Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater

  Sinner is a companion to Maggie Stiefvater's The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy. I say companion because it really has little to do with that trilogy other than that the two main characters in Sinner were first introduced in the trilogy. I really liked the original trilogy, which consisted of Shiver, Linger, and Forever. It has been awhile since I read the trilogy but what lingers is the romance between Sam and Grace, two lonely kids who meet and start building a life and a family together. Notwithstanding his surrogate father, Sam was more or less an orphan. Grace had two parents and they were not bad people but they were super in love with each other and with their work (they were artists) to the point that they kind of forget they were parents. This left Grace to more or less raise herself. All of that was set against this wolf problem. Sam turned into a wolf for half the year. Not a monster werewolf, just a regular wolf. Aside from the obvious problems of changing into another species, Grace and Sam's lives were made more complicated by people in town fearing the growing number of wolves in the nearby woods and wanting to kill them. The romance was compelling and the wolf part was interesting, making for an overall good story.

Sinner moves the story from Minnesota where Sam and Grace remain, to California. Isabel and her family moved to California following the death of her brother. His demise has torn them apart. As the story begins Isabel and her mother are in Los Angeles while her father is in San Diego. Enter Cole St. Clair.

Cole St. Clair was a rock star who was always looking for a way out of his life. Drugs didn't work. He thought becoming a wolf might. Fast forward a year or so, Cole leaves Minnesota for California in part to record a new album and in part to see if there is anything left between him and Isabel. Cole is hyperactive, not sure about how to be happy or how to balance being rock star Cole with being regular person Cole. The only thing he is sure of is that he loves making music and he loves Isabel.The wolf thing doesn't make much of an appearance in this book. It is little more than an alternative means of escape. He used to do drugs, now he can change into a wolf but of course the idea is that he has to learn to live without doing either.

I didn't not like this book, but it also wasn't quite what I expected and for that reason I was disappointed. Isabel is an ice queen, permanently pissed off about something, sometimes justifiably so but more often her anger felt misplaced and pointless. She's smart, has plans for life, and the means to make those plans happen. She struck me as the type of person who always thinks she understands the world better than absolutely everyone else. Even when she is right it was irritating, and she wasn't always right.

Cole and Isabel fight. Then they make up. Then they fight some more. Unlike Sam and Grace, I doubt this romance will stick with me. Like I said, I didn't not like this but I didn't love it either. Sinner is not a must read. If anything, read the original The Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy.

The Undoing by Shelly Laurenston

  It's strange how at times media that I am consuming end up relating to one another in unanticipated ways. Over the last few days I've been watching the final episodes of the last season of Showtime's Penny Dreadful. (Yes, I know it ended weeks ago. I am perpetually behind on my DVR list.) At the same time I've been reading Shelly Laurenston's The Undoing. Unexpectedly both have feminist underpinnings with a particular focus on women refusing to conform to what men (or society or large) want or expect. On Penny Dreadful this is most evident with the characters Vanessa Ives and Lily. On the episode Ebb Tide (season 3, episode 7) Dracula gives a great speech in which he tells Vanessa that he loves her for who she really is and that she need not conform herself to what others expect, as she has tried to do for so long. Meanwhile the murderous Lily is bent on avenging herself and the multitudes of prostitutes, abused wives, and other women who society turns a blind eye to when they are beaten or otherwise ill treated. In The Undoing there is Jacinda "Jace" Berisha, a once abused wife who woke up in her second life filled with rage. 

This is the second book I've read by Shelly Laurenston and the second in her Call of Crows series. Whenever I think of the Crows I can't help but picture a biker gang but they are something much cooler than bikers: The Crows are Viking inspired warriors. Long story short, there are various Viking clans on present day Earth whose job is more or less protect humanity from itself and from the misdeeds of various supernaturals. Each clan was created or put together by a particular god or goddess, like Thor or Odin. I can't remember which goddess created the Crows, but whoever she was she takes women who died, usually violently, and offers them a second chance at life as one of her Crow warriors. In their second lives the Crows are stronger, can sprout wings and fly, and are generally bad ass in every way. 

I would classify this series as paranormal romance with lots of action. Each book in the series focuses on a particular Crow woman and her budding romance with a guy from one of the other clans. Plus there is always some big bad they have take down. The Undoing focuses on Jace, who aside from having the usual Crow powers of super strength and flight, manifests berserker level rage when she is really pissed off. Her fellow Crows find Jace's rages both helpful and frightening. When she is in a rage Jace is unstoppable but she is also has a tendency to lose control of herself. The reasons behind her rage are undoubtedly rooted in her first life when she was forced to be the wife of a crazy cult leader who believes the end of days are near. In The Undoing Jace has a lot on her plate. She has to (1) deal with her crazy ex-husband who wants to forcibly bring her back into the fold, (2) figure out how to stop a vengeful, ancient goddess who is wreaking havoc on the world, and (3) contemplate dating when the only other relationship she has ever been in was one that was forced on her at the age of ten.

I really liked this. How could I not? When not in a berserker rage, Jace is a quiet girl who prefers reading to small talk. She hides in empty cars, up in trees, wherever she can to escape the constant chatter of her sister crows, love them as she does. When Ski Eriksen of the Protectors clan, whose is also known as the "Keeper of the Word," asks for her help with translating and organizing a bunch of books his clan took from a Russian mobster Jace is all in. For the books, that is. She is completely clueless that the cute guy offering her job is in interested in much more than an employee/employer relationship.

There was also something about an enchanted necklace, an unkillable goddess causing all kinds of trouble. Truthfully I  focused less on that part of the story. That part of the story was fine, and the parts about the other clans and how none of them get along was funny, but really it was all about the romance for me. Can't wait for the next book in the series.

Jackaby by William Ritter

  There's a blurb on the front cover of my copy of Jackaby that describes it as Sherlock Holmes crossed with the Buffy Slayer. Its two principle characters, R. F. Jackaby and Miss Abigail Rook are clearly inspired by Sherlock Holmes and there's enough of the supernatural thrown in to make the Buffy comparison fitting. Jackaby is the quirky detective who is always ten steps ahead of everyone else. His "Watson" is a young lady named Miss Rook. She has a thirst for adventure, having recently run away from home to chase dinosaurs and excitement. Miss Rook also has a talent noticing the ordinary and deducing details about a person or a situation, much like the legendary detective. Jackaby, in turn, has a talent for noticing the extraordinary. Of course, most of the townspeople think Jackaby is mad, or at least a little odd. It doesn't help that he has tendency to speak bluntly and without tact. Miss Rook is warned more than once against taking a job as Jackaby's assistant. But newly arrived in New Fiddleham and short on funds, Miss Rook can't afford to turn down the job. Even better, she finds she quite enjoys it! How could she not when her first mystery brings her fact to face with a banshee, a goblin, and other mystical creatures.

Jackaby was so much fun! It took just enough inspiration from Sherlock and then did something new with it. Hands down my favorite character is Miss Rook. I loved how independent and brave she is. Everyone, especially the men and even Jackaby, warn her that detective work is too much for the female temperament. Miss Rook makes it clear to them how she feels about that, standing her ground and proving herself to be more than capable of the job.

I would recommend this to anyone interested in historical mysteries with a paranormal twist. I know Mr. Ritter has written another book with these characters and a novella/short story. I hope there is more to come.

Living With the Dead by Kelley Armstrong

Living With the Dead is a little different from the other books in Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series. Usually one supernatural woman takes center stage. Here, the story is told from the points of view of multiple people. The three main characters are Hope, Robyn, and Adele. Robyn, a human, suddenly finds herself the suspect in a murder investigation when one of her PR clients is murdered. Luckily for Robyn her childhood friend Hope Adams, a half-demon journalist who specializes in weird tales, and her werewolf boyfriend Karl recently arrived in town. The third woman in this tale is Adele, a psychotic young woman with the power of clairvoyance.

This wasn't bad, but it definitely was not my favorite entry in the Otherworld series. Robyn plays a large role in the story which is problematic since she's a human who isn't aware of the existence of supernaturals. There ends up being a lot of running around in circles when a two-minute conversation could solve about ninety percent of the issues everyone has.

The best parts of Living With the Dead were those that involved Hope and Karl trying to figure out their relationship as they tried to save Robyn from herself and the supernaturals after her. I wish there had been more Hope and Karl and less Robyn. Oh well, in any series there is bound to be a few missteps. At least the ending hints at something big coming later in the series, something that could shake up the supernatural world. I'm excited to find out what that something might be.

Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

  Bone Crossed, the fourth book in the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs, picks up not too long after the events in Iron Kissed. Mercy is still shaken by what happened. She and Adam are taking tentative steps toward a relationship. Just as things are starting to get back to normal, a new set of problems pops up. Marsilia, the local vampire queen, has learned what Mercy did in Iron Kissed and she is not happy. Mercy may be prepared to accept whatever Marsilia has planned for her, but Mercy is not about to stand around while her friends suffer at the hands of Marsilia for her actions. In other news, Mercy inadvertently draws the attention of another vampire after being recruited to do some ghost hunting. There is never a dull day in the life of Mercy Thompson, that's for sure.

Mercy has always been different. Even in a world where werewolves, vampires, witches, and fae exists, Mercy is unusual. She is a walker. As a walker she can turn into a coyote, but there's so much more to it than that. Unfortunately since she is the only walker in existence as far as anyone knows, Mercy doesn't quite know the extent of her abilities, just that magic often has a different effect on her that it does on others. In Bone Crossed Mercy learns a little more about her abilities as a walker. While learning more about being a walker, Mercy has to deal with one vampire she considers a friend, two who are most definitely not, and a pack of werewolves, several of whom are none too happy at the prospect of their alpha dating a coyote. Fortunately, Mercy is not to back down from a challenge.

I have said it before, and I'll say it again, I am loving this series. Briggs is quickly becoming one of my favorite paranormal writers. All of her characters are so vividly drawn. The plotting is action packed. She even manages to touch on real world problems without it feeling forced or out of place. Can't wait for the next one.

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

  This series just keeps getting better and better! Mercy Thompson is a lot of things: a VW mechanic, walker who can go shift into a coyote, and above all, a really good friend. The last is demonstrated by her willingness to go against powerful forces when her friend, mentor, and former boss Zee is arrested for a murder he did not commit. Mercy sets out to prove his innocence even though it may mean upsetting the very powerful and very vengeful fae. Years before the fae revealed themselves to the human world with mixed results. Many fae now live on reservations away from humans who are largely afraid of them.When a human is killed and Zee is found at the scene of the crime, he becomes the obvious suspect. The powers that be in the fae world know Zee is innocent but are willing to risk losing one of their own to appease human law enforcement and put the case to bed. That is not okay with Mercy.

Iron Kissed, book number three in the Mercy Thompson series, was really interesting. At the end it got really heavy, tackling issues like sexual assault, identity, and what consent really means. It blew me way. I didn't expect such intensity from a series centering around werewolves, vampires, fae, and ghosts. Paranormal might be seen as escapist fare, but this series is grounded in real emotions.

Mercy is quickly becoming my favorite paranormal heroine. She is such a richly drawn character. She is tough and vulnerable, lonely but resistant to entering a relationship, and always, always, a formidable challenge. People continually underestimate her to their detriment. She cares about everyone. Making her different from everyone else - she's not a werewolf, a vampire, fae, or entirely human - allows her a degree of empathy that extends beyond her own "family" or "species" in a way other characters aren't able to.

The guys of the Mercy Thompson series are pretty awesome too. Brigg does a great job of writing men who are strong and powerful without being too obnoxious and controlling, or at least who are confronted with their obnoxiousness when needed. Not that they don't have their issues, but on the whole the men in Mercy's life are good guys. There's Adam, the local pack alpha. He is a leader who understands the importance of taking the time to hear what his pack members have to say. He walks a fine line between being dominant without being excessively domineering, well most of the time. He wants Mercy as his mate but will not coerce her into it. Sam, Mercy's first love, still cares about her but is as unsure as Mercy is as to what the future holds for them. They are both protective of her but try to resist protecting her too much. Warren and Kyle's relationship is also refreshing to read about. Warren, not surprisingly, still has to deal with issues related to members of the wolf pack who don't accept his sexuality but it is clearly their problem, not Warren's. He has settled nicely into his relationship with Kyle. Even Ben, the British werewolf who was so obnoxious in earlier books, comes off rather nicely in Iron Kissed. I hope there is more of Ben in future books.

In sum, I am really loving this series.

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.