Dying Wish
Shannon K. Butcher
Signet, Mar 6 2012, $7.99
ISBN: 9780451236050

Jackie Patton desperately wants to return to the life she had before the Synestryn captured and tortured her for the past two years. However, Jackie “blue’ knows she will never live that carefree life ever again. Besides the impact of the ordeal on her mind and the knowledge her vile kidnappers stalk her; she feels a debt of gratitude to her rescuers, Theronai warriors. To make some remittance, Jackie believes she should mate with one of them as that will save the life of her chosen partner; though she hopes temporary is enough.

Jackie stuns everyone when she selects tundra cold Iain. He rejects her offer as he insists his soul already died when the Synestryn killed his betrothed. She ignores his rejection as he is the one. However, although both refuse to accept no, they team up to try to prevent the insidious enemy from abducting the recently liberated children a second time.

The latest, as always, great Sentinel Wars romantic urban fantasy (see Blood Hunt) is a superb paranormal suspense. The story line is action-packed from the moment Jackie chooses and never slows down until the final confrontation. Readers will appreciate this exciting thriller as two courageous opposites, ethically uber-optimistic Jackie and morally ultra-pessimistic Iain must choose.

Harriet Klausner

Range of Ghosts
Elizabeth Bear
Tor, Mar 27 2012, $25.99
ISBN 9780765327543

The Khagan of Khagans is dead. His descendants went to war to replace the late Great Khagan as ruler of the Khaganate. Temur fought on the side of the losers as he followed his brother into combat in the fratricide civil war. He awakens in the bloody battlefield surrounded by corpses and knowing he is the rightful blood heir to his divided family’s kingdom, but with no power to achieve what is his. Needing to escape, Temur joins a horde of refugees running from the war zone. While fleeing he meets fellow refugee Edene, but blood ghosts abduct her; he vows to rescue her somehow.

Once-Princess Samarkar was heir to the Rasan Empire until her half-brother was born. Her father exiled her as an expendable pawn in marriage to the Prince of Song, but there relationship ended in deadly combat. The royal widow wants nothing further to do with the blood of man so she climbed the thousand steps of the Citadel of the Wizards of Tsarepheth to learn if she had magical skills. Now a wizard Samarkar and Hrahima the tiger-woman who rages at her people’s god join Temur in his quest to rescue Edene and kill those who mass murdered a city; as war seems everywhere with no regard to casualties along the Celadon Highway

This is a great opening act as readers feel they live in the war riddled kingdoms. The cast is strong especially the lead protagonists whose point of view enhance the bloody conditions in the Bear where the sky over each kingdom reflects the respective ruler’s gods and a magic practitioner pays a high cost to perform. However, the key is the diversity between the kingdoms interwoven inside an exhilarating fantasy that fans will appreciate.

Harriet Klausner

Bridge of Dreams
Anne Bishop
Roc, Mar 6 2012, $26.95
ISBN: 9780451463814

Siblings Lee and Glorianna Belladonna along with Michael the Musician and others removed the darkness of The Eater of the World from Ephemera (see Belladonna). However, though Ephemera is balanced now, the world remains a perilous place as affirmed when bellicose wizards arrive. Lee stops their threat to disrupt the balance, but ends up in an asylum in Vision, a city also facing dark peril.

The Vision Shamans fail to prevent the dark plague from spreading. Lee understands what they face and offers his assistance and those of his family in Ephemera, Glorianna and their cousin Sebastian. However, the proud protectors of Vision eventually may acquiesce to his offer, but time is running out.

The third Ephemera fantasy is an entertaining tale with an incredible vivid description of the Bishop mythos and a wonderful self-sacrificing hero who risks his life again to save a city of strangers. The storyline starts slow with an inordinate amount of time on what happened in the previous entries (see Sebastian). However, once the protagonist jumps into the frying pan to save Ephemera and then into the fire to save Vision, Bridge of Dreams accelerates into a super-fast-paced exciting thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Wicked Edge
Nina Bangs
Berkley, Mar 6 2012, $15.00
ISBN 9780425245491

The Council of Justice finds Passion the angel guilty of too much impish behavior as her appeal is that she just wanted to bring life to their tedious existence fails to move the judgment board. Passion can deal with her punishment to wander the Earth as a mortal in order to save human souls; however, she feels the Council was cruel and non-angelic when they made Hope the whiner her heavenly contact as once a day having this irritant in her mind can make anyone consider evil thoughts.

Her assignment takes the “human” Passion to the Castle of Dark Dreams where any form of sexual fantasy occurs. However, the virginal temporarily fallen angel meets Edge playing the role of a demon. She realizes how wicked he truly is by his aura, but rationalizes even a demon can be redeemed while Edge insists he just wants to bang the virgin demonic style.

The fifth erotic Castle of Dark Dreams romantic fantasy (Wicked Edge, Wicked Fantasy Wicked Pleasure and My Wicked Vampire) is an enticing wicked tale starring an interesting pair; as she is a virginal angel and he is the sinful demon. Their forbidden romance makes for a terrific paranormal star-crossed lovers’ thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Born to Darkness
Suzanne Brockmann
Ballantine, Mar 20 2012, $26.00
ISBN 9780345521279

The United States is spiraling into third world status as the Great Depression II wreaks havoc on most people due to policies that legalized unfair practices leading to the wealthiest doing great while everyone paid the price. For much of the increasing poor there is only one commodity they can sell: their preteen daughters. The Organization has created Destiny from the hormones of pre-puberty females; the affluent love the elixir that allows those with money to buy the perfect physical specimen at the cost of their mind.

The Obermeyer Institute opposes the sale of girls as a commodity and by extrapolation are against the use of Destiny. However, groups like the Organization own the media and the politicians so Obermeyer is considered by most a place for crackpots. With nowhere to turn, banished former Navy SEAL Shane Laughlin joins OI though he believes the media portrayal of lunatics especially the “Greater-Thans” philosophy to deploy otherworldly powers for the common good. He changes his mind when female Greater Than scientists half his size kicks his butt in. Shane and Greater Than Michelle “Mac” Mackenzie had shared a one night stand before he joined OI as a test subject. In Boston, they attempt to rescue a young girl sold for her hormones who appears to be a Greater Than.

Noted for Breaking the Rules of romantic suspense with her Troubleshooters saga, Suzanne Brockmann provides a powerful enthralling and dark paranormal thriller as the extraction of young female hormones is a capitalist commodity exchange item. The gripping premise extrapolates trends in economics, politics, journalism and pharmaceutical to paint a dark soulless future. The prime romance between the protagonists and a gay relationship enhance an exciting fast-paced rescue mission.

Harriet Klausner

How to Be Death
Amber Benson
Ace, Feb 28 2012, $7.99
ISBN 9781937007287

Since her dad’s untimely death thanks to his late oldest daughter (see Death’s Daughter), Calliope Reaper-Jones feels pressure she does not want; as the President and CEO of Death, Inc. with the Board and others making demands on her life. She knows she needs to read How to be Death (A Fully Annotated Guide), but has not gotten around to it. Instead she has depended on her younger brilliant sister Clio and a few of her dad’s best minions to help her as the girl who can make her deadly wishes come true.

Reaper attends the annual Death Dinner and masquerade ball at Haunted Hearts Castle. At the gala, she sees Daniel who she loves but assumes her feelings are unrequited; besides he is busy running Hell while his former boss receives heavenly punishment for his failed coup. Lying on the floor of Cal’s room is Daniel’s date Coy who is beheaded. Former Psychical Bureau of Investigation field agent Edgar Freezay leads the homicide investigation while Callie panics that the guide book she never opened has been stolen; if misused it could mean the extinction of humanity.

This is an entertaining locked castle murder mystery in which the homicide occurs about half way into the storyline. Callie has not matured since inheriting the position (see Serpent’s Storm and Cat’s Claw) as she remains unsure and shallow especially in the pre-murder chapters; in fact she would agree Clio is a better long term choice to become Ms. Death. Freezay takes over the novel with his inquiry. Still fans will enjoy Callie’s chick lit commentary as she struggles to learn How To Be Death; a job she does not want nor feel capable of performing.

Harriet Klausner

Midnight Enchantment
Anya Bast
Berkley, Feb 7 2012, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425245033

In Piefferburg, dedicated Elizabeth Cely Saintjohn the asrai water fae takes her duty to her liege The Summer Queen seriously; ergo she maintains the barrier that contains the fae. Mage Niall Quinn the thief thinks Elizabeth is cruel for not allowing the fae freedom.

Sent by the Shadow Queen of the Black Tower to regain two stolen pieces of the bosca fadbh that the Summer Queen gave to Elizabeth, Niall hunts her, but so far she has frustrated him. He loathes how she toys with him rather than his usual playing with females. Elizabeth finds her persistent pursuer attractive while Niall knows he wants her like no other woman before. Both have missions as they work for rival queens.

The latest Dark Magick romantic urban fantasy (see Wicked Enchantment, Dark Enchantment and Cruel Enchantment) is an entertaining thriller that looks deeply at values, which can be negative as well as positive. The relationship between the protagonists is fun to follow as the duet shares many of the same values. Although the bosca fadbh dominates the storyline, which keep readers somewhat at a distance from the lead rivals, sub-genre fans will appreciate this exciting blast from Anya Bast.

Harriet Klausner

Anna Dressed in Blood
Kendare Blake
Tor Teen, Aug 30 2011, $17.99
ISBN: 9780765328656

Cas Lowood is a chip off the old block just like his late dad was a chip off the old block and if he has a kid too, etc. His widow mom the witch supports her teenage son as he does the family vocation ghost hunting.

Cas’ latest mission is to kill Anna of the white dress that she wore when she was murdered back in ‘58, dripping blood and infamy for slicing and dicing those who inanely dare enter her haunt. When Cas enters her house in Thunder Bay, Ontario; Anna is confused that her out of control obsession to kill fails to deploy as it always does. He feels identically the same. As each is afraid of the other, both are more afraid of the loneliness accentuated by their meeting. Others have deadlier opinions on what should happen to the ghost and the hunter.

Anna Dressed in Blood is a great teen horror mystery starring two lonely beings who find a deep affinity with each other. The story line is fast-paced and filled with gore, romance, and a cold case mystery. Kendare Blake provides a strong opening act with this tense paranormal beloved enemies’ thriller.

Harriet Klausner

Halo: Primordium
Greg Bear
Tor, Jan 3 2012, $25.99
ISBN: 9780765323972

The villagers wonder who is this injured man of armor; he fell from the sky in a jar, but is not a Forerunner. He awakens severely injured and tells Vinnevra tending his wounds that he is Chakas of Erde-Tyrene. The elders think he is worthless as even the ants rejected him and most likely a danger as the flying shadows lost him but will come for him; if they harbor him they will end up in the Palace of Pain.

Vinnevra helps Chakas heal. As he recuperates, Lord of Admirals’ dormant memories surface in his head. His arrival also ignites Vinnevra’s dormant geas. The outsider, his human nurse and her grandfather Gamelpar begin a quest to learn the source of Vinnevra’s newly awakened power and to explore the planetary ring of this inverted orb, which means willingly entering the Palace of Pain. This is the current home of the Last Precursor who controls this Halo and manipulates the Forerunners (as the Captive), the humans (as the Primordial) and the Master Builder (as manipulator).

Told as an autobiographical account by a dying Forerunner construct with memories of Chakas the human and those of ancient Lord of Admirals, the second Forerunner Saga (see Halo: Cryptum) is a fascinating final testimony. The story line hooks readers with vivid descriptions of a past that may or may not have happened like the galaxy-wide great Flood over ten millennia ago. Although the wanderers’ wandering could have been more concise, Halo fans will enjoy Greg Bear’s extremely dark entry similar in tone to that of Bornstellar in Cryptum with the underlying theme of who lives and who died but lives in a realm where humans are the bottom rung on the food chain.

Harriet Klausner

The Cat Star Chronicles: Stud
Cheryl Brooks
Sourcebooks, Feb 7 2012, $7.99
ISBN: 9781402251689

Though the species is near extinction due to ethnic cleansing, throughout the galaxy, Zetithian males are renowned for their sexual prowess of giving pleasure to females of all races. The legendary king of sexual pleasure is Tarq Zulveidinoe; women cherish his special touch. Ironically he lacks esteem outside of sex; so his mission to save his race is to take care of females everywhere.

On Talus Five, Lucinda Force has lived a lifetime being told by her selfish family that no man will ever desire a plain looking woman like her. Working at her father’s Mediterranean-style restaurant, Lucy wants romantic love, but expects to live and die alone. Tarq smells her before entering the restaurant. When she asks what he wants, he says a “full order of you.” She recognizes him from his TV commercial of offering to service human females in order to repopulate his dying species. However, he knows he can no longer get his double joint up for other clients since he smelled his Lucy.

The latest Cat Star Chronicles Zetithian science fiction romance is an exhilarating entry that reads like a gender twisting of the previous tale Virgin. Since the overarching theme of the early chronicles involving who committed the atrocity of the pandemic destruction of a race and their planet was resolved in Hero, this Zetithian focuses on the relationship between a Stud who as the hero knows Colonel Sanders’ secret formula and a Virgin who knows Greek and Italian cuisine. Series fans will enjoy the latest sexcapades in the Brooks galaxy.

Harriet Klausner