticipated ways. This brings me to the characters as a whole. While the plot was not entirely convincing the characters were intriguing. I am definitely interested in reading more of Harry Hole's adventures. Luckily I have a bunch of the books in the series already waiting in my TBR pile.

Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love by Chris Roberson

  This seems to be the season of retelling, or rather recasting, of classic stories in a different genre from the original. Or at least it is the season of me finding such stories.  This book is a retelling of Cinderella's story in graphic novel format. Instead of a damsel in distress waiting for her prince, here in Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love, Cindy has divorced her Prince Charming. Most of Fabletown thinks she is just another socialite globetrotting around the world shopping and partying. What most don't know is that Cindy is an international spy. When magical objects start disappearing from Fabletown and reappearing in the mundy (that is, the ordinary human world), Cindy is tasked with finding out who's behind it and putting a stop to it. Magical objects in the mundy world could cause real problems for everyone.

This was super fun! I'm not too familiar with this series of Fables from Vertigo. I picked this up on a whim and am so glad I did. Cinderella as a super spy who can defend herself with or without a weapon was just plain awesome. I don't want to give to much away but I loved how the traditional tropes from fairy tales were used to comment on the themes of fairy tales, particularly the trope of the fairy godmother. This was definitely a good read.

The Unleashing by Shelly Laurenston

  There is a beautiful man with six pack abs on the cover of The Unleashing.  It is a beautiful cover but it is totally misleading because The Unleashing isn't about him. It's about Kera.

Kera was a marine who struggled to find her footing after leaving the marines. Her days largely consisted of serving customers at the diner she worked at, walking Brodie Hawaii, the pit bull that rescued her as much as she rescued it, and hanging out in her rundown apartment. She died trying to help a teenage girl who was getting beat up by her pimp in an alley behind the diner. After surviving two tours in the Middle East Kera couldn't believe she died in an alley. Even more unbelievable was having a viking goddess offer her a second chance at life as a Crow. The Crows are an all female clan of assassins for the Norse gods, or something like that. They kill when ordered by Odin or one of the other gods.  In between killing sprees, the women can make of their new life anything they want it to be.

I picked up The Unleashing expecting a paranormal romance. Kera does find a lover and there are paranormal elements what with the Norse gods and all, but paranormal romance is not an adequate description. Kera spends a large part of the story trying to figure out how to live in her new life. As a Crow she is expected to kill. As a marine one might think that it wold be easy for her, but adjusting to life after the marines meant in part trying to get away from violence and death. Beyond learning to let her rage guide her per the Crow's motto, Kera has to figure out what to do with her life. Her Crow sisters have all kinds of jobs. The book is set in the Los Angeles area so most of them have jobs in or related to the entertainment industry. The point is each woman died and when given a second chance at life, decided to live their dream life. It is sometime before Kera figures out what her dreams are.

I liked this. The romance that develops between Kera and the viking who made it possible for her to get a second chance at life is sexy and fun. The fight scenes are action packed. Kera's attempts at finding her footing in her new life are interesting. All of this is set against a backdrop of something amiss in the supernatural world and it being up to the Crows to figure it out.

I believe The Unleashing is the first in a new series. I am not familiar with Laurenston's other series but after reading this I might give them a try. Of course, I'm looking forward to finding out what follows for Kera and her sister Crows.

The Darkest Whisper by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Whisper is the fourth book in Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series. The lords are immortal warriors who were once favored by the gods. The lords lost that favor after they killed Pandora and released the demons that were once imprisoned inside her box. As a punishment each lord was cursed to carry a demon inside him (or her). Centuries have passed and man and demon have become one. Separating the demon from the man would kill the man. Unfortunately, that is exactly what the hunters want to do.  The hunters are a group of humans who blame all the world's ills on the lords and believe that if they could capture the lords and remove their demons, then life would be heaven on earth. As one character points out, the hunters seem to have forgotten that humans have free will and are at least partially to blame for the ills of the world.

Sabin is the keeper of doubt. Get near him and you start doubting everything good in your life.  Sabin has had lovers before but it never worked out. In the end the women also began doubting everything about themselves no matter how much Sabin tried to boost their confidence. After one lover was overcome doubt and committed suicide, Sabin swore off women and relationships for good. Then he met Gwen.

Gwen is a half harpy, half angel who was captured by the hunters and imprisoned for a year. When the lords break into the hunter's fortress and rescue her and the other captives, Gwen isn't quite sure what to think. She has heard stories about the lords, and in all of them the lords are ruthless killers. Being anywhere near the lords should and does terrify her, not only because of what they might do but also because of what she might do. As a harpy Gwen knows violence and she hates it. She despises the part of herself that is harpy, not entirely without reason. When she goes into harpy mode she loses control and people die. Yet she can't deny her attraction to Sabin. Being around him seems to bring out the best and worst in her.

This one was a mixed bag for me. The harpy mythology was new to me and a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed Gwen's trajectory in the story. In the beginning she can't accept the violent harpy half of her.  She's afraid of her own power and believes herself to be weak. She even blames herself for being kidnapped. Over the course of the novel she gains confidence in herself and her powers. She learns how to fight and to stand up for herself. A woman growing into her own is always a good thing to see.

What I liked less was Sabin's "protection" of Gwen. Gwen opens up to Sabin, revealing her greatest weakness to him. He uses that knowledge against her, imprisoning Gwen and her sisters against their will. He reasons that locking the four women up is for their own protection. Multiple times in the book he physically prevents her sisters from going near Gwen because he feels he has to "protect" her from them even though they have never done anything to harm her. I so wanted Gwen to stand up to him and tell him to back off. Even if he means well Sabin's actions went too far too many times.

Each book in the series focuses on a particular warrior as well as the lords' overall fight to defeat the hunters. In this one there was an interesting development involving children with powers - can't wait to see how that plays out in future books. I also liked the side stories involving Aeron and Paris and Torin and Cameo.

One of the fun things about the series is the friendship between the men. It's not difficult to find books that depict deep female friendships but I have across far fewer that involve serious male friendships. Don't get me wrong, romance is great but so are lifelong friends. Aeron and Paris have a deep friendship. Having lost the one woman he might have loved, Paris the keeper of promiscuity, is burying his sorrow in ambrosia and alcohol. Aeron desperately tries to help his friend. Paris will not self-destruct if Aeron has anything to do about it.

Another interesting relationship is that between Cameo and Torin. Cameo, the only female warrior, is the keeper of misery. The sound of her voice literally makes people depressed and miserable. Torin has the worst demon in my opinion - the demon of disease. He can't touch another person with his bare skin without causing a plague. Cameo and Torin have been flirting with each other for awhile. Here they both come to understand the limits of their relationships, and not just the limits resulting from their demons. The individual stories of these warriors, I'm betting, will be interesting and steamy.

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton

  Caroline has just moved into a beautiful apartment.  It has a nice big kitchen perfectly suited for all the cooking and baking she likes to do.  It has a great view of the city of San Francisco.  There's just one tiny problem - she share's a bedroom wall with a very noisy neighbor.  The first night in her beautiful apartment Caroline wakes up to someone banging on the wall and the sound of spanking.  The next night there is more banging and the sound of purring.  Night number three follows with more wallbanging and giggling.  Fed up, Caroline marches over to give Wallbanger, as she has nicknamed her noisy neighbor, a piece of her mind.

Wallbanger is one of the best romance stories I've read in a long time.  It has the perfect blend of romance, comedy, and sexiness.  It also has a smart and funny heroine who before and after meeting Mr. Wallbanger has a full life, complete with friends, family, interests of her own, and a career she loves and is great at.

This is a romance so there is no surprise that Caroline and Simon, aka Wallbanger, eventually get together but watching them come together was great.  Even better, once they get together they still have issues to deal with, making this very much a grown up romance, and by that I mean the kind where romance is one part but not the whole part of one's life story. My one tiny complaint is that there are three girl friends who meets three boy friends and by the end there are three couples.  That was a little too convenient, but that's a small quibble.  This is definitely worth the read.