Elemental Assassin Series by Jennifer Estep

Book Description

Bodies litter the pages of Estep's engrossing Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series. In the corrupt Southern metropolis of Ashland, weather witches mingle with vampires, giants, and dwarves. In the first novel, Spider's Bite, a mysterious client hires assassin Gin Blanco, known as the Spider, to murder a whistle-blowing financial officer named Gordon Giles. Then the client attempts a double cross and brutally kills Gin's mentor. Now Gin, a stone elemental with a hard-boiled attitude, a closely guarded heart, and a penchant for throwing knives, has to join forces with one of the few honest cops in Ashland, sexy detective Donovan Caine, who hates her for killing his partner.

Fine Printing’s Review

Love this urban fantasy series, but warning, if you cannot handle gore DO NOT READ IT! These books are a definite nail bitter, and bloody dramatic. So much fun though! Gin is one of the few main characters I have recently read that does not tick me off in some way. She is hard, ruthless, intelligent and very protective of those she cares for or sees as weaker than her. She very rarely wallows in self-pity which is amazing based on her history and what happens to throughout the series. Jennifer Estep has created a great character, one you want to cheer on. If you enjoy urban fantasies, this is a definite must grab. Check it out, and let me know what you think!

Spider's Bite (Book 1, Elemental Assassin Series)

The Land of Painted Caves by Jean M. Auel

Book Description

Thirty thousand years in the making and 31 years in the writing, Auel's overlong and underplotted sixth and final volume in the Earth's Children series (The Clan of the Cave Bear; etc.) finds Cro-Magnon Ayla; her mate, Jondalar; and their infant daughter, Jonayla, settling in with the clan of the Ninth Cave of the Zelandonaii. Animal whisperer and medicine woman Ayla is an acolyte in training to become a full-fledged Zelandoni (shaman) of the clan, but all is not rosy in this Ice Age setting; there are wild animals to face and earthquakes to survive, as well as a hunter named Balderan, who has targeted Ayla for death, and a potential cave-wrecker named Marona. While gazing on an elaborate cave painting (presumably, the Lascaux caverns in France), Ayla has an epiphany and invents the concept of art appreciation, and after she overdoses on a hallucinogenic root, Ayla and Jondalar come to understand how much they mean to one another, thus giving birth to another concept—monogamy.

Fine Printing’s Review

If you have yet to read the first of Jean Auel’s novels, The Clan of the Cave Bear, then you need to get to it! Long awaited, The Land of Painted Caves finally released in March 2011, the very last in a series that took over thirty years to write! Auel did a superior job wrapping up the storyline in this final novel. Though not my favorite of the six book series, it gave closure to several open questions that remained and provided our last look at characters that we have come to love over the years.

Now, if you are thinking that your tastes don’t run towards ice age dramas, just trust me on this. I have heard that excuse from several others and have asked them to give the first book a chance before judgment is passed. And of course, they LOVED it! Auel’s writing is eloquent; attention to detail is absolutely stunning, almost as if a very detailed movie is playing in front of you. The characters draw you in and once immersed within the story you will be rooting for Ayla and Jondalar, experiencing a whole new world of animals, earth and two types of the human species!

The Clan of the Cave Bear (Earth's Children, Book One)

Music Selection for June 2011

One of my favorites is a band that, although they have been around for over a decade, they are still not that well known outside of England. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is a great band with a great sound. With music that crosses alternative and rock genres they have a little bit for everyone, even a bit of the blues in some of their music. Highly recommend Beat The Devil's Tattoo, Howl, or their first CD release Black Rebel Motorcycle Club from 2001. These selections are great for either sitting at home reading a great thriller/crime drama or driving around with the mp3 player on. Check them out at Amazon or iTunes, or if you're into vinyl, pick up their classic vinyl at http://www.blackrebelmotorcycleclub.com/.

Beat the Devil's Tattoo
Howl
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Deadtown by Nancy Holzner

Book Description

Shape-shifter Victory Vaughn fights demons in an alternate present-day Boston, where a few thousand people have been mysteriously zombified and are now confined to the neighborhood of Deadtown along with vampires, werewolves, and other Paranormal Americans. Vicky's sometime boyfriend, Kane, a werewolf, lawyer, and PA rights advocate, gets some competition from human detective Daniel; teen zombie sidekick Tina occasionally wreaks unintentional havoc; and Vicky's sister, Gwen, an inactive shape-shifter and suburban wife and mother, argues with Vicky over their life choices and attitudes toward shape-shifting.

Fine Printing’s Review

For the first review back, have to give a shout out to Boston and another fantastic Massachusetts writer to come out of the woodwork! An urban fantasy novel set right in the middle of Boston or as it is called in Holzner’s world … Deadtown. The plot itself is fascinating, with rich characters who are both funny and sometimes annoying. If you like urbans or para-novels then you certainly get your fill within these pages. Enter a world of post viral attack on Boston citizens and discover the newly dead (zombies), the old dead (vampires), shape-shifters and werewolves. A moral and political battle brews between the norms and the paranormals, while a dark terror breaks out of hell and stalks the Boston streets. Victory, a demon fighting shape-shifter works at uncovering the person responsible for unleashing ‘hell’ on the streets, while struggling to maintain her relationship with werewolf lover, Kane and begin training Tina, a young zombie, in the arts of demon hunting.

Like I said, the story is interesting and will pull you right in. The only downside is a lack of … let’s say ‘hot and heavy’. Must admit that Holzner gets the reader right up to that point of anticipation but, it’s a tease. Outside of that some great scenes, heavy on the violence in some parts but heck … they are awesome!

If you like this novel, Hellforged the second in the Deadtown series just came out (still on the ‘Waiting to be Read’ list), with the third, Bloodstone due out in September. Go Boston!

Back again!

Its been a while! I know, I know, fell off the wagon. This last year has been extremely crazy busy, but now it's time to get back on track. Though life has had ups and downs lately, I still have been eating up books left and right, so there is plenty to let you all know about! Plan on getting out those shopping lists, because a new set of reviews and some hot books are coming your way, beginning tonight!