Soul Magic by Jennifer Lyon

Genre: Paranormal Romance; Witches, Demons, Guardians/Slayer Hunters, Wing Slayer Hunter

Sub Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Kiss or Kill. When an ancient pact is broken, powerful witches who once used their magic to help humanity become the twisted playthings of demons, and the mortal men who once protected the sorceresses become witch hunters, cursed with the longing to spill the witches’ blood: an irresistible craving that will cost witches their lives and witch hunters their souls. The Wing Slayer Hunters fight this curse, guarding innocent witches until the urge to harm them grows too strong – then they must kill their own. Wing Slayer Sutton West has always honored that vow. His own father killed himself rather than go rogue. But now Sutton is tempted as never before by Carla Fisk, a brilliant psychologist and dynamic witch whose twin sister, Keri, was murdered by rogues. Bound by blood and passion, Carla and Sutton dare not succumb to their deadly attraction. Yet when a mysterious rogue named Styx joins forces with the demon Asmodeus, witch and hunter have no choice but to work together. For Keri’s immortal soul is at stake – and with it, balanced on a knife-edge, is the fate of humanity itself.

This is the second book in Jennifer Lyon Witch and Wing Slayer Hunters. This is Carla and Sutton’s story. Carla is one of the characters that was saved in the last book. Sutton is scared of what he will do to Carla not wanting to he tries to stay away from her. Carla has a lot of conflicting emotions about Sutton wanting to fall for him and not sure that he is her’s or her twin sister’s. Brilliantly written story. The story is captivating and builds from the first book. I can't wait to read the next book in this series, Night Magic.

Publisher: Ballantine Books

ISBN: 0345506359

Pages: 400

Series: Wing Slayer Hunter

Volume: 2

Leader of the Pack by Karen MacInerney

Genre: Paranormal Romance; Werewolves, Witchs, Demons, Tales of an Urban Werewolf

Sub Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Wildly independent, she’s not one for pack mentality. On the outside, Sophie Garou is living every woman’s dream: She has beauty, brains, and a big-time position in Austin’s most respected accounting firm (not to mention a very sexy, very successful new boyfriend). But there’s one thing Sophie would rather keep under wraps: She’s a werewolf. Sophie’s life gets a little more hairy when her long-estranged father, Luc, arrives in the Live Music Capital to attend the werewolves’ annual Howl and reconnect with his daughter. But Luc’s plans fall apart after he’s accused of murder and arrested by his archrival, Wolfgang, leader of the Houston pack (and one notoriously dirty dog). Wolfgang drools at the thought of Luc’s impending execution, but Sophie won’t let her father die without a fight. Determined to prove his innocence, she and her friends set out to find the real killer. Along the way, Sophie must deal with Taboo attractions, Machiavellian intrigues, sinister agendas, and hair-raising betrayals.

This is the third  book in the Tales of an Urban Werewolf. I love where this story is going. Sophie the lone wolf gets forced to deal with a lot in this book. First you finally meet her father, Luc. Who at first I really did not like at all. Then there was the whole twist about him being accused for murder. But that was far from twists. There is so much that is going on, that you better have your thinking cap on. But it’s so good that I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. And the fight scenes are brilliant. Mark is one scary dude that I’m curios what will happen with his character. Tom again is my favorite and watching him with Sophie it like true magic between them. Then Sophie does exactly what she never wanted to do just to save her father, changing two of her dear friends so that they can help her. I loved how this whole story seemed to just keep layering on to itself, making it that much better because there was so much to it.

I absolutely could not get enough of these books. Karen MacInerney is someone that I will be watching from now on. And I hope to read more about this world. I know you all will love them just as much as I did.

Publisher: Ballantine Books

ISBN: 0345496272

Pages: 352

Series: Tales of an Urban Werewolf

Volume: 3

On the Prowl by Karen MacInerney

Genre: Paranormal Romance; Werewolves, Witchs, Demons, Tales of an Urban Werewolf

Sub Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Talk about a bad-hair day! Sophie Garou is a master at taming her inner beast, which comes in handy since she’s a werewolf. With a big promotion at work and a supersexy boyfriend, Heath (whom she recently spotted leaving a jewelry store with a beguiling ring box), she’s one happy girl. But when Heath starts spending long nights at the office with his new associate – a dead-ringer for Career Day Barbie – Sophie smells trouble. And when her professional relationship with her big new client – who also happens to be Texas’s brilliantly blue-eyed most eligible bachelor – begins to sizzle, she wonders if her animal instincts are leading her in the wrong direction. Just when it seems that things can’t get any more complicated, they do. The Houston werewolf pack has sniffed Sophie out, and their message is chillingly clear: you’re either with us or against us. And unless she can prove that she’s with them, the next full moon may just be her last.

Sophie’s story continues, and now Houston knows about her. They send her on a quest to find someone or at least information on what is going on with another pack. While a group of made females beg Sophie to be their Alpha. I felt for Sophie as her relationship with her boyfriend seemed to just go downhill. But she was surrounded by Tom and Mark. Mark was a little over the top but at the same time very mysterious. I didn’t know what to make of him until closer to the end. He’s something not sure what but something for sure. I still wish that she was with Tom but oh well. I thought the whole pack fighting was well write. With bringing in old sacrifices to gain power. And then you had Lindsey find out that her best friend is a werewolf. Something I didn’t expect at all. I really loved this, again just couldn’t put it down. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series, Leader of the Pack.

Publisher: Ballantine Books

ISBN: 0345496264

Pages: 384

Series: Tales of an Urban Werewolf

Volume: 2

The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice

Genre: Fiction; Vampires

Sub Genre: Paranormal

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

From Anne Rice’s Webpage: The Vampire Lestat, whom we first met in Interview With the Vampire , has his own story to tell. Anne Rice's second book in The Vampire Chronicles follows Lestat through the ages as he conducts his own search for his origins and to find meaning in what has happened to him. Unlike the cruel and dark Lestat we saw in Interview, this book reveals a sympathetic figure with his own blend of morality, romanticism, and bravery. Lestat has been asleep for fifty-five years and awakes entranced with the modern world. He becomes a superstar rock musician and millions of fans fall under his spell. Breaking the vampire code of silence, Lestat reveals himself to the world in the hopes that the world's immortals will rise and join together to solve the mystery of their, and his, existence. The novel moves effortlessly back in time to eighteenth century France, the world of Lestat's chilhood artistocracy, as he tells his story. From his childhood struggles against his father through free and easy eighteenth century Paris as an actor, and his making into a vampire. We travel with Lestat as he searches for other vampires, sometimes alone, sometimes with the haunting Gabrielle, sometimes with the devastating Nicolas. Lestat circles Europe searching for his origins, and for clues to the birth of the vampire, but he finds that the seminal answers elude him. Through his travels and searches, Lestat also makes enemies of vampires who are terrified that his wanderings and searchings will disrupt their coexistence with mortals, or that he will attempt to rule them all. And when Lestat finds the very first vampires, he finds his seminal truths, but also unleashes ancient forces and the wrath of his enemies. Lestat, hunter, has become the hunted.

This is the second book in the in the Vampire Chronicles. This goes into where Lestat came from. There is so much that is going on as you start all the way back in Lestat’s past and though his time with Claudia and Louis and on. The book is so well written and will keep you on your toes. When I started reading I couldn’t put it down. This is my favorite book in the vampire chronicles series. I can’t wait to read the next one in the series, Queen of the Damned.

Publisher: Ballantine Books

ISBN: 0345419642

Pages: 496

Series: Vampire Chronicles

Volume: 2

The Mummy by Anne Rice

Genre: Fiction

Sub Genre: Horror; Mummy, Eternal Life, Ramses II, Egypt

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: An archaeologist has just unearthed the find of his career, the tomb of Ramses II. The door to the tomb is lettered with a curse, the mummy of the king who claimed to be immortal lies shriveled inside. The archaeologist dies and the treasures are shipped to his daughter Julie in England, who finds that the mummy comes to life as a perfect man. Julie grows to love him and introduces him to modern life, including the museums that purport to reconstruct his time. He becomes disturbed and disgusted with the modern portrayal of his beloved Cleopatra. Ramses and Julie, her ex-fiance and his father Elliott in tow, travel to Egypt. There, Ramses is further upset by the tourist flavor given to his ancient civilization. In one of the museums, he recognizes an "unknown" mummified woman as his beloved Cleopatra. One night, he returns with the immortality elixir and raises her from the dead. But Cleopatra is not restored to her beautiful body or mind. She is a horrid monster, a walking corpse of rotting flesh and a disoriented mind that kills without mercy. Ramses abandons her, leaving her to Elliott, not realizing that he too is in peril. All in the party partake of the elixir, with Cleopatra and Ramses in the shadows.

                                    

Now I know that when you see Anne Rice you mainly thing of Vampires. But this is not one of those books. This book doesn’t have any of her vampire characters in it. The Mummy is about Julie who meets Ramses. Ramses has been sheltered from the world for hundreds of years. When Julie finds him she reintroduces him to the world. But the more he learns he becomes upset with how history is portraying his people and those he loves. The story is one that flows well into each scene.  You feel for Ramses as he struggles with the world as well as his own demons. Julie helps him as best she can. She is also in awe of him and the history that he has lived through.  This is actually one of my favorite books by Anne Rice. I felt that she took this story to a whole different level. You will love this story and put it on your reading list if you haven’t already read it.

Publisher: Ballantine Books

ISBN: 0345369947

Pages: 416

Series:

Volume: 

Howling at the Moon by Karen MacInerney

Genre: Paranormal Romance; Werewolves, Witches, Demons, Tales of an Urban Werewolf

Sub Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: Romance is about to get a little hairy. Sophie Garou seems to have it all: a great job at a prestigious accounting firm, a closet that rivals a Nordstom showroom, and a terrific boyfriend who isn’t afraid to use the “M” word. There’s just one little itty-bitty problem: Sophie is a werewolf – and her time of month has a whole new meaning. Needless to say, life among yummy flesh-and-blood humans is no piece of steak…er, cake!, but regular doses of wolfsbane tea and a mother who runs a magic shop have helped Sophie keep her paranormal pedigree under wraps. Still, when a sexy, golden-eyed werewolf prowls into town, Sophie finds herself struggling to keep her animal impulses in check – not to mention trying to keep things on track with her super hot (and super human) lawyer boyfriend. What’s more, someone is threatening to expose Sophie for what she really is. And when her mother is accused of selling a poison-laced potion, Sophie must sniff out a culprit before the fur hits the fan.

This is the first book in the Tales of an Urban Werewolf. Sophie doesn’t want anyone to know that she is a werewolf. So she hides it well with the help of her witch mother. But when things start to change when Tom comes to town. He seems to be a bit of a playboy.  The characters within this story are brilliant. Not only did I fall in love with Sophie and Tom but her best friend Lindsey is one of those characters that you always remember. I really loved reading this book and can’t wait to read the next one in the series, On the Prowl.

Publisher: Ballantine Books

ISBN: 0345496256

Pages: 384

Series: Tales of an Urban Werewolf

Volume: 1

Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice

Genre: Fiction; Vampires

Sub Genre: Paranormal

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: The story is ostensibly a simple one: having suffered a tremendous personal loss, an 18th-century Louisiana plantation owner named Louis Pointe du Lac descends into an alcoholic stupor. At his emotional nadir, he is confronted by Lestat, a charismatic and powerful vampire who chooses Louis to be his fledgling. The two prey on innocents, give their "dark gift" to a young girl, and seek out others of their kind (notably the ancient vampire Armand) in Paris. But a summary of this story bypasses the central attractions of the novel. First and foremost, the method Rice chose to tell her tale--with Louis' first-person confession to a skeptical boy--transformed the vampire from a hideous predator into a highly sympathetic, seductive, and all-too-human figure. Second, by entering the experience of an immortal character, one raised with a deep Catholic faith, Rice was able to explore profound philosophical concerns--the nature of evil, the reality of death, and the limits of human perception--in ways not possible from the perspective of a more finite narrator.

This is the first of Anne Rice’s Vampire books. Louis is a vampire that other vampires consider to human. He has lived for 200 years and is going to tell his tale. It is a great book to show the human condition. Yes it’s about vampires but it shows all the emotions that we as humans have to deal with. The travels that he and his various companions go on in search of others is so well written you feel as though you are right there with the characters. I really love this story it is a great beginning to a brilliantly written saga. This was also made into a movie back in 1994. Great cast of Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Christian Slater, Antonio Banderas, and Kristen Dunst. It was well done but I still like the book better.

Publisher: Ballantine Books

ISBN: 0345409647

Pages: 352

Series: Vampire Chronicles

Volume: 1

Blood Magic by Jennifer Lyon

Genre: Paranormal Romance; Witches, Demons, Guardians, Slayer Hunters, Wing Slayer

Sub Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

Back Cover: The hunter and the hunted. In the days when powerful witches used their magic to shield humanity from demons, their allies and guardians were a group of men gifted with preternatural abilities of their own – their humanity for demonic power, the ancient bond was broken, and the guardians became the hunters. Darcy MacAlister knows nothing of demons or magic. But this beautiful young woman is about to discover the truth about her past … and her future. For she is a witch – not just any witch, but the key to breaking the curse that has plagued witches and the men who hunt them. For if a hunter kills an innocent witch by mistake, the price is no less than a piece of his soul. Axel Locke, gorgeous leader of the Wing Slayer Hunters, has sworn never to shed the blood of the earth witches who have resisted the temptation of demonic power. But when his sister is cursed by a demon witch, he discovers that Darcy MacAlister may hold the cure – if she can master her newfound powers in time. When the chase begins and Axel and Darcy come face-to-face, this hunter must weigh his soul against his honor – and against his heart.

This is the first book in the Wing Slayer Hunter series. Darcy just finds out that she is a witch. Axel has come to her in hopes of saving his sister but is afraid that he will lose his soul because of her. The two must work together to save his sister and each other. The character development in this book is brilliant. Both of the main characters have such depth that you are pulled into their lives. Even the supporting characters are well written. I truly enjoyed reading this book and am looking forward to reading more of the series.

Publisher: Ballantine Books

ISBN: 0345506340

Pages: 384

Series: Wing Slayer Hunter

Volume: 1