Shadow Magic
Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett
Spectra, Jul 28 2009, $25.00
ISBN: 9780553806977

The Hundred Years War is over with the city-state Kingdom of Volstov’s metal dragons corps having defeated the Ke-Han Empire’s imperial troops (see HAVEMERCY). Stunned by his side’s loss the Ke-Han emperor does the honorable thing in his society by committing suicide.

The Volstov send a peace delegation led by magician Caius Greylace and General Alcibiades to negotiate the terms of surrender. The new Emperor Iseaul greets them even as he plots to strengthen his new position of power starting with the assassination of his younger brother Prince Mamoru . The attempt fails and Mamoru and his personal servant Kouje flee while the diplomacy moves forward at a snail’s pace as Iseaul objects as if his side were the victors.

This fascinating sequel switches from the military fantasy of Havemercy to a diplomacy fantasy with as much intrigue, Machiavellian machinations modified by magic. The story line is as fast-paced and action-packed as its predecessor but with a different take. Fans will enjoy this strong entry as Jaida Jones and Danielle Bennett provide a deep look at conflicting societies loosely modeled after Shogun medieval Japan and Empirical Rome respectively placed in a fantasy realm.

Harriet Klausner

Snakeskin Road
James Braziel
Bantam, Jul 28 2009, $15.00
ISBN: 9780553385038

In 2044 recently widowed Jennifer Harrison is pregnant and desperately needs to return to her hometown Chicago where her mom lives. Currently she is in the vast desert of what was once the southeastern United States; the entire region destroyed by a hole in the Ozone layer. However to become free she needs to escape Birmingham and become an indentured servant for three years in the Midwest.

She travels up the Snakeskin Road used by human traffickers. Her bus crashes and she becomes guardian of thirteen year old Mazy. As they struggle northward on the deadly trail, Rosser the ruthless bounty hunter pursues them as no one leaves Birmingham alive. In Illinois Jennifer is indentured to a brothel where she believes she can survive three years if Rosser is not a customer.

Mindful of his own work, BIRMINGHAM, 35 MILES, James Braziel paints a dark, gloomy future landscape especially the expanding desert widening like a new Ice Age that makes Mad Max look like a still life. The story line is fast-paced because anything less means unburied death for those who dawdle. Jennifer is terrific as a heroine on the run with a teen to protect; but it is Rosser who steals the show as a futuristic Tom Loker before the Quaker revelation in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Although the too many regional idioms and southern dialect anchor the locale, it detracts from the post-apocalyptic view of the journey north on SNAKESKIN ROAD; a path with no conductors, only killing traffickers and desperate escaped slaves dare venture on this lethal “Underground Railroad”.

Harriet Klausner

Laced with Magic
Barbara Bretton
Berkley, Aug 2009, $15.00
ISBN: 9780425227527

Chloe Hobbs lives in remote quiet Sugar Maple, Vermont, running the Sticks & Strings yarn shop as a half human heir to the sorcery that keeps her town safe for the paranormal inhabitants and summer tourists. However, she has upset her neighbors especially the witches and fae when she and purebred human police officer policeman Luke MacKenzie becomes lovers.

Luke’s former wife Karen arrives hysterically insisting the ghost of their deceased daughter Steffie needs their help. Simultaneously, her long time enemy Isadora the fae is CASTING SPELLS over control of the child’s spirit and that of the town. Chloe’s family has always protected her town so she prepares for war though this sorceress would prefer a knitting battle.

This is a lighthearted satirical blending of a knitting cozy with a paranormal romance in a New England village fantasy (urban seems to denote a bit bigger of a community). The story line is breezy as Chloe and Luke struggle with small-town gossip and saving Steffie’s spirit with a stitch and a spell. Never serious except for knitting tips, fans will enjoy Barbara Bretton’s fine tale LACED WITH MAGIC of love. Chloe believes she can do anything including CASTING SPELLS with Luke at her side; however he is distracted as High Noon comes to the Green Mountain State.

Harriet Klausner

Enigma
C.F. Bentley
Daw, Aug 2009, $24.95
ISBN: 0756405645

The Harmony Empire of planets has been secluded from the greater universe for a long time due to its remoteness. Lovers High Priestess of Harmony Laudae Sissy and Confederated Star System Agent “Military” Jake know the remote inaccessibility is coming to an end. With that in mind they travel to Labyrinthe VII space station; better known in this sector as The First Contact Cafe hoping to negotiate diplomatic and economic relations for their confederation with the outside governments as they know the outsiders are coming anyway to obtain precious Badger Medal.

The Confederated Star Systems want the Badger Medal to build starships so will do anything to regain control of their former colony and the other planets that make up the Harmonic Empire. With war in the sector seemingly imminent, Harmony wants a fair price for its most precious asset. When someone tries to assassinate Sissy, she becomes fearful that her efforts to restore the covenant to the goddess Harmony will fail; Jake risks his life to keep her safe, but also knows as the planet’s liaison to the outside he must continue the negotiations to save the empire from a hostile takeover from without and within especially when an alien vessel apparently deliberately crashed into the Harmony wing of the space station.

Besides dealing with a mass murdering serial killer and an insane spy chief, all Jake has to do is negotiate, investigate and protect fragile Sissy. The story line is fast-paced due to his ability to juggle all the balls though some do fall making his tasks more complex. Fans will enjoy the sequel to HARMONY as C.F. Bentley provides a strong space opera starring a brave hero and the fragile woman he cherishes, who surprises even him with her courage to enter the hellish fray though completely frightened as she is a “Depends” female; you can depend on her to do the right thing though she wears rubber underwear.

Harriet Klausner

Dark Time
Dakota Banks
Avon Jul 28 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780061687303

In 1692 Susannah Layhem is accused of being a witch and jailed; her baby is born and dies while she is incarcerated. She no longer cares that she is innocent and the facts would bear out her contention; but that did not matter to her accusers including her husband and his brother and wife. After she dies in the holy bonfire, Rabishu the demon recruits her to become his top gun assassinating people. For three centuries she did his bidding, but abruptly says no when the demon assigns her to murder a baby as she never stopped grieving for her dead infant Constanza .

The demon is as stunned as Susannah is when she realizes she somewhat is freed of her Faustian contract although she will still have to kill mortals. Now residing on earth as Maliha Crane, she hopes to regain her soul so she can stop her killing after three centuries of doing the demon’s bidding. She writes mystery novels and tries to save humans in an effort to balance her karma and is involved in the investigation of the homicides of two hackers.

Although the plot is extremely thin especially when it converts from historical to modern day urban fantasy, fans will enjoy meeting Susannah-Maliha and the worlds of Dakota Banks (including eerie dark Midworld). The first paranormal Mortal Path thriller is dark and enthralling as Rabishu is outraged at Malilha saying no for the first time as she hopes to obtain some redemption for her dark soul.

Harriet Klausner

Speak of the Devil
Jenna Black
Dell, Jul 28 2009, $6.99
ISBN: 9780440244936

Demons travel to the mortal realm and possess a body like the demon King Lugh resides in the body of American’s foremost exorcist Morgan Kingsley. Lugh is trapped in Morgan’s body because his brother Dougel wants to wear the demon crown and can only become the king if the monarch dies. Morgan has her own woes, but even she admits they pale next to that of her “guest”.

An exorcism killed the host Jordan Maguire Junior; senior is suing Morgan for negligence and wrongful death. As soon as the suit was filed, the US Exorcism Board suspended Morgan’s license pending an investigation. Matters turn worse when someone sends her a human arm. Morgan knows someone is after her as the assaults escalate and she fears she will be framed for murder. Lugh’s war council does their best to protect Morgan because if she dies, their king returns to his realm where his sibling waits to kill him. As Morgan’s stalker keeps the pressure on her, the person also threatens her loved ones.

Jenna Black is consistently one of the best urban fantasists on the market today with her kick butt heroine being kicked around this time. The irony of this entertaining saga is Morgan’s job is exorcising demons out of humans and back to their realm while she has the ruling demon inside her. This time her troubles overflow to her family and friends as an unknown assailant has her on the ropes. Although the overarching Cain and Abel demonic rivalry barely moves forward, fans of Kim Harrison and Jacquelyn Frank will enjoy the escapades of Morgan Kingsley, exorcist extraordinaire.

Harriet Klausner

Taken by Sin
Jaci Burton
Dell, Jun 23 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780440244554

During the Realm of Light recent battle victory over the sons of Darkness, demon hunter Dalton refused to follow a direct order to kill half-demon Isabelle Deveraux. Instead he abducts her and takes her to a hidden locale in the Louisiana bayou because he believes she possesses something that will insure his side’s total triumph. To his chagrin, he is uncertain whether he took her because she is valuable to his cause, innocent in spite of the demon residing inside her, or he just wants her.

Michael is irate with Dalton’s disobedience, but cannot worry about that as he is now in charge of the hunters. His biggest problem is the apparent appearance of a demon that can walk in sunlight; something thought impossible for the nocturnal evil breed. However, at the same time that demons search for Dalton’s refuge so dos Michael’s troops; while the apparently traitorous demon hunter and the half demon fall in love; another impossible happening.

The twin sequel to THE DARKEST TOUCH occurs soon after the previous thriller. The fast-paced story line works on two levels: that of a forbidden romance and as an action-packed urban fantasy. Although it helps to have read the prior novel as Isabelle is a key player in it, Jaci Burton provides another trademark dynamic paranormal romantic suspense as the eventual outcome of the demon war will determine the very planet’s existence.

Harriet Klausner

In Ashes Lie
Marie Brennan
Orbit, Jun 10 2009, $14.99
ISBN: 9780316020329

In 1666 having survived the Great Plague of last year, England is now wracked by civil war as King Charles II and the Parliament battle over who is in charge. Underneath, ironically the faerie Onyx Court faces an uncertain future as the Ancient ways that have sustained them for ages is ripping apart.

In London a baker Thomas Farynor has banked the fires of his ovens to go sleep. While he is sleeping, a spark escapes turning London into an inferno. He and his daughter Hanna flee into the night. At the same that the city is burning down, another threat has arisen to both the human and Fae occupants of greater London. This annihilator destroys anything in its path; to survive and perhaps defeat this invincible foe, the mortals and the fairies must unite, but neither side trusts the other.

Based on the real event of the Great Fire of 1666, IN ASHES LIE is a superb historical urban fantasy that grips readers who will feel transported back in time due to the vivid atmosphere that makes the seventeenth century human and Fae London seem alive and real. The story line is fast-paced as a deadly inferno threatens the mortal Londoners and an even deadlier malevolence threatens both species. Sub-genre fans will relish this exhilarating Restoration Era thriller and seek its prequel (see the Elizabethan Era MIDNIGHT NEVER COMES).

Harriet Klausner

HotHouse Flower and the 9 Plants of Desire
Margot Berwin
Knopf, Jun 16 2009, $24.00
ISBN: 9780307377845

Thirty two years old New York career woman Lila Nova used to enjoy her advertising job, but lately the divorcee is finding it tedious. However, she perks up when she meets David Exley selling tropical plants at the local farmer’s market. She already enjoyed plants, but until now never bought any; she purchases one of his offerings.

She notices at a Laundromat a rare fern in the window. The owner Armand makes friends with Lila and gives her a trimming from the fern. He promises her if the fern grows, he will show her his special nine plants. David sees the fern in her apartment and Lila tells him about Armand. Soon afterward, Armand’s plants are stolen and David has vanished. Using guilt and remorse as motivators Armand persuades Lila to accompany him to the Yucatan to obtain new magical plants. There she meets Diego.

This is an intriguing thriller that takes an unexpected magical spin from a New York adventure into a Mexican semi-fantasy tale. The story line is fun in spite of Lila being too loose as she leaps on one man after another and the plot never deciding which genre is on top. Still HOTHOUSE FLOWER AND THE 9 PLANTS OF DESIRE is an engaging odd thriller with one wild twist that takes a bit of adjusting, but worth the effort for those who relish something radically different with their New Yorkers.

Harriet Klausner

Outcast
Cheryl Brooks
Sourcebooks Casablanca, Jun 2009, $6.99
ISBN: 1402218966

When his planet Zetith was destroyed, seventeen year old Lynxsander “Lynx” Dackelov survived, but was captured and sold at a slave auction. He became the slave to a horde of female slaves. The women at any time of day or night would enjoy his sexual prowess as he lives up to the legend of the men of Zetith. However, overly abused, he could no longer stand the smell of desire and became inefficient at sex; the women starved him and ridiculed his failure; eventually he became impotent. He was sold to a male owner who freed him after five years of service.

On Terra Minor, pregnant Bonnie Neurath runs a farm by herself. Her man Syler Halen deserted her stealing their money. She needs help on the farm especially with her baby due in a few months. A free man, Lynx arrives on Terra Minor but is broke. He accepts a job on Bonnie’s farm, but makes it clear he wants nothing to do with his boss because she is a female. Bonnie is attracted to Lynx and showers him with kindness while he performs his duties outstandingly. As he tries to keep his distance, he smells her desire and worse feels his own desire rising for the first time in years.

The fourth Cat Star Chronicles science fiction romance (see SLAVE, WARRIOR, and ROGUE) is a super entry due to the unique damaged goods hero, who puts quite a spin on being a Zetithian. The sex and the suspense come fairly late, but no one will care as the lead characters control the stage performing superbly. Bonnie is a strong nurturing individual, but the aptly titled OUTCAST owns the novel with his idiosyncrasies forged by abuse by women; he cannot even eat in front of another person. Cheryl Brooks is at the top of her game with this excellent entry that will have her fans purring for more.

Harriet Klausner