Demon Possessed
Stacia Kane
Pocket, Mar 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9781439167618

Psychologist, psychic, and demon clan leader Dr. Megan Chase attends a meeting of other paranormal group leaders. Her demon lover Greyson Dante plans to escort her to the session. . However before the pair leave for the meeting, FBI agent Elizabeth Reid interrogates Megan about some of the other attendees who run illegal businesses.

Megan has no time for a nosy human Fed who includes her fiery lover as one of her suspects. Instead she must focus on preventing the demon community demands that she convert into a full demon. Finally someone sends an angel to kill Megan.

The latest Megan Chase romantic urban fantasy is a fast-paced thriller in which the heroine is in a sort The Lady and the Tiger scenario as demons and humans demand she pick a side; does she give up her cherished humanity or her cherished Greyson? However, the angelic attack takes center stage as she must defeat this heavenly being, find out who the angel’s handler is, and defeat an essence that can order an angel to kill. Although newcomers should read the previous books (see Demon Inside and Personal Demons) first to understand the several subplots that eventually tie deftly together, fans will appreciate the heroine’s emotional decision between her heart and her soul.

Harriet Klausner

Black Jack Derringer
Karen Koehler
Skullvines Press; 2009, $16.95
www.skullvines.com

At the bar in the misnamed New Hope bounty hunter “Wild” Alice West notices the albino card player, Mr. Treen no last name and believes he is her dream ticket. Wild Alice thinks he can be her front as women are not allowed to do man’s work in Skillet. She also knows that Mr. Treen no last name will be the wealthiest dead man in town tonight as winning at cards without a gun is perilous.

However, she reconsiders her first musings and decides the muto-man is actually a derringer man. So when he proves her right by pointing his gun at the groin of someone accusing him of cheating, she is elated. He is perfect for her. She tries to hire him, but he tells her she is the perfect bounty hunter without need of a pig of a partner. Two misfits team up trying to earn a living by bringing in bounty.

The first Ace Of Spades novella is a superb western fantasy in which Karen Koehler quickly establishes her world and key players in a fast-paced, but very short tale. Wild Alice and Mr. Treen is a wonderful pairing as each has secrets and issues. Support players like those at the bar and muto man Goliath enhance the landscape and the lead couple. Fans will enjoy this superb quick read and look forward to the second ace, but first must decide whether the 102 page post-apocalyptic thriller is worth the cost.

Harriet Klausner

The Iron King
Julie Kagawa
Harlequin, Feb 1 2010, $9.99
ISBN: 9780373210084

As Meghan Chase nears her sixteenth birthday, she finds her world turning weird. That is saying a lot for someone who always felt like an outsider ever since her dad vanished without a trace ten years ago.

When she comes home from school after a disastrous tutoring session, she finds her four year old half-brother Ethan growling like a trapped wild beast and their mother unconscious on the floor. Her best friend Robbie explains that the fey took the real Ethan and replaced the lad with a changeling. To save Ethan, Meghan, who kind of knew her background, must embrace the fact she is the half fey daughter of a king caught in a civil war.

Targeting young teens, The Iron King is an entertaining fairy tale centered on Meghan. She is a likable teenager who seems genuine with her doubts and acceptance of taking direction from adults especially in her case males. Readers will enjoy the saga but will want congenial Meghan to turn more aggressive and kick butt as she lacks any assertiveness although that makes her and her escapades feel real as she is only fifteen.

Harriet Klausner

Touched by an Alien
Gini Koch
Daw, Apr 2010, $7.99
ISBN 9780756406004

In Arizona, marketing manager Katherine “Kitty” Katt completes jury duty. Crossing the street after leaving the courtroom, she sees a minor fender bender, but the male driver gets into a rage shouting at the woman in the other vehicle. The man sprouts wings and starts slicing up the woman with his sharp feathers. Kitty takes out her expensive Mont Blanc pen and stabs the out of control male in his jelly like back. He dies and Alpha Centauri based secret agent Jeff Martini asks her how she knew what to do; Kitty says it just felt right. As the cops arrive at the scene, Jeff takes Kitty with him.

Kitty learns superbeings exist but unlike comic book superheroes they are not. Instead ET parasites.have mutated ordinary people. Jeff and his peers from Alpha Centauri explain they came to earth tracking a nasty alien who has apparently has taken control of a nasty terrorist chief. As Jeff and Kitty are attracted to one another, she learns how to use weapons of evil alien destruction like hair spray.

This is an enjoyable science fiction tale that lampoons comic book and movie superhero thrillers. The story line feels like a amalgam of Earth Girls Are Easy merged with Evolution. Although at times the parody overwhelms the action, readers who enjoy a fun at times inane Space Invaders spoof will want to read Touched by an Alien.

Harriet Klausner

Freaksville
Kitty Keswick
Leap Books, Dec 2009, $16.99
www.leapbks.com
ISBN: 9781616030018

In Stony Creek, California, Maxwell females can see the future, which is hard on sixteen years old Kasey. She wears gloves to avoid touching anything or anyone as that triggers her skill; worse her mom sees everything.

Kasey has a vision starring mysterious English foreign exchange student Josh Johnstone. Her sight leads her to co-starring with Josh in Romeo and Juliet and a kiss. However, someone wants to harm either him or both of them starting with a stage light falling and there being locked in the basement. When they see a ghost, each knows who the malevolence is who is after them, but neither knows how to send the mean spirit to its final resting place even though she has the gift of sight via touch and he is a werewolf.

This is an enjoyable teen romantic urban fantasy starring a Romeo and Juliet couple harassed by genetics and paranormal incidents. Although blogging provides an interesting modern feel to the plot, this is also a big detractor as Miss Manners wisely says: “Don’t go public with your so-called private life.” Still young adults will enjoy Freaksville as the cast is solid even the ghost and Kasey’s BFF could support her own tale.

Harriet Klausner

The Poison Throne
Celine Kiernan
Orbit, Apr 7 2010, $14.99
ISBN: 9780316077064

Dying Lorcan Moorehawke returns from the Northland after a five year mission accompanied by his fifteen year old daughter Wynter to their former home Kingcourt, but are not welcomed as befits the Protector should be. That is they feel unwelcome until Victuallor Heron greets them warmly.

Wynter is stunned with changes at Kingcourt as everyone fears the king with good cause as he has turned brutal. His heir Alberon was forced to flee for his life and his other son Alberon’s half-brother Razi sits uncomfortably on the regal Chair that belongs to his sibling while trying to remain loyal to his older brother and his sire; not an easy task. Razi welcomes home his childhood friend Wynter at a time rebellion and civil war seems imminent with the kingdom split in two between loyalists to a mad monarch and rebels. Wynter will soon find herself caught in the crosshairs of this division between her father loyal to the king and Razi and his cohort Christopher Garron considering the overthrow of the monarch.

This is a superb young adult political fantasy filled with plenty of intrigue as everyone at Kingcourt is impacted by the ruler’s apparent insanity. The story line fast-paced, but loaded with a strong cast who brings out the depth of life in a dictatorial deadly monarchy. Young teen readers will relish the courageous escapades of the heroine who must choose between her father and her kingdom.

Harriet Klausner

Jordan
Susan Kearney
Forever, Feb 23 2010, $6.99
ISBN: 9780446543330

The Tribes destroy any planet in the galaxy who defies their edicts. Their current plan is to devastate the earth for rebelling as no one defies the Tribes.

Vesta Corporation CEO Vivianne Blackstone works on a spaceship to protect earth from the venomous Tribes. When she realizes her chief engineer, Jordan McArthur, submitted a phony résumé, she confronts him with the evidence. Instead of denying what she shows him, Jordan sends the spaceship Draco into space with him, Vivianne, some workers and a dog on board. Jordan has a vendetta that goes back centuries when Trendonis of the Tribes destroyed his world. Once known as Merlin, he uses his Staff as the fuel source to propel the Draco, but he and his crew must obtain the three Keys of Space, Wind, and Soil to power up his Staff in order to link it with the Holy Grail or watch earth face annihilation. He is falling in love with Vivianne, but Jordan conceals his feelings because if he succeeds in saving the earth and beyond by destroying the Tribe, he dies too.

The third Pendragon Legacy (see Lucan and Rion) is an excellent finish to a strong romantic science fiction trilogy with a terrific Arthurian magical link. The lead couple is a wonderful pairing of two strong personalities who are in conflict as she wants to save her planet while he wants to save a universe. Fans will enjoy this exciting thriller in which the courageous heroes know that if they succeed in defeating the Tribe, he expects to die but harder on his soul, he fears she will too; a risk she willingly takes.

Harriet Klausner

The Silver Mage
Katharine Kerr
Daw, Nov 2009, $24.95
ISBN: 9780756405878

The magically enhanced Horsekin are coming south with a religious fervor that threatens anyone who fails to join their crusade. Their powerful seemingly invincible force appears to be targeting the northern reaches of Deverry and resistance looks increasingly futile as these fierce warriors gain control of the Northlands. The elves and the humans of Deverry fear the deployment south will overpower their alliance to prevent the Horskin encroachment as Prince Dar expects to lose control of the Ghostlands and who knows what next.

Prince Dar, his supporters and his allies prepare for the final battle against an overwhelming adversary that will determine the fate of the kingdom and much more, a glimmer of hope arrives when the Dwrgi and the dragons join his side. Still the Horsekin are much stronger, but the humans take comfort that their ancestors in their darkest moment against a superior force survived the Roman invasion by coming to this land to establish a nation.

The Silver Mage is a terrific end to a saga that started when Reagan was in the White House. The story line is fast-paced and extremely complicated as Katherine Kerr ties up the major subplots. The Roman back story is engaging as is the deep look at the Horsekin, but they also take the audience away from the prime anticipated climax of the epic ending battle. Still this is an entertaining finish to the fifteen book Deverry saga.

Harriet Klausner

Prince of Storms
Kay Kenyon
PYR, Jan 26 2010, $26.00
ISBN: 9781591027911

Titus Quinn of Earth from the Rose universe claims to be the Regent of the parallel universe Entire. He pledges to turn over control to his daughter Sen Ni, but procrastinates as he distrusts his estranged offspring especially since she has linked her destiny with Geng De the psychic. Quinn fears if he gives up the throne, the technologically advanced Entire will destroy his homeworld as part of the extinction of the Rose as his daughter has already proclaimed doing in order to save the failing Entire.

He is not a fool as he knows his control is shaky as the enemy resides near him enough to harass him, and the Tarig overlords remain hostile and evil with plans to overthrow his Ascendancy and devastate the Rose (see City Without End).just like his daughter will do to save their realm. However, it is the plotting of the navitar especially one who can alter the future that frightens him. His only hope is a pact with the opponents of the Long War, the Jinda ceb Horat who have Quinn’s wife Anzi as a willing remorseful pawn. Still Quinn knows the real fight is with the navitar who forces the beleaguered earth champion to choose the fate of billions in two universes as a master plan of devious design unfolds.

This is an exhilarating finish to a great saga as The Entire and the Rose not just wraps up major threads, but keeps the audience thinking about life and death choices on a macro and micro level. The story line is fast-paced yet filled with memorable characters struggling to do what each believes is right; knowing whatever is selected dooms many. Fans will appreciate this strong entry to powerful quartet as Kay Kenyon makes it clear how difficult on a personal level it is to decide who will live and who will die when one faces a face.

Harriet Klausner

Born Of Ice
Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin’s, Dec 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780312942328

Alix Gerran has three weeks to save her mother and sister from execution by the Ritadarion Chief Minister of Justice Merjack. To free them, she must find evidence of treasonous activity by Devyn Kell, the son of the notorious couple Sharara Dagan and C.I. Syn (see Born of Fire). Merjack warns her every agent he has sent to bring Kell in to stand public trial has come home in a body bag.

Alix obtains a position as an engineer on the same ship that Kell is a doctor. Once in service to the League as an assassin until he had an epiphany; now a Runner he smuggles supplies to those in need of basic sustenance in order to survive. . If she fails to find proof, Alix is to plant the evidence needed to legally hang Kell. However, she is not only attracted to him; she admires what he and other crew do for the downtrodden. He is falling in love with the new ship employee, but knows she hides something that he fears will make her his Achilles’ heel.

The third League tale is a fast-paced exhilarating romantic science fiction thriller that showcases the offspring of the heroes of previous tales (see Born of Night). Filled with action and plenty of humor, fans of the saga will enjoy this fine finish as Kell meets his equal in Alix. Readers will enjoy this strong rewriting of the Ichidian Universe even if Merjack a bit over the top of Olympus Mons with his degree of hatred surpassing the hottest sun.

Harriet Klausner