The Darkness of Shadows by Chris Little Review

Title: The Darkness of Shadows

Author: Chris Little

My Rating: 3.5/5

Part of a series? Not at the time of posting

Genre(s): Urban fantasy 

Description/Blurb:

Natalie’s parents weren't the nurturing type—and she has the physical and emotional wounds to prove it. For sixteen years she’s hidden behind a wall of sarcasm and decadent desserts, but now her father is back, and she has only one thought: to kill him before he can hurt the family that took her in.

But there’s more to his darkness than even his own daughter can understand, and a gun is no defence against magic that can raise the dead.

It turns out those scars he left on Natalie’s back were more than just a sadistic hobby. Now her father demands that she finish a ritual so ancient, so terrifying, that even the vampires and werewolves are nervous.

My review: 

An interesting take on the world of Urban Fantasy this. Our main character is not a superwoman; she doesn't go running off after the bad guys, she hobbles after them and for most of the book she’s in the dark about a few things regarding the world of magic. For a start for a long time Nat doesn't believe in the whole magic thing which is a bit of an issue considering her deranged father is quite good at it.

This is quite a good first novel from Chris Little, the plot is well constructed and the little of the mythology we do learn is easy to grasp as it follows some of the basic rules we’re used to but there are a few changes in there to keep it interesting. A couple of the characters do seem to be more of a stereotype than a well-developed character as Tina seems like a self-centred bitch stereotype without any more real development, there didn't seem to be a believable motivation for her more extreme actions. Nat’s father was a little better developed, and I get that he was meant to be some sort of insane, beyond reason sort of villain but the author had a chance to go into how he became that way while talking about the characters’ past and didn't go into it. The pace of the plot isn't really suitable for the type of reader who constantly needs something going on to keep them interested in the story, but I enjoyed it. I was able to sit back and relax for a bit before the next major event came along and added some more drama.

Overall, I’d recommend this to an urban fantasy fan who likes a book being filled with magic but is light on the mythology (saves you having to remember loads of obscure species names etc.). It’s  not a great read if you’re easily frustrated by books as at times you may feel an urge to yell at the main characters but it’s an enjoyable read all the same, you don’t have to be in love with all the characters to enjoy the book.

Bitter Orange by Marshall Moore

Title: Bitter Orange

Author: Marshall Moore

My Rating: 4/5

Part of a series? No, though there might be one day 

Genre(s): Sci-fi 

Description/Blurb:

Seth Harrington can be invisible or undetectable, but he is not a superhero. The ability only works in morally grey situations; the rest of the time, he can't turn it on and off at will. He can use a movie ticket stub to buy a coffee or a one-dollar bill to pay for a cell phone. He can stop muggings in plain sight, unseen, but only with worse violence. But this only adds to his confusion about his place in the world. Still reeling from the horrors of the September 11 terrorist attacks and ambivalent about his future, Seth is at a crossroads: Can he be one of the good guys by doing bad things, or are his new found powers part of someone else's malevolent agenda? There are no easy answers or expected outcomes in Marshall Moore's exploration of urban life and the ways that people can disappear.

My review: 

I was interested by the take on 'super powers' presented by this book. Our main character Seth is not your typical superhero, well he's not a superhero at all, his power of invisibility only work in morally grey situations such as to stop an attack by harming the attacker. Events are further complicated by the influence of Seth's room-mate Sang-hee who encourages Seth to explore his new found powers and the slightly unbalanced tattoo artist (and former one night stand) Elizabeth who seems desperate to remain in Seth's life.

One of the great things about this book is that Moore keeps the reader guessing until the end of the book and the reader learns as Seth learns, we aren't told anything through narrative before the character knows so each twist Seth experiences the reader experiences too.

At times it's almost possible to forget that this is a science fiction novel and not a commentary on modern life as the reader learns more about Seth and his past and through the reactions to Seth's attempts at redemption after using his power.

I'd recommend this book to a science fiction fan or to somebody who finds the usual super hero characters a bit too unbelievable and would rather read about somebody who would react to having super powers the way the average man on the street would. However this isn't a book that provides instant gratification plot wise so you have to be able to handle being left without answers until the end and even then being left with a question or two.

The Other Side by Sabrina D. Guthrie Review

Title: The Other Side

Author: Sabrina D. Guthrie

My Rating: 3.5/5

Part of a series? No

Genre(s): Quick-read, Fantasy, Romance.

Description/Blurb:

Starting college wasn’t supposed to include the spirit realm but when Brynn’s apartment turns out to be haunted, she is startled to discover she can see spirits, and they can see her. 

The dead leads her down a road of discovery, and when her life becomes entangled with a mysterious stranger who turns out to be her guardian angel, she soon finds herself choosing between letting go or giving in to a forbidden attraction.

My review: 

This is a wonderful short love story with some light urban fantasy elements. I really enjoyed reading it as a way to fall asleep at night, it wasn't scary enough to make me worry about nightmares and there's nothing like a nice battle for love and good over evil to help a person feel all warm and fuzzy.

I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys a bit of light fantasy and for fans of romance.

Sweet by Uzuri M. Wilkerson Review

Title: Sweet

Author: Uzuri M. Wilkerson

My rating: 2.5/5

Part of a series? This is book one in the Bitten series

Genre(s): Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Vampire, Adult fiction, Romance.

Description/Blurb:

Witnessing a brutal murder at work is only the beginning of Celia's problems. The fact that the victim is a vampire only proves to complicate her life even more. The vampires of New England have always had an undetected existence among humans but with the unprovoked death of one of their own, the lust for revenge has begun. Celia's concerns are magnified when a hunter from Dallas arrives in town. With Jay's sexy smile and rugged ways, Celia finds herself wanting to spend time with him despite being mysteriously linked to the nest that is threatening to become extinct if Jay gets his way. When four bodies are found drained of blood; Jay teams up with a local bunch to take out all the undead which coincidentally, includes her boyfriend Victor. Celia won't stand seeing anything happen to Victor but refuses to hurt Jay as well. Confusion, lust, rage and violence intertwine as worlds collide. Celia will soon discover that her neat little existence is not what it seems as her cryptic past and present start to unravel.

My review: 

A fascinating urban fantasy story set in modern Boston. The reader gets to read the story through the eyes of our human barmaid Celia, her vampire boyfriend Victor and the mysterious vampire hunter Jay. 

For the most part the characters are diverse and believable, neither ‘side’ can be described as evil the vampires are individuals and the hunters are individuals, some are good, some are bad and others are a tad misguided. However there are a couple of hiccups, Celia’s friend Trixie seems to take her brutal introduction to the supernatural world a lot easier than seemed natural in the story.

The editing of the book could also have been a bit more thorough as you do come across the odd spelling mistake or unusual bit of grammar. I would still recommend this book to an urban fantasy fan though as you get sucked into the story so quickly it’s easy to stop noticing these things and they don’t take away from the enjoyment of the story. 

The author made use of the existing vampire mythology (sunlight burns, sleep in the day, stakes etc.) as well as adding a bit herself/using less common attributes e.g. the different forms of glamour, losing humanity and becoming almost animal like over time to give a couples of examples that don’t give away anything. This does help the book stand out slightly as it doesn’t sound like a rehashed version of Dracula or a folk tale and keeps the whole vampire mythology thing fresh.

Now I know I haven’t been 100% positive in this review and gushing all over the book like it’s the best thing since sliced bread so for my final point I’m going to just say this; I enjoyed the book and I’m hooked enough to be planning to buy the sequel.