Books We Love (Or Not)

This action-adventure urban fantasy is set in the jungles of India. Archeologist and TV celebrity Annja Creed is working on a dig in India when a freak tsunami floods the site and nearly kills her. As the waters recede, Annja finds several unique relics that hint at the existence of a hidden city whose denizens worship the naga, a race of fierce and beautiful women whose bodies merge human with serpent. The quest to find this lost city drives Annja deep into the unexplored heart of India. But another seeks the hidden city, a descendent of the cult’s lethal ancestors, and this ruthless Indian pirate will stop at nothing to prevent Annja from reaching the ruins alive.

I found this an extremely unusual and entertaining story, a sort of urban fantasy without the urban—which makes it a jungle fantasy, I suppose. The heroine is strong, smart, sexy, resourceful, and the master of Joan of Arc’s magical sword, which Annja can pull from the otherwhere at will. The setting and storyline are both fascinating, while the action crackles on the page and never lets up. Although the book stands alone, both the story of the sword and Annja’s love-hate relationship with two mysterious men hint at the broader storylines that drive the series. A thoroughly entertaining and fully accessible read!

In this urban fantasy set in modern-day California, half-Japanese interior designer Eve Hollis is a happy atheist with a normal life, until a steamy encounter in a stairwell with a familiar stranger transforms her into a Mark, a supernaturally-gifted hunter who’s drafted into working as a demon-slayer for a distant God. Her problems worsen when she learns the sexy stranger in the stairwell is Abel, brother to the dangerous drifter who broke her heart years ago—-who turns out to be Cain…as in, THAT Cain. Pulled between the warring brothers, Eve will need all her strength, her smarts, and her supernatural powers to stay alive, before the Infernals she’s chasing come after HER.

This was a very entertaining and well-written urban fantasy. Day’s vivid and imaginative world revolves around a complex hierarchy of angels and archangels, demons, fairies, and shapeshifters hidden among clueless mortals. (And yes, the appendix for deciphering the bureaucracy of Heaven comes in handy.) The action is fast and furious, Eve makes a likable hero despite her toughness, and the sex—with both heroes—is steamy. In addition, the author does a nice job handling the unusual love triangle among Cain, Abel, and Eve. Within a crowded paranormal/urban fantasy market, the complex angel/demon worldbuilding and the Cain and Abel aspect stand out. The story continues in EVE OF DESTRUCTION and EVE OF CHAOS, both of which are available now.

In this unusual urban fantasy, set in modern-day Philadelphia, Morgan Kingsley is a freelance exorcist, hired to expel illegal demons from unwilling human hosts. Because she despises demons, she’s very good at her job. When Morgan herself is possessed by Lugh, the demon king, she learns that the demon-human bond is far more complex than she’d believed. The fact that Lugh visits her dreams in the guise of a gorgeous, leather-clad lover is another development Morgan struggles to accept. When war breaks out among the demons and spills onto the human plane, only by embracing Lugh’s possession can Morgan hope to save the man she loves.

This was a very nicely done urban fantasy. Despite the current popularity of demon stories, this one offers a fresh take, creating a distinction between the “legal demons” who possess their human hosts only with full consent, and the “illegal demons” that possess their hosts by force. The worldbuilding is complex and original and, as in so much great fiction, Morgan can only experience character growth when she’s forced to do the thing she hates most (surrendering to demon possession).

Lots of very steamy and borderline kinky sex in this one though it is not, in fact, a romance. And, as you’d expect from the plot, there’s a bit of violence. This is the first book in a new series, and the sequel THE DEVIL YOU KNOW is already out, for those who’d like a second helping of this tasty treat. A recommended read for urban fantasy fans!

This urban fantasy series is set in an imaginative, fun yet spooky near-future Cincinnati, and it’s ever so good. Since the Turn, the witches, vampires, werewolves and other supernatural creatures hiding for centuries among the human population have shed their disguises and come out to play. Earth witch Rachel Morgan is a runner–a freelance private eye/bodyguard who lives with her vampire-partner Ivy, the spunky four-inch pixy Jenks and his dozens of fairy children in a converted church. In this novel, the sixth in a powerful and ever-evolving series, Rachel must strike a deal with her archenemy, the vengeful demon Algaliarept, to save her loved ones from a chilling fate. At the same time, she discovers the surprising truth about her own unique magic.

LOVE this series. It’s this author who showed me that I do enjoy urban fantasy, after my initial misgivings about the genre. Always fresh and lively without being trite or cute, these books are animated with very unique and conflicted characters, a bright and vivid (but not obnoxious or belligerent) voice, and a flawed yet likeable heroine. And who ever knew that a terrifying demon could be oh so sexy? A demon in Georgian-era velvet and lace, with fire-red eyes and godlike powers…Lord have mercy!

This series really launched me into reading urban fantasy, and it’s a good “starter series” for those interested in checking out the genre, as well as established urban fantasy fans. Scary and sexy, without being graphically violent or pornographic. Start with the first book in the series, DEAD WITCH WALKING, for maximum effect.