Unclean Spirits by M.L.N. Hanover.

This is book one of the series The Black Sun’s Daughter. This is urban fantasy at its best. Jayne Heller discovers that her favorite uncle is a butt kicking demon chaser.

I read the fourth book, Killing Rites, in the series first. Although that book did quite well is a stand alone I wanted to find out more about Jayne.

The author does an excellent job of making the occult believable. The author doesn't paint a fantasy hero with no flaws instead she paints a young woman thrust into situations that appears to be beyond her means or abilities. In some ways it is a coming of age novel. Jayne discovers things about herself and her abilities she never suspected.

The disparity between good and evil is shown to be shades of gray rather than the black and white as it is normally portrayed. The decisions Jayne must make places a major factor in developing her character. This was well done.

The cast of characters is both colorful and varied. The supporting roles are not developed with as much depth as Jayne's character is. The book describes Jayne's struggle to discover both her legacy and heritage from her mysterious uncle Eric.

I really enjoyed the book and highly recommend.

Body of work of Body of work of M.L.N. Hanover

Web Site: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/abrahamdaniel.html

Ashes of a Black Frost by Chris Evans

One of the things I like about Chris Evans is his wonderful titles.  This title is evocative of many things and ties so tightly to the story line that it is astoundingly descriptive.  This is the culmination of a terrific trilogy. (I just love alliteration.)   I highly recommend that you read both The Light of Burning Shadows and Darkness Formed in Fire before reading this final running battle.    The Iron Elves are resurrected in several ways in the ultimate confrontation with the Shadow Monarch. 

There is more to these books than just entertainment.  The evolution of personality and the maturation of goals are just a few of the delightful nuggets of philosophy strewn through out the book and the series.  

As I said in one of my previous reviews, the Iron Elves are once more the sharp point of the human empires bayonet.  I don’t think there is a single character that isn’t transformed in some way by the intricate plot of this book.   There are surprises a’plenty awaiting you!   Evans does magical and marvelous characterizations though out the book.  Ymit, Major Swift Dragon, Jir and Visyna  are just a few of the extraordinary colorful and passionate players in this behemoth battle of wills and nature.  In some ways it is just a very exciting rendition of the often confusing and confounding identification of the difference of good, evil and the vast gray area in between. 

I enjoyed the book, loved the trilogy and highly recommend all three of the books!

Body of work of Chris Evans</a>

Web site: http://chrisevansauthor.com/

Guardians in magic by Richard Blunt

This is obviously a first book in the series for young adults. Lucas Trent is a young man with a circle of friends. He and those friends discover they have magical abilities and with those abilities, serious responsibilities.

I like the character development that was done on the book. You get a good feel for who the people are and what their wants and desires are. The exhibit a lot naivety but that is certainly age-appropriate. The mysterious Angel gives an aura of illusion. The plot is not earthshaking but it does establish a good foundation for future stories.

Lucas is likable as the main protagonist and he exhibits what I would consider normal teenage behavior. Equally the team's willingness to tackle tasks that perhaps they shouldn't also is indicative of what I would consider normal teenage behavior. Overall while the book is not stellar is definitely worth reading and I do recommend. I also look forward to the sequel.

Body of work: Richard Blunt

website:  http://www.lucastrent.com/

BTW: This is the first review I've done using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. So far so good but it was probably slower than typing it. I have much work to do on learning this new software package. Rest assured I will be doing a review of it for all of the rest of you blossoming authors out there.

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Guardians in magic by Richard Blunt

This is obviously a first book in the series for young adults. Lucas Trent is a young man with a circle of friends. He and those friends discover they have magical abilities and with those abilities, serious responsibilities.

I like the character development that was done on the book. You get a good feel for who the people are and what their wants and desires are. The exhibit a lot naivety but that is certainly age-appropriate. The mysterious Angel gives an aura of illusion. The plot is not earthshaking but it does establish a good foundation for future stories.

Lucas is likable as the main protagonist and he exhibits what I would consider normal teenage behavior. Equally the team's willingness to tackle tasks that perhaps they shouldn't also is indicative of what I would consider normal teenage behavior. Overall while the book is not stellar is definitely worth reading and I do recommend. I also look forward to the sequel.

Body of work: Richard Blunt

website:  http://www.lucastrent.com/

BTW: This is the first review I've done using Dragon NaturallySpeaking. So far so good but it was probably slower than typing it. I have much work to do on learning this new software package. Rest assured I will be doing a review of it for all of the rest of you blossoming authors out there.

Blood Prophecy by Stefan Petrucha

This is vampire story with a historic twist that never once uses the word vampire.

Jeremiah Fall finds himself turned into a creature of the night.   A Puritan, he soon discovers his base urges are incompatible with his Puritan ethics.   The strict manner he was raised contributes to his keeping his internal beast from overwhelming his gentler sensibilities.  

I enjoyed the historic aspects of the book.  It did jump around a great deal and not just in the paranormal vampire manner.   I guess morality play would be an apt description.   Jeremiah’s struggles to come to terms with his internal beast provide the motivating factor of his search for a cure. 

The book was darkly entertaining with some bizarre philosophic overtones on the substance of existence.  

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Stefan Petrucha

Web site:  http://www.petrucha.com/BloodProphecy.htm

Amazon Queen by Lori Devoti

A new take on the Amazon warrior, this book is set in current times. The conflict between the status quo and change defines the book.
Zery, an Amazon Queen, discovers that the Amazon sons have powers and skills similar to her own, she is shocked. Moreover she is shocked to discover that many of the “truths” she had taken for granted were not necessarily true. Shape shifting, sword fights, gun battles, there is action a plenty for all readers. This isn’t a great book but it is an entertaining read.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of Lori Devoti

Web Site:

Play Dead By Ryan Brown

My first reaction to this book was, oh brother another zombie story. You can’t swing a dead body around without hitting a zombie or vampire book. To my surprise I enjoyed the book. This would be an entertaining Friday Night Lights book exhibiting the gritty competitive football played in rural Texas without the zombies. With the Zombies this is an Urban Fantasy.

For those of you who grew up in a more suburban atmosphere, you will have difficultly believing the depths of passion exhibited by small, working class town football fans. Growing up in an environment where the number of injuries you inflicted on the opposing football team was nearly as important as wining the game, I had no trouble accepting the mindless passion the football fans in this book showed. Cole Logan is the hard nosed, wrong side of the track, trailer trash that sees football as his ticket out of not only his home town but his miserable life. Little does he know that his life hardships are only going to become worse throughout the book.

In my opinion, I think Ryan Brown should have skipped the whole zombie aspect of the book and he would have had a major hit. Being a serious fantasy fan, I can suspend my disbelief and enjoy a story regardless of any preposterous situations. Many people are not able to overcome their innate reluctance to believe anything that isn’t clearly black and white. I tried discussing this book with several of my peers, only to discover that the minute I mentioned zombies, their brains shut down. They wouldn’t even consider reading a book that even alluded to zombies. I realize my peers (old folk or at least older folk) are not the target market of this book but Brown’s writing skills are certainly capable of penning a book that would appeal to a wider audience. This isn’t saying I disliked the book but that it will have limited appeal beyond the younger readers.

I recommend the book.


I recommend the book.

Body of work of Ryan Brown

Web Site:

The River Kings’ Road by Liane Merciel

Great Book! I enjoyed this book. It was populated with realistic characters set in a medieval time who were dealing with magic, war and questions of succession.

This could be qualified as a morality play. Is Lord Leferic an ambitious patriot or a crass villain? Does mercenary Brys Tarnell have a secret or is he exactly what he seems? This is a well done story that also forces you to ponder the motivation of the characters. What makes them tick? Why do the do what they do? Are they just what they seem or are they more. The story line is good but the characterizations are marvelous! I can’t wait for the next installment.

I highly recommend the book and can’t wait for the entire series.

Body of work of Liane Merciel

Web Site: