Heart of the Demon ~ Cynthia Garner

Heart of the Demon by Cynthia Garner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So here we are at book three in the Warriors of the Rift series. I have to say at first the concept of supernaturals coming from some other dimension took a little getting used to. Now I have to say I am hooked. I love the different supernatural groups that live in Garners world of the rift.

Summary: Once a generation, the rift between the paranormal world and the human world opens, allowing supernatural entities to cross. Vampire, demon, or shapeshifter, they can save the world—or send it spiraling into chaos.

The next opening of the rift is coming—and its consequences will be deadly. A rogue group of human-hating preternaturals is planning an apocalyptic attack, but the Council of Preternaturals may have found the key to saving the world: Keira O'Brien, a fey with a long criminal record, whose empathic abilities once made her the queen of con artists. If she successfully infiltrates the dangerous faction, the sins of her past will be forgiven.

Keira isn't the only agent working against the rogue prets. Finn Evnissyen, a powerful demon with a dark lineage, is a hired assassin looking for a way out. If he stops the threat, he will finally earn his freedom. As the rift fast approaches, and danger escalates, Finn and Keira must discover if they're on the same side—or sleeping with the enemy 
My Take:

As this book starts we are only a few weeks away from the next rift and everything's changing. Tension is running high on Earth as humans prepare to have their lives potentially robbed from them. A secret organization is working to keep the rift open for even longer. Now the unlikely pair of a Demon and a Fae have been charged with infiltrating the group to try and stop them. The trouble lies two fold, one they must resist the urge to get to close to one another and two they must work together but never let on their own secret agendas.
This was a fast paced story with two fantastic lead characters. Their chemistry was fantastic, you could really feel the tension between them. Great characters and an exceptional storyline make this a must read for any paranormal lover!

Deep Connections ~ Rebecca Graf

Deep Connections by Rebecca Graf
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

I picked this one up as part of a tour mostly because I was due for a non supernatural type book. I guess this was an oops on my part but I did enjoy the book non the less.

Amazon Summary:
Just as love appears, so does the darkness. With her heart reaching out for one man, Brenna finds herself the target of an unknown stalker. Who is he? What does he want? How far will he go for her? Death is an option. Brenna discovers more than she bargained for and learns that the stalker will kill for her. It all comes down to decisions, and no matter what she chooses it will demand sacrifice and someone's blood.

My Take: 
Ok first off let me say I did like this book. I enjoyed the characters and the plot kept me interested all the way to the end. There were a few minor editing mistakes but overall I thought this was a great first book to a series. At the end the author leaves you wishing for the next installment.
My two main areas of focus for the author would be the cover and the summary on the back of the book. I actually let three friends read the back and then told them what the book was actually about and it seemed totally different. I would never have guessed from the summary that the story would have shape shifters and some other magical elements. I think if that was added the potential reader base would expand. 
Also I know all about the old saying "don't judge a book by its cover" but in the current market with so many people on line making their purchases it is important to have a cover that grabs a potential reader. There is something to be said for mass appeal. 
Anyways these little things a side I do think this was a book worth reading, containing solid characters and an interesting plot.

The Dragon's Egg ~ Resa Nelson

The Dragon's Egg

by Resa Nelson

4 stars

Having met Resa Nelson at a local Ren Faire I was excited to read her fantasy series (Starting with The Dragonslayer's Sword). This series is one of exceptional fantasy but also personal growth and strength. We have followed Astrid from childhood and I have to say I am sorry to see the series come to an end.

Synopsis for The Dragon’s Egg (Book 4)

In the fourth and final book of the Dragonslayer series, Mandulane’s army is poised to attack the Northlands in the name of a powerful god, but in truth Mandulane is using the act of spreading this new faith as a way to disguise his own personal greed and hunger for power.

Astrid has succeeded in warning her beloved country of imminent danger, and the Northlanders scramble to set up a clever defense, never realizing a spy in their midst is poised to take critical information directly to Mandulane.

After sacrificing herself in order to set her brother Drageen free for the sake of protecting the Northlands, Astrid finds herself controlled by the stone of light.  Although it forces her path of destiny, Astrid learns she must make one final choice about who she wants to be.

Most important of all, her new sweetheart Trep encounters a dragon that entrusts him with the care of a dragon’s egg.  Trep embraces a dangerous journey and accepts the duty of protecting the unhatched dragon, knowing that its safety could impact the fate of the entire world.

My Take: Resa Nelson did not disapoint in the final installment of the Dragon Slayer Series. Her characters continue to be faced with hard decisions and personal growth. Astrid is a character who I have grown to respect and honestly hope for the best for.  With each challenge she seems to become stronger, even if she might doubt it herself. This was a fantastic conclusion to a great fantasy series :) Don't Forget to check out Resa Nelson's guest post as well!

Resa Nelson’s links:

Resa’s website:  http://www.resanelson.com

Free “mini” ebook of Dragonslayer short stories:  http://www.resanelson.com/files

GoodReads giveaway:  http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/39467-the-dragon-s-egg

Facebook page:  http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Resa-Nelson-The-Dragonslayers-Sword/122200661871

Twitter:  @ResaNelson

Email:  ContactResa@aol.com

Ebooks ($4.99 each) are available directly from Mundania Press at:  http://mundania.com/author.php?author=Resa+Nelson (get a 10% discount at checkout with the coupon code MP10)

Paperbacks are available from Mundania Press, Amazon, and Barnes&Noble:

http://mundania.com/author.php?author=Resa+Nelson (get a 10% discount at checkout with the coupon code MP10)

http://www.amazon.com/Resa-Nelson/e/B002C78D2Q/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/resa-nelson

Guest Post ~ Resa Nelson

How the Art of Sword Crafting Influenced My Dragonslayer Series

by Resa Nelson

I love doing research.  When I wrote Book 1 (The Dragonslayer’s Sword) in my Dragonslayer series, I took a blacksmithing course because my main character Astrid is a blacksmith.  Because she makes swords for dragonslayers, I also took courses to learn how to use medieval weapons.  Finally, I did library research to learn about the steps to craft a sword.  All of these steps became a huge influence on the entire Dragonslayer series.

While learning about blacksmithing, I discovered that every piece of iron has its own character, meaning it’s either strong or weak.  The problem is that – just like people – it’s impossible to tell a piece of iron’s character just by looking at it.  It’s only after you’ve forged it into a weapon and actually use that weapon that the iron will prove its character.  If it’s strong, the weapon will hold up in battle.  But if the character of the iron is weak, the weapon will bend of break, leaving its owner in a dangerous position.

Because I modeled the world on the beginning of the Viking era, I researched Viking weapons and weapon-making.  I learned that the Vikings had a special way of making swords that was kept secret and handed down from generation to generation.  This type of sword making is called pattern welding.  The idea is to take several different pieces of iron, hammer them into long rods, and then twist those rods together – that’s what you use to make the sword.  The idea is that if you use several different pieces of iron, the odds are good that some will have weak character but others will have strong character.  And that if you blend them together, you’ll have a sword that’s both strong and flexible.

All of this information thrilled me.  It gave me the idea to make the sword one of the most important characters in the series.  In Book 1, I weave the information about how the sword is made (which is based on pattern welding) throughout the novel in scenes where Astrid makes her first sword.  Her experience throughout the book parallels the process of sword making.  By the end of the novel, she identifies with the sword she has made.  She also learns that she can shape her own character similar to the way she shapes the character of every piece of iron she hammers.  She sees that different people and experiences in her life have also shaped her.

Learning about blacksmithing and the craft of making swords had a huge impact on creating Astrid and therefore the plot of each book in the series.  If I hadn’t done this research, the series probably would have been one book shorter and the story would have been very different.  In other words, I felt like I twisted and welded my research together with the fantasy I created, just like a pattern-welded sword.

Resa Nelson’s first novel, The Dragonslayer’s Sword, was nominated for the Nebula Award and was also a Finalist for the EPPIE Award. This medieval fantasy novel is based on a short story first published in the premiere issue of Science Fiction Age magazine and ranked 2nd in that magazine's first Readers Top Ten Poll. The Dragonslayer's Sword is Book 1 in her 4-book Dragonslayer series, which also includes The Iron Maiden (Book 2), The Stone of Darkness (Book 3), and The Dragon’s Egg (Book 4). 

Resa's standalone novel, Our Lady of the Absolute, is a fantasy/mystery/thriller about a modern-day society based on ancient Egypt. Midwest Book Review gave this book a 5-star review, calling it "a riveting fantasy, very highly recommended."

She has been selling fiction professionally since 1988. She is a longtime member of SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) and is a graduate of the Clarion SF Workshop.  Resa was also the TV/Movie Columnist for Realms of Fantasy magazine for 13 years and was a contributor to SCI FI magazine. She has sold over 200 articles to magazines in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Resa lives in Massachusetts.  Visit her website at http://www.resanelson.com.

Betrayed by Shadows ~ Nancy Gideon

Betrayed by Shadows by Nancy Gideon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was worried at the start of this book that I wasn't going to like it as much as the rest of the series. The main character Brigit is just not the lovable type. After all it was her boyfriend who tried to kill Max. Luckily that guy was not all that smart and Max got away with just a few minor injuries. But have faith fellow readers because Nancy Gideon has outdone herself on this one. 

Summary:
A good man drowning in bad deeds . . .
Balancing a criminal empire and a preternatural clan war, reluctant front man Giles St. Clair doesn't need a problem like Brigit MacCreedy . . . How much trouble can the head-strong and manipulative Shifter beauty get into in two weeks? Plenty when her schemes range from kidnapping to fleeing the retribution of her dead lover's clan.
A bad girl denying a good heart . . .
With her family's lives on the line, Brigit is willing to do whatever it takes to save them. The only thing standing in her way is an immovable stone wall of a man she can't bully or beguile . . . a human, no less, who has promised to protect her from the secrets and dangers she conceals.
Caught in a battle they can't win . . .
Risking her own safety gets complicated when an honorable and annoyingly desirable man puts himself between her and her powerful enemies in Book 7 of the "By Moonlight" series.

My Take:
It takes an excellent writer to take a semi villain, or at least a major annoyance, and turn them into a character you truly care about.
Of course I should mention that Giles is lovable from the start. Loyal to a fault he is the kind of man everyone needs in their corner. He is even to look past all of his coworkers more interesting traits, seeing as they are all shifters.
For those of you really concerened with how Max is doing I will tell you we get a peak or two into that. I'd love to read more about my favorite shifter in upcoming books. Overall this was a fantastic novel. The kind I stayed up far too late on a work night because I just couldn't put it down. Its easy to see why Nancy Gideon has made it into my list of favorite authors!

On Sale this week! YA Novel

Hi everyone,

I found this one on sale for $.99 (till the 19th) and figured I'd share it with you. I've included some author links at the bottom if you'd like to look at more of Cheryl's work.

Parallel Visions (A Teen Psychic Novel)

Cheryl Rainfield (Author)

summary: A new YA fantasy from award-winning author of SCARS and HUNTED Cheryl Rainfield.

Visions can kill you. Would you risk your life to save someone else’s?

Kate sees psychic visions of the future and the past—but only when she's having an asthma attack. When she "sees" her sister being beaten, she needs more visions to try to save her, along with a suicidal classmate—but triggering her asthma could kill her. Parallel Visions is the story of one brave, caring girl whose unusual gifts put her own life in danger.

AUTHOR LINKS:http://cherylrainfield.com/
https://twitter.com/cherylrainfield
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3305514.Cheryl_Rainfield
http://pinterest.com/cherylrainfield/
https://www.facebook.com/cheryl.rainfield.fan.page

Dr Who lll Volume 1 ~ Andy Diggle and Mark Buckingham

Dr Who lll Volume 1 ~ Andy Diggle and Mark Buckingham

This is one of the first comic books I have sat down to actually read in a long time. Of course it's Doctor Who so of course I had to give it a shot.

Summary : 

The Doctor is back!

New York Times bestselling writer Andy Diggle joins Eisner Award-winning artist Mark Buckingham as a shadow being emerges from a machine used to view alternate realities, stealing time from those he touches in order to become “real.”

Can the Doctor save the Hypothetical Gentleman's latest victim?

Also, writer Brandon Seifert and artist Philip Bond collaborate on a story. The Doctor and Rory, on a boy's night out gone wrong, leave Amy to face the Silence on her own!

My Take:

I'm not sure exactly how people usually rate comic books so I guess I'll just wing it here. This book follows the current Doctor (Matt Smith) as he and his previous companions Amy and Rory go on a few adventures. The story lines seem pretty true to the show. The art work is well done. The characters look like themselves. They also seem to act according to how the characters act in the show.

Mostly I enjoyed getting a little more time with the Doctor while the show is in hiatus. If you enjoy Doctor Who then this would be worth picking up :)

Claws Bared ~ Sheryl Nantus

Claws Bared by Sheryl Nantus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was excited when I saw this one pop up on Netgalley. Having read the first one in this series I was ready to jump back in with the world of Felis.

Summary:Book two of Blood of the Pride

Rebecca Desjardin, a P.I. and cat shifter, doesn't normally find herself in strip clubs. But a popular male dancer has been murdered in Pennsylvania, and it looks like the work of a shifter from the local Pride. Rebecca has a duty to help protect her kind—and she needs to find justice for the dead.

Her impromptu trip leaves her boyfriend, reporter Brandon Hanover, unhappy. He's only just come to terms with the fact that she's a Felis, and their relationship is still so new… Rebecca is determined to deal with the murder first, then deal with their future.

As her investigation unfolds, she's met with grudging cooperation and half-truths. Does the Pride want her to find justice, or help them hide a killer? Frustrated and unable to shake the sexy local shifter who says he's on her side, Rebecca can't seem to scratch out the truth—at least not on her own. But when Brandon shows up, is he there to help or to mark his territory?

68,000 words

My Take:

 This book picks up a short time after the first one. Reb and Brandon are trying to make a human/shifter relationship work even though Reb isn't sure to what end. Of course life wouldn't be complete if this dysfunctional cat shifter didn't have some crazy case. This time she is enlisted to travel to the US and hunt down a Felis who has murdered a human.
As always nothing is as it seems in this world of secrets and coverups and Reb is tested both physically and mentally by the new "family" she is trying to help.
I found this second book to be just as good as the first. Its always interesting to read about shifters that are not wolves. Nantus has built an interesting world with its own set of rules and an even more interesting cast of characters. This was a fun read with an interesting mystery. Be sure to pickj up a copy when it comes out January 21st.

Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader ~ Cassandra Clare

Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I picked this one up as a netgalley and have just gotten around to reviewing it.

Summary:Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series, epic 

urban fantasy set in a richly imagined world of 

shadowhunters, vampires, werewolves, fairies, and more, has 

captured the imaginations and loyalty of hundreds of 

thousands of YA readers. Originally a trilogy (City of Bones, 

City of Ashes, City of Glass), the series has extended to six 

titles, plus a prequel trilogy, the Infernal Devices, and a 

planned sequel series, the Dark Artifices. A feature film is 

planned for 2013.

Shadowhunters and Downworlders, edited by Clare (who

 provides an introduction to the book and to each piece), is a 

collection of YA authors writing about the series and its 

world.

Authors Who Contributed:

Holly Black / Kendare Blake / Gwenda Bond / Sarah Rees 

Brennan / Rachel Caine / Sarah Cross / Kami Garcia / 

Michelle Hodkin / Kelly Link / Kate Milford / Diana 

Peterfreund / Sara Ryan / Scott Tracey / Robin Wasserman

My Take: First off I'd like to say I am a huge Mortal Instruments fan (at least the first 3). I will probably make it to the movies to see the first one in theaters as well so I think my opinion may be slightly different than someone who is not as into the series. I also have read a few other similar novels (game of thrones, etc) so I knew what I was getting into.

Essentially this is a grouping of essays that have something to do with the series. Some of them are insightful and compare the world of MI to our world. They address how Clare handled real world issues in her own altered world. That being said I don't think there is all that much new information for fans. Mostly you will get other peoples opinions and will be able to see how they align with your own.

I think if you love the series its probably worth picking up.

My best of 2012

Well its hard the believe 2012 has come to a close. This had been one of those years that was really all over the place. I've had some personal tragedies along with some amazing success. 2012 was even the first year of this blog!

So in honor of the end of year one on the Wolf Majick Blog and the start of year two I've decided to make a list of some of my favorite books from this year.

Topping my Best of List would be meeting Patricia Briggs this past March. Actually being able to talk with one of your favorite authors is such a treat. Check out the link for more info.

Running this blog has allowed me to make contact with some great new indy authors and read some excellent new books. If you've missed a few of these be sure to check them out...

Masquerade ~ Rivka Spicer
Vampires, magic and a little romance what more could you ask for?

Taste ~ Kate Evangelista
This one was a YA with a new take on Flesh Eaters and features a totally captivating group of characters.

The Dragonslayers Sword ~ Resa Nelson
A good solid work of High Fantasy. Dragons and a totally new kind of shapeshifter abound in Nelsons epic new world.

A Wolfs Song ~ Shannon Phoenix
This one has a diverse cast of characters and is the start of a new series. The author has an interesting take on some supernaturals you may never have considered before. Be sure to check it out.


Of course I have read some amazing mainstream books this year as well.

Seeker of Shadows ~ Nancy Gideon
This one is part of an intriguing series by Nancy Gideon. I was lucky enough to score a review copy back in June. As soon as I finished this one I headed right to the store and purchased the whole series. If you love shapeshifter romance then you need to pick this one up.

Fair Game ~ Patricia Briggs
Finally a book that takes place in Boston that doesn't make me want to yell at the author. Patricia Briggs did a great job and as usual her characters are fantastic and the storyline is amazing. 

Shadow of Night ~ Deborah Harkness
The second in the hot new series Shadow of Night continues the story a witch and her Vampire as they travel through time trying to solve a mystery that could change their worlds. I'm still on edge for the next installment.

To Tempt a Wolf ~ Terry Spear
This is another great werewolf romance series. I just happened to pick it up in a used book store and now I've gone out and bought the whole series. Hot werewolves, strong female characters and exciting story lines Terry Spears series has it all.

As you can see I've read some amazing series this year and I can't wait to read even more in 2013!