What I read in November

Science Fiction

Dark Stranger by Susan Sizemore
Diving the Wreck by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Conquest: Earth by Angelique Anjou
Chameleon by Angelique Anjou
Kris Longknife: Undaunted by Mike Shepherd
The Clone Betrayal by Steven Kent
The Long Way Home by Darrell Bain

Paranormal

Megan's Mark by Lora Leigh
Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia
Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh

Fantasy

American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Sasha by Joel Shepherd
Guardian of Honor by Robin D. Owen
Protector of the Flight by Robin D. Owen
Breath of Fire by Tammy Kane
Shadowlight by Lynn Viehl

Romance

To Desire A Devil by Elizabeth Hoyt
The River Knows by Amanda Quick


Click on the Goodreads button on the right of the page to see how I rated each of these books.

Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia

Paranormal

All Owen Zastava Pitt wanted was a normal boring life. That was why he became a CPA but now he was having a really bad night. He was working late when his boss transformed into a werewolf. In a fight for his life Owen managed to push his boss and his desk out of the fifth story window. Suddenly Owen found out that monsters were real. When he woke up in the hospital there were Fed’s threatening to kill him if he ever revealed what he had seen and Monster Hunter International offering him a job. That was the start of a new life and a wild ride for Owen and the other members of his team at Monster Hunter International.

Monster Hunter International gives a whole new slant on fighting the paranormal. The story is filled with humor while losing none of the tension. If you want a wild ride, a little romance and monsters galore read Monster Hunter International.

Baen published Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia in 2009.

I purchased Monster Hunter International from Borders.

Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh

Paranormal Romance

Blaze of Memory enlarges the world of Changelings, Psy and Humans. The Psy who did not embrace silence (the Forgotten) have been mentioned before but this is the first story that features a member of the Forgotten. Dev is the head of the Forgotten and is in danger of becoming as cold as the Psy that follow Silence. He finds a member of the Psy near death and dumped on his step. She cannot remember anything except the pain that one of the Psy inflicted. Dev knows that she must have been sent to harm him and other members of the Forgotten but he is still drawn to her. The two of them must fight to find a way out of the trap she represents.

While there are familiar Changelings characters in Blaze of Memory this is primarily a story of the Forgotten and the Psy and enlarges the world Nalini Singh has created in this series. Blaze of Memory is a complete story in itself adding a great addition to the series. At the same time it sets the stage for new books in the Psy/Changelings world.

Berkley published Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh in 2009.

I purchased Blaze of Memory from Fictionwise. If you would like a 10% discount on this book at Fictionwise leave me your email in a comment.

Chameleon and Conquest: Earth by Angelique Anjou

Futuristic Romance

Chameleon is novella length story set on a world where human have been allowed by the natives of the planet to settle in specific places. They are also forbidden to go anywhere else but Cara, a young woman routinely visits one of the forbidden forests. As a young girl she had saved what she thought was a griffin from a trap set in the forest and had sneaked him home to visit. What she had really saved was one of the shape shifting natives and therein lies the story. Chameleon is an enjoyable short read.

Angelique Anjou packaged the first three chapters of Conquest: Earth at the end of Chameleon and I was hooked after reading them. Conquest: Earth is novel length. The Conquest part is not what you expect. As one of the side characters said; they have certainly come to conquer, just not what everyone thinks. An all make group has been sent to set up a colony and first lands on Earth. The immediate reaction is fear of an invasion. Realizing that Earth has a dominant native race they move and start their colony on Mars. Their race has a tradition of stealing their brides and they make everything worse by stealing Earth women. This is another light fun read. Get both Chameleon and Conquest: Earth if you are looking for entertaining Furutistic Romance.

Conquest: Earth is listed as erotica, but there is more sex and more explicit sex in most mainstream romance novels published today. Chameleon and Conquest: Earth both have a good story line, there is more story than sex and the sex fits as part of both stories.

New Concepts Publishing published Chameleon and Conquest: Earth by Angelique Anjou in 2009. I did not find a web page for Angelique Anjou.

I purchased both at Fictionwise. If you let me know you want to purchase either or both at Fictionwise leave me a comment with your email and I will send you a coupon for 10% off.

Breath of Fire by Tammy Kane

Fantasy

Breath of Fire is a great start to a new series and a new take on dragons and their riders. The writing is good, the story flows, the action is suspenseful, and the characters well-developed. Pick up Breath of Fire for a good read.

Karl does not believe in dragons so when he arrives at a village getting ready to stake out a virgin as a sacrifice he tells them there are no dragons. When they still insist on sacrificing the virgin to the dragon he takes her place. Imagine his surprise when the dragon arrives and he is chained to a rock . Fortunately for him Elera the dragon slayer arrives in time to kill the dragon. Unfortunately for him Elera claims him as her virgin prize. Karl has spent the last 17 years as an Initiate of Mattaen and is just 3 days away from taking his final vows; vows that require him have never had sex. His one night with Elera changes his life and leads him into danger, conflict with the Mattaen, and a life he never imagined. A life filled with surprises that include Elera’s true relationship with dragons.



Love Spell published Breath of Fire by Tammy Kane in 2009.

I purchased Breath of Fire from Borders.

Sasha, A Trial of Blood and Steel by Joel Shepherd

Fantasy

I loved Joel Shepherd’s Cassandra Kresnov Science Fiction novels. With Sasha he left the Science Fiction world and moved to Fantasy. Sasha starts slower and did not catch me as quickly as The Cassandra Kresnov novels but I still enjoyed the book. Since Sasha is the first books in a new series much of the book is written to set up the world and the characters needed for the next books. There is still plenty of action and adventure, stress and tension, all combined with complex family and clan interaction. While one problem is solved the stage is set to further drama. This is a good start for a new series and I look forward to the next books.

PYR published Sasha, A Trial of Blood and Steel by Joel Shepherd in 2009.

I purchased Sasha at Amazon.

Guardian of Honor by Robin D. Owens

Fantasy/Romance

Alexa Fitzwalter is an attorney with few ties to modern day Denver when she is pulled into Lladrana, a land where magic is the norm. She is called to rediscover lost magical skills and save Lladrana from an invasion of magical creatures. Her struggle in the new land is filled with pain, joy, romance and adventure. Guardian of Honor is the first of The Summoning Series books written by Robin Owens. I have read all of Robin Owens Heart books set on the planet Celta and found Guardian of Honor to be a nice counterpart to that series. If you are reading the Heart series and have not tried theThe Summoning Series books you are in for a treat.

Luna published Guardian of Honor by Robin D. Owens in 2005.

I checked Guardian of Honor out at the library.

Diving into the Wreck by Kristine Kathryn Rusch

Science Fiction

Science Fiction books are my favorite and good Science Fiction books are really my favorite. In my opinion Kristine Kathryn Rusch has never written a bad Science Fiction book and Diving into the Wreck is no exception. The book is composed of three separate parts; Diving into the Wreck, The Room of Lost Souls, and The Heart of the Machine. Finding a ship thousands of years old with some working stealth tech starts a series of events that span all three sections. There are people who feel it is too dangerous to have around and want to destroy it. Others want to replicate it for their own purposes. Diving into the Wreck is a well-written Science Fiction story filled with tension, action, interesting characters and adventure. Pick it up if you want a good read.

PYR published Diving into the Wreck by Kristine Kathryn Rusch in 2009.

I purchased Diving into the Wreck at Amazonl

On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

Paranormal Romance

In On the Edge Ilona Andrews has crafted a new reality for her next series. There is the Broken where there is no magic; the Weird, which is full of magic and between the two, is the Edge, a narrow strip where some magic exists. Only people who live on the Edge can easily visit both the Broken and the Weird but life in the Edge is hard.

Rose Drayton lives in the Edge and works a minimum wage job in the Broken to support herself and her two brothers. She has some powerful magic and at one time she through it would make life easier for her and her brothers. Unfortunately all the magic has brought her is trouble. Just when she thinks that thing can’t get any worse Declan Camarine, a noble from the Weird shows up determined to marry her. Declan is not all that comes to the Edge; an intense new danger shows up looking for magic. Rose is a target and she needs help to survive. Thus the stage is set for On the Edge the first book in a thrilling new paranormal series by Ilona Andrews. Check out On the Edge.

Ace published On the Edge by Ilona Andrews in 2009.

Ilona Andrews is the husband and wife team of Ilona and Gordon Anderson.

Dark Stranger by Susan Sizemore

Science Fiction Romance and Paranormal

I am not a big fan of vampire stories but when I read the recommendation for Dark Stranger on Fictionwise I had to give it a try. After I started reading I did not want to put the book down (or in this case shut down the computer). Dark Stranger is a great example of a cross-genre book that works. Susan Sizemore has taken her vampire Prime books into the future. General Matthias “Doc” Raven is the ranking officer among the humans held in a prisoner of war camp that holds three different alien species. Zoe Pappas is among the new prisoners arriving at the camp. Neither are what they seem to be. The characters in the book are well thought out, the back-story skillfully woven into the whole, and the story is tension filled. You do not need to be familiar with Susan’s Prime series to enjoy this story.

Speaking as a Science Fiction Romance lover Dark Stranger will go on my favorites shelf.

Pocket Star Books published Dark Stranger by Susan Sizemore in 2009.

I purchased Dark Stranger from Fictionwise. If you would like to order from Fictionwise and get a discount leave me a comment with your email and I will send you a coupon for 10% off.

Odd Girl Out by Timothy Zahn

Science Fiction

Odd Girl Out is the third book in the interstellar detective series that started with Night Train to Rigel. I missed the second book (The Third Lynx) and I read Night Train to Rigel three years ago. It was good to see Frank and Bayta again and there was enough back-story that I never felt lost. Odd Girl Out could be read as a stand-alone but it helped that I had read Night Train to Rigel.

Like the first book most of the action in Odd Girl Out is on the Quadrail, the trains run by the Spiders that travel the galaxy. The Modhri, a group mind, is still the villain. Frank Compton and Bayta have stymied the Modhri plans twice. However, as the agents chosen to combat the Modhri they have to stop a new set of plans to take over the galaxy. They are like old style detectives and the action is fast and furious. Get on board for a great story and ride the Quadrail again.

TOR published Odd Girl Out by Timothy Zahn in 2008.

The books in the series are:

Night Trail to Rigel
The Third Lynx
Odd Girl Out