Review: Hard Magic

Hard Magic by  Laura Anne Gilman

Paranormal Scene Investigations #1 

329 Pages - Fiction, Paranormal, Adult

May 1, 2010- Luna Books

http://www.lauraannegilman.net/

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Twitter: @LAGilman

Source: Louisville Public Library 

Purpose: Review Related 

From Goodreads: Welcome to P.U.P.I.—Private, Unaffiliated, Paranormal Investigations

A handpicked team trained to solve crimes the regular police can't touch—crimes of magic. My name's Bonnie Torres. Recent college grad, magic user and severely unemployed. Until I got a call out of nowhere to interview for a job I hadn't applied for. It smelled fishy, but the brutal truth was I needed the work—so off I went. Two days later I'm a PUPI—me and Nick, Sharon, Nifty and Pietr. Five twentysomethings, thrown into an entirely new career in forensic magic. The first job we get is a doozy: proving that the deaths of two Talents were murder, not suicide. Worse, there are high-profile people who want us to close up shop and go away. We're sniffing out things they'd rather keep buried.
Looks as if this job is gonna get interesting. The only problem is, we're making it up as we go along…

My Thoughts:I have a confession to make. I saw this book a looong time ago in Gilman's Retrievers series. But I never picked it up so I kind of forgot all about it. But then I received Dragon Justice for review, and it kind of reminded me. If you know me at all then you  know that I have to read the series in order -no matter how many books are in it.  I'm glad that I received Dragon Justice for review, pushing this series back into my memory and up to the top of the pile. Umm.. sort of. 

First using current in the place of magic is very original. (Before the Retrievers series I have not seen it used.) It brings a wild card element into everything.  It's not something that I completely understand -right now- and yet it's something so common.  It's almost the same as breathing for the characters , so they don't bother to go into the boring details.  It gives the book a nice balance of information. 

The PSI series is a spin off of the Retrievers series, and it begins with the creation of PUPI -Private Unaffiliated  Paranormal Investigations. This is a current using forensic team  that involves crimes against Talent by Talent. How awesome sounding is that?! It's purpose is to collect evidence and report it, the key being finding without bias. It's new and it steps on tradition. Which means I really liked this book. Five strangers answer the summons for a job  that they'd be perfect for. Each person comes for their own reason and they have their own strengths. Yet, they soon discover that the job is more than what they had expected  and they truly are the right people for the job (for very different, individual reasons).  Despite -or because of- the various personalities  they become a cohesive team rather quickly. 

This is  a combination of their first case and their training, but it's still action - packed  and with bits of humor. Though other people are involved and have their own importance, this is really Bonita Torres' story. I really enjoyed seeing this world through her eyes. She's a very likable character. This was a great beginning to the series.  And I am definitely looking forward to reading the next installment. 

What's Next? Pack of Lies

3 Stars ***

Always Shine, 

Starr K

Cover Image

Short Story Saturday 3

 This is something that I decided to do to give the short stories some love. Why not? Most short stories are teasers for bigger novels and it's a great way to get to know authors as well as story lines. 

Double Dead by Cheyenne Gray

 I ha no idea what was going on in the beginning, and even now I am not sure if I understand the significance of the events that took place in this story. But I didn't -and still don't- have to. That is the beauty of a short story. I am sure it fits snugly in its place in between two full size novel. But for a short story, it had it all. It  had action and conflict. It had a personal crisis as well as an emotional ride for the reader. It was a great way to meet Nyx, though I would not say that this was her best moment.   We all do things that we otherwise wouldn't, especially when someone's life hangs in the immediate balance. But I know that we would not be able to fix things the way that Nyx does. 

A Rose by Any Other Name Would Still be Red by Elizabeth A. Vaughn
There was a lot of action and kick but toughness in this story. I can't say much, other than it must be a tough gig to be the Queen's enforcer who is also a woman. I can feel my heart beat with adrenaline as Red does her best to fight quietly and quickly. Though it was full of action there was enough glimpse into Red's character to tell that she is one that I would definitely like. 

Monster Mash: a Delilah Street, Paranormal Investigator, Case by Carole Nelson Douglas

This is a story that I would classify as weird, but enjoyable. it had some mystery, some movie nostalgia, a little madness and a lot of paranormalness going on. It was a quick and fun read. I am definitely interested in reading more, but to be honest I'm not really sure how I feel about Delilah.

That's all I have for this week, see ya next Saturday!!!

Always Shine, 

Starr K

Nancy Holder's Possessions

Possessions

This is the final one I forgot about, again I am truly sorry. 

Possessions by Nancy Holder

Book 1 of the Possessions series

Razorbill –September 3, 2009

www.nancyholder.com

Facebook: Yes

Rating: Absolutely loved it!!

Recommendations: YA fans, ghost stories, boarding school stories.

Lindsay has started Marlwood in the middle of the first semester. On her first day she manages to witness a strange ritual that she’s pretty sure she wasn’t supposed to see, irritate Dr. Ehrlenbach by not dressing appropriately. But she soon learns that this is the least of her problems. She wanted to come to Marlwood to leave the tragic events of her life and the vivid memory of her breakdown in the past, for a chance to reinvent herself. But she finds that hard to do when she is pulled into the popular crowd as a way to keep an eye on her roommate, who may be the only friend she has at school. Mandy, the leader of the popular crowd, insists on doing pranks as a way to initiate girls into the exclusive group. But the pranks become dangerous and the in-crowd becomes weirder. In her attempt to protect Julie, her roommate, she uncovers some secrets that will only convince people that she’s the one who’s crazy and manages to create a rift in her friendship. Lindsay isn’t sure she’s not the one going crazy when she starts to see a mysterious ghostly face in the reflections of mirrors and shower stalls, and when she starts to smell and hear things from events that had to happen in the past. But things don’t calm down, they escalate to the death of one of the popular kids; the same one that was trying to talk to –warn- Lindsay. Troy, Mandy’s boyfriend-soon to be ex-comes up missing.  To top off all the weirdness of her first semester at Marlwood, the ghostly face that followed Lindsay around campus has now followed her home.

This is a well-crafted ghost story that will have you jumping at all the things that go bump in the night, the strange images that your mind will create in the shadows around you. And the only thing you can do is let go and enjoy the scare. There are things that irritate me bout this book-but in the most positive way possible. The main thing is that you, as the reader, don’t know what’s going on. Nancy doesn’t give anything away, so at times I found myself getting freaked out. The entire story is told through the eyes of Lindsay, so there is nothing that you know that she doesn’t. In the back of my head I kept wondering what was really going on; either Mandy and the popular crowd were cruel and really going to great lengths just to scare people. Mandy seems to have the money to do just that, but there was nothing in the book that supported the idea that Mandy was behind the weirdness. In fact the more that I read, there wasn’t any real evidence that Mandy was even aware of the things that were going on that she didn’t directly control. Yes, she was participating in it, and she may have even initiated contact with the spirit world. But at some point, the spirits started taking over. Not knowing exactly what was going on, only made it that much easier for Holder to play on instinctual fears.

Though this part of the story ended in a way that absolutely irritates me , I have to admit that it absolutely works for this and it may have done more damage if a resolution was  forced into it. So my advice if you can’t stand for books to just stop, then get all three books together and read them straight through. ( I am not sure if there are only three or if there will be more. This is the first one and I didn’t get them altogether.) But the ending was a resting point for both Lindsay and the reader (at least it was for me). It’s the rest that comes when you’ve been scared to death and you need to take the time to relax and catch your breath, slow your heart down before it jumps out of your chest. Your mind is left with questions swirling around in your head and you find yourself wondering if you really just read what you did. The same feeling that Lindsay is left with as the story ends in this book. If I had been told that this book had a very open-ended conclusion before I started reading, I would have passed on reading it. ( I need closure in real life as well as in the fictional world.) But I would have missed out on something that has become my favorite read of the summer so far. I can only imagine what it would have been like to read this during Halloween.

Always Shine,

Starr K. 

Parker Blue's Try Me

Try Me by Parker Blue

Demon Underground series

Bell Bridge Books- February 19, 2010

www.parkerblue.net

Facebook: yes

Rating: Loved it!

Recommendation: Fans of YA, vampire demons and other paranormal characters, vampire slayers and teenage angst

Val Shapiro is back and this time she is not just another a vampire slayer. She is a teenager is learning to control her inner demon-literally. She is an eighth of a succubus-a lust demon.  Though it will take time, she is hopeful that it means that she will be safe with her partner is appears to be slowly accepting Lola, her succubus. Well it looked that way until Val and Dan are no longer partners, Lola-her secret weapon and succubus side- is revealed to the other SCU officers, and Dan gets a new partner. Val is partnered with Shade,  a shadow demon, on her next case. They must find the Encyclopedia Magicka books before they end up in the wrong hands. On top of her partnership with Dan dissolving, the missing books, and her growing (and confusing) attraction to Shade –who’s supposed to help her learn to control Lola, the few good vampires in town are turning mad and going after innocents. That’s nothing compared to the deal that she makes with Alejandro and the revelation about her unusual strength and speed that Shade lays on her. But it’s all in the day and life of Val Shapiro. If anyone can handle this and save her town, it’s Val.

I really like this one because there is more depth to the characters. While  Bite Me  seemed mostly just a good sit down and read story,  Try Me seems where the characters really come to life. There is still action and mystery and angst. But I found it a lot easier to visualize the characters, the dialogue was easier to grasp definitely dripped with the characters’ inflection. This series has turned out to be one heck of a ride. I am glad that everything that Val thought she knew in the first book is being challenged in this one.  While I like Dan, I don’t like him for Val, so I am very glad that she has someone else to focus on.  I love the quips that go back and forth between Val and Fang, it’s hilarious!

Another thing that I really like about Try Me is that the demons are used creatively. Though the Demon Underground is for those that find that they aren’t really normal but want to live peacefully with the humans around them, they are still demons. Though they want to make nice with the humans, they have not lost their dark side. It’s more of a conscious choice for some more than others, but it another layer added on to the characters which creates potential. Potential in this series is a powerful in and of itself. I am excited to find out what happens next.

Sometimes it’s hard to find that balance of leaving readers hanging with a story that carries on into the next book, and tying up loose strings enough for the current book to have some closure. Parker Blue has found a nice way to find this balance. While, the immediate objectives (the safety of the supernatural and mundanely human population) are always met, the action that is secondary or happening in the periphery is left to be the focus of the next book.  Nicely done.

Always Shine,

Starr K.

I received this complimentary galley from Netgalley. The  review is not required to be a positive one, but I assure you it is my honest opinion of the book. 

Kelley Armstrong's Living With The Dead

Kelley Armstrong’s Living With the Dead

I have to be honest and say that I discovered Kelley Armstrong by accident, but it was a happy one. She was the introduction to a new genre that had caught my eye and am thrilled to explore now. Kelley has become one of my favorite authors, one of whom has not disappointed her readers so far.

Living with the Dead is book number 9 in the Women of the Otherworld series. It’s a paranormal story that involves a demon, a werewolf, a necromancer and an assortment of other supernatural beings. Just another gripping tale of those who live amongst us that we are totally unaware of.

A dead celebutante, a PR Consultant, a half demon. An odd mixture of characters brings this story to life. Robyn moves to L.A. in an effort to hide from the grief of losing her husband. She soon becomes the number 1 suspect in the murder investigation of her celebutante client. Hope has come to L.A. on an assignment from her job as weird news journalist, and to see how her longtime friend Robyn is doing. Her concern grows when she discovers that her friend has become L.A.’s most sought out fugitive. Through misguided good intentions, a deep desire to keep secrets well hidden, this friendship goes on a journey of discovery; one of themselves and of each other.

            A cop that can see the ghost of dead people, a werewolf that feeds chaos to his girlfriend, and a father trying to right a wrong he stumbled onto over ten years ago.  These are the people that come to the aid of Robyn and Hope. Not knowing who to trust and whom to fear twists the paths of each person together, away from each and back again.

            I was not disappointed with the book. From the beginning where the action takes off, through all of the twists and turns that was intriguing as well as satisfying, on to the end that leaves you wanting more. Though I met Hope and Karl in Personal Demon, it was nice to see their story continued. It’s also nice that despite being book number nine in the Women of the Otherworld series, this story was complete and strong enough to stand on its own.

            I am looking forward to continuing this series and learning more about the women that lead these adventures. If you want to know more about Kelley Armstrong, check out her website at kelleyarmstrong.com. It is a great website and very user friendly. Kelley has another adult series that follows Nadia Stratford a female assassin, and a young adult series (the Darkest Powers Series) that follows Chloe Sauders, a young teen who is able to see dead people. Waking the Witch just came out and the series continues with Spellbound, which is due out July 2011. Both of these are a part of the Women of the Otherworld Series.  The Darkest Powers series continues with The Gathering, which is due out in April 2011.