Jordan

Bruna Guedes

Husain Kothari

FRNK

Uendi Prifti

Abdul Hasib

Loughlin Sullivan

Delaney Knopp

Auriel W

Blake Molmen

Dani Shahar

Luis Javier Campos nieto

“A HUMDINGER . . . A MASTERLY TALE TOLD WITH CLARITY AND VERVE.”–The Times (London)The Avatars are immortal and live like kings–even though the empire is dying. Their immortality is guaranteed by magic crystals whose influence is now waning, overwhelmed by the sheer power of a great flood and a sudden ice age. But when two moons appear in the sky, and the ruthless armies of the Crystal Queen swarm across the land bringing devastation and terror, the Avatars unite with their subjects to protect their universe.As the cities face imminent destruction, three heroes emerge. Talaban, a warrior haunted by tragedy; Touchstone, the mystic tribesman seeking his lost love; and Anu, the Holy One, the Builder of Time. And when all seems lost, two others enter the fray: Sofarita, the peasant girl who will inspire a legend, and the madman, Viruk, who will become a god. . . .

“Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.”Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.

Cerulean Sins, the eleventh entry in the hugely-popular Anita Blake series, finds everyone’s favorite vampire hunter keeping house and kicking butt.Anita Blake is trying to get her life back to “normal” after a break-up with her werewolf lover. She has settled into a pattern of domesticity, which means that the new man in her life, the leopard shapeshifter Micah, has no problem sharing her with Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City. Things are as peaceful as they ever get for someone who raises the dead, when Jean-Claude receives an unexpected and unwelcome visitor: Musette, the very beautiful, very twisted representative of the European Council of Vampires. Anita soon finds herself caught up in a dangerous game of vampire power politics.To add to her troubles, she is asked to consult on a series of brutal killings, which seem to be the work of something un-human. The investigation leads her to Cerulean Sins, a vampire-run establishment that deals in erotic videos, videos that cater to very specific tastes. Anita knows one creature of the night who has such interests — Jean-Claude’s visitor. But if Anita brings Musette down, the repercussions could cost her everything she holds dear.Once a sworn enemy of all monsters, Anita is now the human consort of both Master Vampire Jean Claude and leopard shapeshifter Micah. When a centuries-old vampire hits St. Louis, Anita finds herself needing all the dark forces her passion can muster to save the ones she loves.Anita Blake returns to find hell hath no fury like a vampire scorned.

When she chose master vampire Jean-Claude over her ex-fiancé, alpha werewolf Richard Zeeman, Anita learned that sometimes love is not enough. But though she and Richard won’t be walking down any aisles, she can’t turn her back on him when he’s arrested on a rape charge in Tennessee. Anita knows firsthand that Richard has the morals of a saint—or at least a boy scout. But his guilt or innocence is not the issue. He’s behind bars, and in five days a full moon will rise…

Dating both a vampire and a werewolf isn't easy. But just to complicate Anita's already messy life, someone has put a price on her head. Love cannot save her this time, so she turns to Edward, hitman extraordinaire, for help. But finding the person behind the threat won't be easy, because as both a vampire hunter and zombie reanimator, Anita has made a lot of enemies-both human and otherwise.

This was the last Anita Blake novel worth reading, primarily because of Edward. The rest of the series has been garbage (including Edwards' return. Seriously, what was his body count in the Harlequin, one? Maybe?). I don't have a problem with the sex, but Hamilton has sacrificed that literary device thingy called 'plot' in order to pack the pages with smut. Something happens, they have sex for five hundred pages, then the Ardeur snaps it's fingers and kills the badguy.In terms of characters it's obvious that Richard is Hamilton's personal dumping ground from everything she's ever felt about her ex-husband, turning the interesting power dynamic present in the first few books into something sad. Also, despite the legions of evil creatures (including the oldest and strongest vampires on the planet) that attack her at every turn, nobody close to Anita ever dies. Hamilton has stated that she loves her characters and will never kill them off, and that childish petulance combined with the almighty Ardeur robs her books of any sense of danger.Now Blood Noir is out, and though I will reserve judgment until I hear something more specific about it I'm not holding my breath expecting Hamilton to grow up again.

In the latest New York Times bestselling Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series, Anita's life is more complicated than ever, as she is caught between her obligations to the living and the undead. A vampire serial killer who preys on strippers is on the loose. Called in to consult on the case, Anita fears her judgment may be clouded by a conflict of interest. For she is, after all, the consort of Jean-Claude, the ever-intoxicating Master Vampire of the City. Surrounded by suspicion, overwhelmed by her attempts to control the primal lusts that continue to wrack her, Anita does something unprecedented: she calls for help.

Harold Gaynor offers Anita Blake a million dollars to raise a 300-year-old zombie. Knowing it means a human sacrifice will be necessary, Anita turns him down. But when dead bodies start turning up, she realizes that someone else has raised Harold's zombie--and that the zombie is a killer. Anita pits her power against the zombie and the voodoo priestess who controls it.In The Laughing Corpse Anita will learn that there are some secrets better left buried-and some people better off dead...

Anita Blake is small, dark, and dangerous. Her turf is the city of St. Louis. Her job: re-animating the dead and killing the undead who take things too far. But when the city’s most powerful vampire asks her to solve a series of vicious slayings, Anita must confront her greatest fear—her undeniable attraction to master vampire Jean-Claude, one of the creatures she is sworn to destroy...

Highly recommended to fans of the sword &amp; sorcery / romantic fantasy genres.Well, Sharon Shinn is the effing uncrowned Queen of Political Intrigue in the romantic fantasy genre, and no mistake. I am reading the paperback format &amp; kind of missing Jennifer van Dyck’s excellent reading it aloud to me – but the audiobook series switched to a male narrator whom I did not particularly like after having been offered a sample.I did not like the book as much as the first 2 installments of the series, but it was a very enjoyable read anyway &amp; earns a solid four stars from me.It is Justin’s story, and as he is on a „lonely” assignment to spy on Coralinda Gisseltess &amp; her Lumanen Convent, we do not get as many circle-of-friends-moments as I would have liked. Whenever all the 6 friends (Senneth, Tayse, Justin, Cammon, Kirra &amp; Donnal) are together, those are always the most powerful-joyful parts of all the books of the Twelve Houses series for me. However scarce, when we they occur in Dark Moon Defender, they are always full of excitement &amp; moving moments. As other reviewers pointed out, the story in general does not move forward a great deal. The Twelve Houses are still plotting for or against King Baryn or try to stay neutral. Everybody is still assessing the odds of war or peace though it is becoming more pronounced who allies with whom. Yet, you can feel a kind of eye of the storm calmness that will most probably culimnate in the fourth book, Reader &amp; Raelynx. Nevertheless, the individual storylines picked up from Books 1 &amp; 2 are developing absolutely to my liking and also enough happens with the friends and Justin &amp; Ellynor that I never found the overall pacing dragging.We are shown life - seemingly pious and innocent- in the Lumanen Convent &amp; but at the same time we get the overall workings of dangerous and alluring fundamentalism through the worshiping of the moon goddess, the Pale Mother. This goddess is used by a blindly fanatic, ambitious Coralinda &amp; her followers to further their own vicious causes in killing others who are mostly harmless, only different than they are. We are shown that not all followers are that devoted or vicious, yet how much harm they cause by standing by mutely or unaware of what is committed on behalf of deity. What I liked: -	Senneth &amp; Tayse’s overall storyline. I was so happy for them.-	Cammon being able to „feel” Justin’s distress &amp; need for help over hundreds of miles -	Finally we are introduced to House Brassenthwaite &amp; Senneth’s brothers in person. I love what happened there. :)-	The pairing of Casserah Danalastrous &amp; Will Brassenthwaite-	Sabina’s storyline, how she ends up being helped both by Ellynor, Justin and the Senneth.-	The Friendship Bond (view spoiler)[ and Wedding Ceremony  (hide spoiler)]

Gillengaria seethes with unrest. In the south, hostility toward magic and its users has risen to a dangerous level, though King Baryn has ordered that such mystics are to be tolerated. It is whispered that he issued the decree because his new wife used her magic powers to ensnare him… The King knows there are those in the noble Twelve Houses who could use this growing dissent to overthrow him. So he dispatches the mystic Senneth to assess the threat throughout the realm. Accompanying her is a motley band of magic-users and warriors including Tayse, first among the King’s Riders—who holds a hard view of mystics in general, and Senneth in particular.But as the unlikely allies venture farther into the south, they will face death in a land under the sway of a fanatical cult that would purge Gillengaria of all magic users. And they will come to realize that their only hope of survival lies in standing together…

When was the last time you truly read a book and enjoyed it, just for enjoyment's sake? Before I read this novel, I would've answered 'not for a very long time'. I'm so happy that's not my answer anymore. Shadows And Light is the second in the Tir Alainn trilogy by Anne Bishop. I've heard a lot of praise from other bloggers about Anne, or more particularly, her Black Jewels Trilogy. And I'm still on the hunt for that one (it's not found readily in book stores here in Oz, I've noticed. It's a special-order-only read).In the meantime, Shadows And Light soothed me. Y'know, I may have a prickly exterior at times, but deep down, I'm just a girl in the mood for romance and things of fantasy. And this book has both. Plus a simple writing style, and a strong (if possibly bordering on didactic at times) plot.Shadows And Light takes place in a world where the Fae (faeries and other such creatures like nymphs, sprites etc), humans and witches co-exist. The main characters appear to be Bard Lord Aiden and his Muse, Lyrra - Fae who don't mind using human glamours to move in and out of towns entertaining for moolah and just generally enjoying their honeymoon period. Aiden and Lyrra start to notice some strange goings-on in nearby towns, and eventually they uncover a 'revolution' started by some evil, mostly human males who want to control everything, no matter the cost. Villages who have not yet been infilitrated by these 'revolutionists' hear the rumours of murdered witches and muzzled human women, but they either don't believe it, or in much of the Fae-kind's case, don't really care about what doesn't affect them.Lyrra and Aiden realise what the other Fae do not - that the Fae will eventually die at the hands of this Evil too, so the lovers set out on a perilous journey together in search of the one Fae that can convince the others to help save the witches and humans and thus save themselves: the death Fae, Morag, the Gatherer of Souls.It all sounds a bit corny, I grant you. And in some parts it really overdoes the corniness too. But this book is just so darn easy to read and so darn novelty in places and so darn romantic the whole way through that you tend to tolerate the gaggy bits. Aiden and Lyrra are just loved-up fools, really, willing to go against traditionally Fae rules and marry monogamously like 'strange' humans. But they also get pissed off by each other in equal measure. Its all quite funny ...*chuckles*...Am I losing you? It's so hard to pinpoint what it is about this story that I most enjoy. I like the little fantasy elements, like the Fae horses that gallop without sound, or the shapeshifter witches who reveal their feral natures in glimpses, but only to the truly observant. I liked the sweet, sweet love that exists not only between Aiden and Lyrra, but is also mirrored in a lot of the secondary characters' relationships, serving to warm the reader to the characters' plight. I liked the naughty adult jokes, the pagan religious rites, even the masochistic nature of the villains, who dream up all sorts of horrible ways to physically maim and tame both the women and children, and the men who stand up for them.I don't expect that this will be everyone's cup of tea. It seems distinctly girlish in its tone, and true fantasy lovers/ true romance fiction lovers probably will be left a little starved afterwards. But those of us who like their books with a bit of everything and just want something to cosy up with on the porch in the dusky twilight hours of the near-evening, may find Shadows And Light to be just what the doctor ordered.4 stars for pure enjoyment. Hooray!

Myth and magic combine in a superb dark fantasy of a world in danger of being destroyed by those who deny themselves and their heritage, and let evil loose in the world. In Sylvalan, a witch hunt is in full force. As witches and innocents are brutally murdered, magic is disappearing from the land, and the roads between the world of humans and that of faeries are vanishing one by one. Ari's family has tended one of the Old Places, places which hold the key to travel between human and faery lands, for generations, keeping the magic alive and the land lush and fertile. Ari unknowingly takes a Fae lover, the Lord of the Sun, and immediately becomes the target of the unwanted interest of the faery nobility . they neither trust nor mingle with humankind except for the occasional caprice. to save their world the Fae must trust humankind, but with a few exceptions they do not believe Ari and her friends can help them. Against the Inquisitor and the arrogant Fae, Ari and those who believe in the world of magic and human unravel the secrets of the Old Places and discover that they all need each other if any are to survive. this is a story which uses all the myriad stories of humankind, good and evil, to weave a breathtaking tale of action, romance and thought-provoking themes to enthrall readers.

New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s “darkly fascinating” Black Jewel novels have enthralled readers and critics alike with their mixture of fantasy, intrigue, and romance. Now in Twilight’s Dawn, Bishop returns to the Blood realm with four all-new captivating novellas.\
  Winsol Gifts\
Daemon, the Black Jeweled Warlord Prince of Dhemlan, is settling into his first year of married life with his Witch Queen Jaenelle. But as the thirteen-day celebration of Winsol draws near, Daemon finds himself being pulled in too many directions as he plays host to his formidable family…\
  Shades of Honor\
Still recovering from the ordeal that left her wounded and angry, Surreal returns to Ebon Rih on the orders of Prince Lucivar. And when her former lover Falonar ruthlessly challenges the rule of her family, Surreal may finally succumb to the darkness burning inside her…\
  Family\
When someone lays a vicious trap for Queen Sylvia and her sons, the fallout completely disrupts the lives of the ruling family of Dhemlan. Now, they have to uncover the identity of the warlord known only as No Face, before he returns to finish what he started…\
  The High Lord’s Daughter\
After losing the two most important people in his life, Daemon has assumed his father Saetan’s role as High Lord of Hell and built a wall around his heart. But when he inadvertently forges a new connection, will it be enough to break him free from his loveless life?

Return to the "intense...erotic...and imaginative" world of the national bestselling Black Jewels novels with this sequel to The Shadow Queen. In Anne Bishop's "vividly painted" realm, witches and warlocks channel their power through magical jewels - and one Queen has emerged from the shadows to bring hope to an impoverished people.For years the Shalador people suffered the cruelties of the corrupt Queens who ruled them, forbidding their traditions, punishing those who dared show defiance, and forcing many more into hiding. And even though the refugees have found sanctuary in Dena Nehele, they have never been able to call it home.Now that Dena Nehele has been cleansed of tainted Blood, the Rose-Jeweled Queen, Lady Cassidy, makes it her duty to restore the land and prove her ability to rule. She knows that undertaking this task will require all her heat and courage as she summons the untested power within her, a power capable of consuming her if she cannot control it.And eve if Lady Cassidy survives her trial by fire, other dangers await. For the Black Widows see within their tangled webs vision of something coming that will change the land - and Lady Cassidy - forever.

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others. Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

Seven hundred years ago, a Black Widow witch saw an ancient prophecy come to life in her web of dreams and visions.Now the Dark Kingdom readies itself for the arrival of its Queen, a Witch who will wield more power than even the High Lord of Hell himself. But she is still young, still open to influence--and corruption.Whoever controls the Queen controls the darkness. Three men--sworn enemies--know this. And they know the power that hides behind the blue eyes of an innocent young girl. And so begins a ruthless game of politics and intrigue, magic and betrayal, where the weapons are hate and love--and the prize could be terrible beyond imagining...--back cover

Return to the realm of the Blood in Dreams Made Flesh—featuring four revelatory all-new adventures of Jaenelle and her kindred….Jaenelle is the most powerful Witch ever known, centuries of hopes and dreams made flesh at last. She has forged ties with three of the realm’s mightiest Blood warriors: Saetan, the High Lord of Hell, who trains Jaenelle in magic and adopts her as his daughter; Lucivar, the winged Eyrien warlord who becomes her protector; and the near-immortal Daemon born to be Witch’s lover. Jaenelle has assumed her rightful place as Queen of the Darkness and restored order and peace to the realms…but at a terrible cost.In Dreams Made Flesh, discover the origin of the mystical Jewels, and experience the forbidden passion between Lucivar and a simple hearth witch. Witness the clash between Saetan and a Priestess that may forever change reality. And learn whether the sacrifice of Jaenelle’s magic has destroyed any hope of happiness between her and Daemon.

Return to New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop’s "phenomenal" (Urban Fantasy Investigations)  world of the Others — where supernatural entities and humans struggle to co-exist, and one woman has begun to change all the rulesAfter winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more.The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard — Lakeside’s shape-shifting leader — wonders if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat.As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now, the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet—and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.

Librarian's note: See alternate cover for this edition here.Enough time has passed for the young girl Jaenelle, heir to the magical Darkness, for her physical wounds to heal, while amnesia keeps her frightening memories at bay. But with Saetan--a Black-Jewelled Warlord Prince and Jaenelle's foster-father--to protect her, she will continue to grow. Her magic will mature. Her memories will return. And Jaenelle will face her destiny when she remembers Daemon, Saetan's son, who made the ultimate sacrifice for her love....

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