Review: Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1) by Illona Andrews

Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, #1) by Illona Andrews

Author: Illona Andrews

Publication Date: April 1, 2007

Publisher: Penguin

Pages: 260

Genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy

Source: Gifted from Karen at For What It's Worth Reviews

Book Description from Goodreads: 
When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns, and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.

Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up these magical problems. But when Kate's guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta's magic circles.

The Masters of the Dead, necromancers who can control vampires, and the Pack, a paramilitary clan of shapechangers, blame each other for a series of bizarre killings—and the death of Kate's guardian may be part of the same mystery. Pressured by both sides to find the killer, Kate realizes she's way out of her league—but she wouldn't have it any other way…

Review:

     In an alternate version of a Post-Apocalypse modern day Atlanta, magic wreaks havoc in waves and in its wake it brings a whole slew of magical problems from total technological failure to creatures of the dark running rampant on the streets. Task forces have formed to protect people and contain the creatures, but not many have the versatility and the skill to handle every rogue monster.... that is except for Kate Daniels.

     The covers aren't exactly eye catching and each book of this version of the series follows the same theme, and in the fantasy section they kind of blend in with every other epic hero. But after I read the story and got to know the characters on the cover, I got a little bit giddy every time I saw them.

     I was initially recommended this series as something to read inbetween Karen Marie Moning releases, and its proven to be a great choice! It features Kate Daniels as your no-nonsense, kick ass, smart mouthed heroine that's deadly with a sword and has a past that's just riddled with mysteries. Part mercenary and part detective, she's like a blood hound when she's got a target in mind and I dare you to try and stop her. She was an instantly likable character and her interactions with other characters with her often witty banter can sometimes get her into a world of trouble. So when the last of her family Greg ends up the victim of a grisly murder, Kate takes it upon herself to get to the bottom of it and avenge him.

     A dark evil orchestrating in the darkness starts bringing the body count up as Kate's investigation takes her all around Atlanta. She's racing against the clock to prevent an all out war between "The People" and shape-shifters. Her investigation leads her into the belly of the Beast Lord Curran. When you're first introduced to Curran there's no doubt about his status as alpha of the pack. He just oozes power, masculinity and control. Watching him butt heads with an equally strong willed Kate was hilarious, frustrating and kind of hot...

     The story takes us on a wild action packed ride, and while at times I felt a bit confused about the lore I think I just need to get used to the relaxed Kate Daniels style of story telling. This husband-wife writing team creates a gritty dark world with a refreshing take on some old monsters (the necromancers and vampires were ingenious!). While it starts out a bit slow, they build up the world and the people in it with meticulous detail and when you get to about halfway I guarantee you won't be able to put this book down! 

Overall: 4/5 Hot Cups of Tea!

I'm completely addicted to this magical post apocalypse wasteland and especially Kate Daniels and Curran. This is a definite must read for fans of Karen Marie Moning's Fever Series. I'm going to completely devour these books!

     

Review: Release (The Protector, #3) by M.R. Merrick

Thanks to Valerie @ Stuck in Books for hosting this!

Release (The Protector, #3) by M.R. Merrick

Author: M.R. Merrick
Publication date: December 8, 2012
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy
Source: e-ARC provided by author for review
Book Description from Goodreads: 
After uniting the shifters and calling in reinforcements, Chase has to face his toughest challenge yet: learning to control his emotions. But as tensions rise and his powers grow, controlling his emotions becomes the least of his problems.
Terrorized by a multi-shifter who is hell-bent on turning him, Chase questions just how far he’s willing to go to stop his father. Meanwhile, Tiki’s virtuous nature has placed him in the middle of Vincent’s past, leaving Chase to oppose a senate of vampires and defend a demon he hates.
Trying to balance his friends, his enemies, and his inner demons, Chase is left searching for answers about the Mark, his destiny, and where he can find the next soul piece. Stopping Riley is his top priority, but as more obstacles arise, he finds himself doubting all the decisions he’s made - especially regarding Rayna.
One thing is for certain: Chase has finally realized that he doesn’t know anything. The light doesn’t always quell the darkness, the monsters don’t always stay in the shadows, and the past doesn’t always stay in the past - sometimes, the demons inside are the hardest to fight.

Amazon | Smashwords | Goodreads

About the Author:

M.R. Merrick is a Canadian writer, and author of Exiled, the first installment in The Protector Series. Having never traveled, he adventures to far off lands through his imagination and in between cups of coffee. As a music lover and proud breakfast enthusiast, he's usually found at the computer, between a pair of headphones and in front of a large bowl of cereal.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Review:

     For someone so young, Chase has seen a lot of death and destruction and it doesn't look like it's going to be ending soon. This time around in the third installment of Merrick's Protector Series, Chase's title as The Protector is heavily challenged as he's hunted by the psychotic multi-shifter Arian, while racing his father Riley from dimension to dimension to get to Ithreal's soul pieces to prevent worldwide annihilation and keeping his friends breathing. But after the events of Exiled and Shift, Chase is cut off from the Gods and now his powers start going haywire, it seems like this whole saving the world thing would have to been done the old fashioned way with a little elbow grease and a good dagger. 

     I love the covers of these series, they're always so mysterious and their full meaning isn't revealed until well into the story and everything clicks and you have an "aha!" moment. 

     Chase has always been pretty hot headed, and with so many elements burning in his core he needs to learn emotional control fast - but with everyone rushing to deal with the coming onslaught, I felt like he was pretty isolated and left to figure things out on his own for the most part. I was really proud that he took so much initiative and really proved his worth as a leader and The Protector in some of the most trying situations. 

     Sometimes intriguing secondary characters never get their day, but I was so surprised how much depth and history Merrick revealed in Released that added to the growth of several characters and their story arcs in addition to Chase's story. This was especially true with Willy (my absolute favorite character) and his tragic past in conjunction with the vampire Vincent's familial problems that end up being a large thorn in Chase's side.

     I especially loved that Chase's friends end up playing a more integral role to his character development. Tiki acts like The Protector's conscience, gently reminding Chase of his obligations to every poor soul in any world that needs help. They constantly clash for a while, but it's important in the road to Chase fully accepting his role as The Protector.

     Since more or less solidifying their relationship in Shift, Rayna and Chase this time around are a bit more subdued. I was a bit sad that we didn't get to see more of them together (but this story isn't meant to be a bad teen romance), but the stolen moments that they do get are so cute and give such a bright flare of hope for Chase to keep trudging through the dark. 

     Merrick continues The Protector Series with his sharp wit, distinctive and alluring demonic dimensions and of course thrilling visceral action sequences. But here's the thing, I was so used to Merrick's action sequences I thought I knew how they'd play out - because it was formulaic. There's some equal sparring, a sudden dire situation and desperation but it all works out in the end because that's how a heroes story goes. 

     I have to hand a slow appreciative clap to Merrick right here because while these sequences kept me entertained, they lulled me into such a deep sense of security that I was completely blind sided by the ending. I mean, Merrick had to have some serious cajones to pull that ending off, I am both shocked and supremely pissed and can't wait to see what happens in the next installment!

Overall: 4/5 Hot Cups of Tea!

You'll laugh, you'll bask in awe at vivid landscapes of demonic worlds, gasp at the graphic and bloody action and more likely than not, you'll cry.

Giveaway:

Grande Prize Pack (3 Winners)

3x Signed paperbacks (Exiled, Shift, Release)

3x Signed 8x10 posters (Exiled, Shift, Release)

5x Bookmarks

1x Notebook (Winner’s choice of cover)

1x Magnet

Runner-up Prize Pack (5 Winners)

1x Signed paperback (Winner’s choice of Exiled, Shift, or Release) with signed poster

1x bookmark (Winner’s choice)

1x Magnet

Secondary Prizes A (10 Winners)

Release eBooks

Secondary Prize B (10 Winners)

1x bookmark (winner’s choice)

1x The Protector magnet

Winners will be chosen as follows: First 3 names drawn from Rafflecopter will get the grand prize. The following 5 names get the runner-up prize. The following 10 names win ebook copies of Release, and the final 10 names win the swag pack.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Author: Wendy Higgins

Publication Date: May 1, 2012

Publisher: Harper Teen

Pages: 454 Pages

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Angels/Demons

Source: Bought it

Book Description from Goodreads:

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Review:

So…admittedly I originally was attracted to this first and foremost for the gorgeous cover. It has the perfect dramatic flare in the flirtatious red dress, and the visually stunning contrast of pure goodness and the dark devil on your shoulder whispering seductions into your ear - this portrayed the characters of Anna and Kaiden perfectly in their roles. Then after reading the synopsis I was intrigued by the concept of Nephilim and what Higgins take on them would be.

I feel like to truly enjoy this book, you need to take one step back from reality because some seriously mind blowing stuff happens that could only apply to teenagers that are the children of fallen angels. A lot of these situations involve some really questionable parental permissions… Without giving too much away, basically these Nephilim all have a pull toward certain sins, and their lives depend on “working” on corrupting others with these sins - which is a particular source of strain for Anna while she navigates the road of her heritage with her new sinful friends.

When we first meet Anna, she takes the label of “good girl” to the extreme. She doesn’t participate in any of the debauchery that comes with teenage unsupervised parties, she doesn’t lie (not even little white ones, although her first big lie is a pretty hilarious one), and she even manages to keep her best friend on the straight and narrow. Anna also has a set of powers that comes with angelic parentage, she can see and feel people’s emotions. She of course deftly avoids exploiting this advantage, but it also causes her to be extremely emotional, she feels for everyone and everything - which causes a lot of unnecessary water works that even her polar opposite and partner in crime Kaiden Rowe cringes at invoking.

In a nutshell, Anna isn’t exactly your strong fierce heroine - she’s just so young and naive that it’s darn near a train wreck to see her in more mature situations, where she blushes from head to toe - and that’s why I think I read through this book non-stop like I was addicted to hard crack. I wanted to see where her story went, how she’d respond to difficult obstacles and every time I set the book down I’d find myself wondering what would happen next.

It also doesn’t help that Kaiden Rowe - following the beloved hot and cold, smooth talking jerk but with a heart of gold, steamy character formula and to top it all off….has a BRITISH ACCENT!! I think I had James Marsters (halfway down the page is his panel, the third video at time 1:25) (aka Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) on the brain, because as soon as he dropped his first “luv” I kind of squealed - Kaiden by trade is coincidentally a drummer for a rock band too, so double score! But aesthetics aside, Kaiden is such an interesting character to follow. He’s intrigued by Anna’s morality, and seeks to be closer to her but it’s a constant struggle with his own particular sin that he *ahem* performs with extreme pleasure and due diligence, much to Anna’s dismay.

Kaiden and Anna’s sexual tension is just freaking unbelievable! Higgins has got the teasing formula down to a science as she lures you in with a free fluffy sample, and then she starts to give you the harder drugs until you’re begging for more, and then wham! She cuts you off cold turkey! *Sigh* All I can hope for is some kind of resolution in Anna's love life eventually...

Higgin’s writing is delightful in that it’s easy to follow, but so richly descriptive, especially when it comes to crafting her characters with some uniquely identifiable quirk. Higgins definitely knows how to snare her audience with an amazing mix of laughter, action, love and even morality. She also weaves a very unique mythology for these Nephilim, set in a very mobster like fashion that incorporates incredibly well into modern society.

I loved seeing the changes and growth that Anna goes through! By the end she definitely seems more mature and better equipped for her situation. There’s a really mysterious back story weaved into all of this self discovery that Anna goes through, and I’m so excited to see what this might entail.

            

Overall: 4/5 Hot Cups of Tea!

At 454 pages, it may seem daunting, but honestly I got through it so quickly because I just couldn’t put it down! Definitely give this one a read!

Review: The Succubus Gift by B.R. Kingsolver

The Succubus Gift (Telepathic Clans #1) by B.R. Kingsolver

Author: B.R. Kingsolver

Publication Date: April 22, 2012

Publisher: Smashwords

Genre: Adult, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

Source: Review copy provided by the author (Thank You!)

Book Description from Goodreads:

Brenna’s life isn’t the same after she discovers her unusual and mysterious heritage. In addition to being a telepath and having many paranormal abilities, Brenna learns she has the Succubus Gift. She has always been a good girl and isn’t comfortable seducing men, except one she really loves.

That’s just the beginning of her problems. Someone is stalking her. Will she be able to protect her newly acquired family and friends? Then there’s the tall, dangerous woman who shadows her and hints a Goddess has linked them. And what is she going to do with a handsome, charismatic, womanizing man she knows she should avoid?

Some days a girl just wants to pull the covers over her head and stay in bed — with a willing young man of course.

Review:

Let me just start by saying WOW, because this book completely blew my expectations out of the water and then some. The initial synopsis plot struck me as interesting, but it didn’t prepare me for the utterly heart stopping onslaught of sex, violence and paranormal abilities out the wazoo.

In an age where book covers are raved about because they feature a pretty girl in a dress that’s been air brushed to oblivion, I love that The Succubus Gift’s cover has a more traditional art look and feel to it, with slight enhancements. It features a gorgeously rendered Brenna and features some of the abilities that the reader will be exposed to.

When we first meet Brenna she’s worked hard to make a career for herself after being orphaned as a young girl. She’s lived with being a telepath for most of her life, but never knowing the true nature of her abilities. That is until one fateful day after inadvertently saving another telepath he takes her to meet others like them, and so begins Brenna’s journey of self discovery.

I loved how dynamic Brenna’s character is. She’s smart, witty and takes things in stride, but there’s also the less perfect side where she’s a bit self depreciating, reserved and sometimes has serious anger management issues. It all combines together though to make a character that’s so interesting to watch as she grows from an innocent Catholic girl to a more confident and insanely powerful woman.

A main point of the story was that Brenna needed to learn how to control a lot of powers, and Kingsolver found a good balance between natural excellence and learning from tutors that made the story more believable and allowed the readers to experience the powers with Brenna instead of the character instantly being able to use all these powers and going out into the world to fight super villains.

One power in particular, her Succubus Gift (which is in reference to as you guessed it, a Succubus which are known for seducing and having intercourse with men) a rare power that eventually takes the main stage in the story. It provides some of the most hilarious moments as she learns what it means to truly be a Succubus and it also brings the reader to fan-yourself kind of steamy bedroom scenes.

Now with all the different powers on top of telepathy such as pyrokinesis, electrokinesis etc., there’s so much going on in The Succubus Gift. Kingsolver has to explain A LOT of things like the powers, the people, back history, and she manages to do it perfectly without getting the reader hopelessly lost. A few of the powers also have very unique names for them and it can get confusing at times, but Kingsolver added an index at the end that was extremely helpful.

I absolutely loved the cast of secondary characters, maybe a bit more than I do Brenna. There’s such a perfect combination of mafia like grandfather, regal motherly aunt, kick ass best friend and completely adorable, hot, but deadly in a fight - love interest and even other Succubi. Kingsolver crafted these characters with such vivid personalities, they ended up taking on distinct voices and life stories that I craved to know more about.

The villains of the story are kept shrouded in the shadows for the most part, and to me that was perfectly fine. They provided the stressor for Brenna to learn and grow, but frankly they were more terrifying when you couldn’t put a face to them while people were being hunted down. A word of warning, these villains are SO twisted. Kingsolver has them do really graphically violent things that some people may not have the disposition to handle. However, the way that Kingsolver states these events is in a very blunt fashion, she doesn’t dance around them with fancy words, they’re difficult things to write about and I'm glad she didn’t take them lightly and that there’s retribution to be had in the end.

Kingsolver’s way of writing is energetic and keeps up a great tempo. When I was reading this it was easy to see when it picked up for action scenes and slowed down for sensual moments. Especially since Kingsolver is a debut author, this was an incredible piece of work.

Eventually, in the end we find out what’s going on and it blows the doors wide open for an exciting sequel, but it doesn’t end on a complete cliffhanger. We’re left in a very comfortable place, where as a reader you want to know more but it isn’t going to make you angry that it just ENDED RIGHT THERE.

This is a great unique addition to the paranormal/urban fantasy genre and I’d definitely recommend this to fans of the genre! It had everything I could ask for, love, sex, violence, witty banter, supernatural abilities. I am so excited to see what Kingsolver does next! 

Overall: 5/5 Steaming HOT Cups of Tea!

To me it was like the Sopranos meets X-Men with a dash of Inception and a sprinkle of Sex in the City (but less obnoxious). Seriously, it's was an awesome book! Go read it! 

Review: Bone Dressing by Michelle I. Brooks

Bone Dressing by Michelle Brooks

Author: Michelle Brooks

Publication Date: April 20, 2011

Publisher: Kindle

Pages: 360

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy

Source: Bought It

Book Description from Goodreads:

Time is running out… the Dark that’s been chasing Syd for many lifetimes has finally caught up with her…

Sydney Roberdeau lost her parents as a young girl. Waiting for her life to start and the freedom that will come with her eighteenth birthday, Syd spends much of her time haunting the local cemetery. It is there, stretched out among the dead, that she feels most alive, most at home. Until one rainy night when Beau, Sarah and T.J. crash her ghostly sanctuary, appearing out of nowhere, turning her already inside-out world one degree past upside down.

Syd must now revisit past lives, dressing in the bodies of her previous selves… bone dressing. Her only chance to outrun the evil breathing down her neck is to face her own worst nightmares and her strongest desires. But if she can’t stay out of trouble in this life, how can she possibly fix mistakes from past lives? And just how many lives has she lived, loved and lost? What is Syd exactly, and what will she risk for the life of a man she doesn’t remember, the man she spent a lifetime with, the man she loves? Everything… including her very own life?

Review:

Brooks takes the subject of travelling through past lives and puts a very unique spin to it. Soon it becomes evident that there’s a lot more than just past lives at play here, there’s old magic and old enemies that are after Syd, who needs to figure out how to harness it all before it’s too late, good thing she has some friends that are willing to help out.

The cover of Bone Dressing very appropriately features a girl among an eerily misty graveyard with a bone chilling wind passing through that blows her hair about. I love how simple and calm the cover is in contrast to Syd’s more eccentric nature.

The beginning of the story definitely caught my attention immediately by throwing the reader right into the action as we meet Syd in a backdrop of flames while she recounts the events that lead up to her unleashing her inner pyromaniac. We also get the run down of Syd’s less than ideal life. She’s the poster child of what you think of when you hear “foster child”, she’s the school prankster, sneaks out and has a “I couldn’t give a two shakes what you think” kind of rebellious attitude with a sharp tongue built for snappy comebacks.

What I really loved about Syd was her defiant disposition that she draws her strength from. Using this she stuck up for herself and for her friends no matter the cost and it makes her a powerful ally to have on your side. But it’s also this headstrong attitude that makes her so difficult to get through to, along with her tendency for angry outbursts. I found it a bit irritating that no matter what life she was in, it took so many tries for everyone to get their point in when they were trying to tell her something REALLY important. The novel is also filled with soliloquy type dialogue in Syd’s point of view while she tries to make sense of her adolescent life. While these musings gave us depth into her character I felt at times that Syd might have attention issues as she continually jumped from one philosophical musing to another. But once she finally realizes what’s happening to her she becomes more focused and this more concrete direction in her lives makes her character easier to follow.

The character of Beau (aka Remy) pretty much had me at chère. I’m a total sucker for cajun accents, and combined with his dark looks and equally mysterious companions, I was definitely fascinated. But in the end he’s there to help Syd realize who she is and although we don’t get to know much about his background (although I’d really like to!), he was always there when needed and provided some scintillating scenes with Syd.

But where Brooks really shines is in writing her villains. Mr. Askew, Syd’s teacher and arch nemesis is absolutely THE CREEPIEST character you will ever meet. I still feel worms crawling under my skin every time I think about any scenes with him because he’s so incredibly manipulative, and he had me teetering on a fence wondering if he was actually that creepy or if it was all in Syd’s head. The lecherous stares, the insinuating dialogue just creates an image in your mind of an awkward older man with a greasy comb over and his tongue wagging at teenage girls in short skirts and it pretty much confirmed how bad he was.

Brook’s writing is amazing with staccato bursts of action and tension interspersed with more languid and detailed scenes that kept up a very interesting pace. While there is so much paranormal magic and shifting, it was a bit hazy on how it was all done, so I’m really hoping that it’s better explained in any possible sequels. But I did thoroughly enjoy the trip back in time, and there were some supernatural reveals that I could not see coming at all! The other characters like T.J., and Sarah all showed up rather mysteriously with Beau, and I’d definitely like to see more thoroughly explanation about them as well. All in all I found this a very interesting read with a great introduction to some very engrossing characters and the ending completely left me with my jaw on the floor wondering where does the story go now after something like THAT is revealed…

Overall: 4/5 Hot Cups of Tea! 

It was an enjoyable read with really sharp dialogue, super creepy villains and a different spin on magic.

Cover Reveal: Iced by Karen Marie Moning

Cover Reveal: Iced by Karen Marie Moning!!!

   Ms. Moning released this this morning on her Facebook page and I just thought I'd share it here! I'm a huge fan of her Fever Series - which I will probably get to re-reading again.


   I love how we're looking through a fractured ice window into the ruins of Dublin, Ireland. With Dani standing there in a long coat it's kind of reminiscent of a shot from a western. The Iced font is a little corny, but for the most part it works.


   Iced is told from the view of Dani O'Malley, Christian Mackeltar, Ryodan and whoever this mysterious Dancer is and is a continuation after the events of Fever. If you haven't read the Fever Series yet get on it if you like paranormal romance/urban fantasy/fey/bad ass girls and guys. 
  
   I'm super excited to see what happens to Christian, and what Ryodan's whole role in this story will be... but to be honest I really didn't like Dani in the Fever Series. She was a bit too successful in her role as the young, annoying "little sister" role to Mac. But if anyone can make me like a story with an annoying character it's Ms. Moning. Plus she always has guest appearances of characters from her other stories so I'll definitely read it for a glimpse of Barrons (sigh) and Mac. 


   Iced is the first in a trilogy and will be released Oct. 30 2012 !! 


   On a side note, Karen Marie Moning has a bunch of other releases this year too: the short highlander novella Into the Dreaming will be re-released April 24, 2012 and the new Fever Storyline Graphic novel entitled Fever Moon will be released July 10, 2012. Super excited!! 

Review: Shift by M.R. Merrick

Shift (The Protector Book 2) by M.R. Merrick

Author: M.R. Merrick

Publication Date: January 29, 2012

Publisher: M.R. Merrick

Edition: Kindle eBook

Genre: YA, Contemporary Fantasy

Source: Bought it 

Book Description from Amazon:

Devastated by a terrible loss, Chase is trying to balance the life he’s been left with, a family he’s still getting to know, and power he never thought he’d have. He doesn’t understand why the Goddess has named him the Protector and granted him two gifts: the Mark, a tattoo that now covers his back, and the ring. But between getting interrogated by the Circle and psychic attacks from Riley, the Mark is the least of his concern. There’s a demon inside Rayna that’s fighting to be released, and it’s not her inner witch. It’s something else- a monster threatening to tear her apart.

As chase struggles to control his magic, his enemies are closing in. Everyone has staked a claim on his ring, and destroying it may be his only chance to stop Riley. But Chase must decide if stopping him is worth risking the lives of everyone he cares about or if protecting the ring will be enough to save his world.

Review:

Almost immediately after finishing the first book Exiled (my review HERE ) I picked up the second book Shift. There were so many questions for the reader at the end of Exiled that I wanted to find out the answers as soon as possible!

The covers for these books are always so gorgeous and have such an amazing layout. Each item on the cover is purposefully placed and give a subtle hint as to what’s to come.

After the events of Exiled, Chase is now fuelled by rare powers with a serious vendetta targeted at Riley— his on the lam father who’s focused on promoting himself to a god-like state through a “not-Circle-approved” plan. Since Riley’s betrayal, the various factions of the Underworld (vampires, shifter groups) and the Circle that’s supposed to keep them in check is crumbling, paranoia abounds and each one of them has to decide whose side they’re on.

Merrick has a knack for snaring a reader’s attention in the first chapter by plunging them into the middle of a tense and bloody fight for survival, only this time around it’s Rayna that’s fighting her own internal shifter demon that’s literally ripping her apart from the inside out.

In Shift Rayna and Chase are both coming into some new and surprising abilities. It was really awe-inspiring to see these two trust each other so much and help each other through such difficult transitions. With all the life or death experiences they’ve had together it’s no wonder that some romantic aspect developed- FINALLY! Merrick does it in a very classy way though, the stolen moments together enhances the story and don’t detract from the visceral action; although with the introduction of a particular werecat shifter I think we might be seeing some relationship drama on the horizon (possible cat fight?).

Chase has some serious anger management issues and with all that magic brewing in him, he’s a walking natural disaster. Despite his shakiness at all these powers and everyone trying to get at him, Chase unexpectedly takes on a more serious role that results in him thinking through plans a little bit better, he knows what he’s willing to sacrifice and what he’s going to fight for. He’s grown so much over the course of the book and it just brings proud tears to my eyes.

We have some characters that carry over from Exiled such as Tiki, Willy, Marcus and Vincent. Tiki is hilarious in his attempts to assimilate into the human world, I especially love the scene where he explains his hate of human clothing due to it’s…restrictive properties. Marcus is still the intimidating muscle man, Vincent is definitely up to no good, but it’s the storyline that Merrick puts Willy through that takes the cake. I was on the edge of my seat with Willy - over the course of Exile Willy - to me - was this lovable stuttering demon that needed protection, but Merrick puts him through his paces and he changes into a completely unexpected bad ass that I love even more!

The villains of this story are so diabolical. Riley and the Dark Brothers are playing dirty and doing some very ‘Inception’-esque mind assaults on Chase. These sequences were written in such a way that there were times where reality and dream blurred, which created a deliciously tense atmosphere knowing that Chase wasn’t really safe anywhere. One of my favorite parts is when Merrick introduces new demons in a new dimension, I was completely baffled by the dialogue and it kept me glued to the pages to figure out what was going on.

An interesting aspect to include was Chase’s flashbacks of Riley, it showed a completely different side to Riley and makes me wonder what pushed him into doing all of this in the first place. Merrick definitely did it again with Shift, it’s an action packed thrill ride with some out-of-left-field, game changing secret reveals that leaves the reader wondering where this rag tag team will go next! 

Rating: 5/5 Steaming HOT cups of Tea!

It was a great sequel and it just leaves me bouncing on my seat waiting for the third installment! 

So Valerie over at Stuck In Books just finished reading the first book Exiled by M.R. Merrick and she loved it so much she's giving away a copy of Exiled to her blog readers here: Stuck In Books: Exiled by M.R. Merrick + Giveaway

So I figured I'd give Shift away to complement it! Especially if you've read Exiled already and you have Shift on your To-Read list- it needs to move up your list, fast! So here's your chance to win it! Just fill out the Rafflecopter form, and if you haven't read either one, visit Valerie at her awesome blog and maybe you'll get lucky and get both!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Exiled by M.R. Merrick

Exiled (The Protector Book 1) by M.R. Merrick

Author: M.R. Merrick
Publication Date: June 28, 2011
Publisher: M.R. Merrick
Edition: Kindle eBook
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
Source: Got it when it was free for a day!
Book Description from Amazon:
Chase Williams is a demon hunter in the Circle, or at least he was supposed to be. On his fifteenth birthday, Chase stepped up to the alter to claim his elemental power, but it never came. Elemental magic is passed down to a hunter through the bloodline, but on Chase’s birthday, the bloodline stopped.
Exiled without the Circle’s protection, Chase has spent two years trying to survive a world riddled with half-demons and magic. When he has a run in with a frightened, and seemingly innocent demon, he learns the Circle’s agenda has changed: the Circle plans to unlock a portal and unleash pure-blood demons into the world. Vowing to stop them, and knowing he can’t do it alone, Chase forms a reluctant alliance with Rayna - a sexy witch with an attitude and a secret. In their attempt to stop them, Chase and Rayna find themselves in the middle of the Circle’s plan, leaving one of them to decide what their friendship is worth, and the other’s life depending on it.
Review:
     During the impending release for Shift - the second book in the Protector series, my Twitter feed was abuzz with high praise for it. I got curious, and went back to see what Exiled was all about. The premise seemed interesting enough and I marked the book as a to-read, as in, one day I’ll get to it. Then came a fateful day when Exiled was put up for free on Amazon, so I figured why not? I downloaded it and started it immediately and boy do I ever regret not reading it sooner…
     The cover is intriging, but I didn’t really fully LOOK at it until I finished the book, it’s then that the cover fully makes sense. The opposing elements and the haunting bare tree make a great composition together!
     Merrick has no mercy for easing you into the plot of the story, he takes you and gives you a bum’s rush, head first into Chase’s world where you’re met with a burly demon that shows you how bad they make life for Chase William’s since his and his mother’s exile from the Circle. It’s definitely a sure fire way to get you hooked on the action of this book.
The writing is rich and detailed, especially when he creates the intricate worlds. The reader can distinctly tell what location the characters are in, be it Chase’s dismal slum apartment to the grandeur of Rayna’s abode, to a very alternate location with very special water. This book has a lot of action, it reads like the play by play script of an intense action movie. There’s weapons flying, bones snapping and blood flowing in every which way, but the action scenes were so well executed that I never had “multi-arm” syndrome, where suddenly the fighters are battling with 4 arms and legs each; Merrick knew where each body part was going to place a crushing blow.
     I haven’t had the chance to really read many books through a young male’s perspective, but Chase proved to be an excellent choice to start with. He’s brave and loyal, but has the usual male tendency to run into the scene with a decapitate first- ask questions later attitude, but it’s forgivable because Rayna thinks things through a little better and helps him to grow out of his demon ignorance shell. They make an excellent fluid fighting team and their dialogue scenes are hilariously full of sharp wit! These two have so much hidden potential that it’ll be exciting to see what comes out of it, and how they tackle it together.
     The other characters in the books are written so that they each have something that identifies them specifically. Be it a stutter for the demon Willy or the way a character’s dialogue is structured to sound more regal, or the words chosen for effect. It was amazing to have such noticeable ways to separate each character- it gave real voices to them and in turn made it easier to formulate images of them.
     In the background there was a lot of political intrigue involving the Circle’s hunters and their new found goal, but we don’t find out the whole of the plan quite yet, we get hints but this mostly acted as a way to push Chase into growing up, and expanding his horizons, so hopefully in Shift we get to find out a little more of the Circle’s grand plan. With how much action was going on in this book, I didn’t really expect the ending and really didn’t expect that I’d start any water works, but it was such a touching moment, Merrick can really tug at the heart strings too- apparently.
Now, to read the next book Shift, because I think I’m addicted to Merrick’s stories. 

Rating: 5/5 Steaming HOT cups of Tea! 

Seriously, go read it.