Hexed by Kevin Hearne

Author: Kevin Hearne

Title: Hexed

Publication: June 7, 2011

Publisher: Del Rey

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Pages: 320

Audience: 18 and up

Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, doesn’t care much for witches. Still, he’s about to make nice with the local coven by signing a mutually beneficial nonaggression treaty—when suddenly the witch population in modern-day Tempe, Arizona, quadruples overnight. And the new girls are not just bad, they’re badasses with a dark history on the German side of World War II.

With a fallen angel feasting on local high school students, a horde of Bacchants blowing in from Vegas with their special brand of deadly decadence, and a dangerously sexy Celtic goddess of fire vying for his attention, Atticus is having trouble scheduling the witch hunt. But aided by his magical sword, his neighbor’s rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and his vampire attorney, Atticus is ready to sweep the town and show the witchy women they picked the wrong Druid to hex.

My thoughts:

 I love this series. My husband and I are going to a book reading and signing to see Kevin Hearne, and three other authors at the end of this month. I'm trying to read them all before then, so I may review them all before then. Please bear with me.
Atticus is at it again. This time he has two weirdos following him, a coven of witches out to kill him, and a group of Bacchus worshipers ready to burn down the town.  All the while he is trying to grow back his ear, please the Morrigan and Flidais, train his padawan, and run his bookstore. However, Mr. O'Sullivan cannot stay out of trouble, even after he defeated Aengus Og. Even the trickster Coyote ropes him into helping him with a demon problem. There is plenty of humor mixed in. There are so many shenanigans he gets into. I love his Irish Wolfhound, Oberon- he is the best comedic relief as is his neighbor the Widow MacDonagh. She had me rolling in the scene where Atticus is attacked by two witches at her house. There is a enough drama, comedy, and action to keep you from putting this book down. Seriously, if you love to laugh, love urban fantasy- check this book out NOW!

The Dresden File Series by Jim Butcher

Author: Jim Butcher
Narrator: James Marsters

Publication: 2000- present

Publisher: Roc

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Audience: 18 and up

Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: Purchased/Public Library

Photo credit: Google Images via www.ichimonchi.com

I probably have no right to discuss this series, as it is one that I have been working on for some time. I believe I got all the way to Small Favor before graduate school took over my life. So I get credit for reading over half the series, right? This series was ruined for me by the friend who likes to ruin all book series for me. However, since he told me this ending, more books have come out to add onto the series. Anyway, I am currently re-reading them and prepping for the new book, Skin Games which is due out on May 27, 2014.

When I meet people who love to read, especially love to read urban fantasy, I suggest this book. My friends and patrons who have actually gave this book a chance have ALWAYS come back telling me how great it is OR they ask me the title of the next book.  I strongly suggest listening to the audiobooks. Especially if you are a Buffy fan, that guy that played Spike, yeah, he is the narrator and a darn good one too! If you are not into audiobooks, then go to your nearest library and check it out or buy it on Amazon. Sorry hardback book lovers, but the first three are super rare in hardback and worth lots of money, so it will be paperback. Better yet, just get the audiobook, you won't regret it!

So you are probably wondering what the book is all about. It is essentially a grown up Harry Potter, set in our world, Chicago to be exact, during modern, current time. Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden is a Chicago wizard who is listed in the phone book and sometimes works on police cases for the Special Investigations Department. The book series really develops Harry in a way that he almost feels like a real person you know. He is awkward, but strong. He even battles with himself over the good and the bad he could do. This is something we all battle with at times. He is just a real-life like character and so loveable (to me anyways). You want to help defeat his adversaries, and unfortunately, Mr. Dresden has quite the army against him. However, he does not go into battle alone. He has his own army of friends to support him.
I like most of the characters in the book. A few really creep me out like the skinwalkers and the fallen angels. Of course, any friend of Harry's- I pretty much like. I love Molly, Toot Toot, Mister, and Mouse, and Thomas. I especially love Mab. She works herself into Harry's life...and he can't really wriggle free of her icy grasp.
You get a little bit of everything in this series. From faeries to Santa being of the high faerie court himself to a walking, talking, breathing archive of the world, to the Billy Goats Gruff to dinosaurs. It seriously has some fantasy topic for everyone.
 Sorry if I am being a bit vague, but I don't want to ruin anything for you because seriously you HAVE to go now and get Storm Front ASAP! NOW GO!

On a side note, my husband and I went to a convention in February and got to meet the author of the series, Jim Butcher. He is such a cool guy. I said some really awkward, uncool, fan-girl stuff in front of him, but I managed to keep my cool. Inside though, I was flailing about, crying, and screaming. It was one of the best days of my life. Here is a picture of me, Jim Butcher, and my husband. My husband had made each of us a wizard's staff before meeting Mr. Butcher, and we carried them with us. Have you ever met a favorite author?

Fables Volume 1: Legends in Exile

Author: Bill Willingham

Illustrator: James Jean,  Alex Medina, Steve Leialoha, Craig Hamilton
Title:Fables: Legends in Exile

Publication: November 21, 2011

Publisher: Vertical

Genre: Graphic Novel, Comic Book

Pages: 128

Audience: 17 and up

Rating: 3 out of 5

Source: Purchased

Synopsis (from the cover): In Fabletown, where fairy tale legends live alongside regular New Yorkers, the question is all anyone can talk about. But only the Big Bad Wolf can actually solve the case- and, along with Rose's sister Snow White, keep the Fabletown community from coming apart at the seams.

My thoughts:

I love Once Upon a Time. I watched an interview with the creators and actors of the show, and an audience member had asked the creators was the story and ideas of their own, from Disney, or Fables? The creators said it was a mix of all of them, but it was ideas that sprang up from their minds. I thought this would be similar and I should give it a try. It was okay, but it was lacking something. I'm not sure what, but it just wasn't my favorite story arc. I have bought some of the series, so I plan to give it a go. I hear from many people, "You have to read this!" Maybe, it will get better, but the first story was not the best. I found the characters more interesting than the storyline, and I really enjoyed the short story in the back of the graphic novel. The characters were really easy to pick out, and I found an eerie resemblance of Fables Snow White to Once Upon a Time's Regina. Everyone from Little Boy Blue to Prince Charming to Snow White to Cinderella were in the graphic novel. I am going to give the series another try just because I have bought a good chunk of it. Otherwise, I would recommend checking it out at the library and giving it a try. You aren't wasting any money that way.

Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson

Author: Suzanne Johnson
Title:Royal Street Sentinels of New Orleans #1

Publication: April 10, 2012

Publisher: Tor Books

Genre: Adult, Paranormal, Mystery

Pages: 336

Audience: 18 and up

Rating:  4.5 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from Goodreads.com):
As the junior wizard sentinel for New Orleans, Drusilla Jaco’s job involves a lot more potion-mixing and pixie-retrieval than sniffing out supernatural bad guys like rogue vampires and lethal were-creatures. DJ's boss and mentor, Gerald St. Simon, is the wizard tasked with protecting the city from anyone or anything that might slip over from the preternatural beyond.

Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans’ fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters.

While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the Otherworld crumbled. Now, the undead and the restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering the soldiers sent to help the city recover.

To make it worse, Gerry has gone missing, the wizards’ Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ’s new partner, and undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and for the serial killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love creates one bitter gumbo

Then Hurricane Katrina hammers New Orleans’ fragile levees, unleashing more than just dangerous flood waters.

While winds howled and Lake Pontchartrain surged, the borders between the modern city and the Otherworld crumbled. Now, the undead and the restless are roaming the Big Easy, and a serial killer with ties to voodoo is murdering the soldiers sent to help the city recover.

To make it worse, Gerry has gone missing, the wizards’ Elders have assigned a grenade-toting assassin as DJ’s new partner, and undead pirate Jean Lafitte wants to make her walk his plank. The search for Gerry and for the serial killer turns personal when DJ learns the hard way that loyalty requires sacrifice, allies come from the unlikeliest places, and duty mixed with love creates one bitter gumbo.

My thoughts:

 I thoroughly enjoyed this book . I had a tough time starting the novel, but once I got into it, I really had fun reading it. The characters were perfect southerners. I could replace the characters with people I know, except for the paranormal/fantasy part. I really liked DJ. She is a skilled wizard who loves New Orleans and Cheetos. I could relate to her- on the Cheetos part. Haha! Anyway, her relationship with her partner, Alex is hilarious and frustrating. At one point I was laughing so hard I snorted, fell over in the bed and died laughing. It took me a full two to three minutes to regain my composure to continue the story. There is enough spooky elements, hilarious moments, and realistic, and sad moments to keep the book entertaining and easy to relate to. The book really painted an image of New Orleans and made me want to visit NOLA more than ever. So if you're into the fantasy/paranormal genre or not- give it a try! There are two more books that are out in the series. The library I use does not have them, but I hope to get my hands them on it soon!

Echo (The Soul Seekers): Audiobook

Author: Alyson Noel

Narrator: Brittany Pressley
Title:Echo (The Soul Seekers)

Publication: November 13, 2012

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy

Pages: 352
Length: 9 hours 34 minutes

Audience: 17 and up

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from the cover): There's still so much Daire Santos has to learn about being the last Soul Seeker...and about herself. As her magical training become more intense, so does her relationship with Dace. But when she learns that his connection to the evil Richter family goes far deeper than she ever imagined., she begins to question if love really can conquer all. Dace is painfully aware that he wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the Richters' dark magic- and now his brother Cade is determined to use his love for Daire against him. Dace is willing to sacrifice his own life. But will Daire allow it? And what if defeating Cade costs not only his life but his soul too?

My thoughts:

 I thought Fated moved a little slow and made me a little unsure if I wanted to continue the story, but I really wanted to read Echo so I went for it. This book picks up the pace and throws in new people and new drama. I really liked this one. Daire's relationship and training even pick up pace and seem to rush a little bit, but time is of the essence! Even though the pace picks up, plenty of drama and new people are thrown in to slow things down. To make you wonder why people are disappearing, appearing, and/or reappearing. Also, Auden, Xotichl's (So-chee) boyfriend is making bets against her. She believes it will snow by Christmas and he believes it won't. He seems to be the only one betting against her. By the way, Xotichl is still my favorite character.
As I have said the book throws a lot more into the storyline and I feel like it really developed in this book. The ending of this book totally blew my mind. I would think, "Oh my goodness! This is going to happen!" only to have something completely different happen. The ending is a complete and utter cliff hanger. I've really enjoyed listening to the audio version of the book, but since it usually takes a while for the audiobook to come out, I am going to my public library on May 8, 2013 and hoping to goodness they will have this book on their shelves. I NEED to know what happens!
The audio is done once again by Brittany Pressley. In Echo, the perspective changes from Daire and Dace. Her voice is a little deeper and more relaxed for Dace and I really enjoyed listening to her narrate for him. I also enjoy the way she narrates for Paloma as well. In the epilogue of the book, the reader gets to hear from about 7-8 different character perspectives and their voices! It really brought the characters to life. It was a pretty cool ending to hear each individual character's thoughts and the insane cliff hanger.

Fated (Soul Seekers): Audiobook

Author: Alyson Noel
Narrator: Brittany Pressley

Title:Fated (Soul Seekers)

Publication: May 22, 2012

Publisher: Macmillan Audio

Genre:  Young Adult, Paranormal

Length:10 hours and 44 minutes

Pages: 368

Audience: 17 and up

Rating: 4 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from the cover): Strange things are happening to Daire Santos. Crows mock her, glowing people stalk her, time stops without warning, and a beautiful boy with unearthly blue eyes haunts all her dreams. Fearing for her daughter's sanity, Daire's mother sends her to live with the grandmother she's never met. A women who recognizes the visions for that they truly are- the call to her destiny as a Soul Seeker: one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and dead.  

There, on the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico, Daire sets out to harness her mystical powers. But it's when she meets Dace, the boy from her dreams, that her whole world is shaken to its core. And Daire is forced to discover whether Dace is the one guy she's meant to be with...or if he's allied with the enemy she's destined to destroy.

My thoughts:

 I enjoyed the novel. I have seen reviews where people thought it was missing something or it just wasn't what they expected. I'm just wondering what were they expecting. I believe this book contains a little bit of everything. It takes Latino/Latina culture along with Native American culture and blends it into a story that flows well. I want to share more about this, however, I do not want to ruin any part of the book. I had no idea this book would be so hard to review. As I said, the book has a little bit of everything from romance to gore to paranormal to mythology. I have fascination with Native American culture so I really enjoyed the spirit animals and the journey Daire went on to find her spirit animal. I'm not sure if fits her just yet, but perhaps in the later books it will.
The characters were believable and sometimes they got on my nerves. I think it was more of the narrator's fault than the author's. Daire's mother is just stupid and acts like a 17 year old instead of a mother. I understand her mother is young, but there is a point where you grow up and act like an adult. Sometimes Daire sounded like a whiny teenager. I think characters tend to grind on my nerves when I listen to audiobooks. Ha, but I promise Daire wasn't all bad, she just was confused and unsure of herself.
My favorite character was a background character. Please excuse me because I'm probably about to butcher her name since I listened to the book instead of reading it, Xochitl (pronounced: So-chee), it means flower. Xochitl is a pistol! She is a great character and I hope she plays a bigger role in the next book. Dace is such a hottie and I loved listening to his description.
Brittany Pressley did a great job narrating. She sounds like a preppy high school girl, and it can be a bit annoying. When she did other characters like Xochitl, Daire's grandmother, Shay, etc. she did an excellent job of changing her inflection and tone so each character had distinct voice. It was a bit of a long book, but totally worth it. If you have time you should check it out. I'm starting on Echo, the second book of the series and should have a review on it soon!
 

The Sandman: Dream Hunters

Author:  Neil Gaiman
Illustrator: P. Craig Russell

Title: The Sandman: Dream Hunters

Publication: October 5, 2010

Publisher: Vertigo

Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy

Pages: 144

Audience: 15 and up

Rating: 5 out of 5

Source: Public Library

Synopsis (from the cover):The world was different in old Japan. In those days, creatures of myth and legend walked upon the earth, swam in the sea, flew through the air. Some were wild and some, at great cost, could be tamed. So it was that a wily fox made a wager to dislodge a humble young monk from his home--and lost her heart in the betting. So it was also that a master of the demons of this world set his own eyes on the monk, seeking to seize the pious man's inner strength for his own. And so it was, the King of All Night's Dreaming would find himself intervening on behalf of a love that was never meant to be.

My thoughts:

If you decide to read any comic for the heck of it- I suggest this one. The story is so beautiful. This graphic novel is just a side story of The Sandman. It is not crucial to the story line or anything and can be read at any time- before, during, or after The Sandman. I read the introductions and afterwords pretty much for any book I read. I believe the author put them there for a reason and so I take time to read them. Most of the time they give me an insight to the frame of mind I need to be in read or a back story, but 9 out of 10 times I read them. The introduction to this graphic novel let's the reader know that this is not the original illustrations for the graphic novel when it was originally released. This copy is a re-released for an anniversary of The Sandman that is illustrated by P. Craig Russell who really wanted to illustrate the story. The original graphic novel was illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano. I really really enjoyed this story. In the introduction Neil Gaiman talks about the original one and how he has made up sources that he used for the story. However, people were trying to use the fake sources to find the actual folklore. He apologizes for creating fake sources and for creating such a believable, but false Japanese folklore tale. Dream is not in it much, but he plays a pivotal role in the story. The love story is like a Romeo and Juliet, but in a Japanese setting and is a story about a monk and a fox. It sounds a little weird, but read it and trust me it makes sense. I stayed up really late to finish this graphic novel because I could not put it down, and it needed to be returned the library.