9:100 Blood Heir by Ilona Andrews

Kate's adopted daughter, Julie, left Atlanta eight years ago to find out more about her powers and herself. She ended up with Kate's aunt Erra, whom Julie refers to as Grandma. During her time away, Julie has been told of a prophecy regarding an ancient power, Molach, who is gunning for Kate. Julie has continued to work to thwart his plans without involving Kate since all prophecies state that if she learns about him, she and her family will die. Now the prophecy has Julie in Atlanta trying to stop it without calling on her old friends (and Kate's allies). She has a new face and a new name, Aurelia Ryder, and a tough road ahead to save her mother without letting Kate know she's even in danger.

So glad to have new stories in this world as it's one of my favorites. So glad that it was set in Atlanta so we could get updates on many of the characters there that I've grown attached to. It will be interesting to see if the Atlanta setting continues or if this was just to help ease the introduction into this series and give the fans the update or if Atlanta will continue to be a focal point for future books.

Page count: 354p/2,263p ytd/349,653p lifetime

New Releases I'm looking Forward To: 3rd Quarter 2020

My usual disclaimer:

Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

Work has slowed a bit but I've been crazy busy trying to catch up everything else that fell to the side when things were super nuts, including my breath. Spring semester is over but summer semester has now started so I'm still trying to get a feel for how busy that will be. In other words, I've stretched myself thin again and am still desperately trying to find time for reading with everything else I'm trying to do. I really need more hours in my days.

In A Peculiar Peril, Jeff Vandermeer has created new worlds attached to our own through doorways in the basement of newly orphaned Jonathan Lambshead which must not intrude upon our own. The first in a YA duology, I have no doubt that the worlds will be rich, the characters intriguing, and highly unusual things will be afoot.

Release date: July 7

Spells for the Dead by Faith Hunter is the 5th book in the Soulwood series, a spin-off from the Jane Yellowrock. I really enjoy the Jane Yellowrock series and I have the first few in the series but haven't yet had time to read them. Rick and Nell have a new team member, they are on a case in Tennessee where dead bodies are decaying at a rapid pace, and someone at the FBI doesn't like paranormals. All the shit seems to be going down with this one.

Release date: July 27

The second of Carrie Vaughn's Robin Hood duology, The Heirs of Locksley, looks to be a fun imagining with the children of the famous outlaw and his nemesis, Prince John. Still need to read the first one though.

Release date: August 4

I enjoyed Binti by Nnedi Okorafor and have been trying to find time to read more of her work as the story synopsis are generally intriguing.  Ikenga is her first foray into writing for a middle-school audience with the main character, 12-year old Nigerian boy Namdi, gaining superpowers after the death of his father.  

Release date: August 18

Honestly, I'm not sure why I'm behind in the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews. I think I've only read the first book which was delightful bubblegum and that is definitely about the speed my brain can handle right now so I think I need to get caught up so I can read Emerald Blaze. It looks like the series has moved away from the original power couple and I know it's on the paranormal romance side so I'm not sure if  it's going to be like their The Edge series where the main couple changes every book.  Either way, I'm sure it's going to be fun.

Release date: August 25

My oldest got into the Iron Druid series by Kevin Hearne several years ago and I've recently read the first book in that series for my book club and enjoyed it. I'll definitely we working my way through all of them so I'm definitely interested in Ink & Sigil which is set in the same world with some cross-over characters while looking to be very much it's own thing.

Release date: August 25

For me, September with new releases has come to be synonymous with the newest October Day book coming out.  These books always have enough high stakes to make me bite my nails until I'm sure everything is going to be ok because sometimes they aren't and characters die or are wounded in ways that are not easily mended and I think my heart would break if something actually caused the break-up of Toby and Tybalt. In A Killing Frost, they are moving closer to their wedding when they are told that by Fae tradition, Toby's mother's husband is considered her legal father and must be invited to the wedding.  That same man would be the one who trapped Toby as a fish for 12 years and who just recently lost all the progress he made towards becoming less of an asshole to everyone. Yeah, that sounds like just the way to fuck with Toby and Tybalt's marriage that Seanan would come up with.

Release date: September 1

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 3rd Quarter 2019

My usual disclaimer:

Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

Well, school is finally over for the kids and I'm now looking to my own schooling beginning as I start college classes this summer.  We will see what that ends up meaning for my reading time.  It shouldn't have a huge impact this summer and I'm almost caught up to where I should be for making most of my goals so here's hoping I can keep it up. 

Only a few books this quarter and mostly in series that I'm not caught up in but it starts with Reticence by Gail Carriger, the fourth book in the Custard Protocol series.  I've only read the first one so far and had a hard time getting into it which is probably why I've got the others sitting on my shelf not read but I've been so thrilled with Ms. Carriger's other series that I'm hoping that this will get better and Percy's story may be the one that really pushes it over if I can get through the other ones first.

Release date: August 6

Next up is another book that is the fourth in a series but of which I've only read the first one, Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews.  This is part of the Hidden Legacy series but the first one that doesn't have Nevada as the main voice of the story.  I read the first one and was intrigued by the world building but have just had so many other books to read (and that stupid life stuff) that this series got kind of pushed to the side but I'm really looking forward to finishing Nevada's arc and learning about Catalina.

Release date: August 27

Last up is the latest book in the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire, The Unkindest Tide.  The Sea Witch is calling in Toby's favors as she goes to tell the Selkie that the time for them to pay up for their mistakes is at hand.  Toby has no choice but do as the Luidaeg demands and even though that is not a simple task, this is Toby so of course there is more going on with Dianda being taken prisoner and a Selkie woman stripped of her skin and then murdered.  I really can't wait to read this one!

Release date: September 3

84:100 Curran POV Collection by Gordon Andrews

A collection of short stories written from Curran's point of view that take place between Magic Bites and Magic Bleeds, much of them focusing on his relationship with Kate.  Always fun to see the events from the other perspective and Gordon definitely delivers.


Page count: 157p/14,978p ytd/306,994p lifetime

81:100 Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews

The conclusion of the Kate Daniels series.  The enemy who has been testing the edges of things (seriously, read Iron and Magic before this one to be introduced to them) has declared war on Kate and her allies.  This enemy almost destroyed her family before and the witches' prophecies of blood and fire are only growing stronger. 

Kate knows that this is not a war she can win but she also knows that if she doesn't, everything and everyone that she knows and love will die.  There is no place they can go to escape this.  She will have to ally herself with not only Roland but many others who she formally fought against.  Curran will do anything to keep her and their son safe, even becoming a god to sacrifice himself if needed. Kate will draw on any and all power to keep Curran and their son safe as well but will it be enough?

This is a fast-paced, hit you upside the head multiple times, tale.  Suspense, laughter, war, love, it's got it all and gives it all in spades.  I've loved this series and want to find time to go back and reread it from start to finish again.  I know that the main series is done now but I hope we get spinoffs from time to time so we can watch Conlan grow and see Kate and Curran's future.


Page count: 336p/14,568 ytd/306,584p lifetime

72:100 Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews

Hugh D'Ambry has been tossed out by Roland.  Roland who commanded him and was his entire universe.  Now he doesn't know what to do with himself so he drinks to keep it from hurting as much.  Then some of his lieutenants find him and tell him that his Iron Dogs are being hunted down by the necromancers of Roland.  This is probably the only thing that could shake Hugh out of his funk and start bringing him back to a semblance of his old life.

Elara has found an abandoned sanctuary and has created a safe haven for her people.  Elara has been called The Abomination for a long time but not by those in her keeping.  She has strange powers but she uses them for their good but now there is something strange and strong coming for them and she is not strong enough to save them from it.  So when Hugh and his people come along offering protection in exchange for room and board.  To make it more believable, their people negotiate a marriage between them which is not something that Hugh and Elara would have gone for normally but needs must when the devil is coming.

Nice to get backstory on Hugh.  It doesn't really make him a sympathetic character but it makes him more understandable and this is his start at redemption.  Elara is a good new character, compassionate but takes no shit while still being able to listen and learn.  While not technically a Kate Daniels book, you do need to read it before reading Magic Triumphs.  However, it's a great installment to the series and I'm hoping we do see some more stories with Hugh and Elara.

Page count: 380p/12,801p ytd/304,817p lifetime

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 3rd Quarter 2018

My usual disclaimer:

Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

So last quarter I was thinking that as I got more used to the job, I would find a better balance and have more time for reading.

Yeah, not so much.  What I have found is that this job cycles from crazy to insane when an election is drawing near.  I probably should have figured that out but apparently I'm either an optimist or deluded (probably the later LOL).  I'm really enjoying it but it has definitely proven to be a lot more than I originally bargained on and my reading has greatly suffered.  Add in two deaths in my immediate family in a two week span of time, end of school year craziness, and volunteer work craziness and well, I'm lucky to read a few pages a day.  I haven't finished a book club book since February and have had almost no personal reading time.  With the primary election cycle just about done, I'm hoping to get some things caught up and balanced a little bit better before school and the general election craziness starts up but I'm thinking that my goal of reading 100 books this year is looking like a pipe dream unless I find a whole lot more short stories and comics.  LOL

None of this means that I haven't been keeping an eye on books that I want to read (and in some cases adding them to my growing To Read pile) so here's what is currently on my radar:


Yasmine Galenorn has been very prolific since going independent with several new series going all at the same time and I have not been able to keep up with them but the second book in the Wild Hunt series, Oak and Thorns, is coming out.  I haven't had a chance to read the first book in the series yet but the series looks interesting with this one hitting political intrigue, shadow magic, a serial killer, and the King of Thorns.

Release date - July 2

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik is not part of an actual series except that it's another her reimagined fairy tales, this time Rumpelstiltskin.  I really enjoyed Uprooted which is her version of Beauty and the Beast and I can't wait to see what she does with this one.

Release date - July 10

Next up is the third book in the Custard Protocols by Gail Carriger.  Competence sees Miss Primrose going from Singapore to Peru to pursue some of life's most challenging questions such as "Can the perfect book club give a man back his soul?"  I have not yet read the other books in this series but I've loved the other series set in this universe and am looking forward to getting to these.

Release date - July 17

Also coming out this day is Seanan McGuire's second book in her Ghost Roads series, The Girl in the Green Silk Gown.  Rose Marshall has been dead for 60 years now and still looking for her killer.  She's been an avenging killer in her own right but still she wants the one that got away, the one that made a deal with the Crossroads that won't let him die...Bobby Cross.  But now Bobby is back in the picture and will it be one that Rose can continue to haunt?

Release date - July 17

Another double release for the end of July starts with Portents by Kelley Armstrong.  While the Cainsville series is technically over (although I still need to read the last two books), Ms. Armstrong is doing like she did with her Otherworld series and giving us other tales set in the world.  Some have been previously released and I've read before, others seem to have been previously released and I haven't heard of, and at least one is new for this collection.

Release date - July 31

We also get a new Dorina Basarab book in Shadow's Bane by Karen Chance.  I have enjoyed Dory's stories much more than the Cassie Palmer ones lately and it's been a long time since we got a new one and I'm really looking forward to it.  Dory is now the newest member of the Vampire Senate and as their war with the Fae is heating up, she is finding out that the slavers who may have her friend's relative may be up to something far worse than arranging death matches.

Release date - July 31

Only one book is on my radar for August but it's a huge one as Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews is said to be the conclusion to the Kate Daniels series.  The Witch Oracle's visions are becoming more intense and then Kate receives a delivery from an ancient enemy who has almost destroyed her family before.  To save Curran, her child, her friends, her city, Kate must team up with the most unlikely of allies even knowing she may not survive because otherwise everything she loves will die.

Release date - August 28

I get to go from one favorite series to another as we get the next installment for October Daye the next week.  Night and Silence by Seanan McGuire does not promise to be sweetness and light for October though since Jazz and Tybalt are still trying to recover from their ordeal at the hands of October's mother.  Toby is also hurt as she can't just snap her fingers and make things better for her family so the universe has given her a distraction in the form of kidnapping her human daughter, Gillian, but we know that nothing in Toby's life is simple or easy and this case will prove no exception.

Release date - September 4

Closing out this quarter's books is Time Convert by Deborah Harkness.  Set in the world of her All Soul's trilogy, this bounces us between Matthew's conversion of Marcus to a vampire during the American Revolution and then Marcus's conversion of Phoebe in modern times and how will some things change, some things will remain the same. 

Release date - September 25

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 3rd Quarter 2017

My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

I'm still falling behind on my reading goals for this year.  But then again, I feel like I'm behind with everything these days so I guess that's not a surprise.  I'm hoping to be able to find time to get more reading in this summer to maybe start gaining some ground on my To Read list. *crossing fingers*

Grave Ransom by Kalayna Price starts off the quarter.  I'm really happy that whatever caused the long break between books 3 and 4 seems to be resolved and we have a new one so soon.  I like the magic/Fae stuff in this world a lot so it's nice to be able to return.

Release Date - July 4


Two are coming out later in July. Buried Heart by Kate Elliot is the conclusion to the Court of Fives trilogy.  War is coming and Jessamy must try to bring the two sides of her country together to save those she loves.

Release Date - July 25

Also coming that day is Wildfire by Ilona Andrews, the third book in the Hidden Legacy series.  Book two was delayed and I haven't read it yet so I need to catch up on what is going on between Rogan and Nevada since it looks like things are getting more interesting between the two of them with this book.

Release Date - July 25


Only a week later and there are another two books out that are on my radar.  The Urban Enemies anthology collects stories from 17 authors including some of my faves like Seanan McGuire and Kelley Armstrong and lets them tell tales from one of their villains points of view. Since villains rarely see themselves as such, it should be interesting to see how each of these see themselves.

Release Date - August 1


I'm less excited about this one.  Ride the Storm by Karen Chance is the latest in the Cassie Palmer series and I just didn't enjoy the last one very much.  I feel like we are in some sort of static bubble where nothing really happens or changes with the plot or the characters. I've been hoping for the last couple of books to see things move forward and it looks like this might finally be doing that.  Here's hoping.

Release Date - August 1


Rituals by Kelley Armstrong is the final book in the Cainsville series which I have been really enjoying but am unfortunately a book behind in.  Need to hurry up and fix that because I'm dying to see how all this resolves!

Release Date - August 15

September starts off with what I'm sure will be a good laugh with White Trash Zombie Unchained by Diana Rowland.  These books have amazed me with the fact that they are so much fun but at the same time, the character growth and development is phenomenal!  Not what I would ever have expected from a zombie series, let alone one titled as White Trash Zombie.

Release Date - September 5

The Brightest Fell by Seanan McGuire finishes out the 3rd quarter and I can't wait to see what trouble Toby gets into this time.  With her mother demanding that she find her long lost sister, I mean really, what could possibly go wrong?

Release Date - September 5

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 2nd Quarter 2017

My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

So I'm still massively behind in reading the new books that I keep buying.  Life has gotten so much busier although I'm not altogether sure how but I think it's been spending a lot more time with friends and now with our new dog there is a LOT of time spent outside walking her which is definitely not helping me get more reading done.  That doesn't mean that I'm not going to find time to start getting to some of these books that I post about. Thankfully there isn't a ton coming out this quarter so maybe I can start making a dent in the backlog.

Legend Has It by Elliot James is first up.  The fifth book in the Pax Arcana series.  I'm a book behind right now but this one definitely looks cool with the villain reading a magic book that is changing the world around him to match his fantasies.  Hmmm...

Release date: April 18


Next up is Snared by Jennifer Estep, book 16 in the Elemental Assassin series.  I've just started reading book 15 and it looks like the new long term plot line with the Circle will be continuing for a bit.

Release Date: April 25


Cold Reign by Faith Hunter kicks off the next month.  Again, I'm a book behind in the series *sigh* but this next one looks to be seriously a** kickin'.  Leo is under threat (again) but this time from revenants that should never have risen which means there is much more magical mojo going on than Jane has ever dealt with before.

Release date: May 2


The second book in the Hidden Legacy series, White Hot by Ilona Andrews, ended up being delayed a while so it's nice to see that not only is it coming out this year but the third will be coming out a few months after.  This is definitely a paranormal romance series but the world is intriguing and they are definitely working to have a reason for the characters to have a relationship which is something I definitely appreciate.

Release date: May 30


Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire wraps up this quarter's new releases.  A follow-up to Every Heart a Doorway, this is the backstory of the twin girls, Jack and Jill, who found that love isn't always enough and choices can be tricky things.

Release date: June 13

2:120 One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews

Dina has received a message that her sister is in trouble and without hesitation she goes to help.  Now besides Caledonia, her only permanent guest, and her chef, she now has her sister and her daughter staying at the Inn and Arland, the vampire whose help she requested, is also staying there and Sean is now hanging around more and more.  Gertrude Hunt, Dina's Inn, is feeling better with more people there but now a guest has come that brings with him danger unlike anything Dina and Gertrude Hunt have ever had to deal with.  It is one of the Hiru, a repulsive smelling being covered in metal armor of some sort.  Their race has been hunted almost to extinction by the Draziri and now there are but a handful left but that handful has saved up enough to find the answer to why the Draziri have done this but they need the sanctuary of Dina and her Inn to do so.  This is quite the tall order, even bigger than the peace conference they hosted but if she can bring them all through it alive, she may get the answer to her biggest question as well: "What happened to her parents?"  It's an answer that is worth the price.



Page count: 257p/347p ytd/275,822p lifetime

79:120 Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews

The second book in the Innkeeper Chronicles.  Dina is the Innkeeper of Gertrude Hunt Inn.  An Inn is in need of guests for the energy to sustain itself and Dina is in need of guests for money to pay the bills.  Unfortunately, she has only one full time guest, Caledonia, who is a sadistic tyrant in hiding from the galaxy.  When the Arbiter shows up at her doorsteps asking if she is willing to host a peace conference made up of three species who want nothing more than to kill each other, Dina has to think long and hard about accepting but ultimately the health of the Inn makes her decision easy.  Unfortunately, while all three factions have lost dearly enough in the war to come to the table, getting them to put their pride on the back burner to make the deal is another thing altogether and the Arbiter has many strings to pull to try and bring the peace about and is not afraid to pull every last one out.

My thoughts on this book are all over the map.  I really enjoyed the first one and was thrilled to get the second one as I'm just horrible about reading things on a blog on a weekly basis so don't bother.  I enjoyed the world building and OMG, Orro the chef is fabulous!  But at the same time, I had issues with it.  It was definitely darker in tone which I don't mind but wasn't quite what I was expecting.  The constant "I'm exhausted", "I'm the Innkeeper, it's my job to ...", and "I wonder what Sean is up to right now" inner monologue by Dina got old less than half way through and never let up.  Maybe that worked in a more serial type of format but reading it straight through was annoying.  Many of the other characters were simply drawn with very little in the way of depth to them.  I love how rich the characters are in the Kate Daniels series so I'm not sure why these got so little.  I still enjoy the world and hope to see more books in it but I also hope they are a bit more polished.


Page count: 237p/21,382p ytd/270,532p lifetime

78:120 Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews

The 9th book in the Kate Daniels series.  Kate is finally ready to tie the knot with Curran but when they ask Roman to officiate, she starts realizing just how big a deal her wedding is going to be.  Then the Witch Oracles send for her to show her that if she marries Curran, he will die by her father's hand but if she doesn't, their son will die by her father's hand as a baby.  Either way, she cannot win. Then Roland, her father, kidnaps Siaman and she is forced to try and get him back.  The future is not set in stone but right now, no path is looking good for Kate and those she loves.  Being Kate, she finds some completely insane and reckless plan in a last ditch effort to save her family and her city. Only time will tell if she has done the impossible.

So much is going on in this book as it seems like the final confrontation with Roland is getting closer.  Kate is her usual, impetuous self but there is definitely something darker growing within her.  She can feel it and she is doing everything she can to not turn into the monster her father is.  With Curran's love and the help of her family and friends, I'm definitely hoping it will be okay.  I am now unhappy though because I read this book in just a couple of days and I now have to wait like a year for the next one to come out.  I want more and I want it NOW!


Page count: 328p/21,145p ytd/270,295p lifetime

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 3rd Quarter 2016

My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

So while the last couple of quarters were fairly light in the new releases department, I still haven't managed to get caught up and this quarter is chock-full of stuff that I want to read the second I have it in my hands.  Considering many come out on top of each other, I'm thinking that sleep is just overrated.


There are a lot more short stories starting to come out in many of my favorite series for ereaders which I think is wonderful.  It allows for more backstory, side stories, and general bits and pieces that don't fit well into the main books but are nice for long time readers of the series.  Unwanted by Jennifer Estep is one such side story which follows Finn after the events in Bitter Bite which have him feeling very much unwanted.

Release Date - July 18


Imprudence by Gail Carriger is the second book in the Custard Protocol series which follows Rue, the daughter of Alexis and Lord Maccon from the Parasol Protectorate series. I have not started this series yet since I'm so behind on things but I did just start the Finishing School series and will go into this one after so maybe I'll be ready to read it by the time it comes out.

Release Date - July 19


August is super filled with fabulous new releases and starts off with three right off the bat. Flight from Mayhem by Yasmine Galenorn is the second book in the Fly by Night series with Shimmer the blue dragon and Alex the vampire.  It is set in the world of her popular Otherworld series and this one sees Chase coming to the Fly by Night detectives to help solve the mystery of older fae being brutally murdered after having their bank accounts drained.

Release Date - August 2


We also get Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter is the start of a new series, Soulwood, which takes place in the Jane Yellowrock series but follows Nell after she is found by Jane who recommends her to PsyLED who sends Rick to talk to her.   Nell has been a pretty mysterious figure in the Yellowrock series and I'm really hoping we get to learn more about her and the relationships between her and all the team members.

Release Date - August 2


And the first release date ends with Full of Briars by Seanan McGuire which is a short story in the October Daye series but this time narrated by Quentin, her squire.  His parents have come to meet the new Queen of the Mists and take him home.  Unfortunately, he doesn't want to go and Toby doesn't want him to either.

Release Date- August 2


Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong comes out just a week later so no time to catch my breath.  Ricky is being fingered in a series of street children murders and now Olivia needs Gabriel's help to prove his innocence.  Doing this means that their futures are being even more intertwined but will it be in the relationship of their choosing or that of the forces trying to win a war that they are at the center of?

Release Date - August 9


Then we have the sequel to Court of Fives, Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliot coming out.  I read Court of Fives for book club and while it's YA I found myself very invested in the characters and can't wait to see how things progress.  Jessamy is doing well as a Challenger which is good since her winnings are what is supporting her mother and sisters while they are in hiding.  Unfortunately, an attack on her traveling party looks to be putting her more squarely in the war that Lord Karkillios is in and now running the Fives may no longer be enough.

Release Date - August 16


The month wraps up with Unraveled by Jennifer Estep.  In the aftermath of Biter Bite, Gin is trying hard to find out who is behind the mysterious Circle and how to disrupt that organization that tore apart Finn's mother and who was likely behind Mab's killing of Gin's family as well.  Unfortunately the trail has gone cold so when Finn finds out about an inheritance, they figure they might as well all get out of town for a vacation but trouble is never far behind Gin.

Release Date - August 30



September has fewer books coming out but they are all ones I've been chomping at the bit to get my hands on. It starts with Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire.  Toby's diplomatic mission to the Court of Silences did not go nearly as planned however she did return with the cure for elfshot but also a whole lot of political headaches for everyone involved. Now there is a convocation of rulers hosted by her Queen of the Mists with the High Kind and Queen in attendance. Of course, nothing is ever simple in Toby's life so it's not long before a dead body hits the floor and Toby needs to find the killer to protect those she loves.

Release Date - September 6


I get a few weeks to catch up before the release of Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews.  Kate and Curran are finally planning the wedding but before they can say "I do", Roland has kidnapped Siamin and is draining him for his magic and the dire warnings are coming fast and furious from the witches.  I can't wait to see how Kate gets around all this because darn it, I want to see them get their HEA!

Release Date - September 20


Next up is Feedback by Mira Grant.  This is a parallel novel to Feed but we are following a different group of reporters trying to get their foot in the door.  Considering how much I love this universe, I'm really jazzed about this book and am just hoping that I can get behind these characters nearly as much as I ended up loving Shuan and Georgia.

Release Date - September 27


The quarter ends with Shadow Silence by Yasmine Galenorn, the sequel to Whisper Hollow.  Kellis's best Peggin has been cursed since escaping the watery embrace of the Lady of the Lake but curing her will reveal many secrets that certain people want to remain buried.

Release Date - September 27

141:120 Magic Stars by Ilona Andrews

A short story set in the universe of Kate Daniels but focusing on her ward Julie and pack member Derek.  Derek has set off to find out what has happened to a family that does work for Curran's pack and finds that the group that killed them was searching for a stone. As he investigates further, he finds that Julie is also searching for the stone now and the two team up to try and stop the warlock who is killing people to collect the stone pieces.

Pretty short without much set-up since it's assumed you know these characters from reading the Kate Daniels books which was fine.  I love getting these other stories about some of the other really interesting characters in the universe so I'm a total fan of this.  I have always liked Julie and Derek as characters but it's hard for them to get much time in with a regular Kate and Curran novel.  This did a good job of showing how their characters have been developing over time which was great.  I will say, I'm totally for the two of them hooking up in the future but if they just stay good friends, that's cool too.  I think this is definitely a must read for fans of the Kate Daniels series.


Page count: 64p/35,379p ytd/250,295p lifetime

140:120 Small Magics by Ilona Andrews

A collection of short stories written in the Kate Daniels universe.  I think they have all been previously published but I'd only read two of them before.

A Questionable Client - the story of how Kate and Siaman met.  I'd read this one before and it definitely shows Kate knowledge, determination, and sense of fairness.  Oh, and Siaman is a dick from the start.

Retribution Clause - The company Adam works for has been hired to kill the husband of a murdered woman as part of a retribution clause in her will.  He and his partner have their work cut out getting to him with his excellent security but what they find is not at all what they were expecting.

Of Swine and Roses - Alena has been caught the eye of Chad Thurman, the son of a powerful family in their area.  Her family has pushed her to go on the date but she is very much uninterested but goes along for her family.  The date is going horribly when she spies a small pig running away from Chad's cronies and Chad yelling at them to kill it.  Alena decides it's now worth it to keep that pig alive and see what is so special about it.

Grace of Small Magics - Grace's family is under a bond of servitude to the Dreoch Clan for crimes committed generations ago.  Her uncle has had to do a few jobs for them and so has her mom but now they want Grace to help them in an arbitration challenge.  She is bound to go by the contract but she stands the chance to win so much.

Magic Tests - Kate is making Julie go to school and Julie is not a fan of this plan.  She finally picks a school from Kate's list but when they get there, she is put in charge of finding a missing school rather than just getting a regular tour. Kate knows just the way to get Julie to decide that maybe this school thing isn't as bad as it seems.  I've also read this one before and enjoyed it this time around as well.

In all, I enjoyed the collection although in my opinion there is never enough Kate and Curran these were fun forays into that universe.


Page count: 159p/35,315p ytd/250,231p lifetime

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 4th Quarter 2015

My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

Still running behind in a few series.  I've gotten a few under control but still quite a few that have gotten away from me.  *sigh*  Eventually I'll get caught up on those but it doesn't matter, I'll still be buying in my current series plus other things that catch my eye.  I'm thankful that this quarter is fairly light though since the 12th grade English is definitely on the heavier side.

Appropriately enough, October starts off with White Trash Zombie Gone Wild by Diana Rowland, the 5th book in the series.  When we last left Angel, she was becoming a true member of the zombie mofia.  There have been a lot of changes for her, mostly for the good, since she became a zombie but all of that is in jeopardy as she uncovers a plot to expose zombies to the public. Can she and undead friends put a stop to it or are they in serious danger of losing their heads?

Release Date: October 6


Yasmine Galenorn has a new series coming out as well with Autumn Thorns. Meet Kerris Fellwater, a former resident of Whisper Hollow, who ran away 15 years ago but can no longer ignore the signs that it's time for her to return and replace her grandmother as the spirit shaman of the town where the dead don't always rest easy.

Release Date: October 27

So speaking of series I really need to get caught up with, Manners & Mutiny by Gail Carriger is the fourth book in the Finishing School series and I've yet to even read the first book. That being the case, I really can't say much about this one except I am going to get to this series sooner rather than later!!!

Release Date: November 3

Reap the Wind by Karen Chance was significantly delayed but after two years with no Cassie, she's back! This time she is searching through time searching for Pritkin, with his dad in tow, to save him, hopefully without pissing off too many more demons or creating time paradoxes that are too awful.

Release Date: November 3

Amazingly enough, Chimera by Mira Grant is the last book in that trilogy and the last book I'm really looking forward to this year.  The implanted tapeworms are awake and taking over the human race. Sal and her family must come to terms with themselves and their nature if they are to have any chance of saving themselves.  I will admit, I found the last book a bit slow but am hopeful that this one where things have to wrap up will be better.

Release Date: November 24

85:120 Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews

The 8th book in the Kate Daniels series.  Kate and Curran are setting up their new home away from the Keep. This means 90 days of staying completely away while things are separated and Jim gets things going under his new reign as Beast Lord.  However, when George, Mahon's daughter, comes to them frantic because her fiance, were-buffalo Eduardo, is missing.  Eduardo was also in the Mercenary Guild so Kate starts the investigation there and finds things much changed from her days there.  They get a few leads but Curran also gets a few ideas.  As their investigation proceeds, they find ghouls, giants who are immune to Kate's power words, and a magic signature that they have never seen before.  Add in Kate still needs to figure out what that means that she has claimed the city of Atlanta and her father is building one of his towers just outside those limits and it's just another day in the life of Kate and Curran.

I love these books so much and especially the interaction between Kate and Curran.  My biggest sadness is that there is such a long wait between them.


Page count: 342p/22,294p ytd/237,226p lifetime

New Releases I'm Looking Forward To: 3rd Quarter 2015

My usual disclaimer:
Let me state, this is really based on authors or series that I'm already reading since those are the things I follow.  I'm not paid to write this blog nor do I have any affiliations with any publishers so I don't receive free books or advance notice of things except what I glean off Facebook from people who do have those contacts or what I research on my own (which again, leads back to authors that I'm already reading).  Maybe someday I'll be one of those who has the contacts and gets ARCs but it's not today.

Well, school is finally out so I'm working hard to get caught up on a bunch of my personal reading.  The fact that I didn't add a ton this last quarter is going to help but oh boy, that is so not the case with this next quarter.  Apparently everyone was aiming for summer releases this year...

Flight From Death by Yasmine Galenorn kicks off the big 3rd quarter.  This is the start of her new Fly by Night series featuring Shimmer, a blue dragon, and the detective agency she works for run by Alex Radcliffe, a vampire.  Set in the world of Ms. Galenorn's Otherworld series, we have already been introduced to the characters in the short novella, Flight From Hell with the help of the D'Artigo sisters. I love that world and am definitely interested in seeing it from a different perspective.

Release Date: July 7

The following week sees two new books by authors not usually on my list.  Armada by Ernest Cline is his second book but after his Ready, Player, One which was fabulous, I'm very interested to see if he can pull it off again.  Zack seems to be a typical, every day nerd (so my kinda person) and even though he knows that the stuff he reads about and watches on TV isn't real, a part of him can't help but wish it were.  And then one day, it is...

Release Date: July 14

And speaking of second books, Go Set a Watchmen by Harper Lee has been a long time coming.  A sequel to To Kill a Mockingbird but written before it, it will be interesting to see what her original take on her characters was before she was asked to change it around completely.

Release Date: July 14

To finish off July, there is Spider's Trap by Jennifer Estep.  Gin took out Mab's daughter in the previous book and has now set herself up to take up the mantle of Head Crime Boss for the town.  Of course, this means that everyone will be gunning for her even more than ever but now she has to actually try and keep the bad guys in line with something more than her knives.

Release Date: July 28

August starts off big with a double header.  First up, Kitty Saves the World by Carrie Vaughn.  This is it, the end of the series and it looks like Kitty is going out with a bang.  With the information that Cormac was able to dig up in Low Midnight, Kitty and her friends are going to make their play but Dux Bellorum is already ahead of them and they are outgunned and outnumbered at every turn.  With all the friends Kitty has made over the years, can she bring them together to save the world?

Release Date: August 4

On the same day, Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews also comes out.  Kate and Curran are working to set up their lives away from The Pack now although they both know it will take time to completely separate themselves.  However, when one of Kate's friends from the Merc Guild goes missing, it turns out that the ancient enemy is rising.

Release Date: August 4


Deceptions by Kelley Armstrong is the only other book on my list coming out in August.  We left Olivia with her ex-fiance stalking her at the behest of her enemies, those who most likely framed her parents for murder and Olivia herself trapped in her own head in so many ways.  Now her visions are becoming more frequent and she must learn to interpret them and find a way to strike a balance in her mind.

Release Date: August 18


September starts off with another crazy double header.  A Red-Rose Chain by Seanan McGuire is the start of the story that everything up until now has been getting Toby ready for and that probably doesn't bode well for her.

Release Date: September 1

Kim Harrison also kicks off a new series with The Drafter.  I'm not 100% sold on this one yet but I'll definitely be doing some more research.  Details are still kind of spotty but I really enjoyed her other work so odds are good I'll give it a chance.  Minority Report meets Bourne Identity could be interesting...

Release Date: September 1

Next up is a new collection of short stories in Led Astray by Kelley Armstrong.  The collection is to include stories from the Otherworld, Cainsville, Darkest Powers, and Age of Legends series.  I'm very interested in reading the stuff from Otherworld and Cainsville and I figure it will give me a chance to see what the other two series are like since to date, the blurbs haven't gripped me enough to actually delve into them.

Release Date: September 8

Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs is the third book the Miss Peregrine Home for Peculiar Children series.  Unfortunately I'm a book behind so all I can tell from the synopsis I'm seeing is that there is danger everywhere for these children and their caregiver, Miss Peregrine.  Hoping I can get caught up before it comes out.

Release Date: September 22

And the final book for this quarter is Autumn Moon by Jan DeLima.  Elen was made outcast because of her powers and lack of ability to shift to a wolf.  Now her powers and her kind heart have caused her to save her friends and use the energy she gained from that to change Cormack from the man in a wolf's body he has always been into a full shapeshifter.  Now Cormack finds himself wanting more from Elen than just her friendship but wants to be able to present himself as a full-man rather than one who is still learning the basics like a baby.  Before he can do that however, Pendaran has kidnapped Elen to force her to use her magic to aid him and his cause.  

Release Date: September 29

So yeah, a LOT of new releases coming out in the next couple of months.  I'm thankful that in all but one case, they are either stand-alones, starting a new series, or I'm caught up in the series already.  Still, lots and lots of reading to be getting done and I still haven't even gotten caught up in Elfquest before events in the Final Quest so I can read those as they come out.  That is definitely something I need to find time to change this summer.

Happy Reading!

56:120 Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews

The first in the Hidden Legacy series by Ilona Andrews.  The world invented a serum to stimulate latent magical abilities years ago and now humans are divided by magical strength and ability.  In that scale, Nevada Baylor has listed herself as a null to hide the truth that she is actually a human lie-detector, a rare ability, and a fairly powerful one at that.  She has a small detective business that supports her family since her father's death but the crippling medical bills meant that she had to mortgage the business to a powerful family who is now calling her in to track down a Prime, the highest level of magic user, who is capable of setting anyone and anything on fire.

In her quest to try and gently bring in her quarry, she attracts the attention of "Mad" Rogan, another powerful Prime, who is searching for an accomplice of her target and will stop at nothing to find him.  He gives her no choice but to work with him but the plan backfires as she manages to find vulnerabilities he didn't even know he had anymore.  Now not only is he dealing with this case and trying to save the world, he is trying to figure out the way into her heart as well.  As for Nevada, she is trying to decide whether to run from her attraction or give in.  Neither seems like a safe choice.

So this is published by Avon Romance as a paranormal romance, something I don't tend to seek out but since I love Ilona Andrews and actually enjoyed her last foray into the genre with the Edge series of course I grabbed this one.  I was not disappointed.  The world is well constructed, the characters engaging (although I could have done with a little less of Nevada's constant self-doubting internal monologue), and the plot, while being fairly a fairly typical and straight-forward one, managed to keep my interest due to the characters and world although I will admit, the cover makes me cringe in a big way.  I'm interested to see where they go with this in the next one.  I know it's been postponed but when it comes out, I'll definitely be picking up my copy.


Page Count: 382p/14,649p ytd/229,583p lifetime

49:120 Night Shift by Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, Lisa Shearin, & Milla Vane

Four novellas about things that happen after dark.  I picked it up because it had a new Ilona Andrews story in it about Jim and Dali and since they were my first introduction to that world they hold a special place in my heart and I wanted to see where things were going with them.  I'd heard of Nalini Singh and have been told by many to go read her stuff so I figured I'd go ahead and grab this and see what I liked.

Secrets at Midnight by Nalini Singh (psy-changling 12.5) - Bastien is a wereleopard who has caught the scent of the one he knows to be his mate but it comes and goes and fades easily and is driving him to distraction knowing that she is out there but that he is unable to find her.  Of course, he does and they get together because PNR must have HEA.  As a first introduction to the world there were things that didn't make total sense but enough information was given that I didn't feel totally lost.  While the world seems like it could be interesting, I'm still not totally sold on it but will likely give it a chance.  Even though it was PNR, at least the woman had some brains and the man although immediately overprotective and doing the "mine" thing that drives me nuts was also all about giving her some space and working to make sure she was comfortable with who and what she was and trying to find out more about her likes and life instead of just turning her into "his mate".

Magic Steals by Ilona Andrews (Kate Daniels 6.5) - Dali and Jim's relationship is progressing slowly with Dali still unsure why Jim is even interested in her to begin with but then a woman in her community goes missing and it looks like magic has been involved so Dali is asked to look into it.  Jim tags along but this is much more about Dali and her magic than the usual shapeshifter politics. I wanted to like this one but Dali's incessant whining was a real problem.  I'm hoping that with the ending of it she will finally grow up and act more like the 20-something woman she is than the whiny 14yr old girl she does now.

Lucky Charms by Lisa Shearin (SPI Files 0.5) - Makenna Frazier's first day at Supernatural Protection and Investigations is not exactly what she thought it would be like.  Rather than getting a chance to even figure out where the break room was or read the employee handbook, she is immediately thrust into the field to find the leprechaun prince and his friends who ditched their bodyguards while on a bachelor party.  Things just get more fun from there.  Another new world for me and there wasn't a lot of time spent on world building, just bits and pieces thrown in as relating to the story itself with just a few hints at an overarching story line to be developed later.  Writing was okay but not great enough to cause me to go immediately put things on my wishlist.

Beast of Blackmoor by Milla Vane - Wannabe fantasy porn, horribly written, nothing new, notable, or original.  Completely lacking in character development or even characters with any dimension whatsoever, I only finished it because I wanted to be able to just finish the book and I kept hoping it would get better.  It didn't.  Honestly, I would actively avoid anything else written by this author.



Page count: 378p/10,377p ytd/226,311p lifetime