Ragnarok
Patrick A. Vanner
Baen, Sep 7 2010, $14.00
ISBN: 9781439133842

In 2197, humanity and Xan-Sskarn are at war with atrocities being prevalent. The enemy destroys worlds with no concern of the genocide they commit to the native population. The aliens want earth’s pristine clean water, which over time they will pollute before heading to the next orb they will devastate.

Two years ago, then Terran Navy’s elite Dead Jokers Captain Alexandra “Alex” McLaughlin survived an encounter with the deadly salamander like enemy, but most of the subordinates under her command died. She is loaded with guilt, but learned a lot about the enemy. However, someone high in the Terran command is a Quisling, but she is unsure who that person is as the clever traitor has made it appear she is selling valuable information to the Xan-Sskarn. Her only hope and that of her endangered species is to take the war to Ragnarok.

Although there is nothing really new here (think of Marvel’s Galactus or Star Trek’s the Borg) and the overall plot contains spins that wobble similar to the tilt of Uranus, Ragnarok is an entertaining military science fiction thriller. The action is fast paced especially when Alex tries to take the war to the enemy in honor of her fallen comrades, but a traitor has left her and their species vulnerable. Fans will appreciate the water war as only one side will survive and increasingly it looks like it will be the alien invaders.

Harriet Klausner

Jump Gate Twist
Mark L. Van Name
Baen, Jul 6 2010, $12.00
ISBN: 9781439133705

This omnibus focuses on the distant future outer space adventures of Jon Moore nanotech warrior and his partner Lobo the artificially intelligent Predator-Class Assault Vehicle. The tale contains two novels, two short stories and several articles.

“My Sister, My Self”. On Pinkelponker, Jenny heals an injured Jon.

“One Jump Ahead”. Pinkelponker has been shut off from the rest of civilization, but Jon got off planet before the blockade could be enforced. He travels to Macken for R&R hoping to forget his warrior past although his nanotech enhanced body serves as a constant reminder. Jon is informed of the kidnapping of a girl Jasmine. Her father affluent Ron Slake of Kelco hires Jon to rescue his daughter from the Gardeners who demand Kelco leave. Jon finds a broken Predator-class assault vehicle Lobo that he borrows to challenge the Gardeners.

“Slanted Jack”. Jon and Lobo become couriers, but Moore discovers his partner is incredibly intelligent with emotional issues that make the killing machine confrontational. At a restaurant in the Falls, con artist Slanted Jack arrives needing his aid. He ignores Jack but not the shyster’s client Manu who needs help. Jon checks out the Research Institute and a warehouse owned by Dougat with Lobo’s assistance leading to a secret secure basement. All hell breaks out with Jon rescuing Maggie and Jack before taking them on board Lobo. Agrateful Jack injects a chemical into Jon knocking him out.

“Lobo, Actually”. Before Lobo meets Jon, he worked with other humans not as sensitive to his needs.

This is a strong collection in which the two shorts tells the early days of Jon and Lobo respectively; while the novels are exciting action-packed though similar with the pair going from one firefight to another. The real fun is the bickering relationship between two hard-butt warriors.

Harriet Klausner

Discord’s Apple
Carrie Vaughn
Tor, Jul 6 2010, $23.99
ISBN: 9780765325549

With her dad Frank dying, Evie Walker leaves Los Angeles for his home In Hopes Font, Colorado, to take care of her father. She moves in with him, but is stunned by the attitude of the visitors who ignore her and barely greet her dad. They insolently enter the basement and leave with hardly a farewell salutation toting out strange junk. A comic book writer, Evie reflects on how the strangers are stranger than her characters.

In Troy, with the help of Odysseus, Sinon the “Liar” gets in the walled city. He persuades the doubting Trojans that Greeks gave up their siege and left behind a large wooden horse. His ruse enables the Greeks to win the war, but also angers Apollo with the dishonorable deception. He ignores Odysseus holding the Liar culpable. A furious Apollo kidnaps Sinon, forcing the Liar to become his cupbearer.

In Colorado, with the death of her dad, Evie takes over shielding the basement from those who have no business there. Hera orders Evie to give her the golden apple that causes discord and actually began the Trojan War though some say that the affront by Helen’s stepfather to Aphrodite is where it began. Evie fears what the Goddess will do with Discord’s Apple; her prime ally in refusing Hera is a stranger Alex, who conceals his agenda from the mortal he is falling in love with.

This is a wild super Rocky Mountains fantasy as Carrie Vaughn departs from her DJ werewolf novels to tell an intriguing epic adventure that includes a hodgepodge from Camelot, Greek mythology and even someone who claims to have known Jesus in his heyday. The cast is strong including the basement storage facility and the fascinating artifacts as Evie and readers learn that the victors write the mythos of history.

Harriet Klausner

Kitty Goes to War
Carrie Vaughn
Tor, Jun 29 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780765365613

Midnight Hour talk show host Kitty Norville is also an alpha werewolf; perhaps the most visible in the country. On her show, she talks with callers about Speedy Mart and its owner Harold Franklin. The discussions focus on verified supernatural happenings at many of his stores. The final call-in for the evening insists Franklin is always there when a weather catastrophe occurs. Before she can react, his lawyer sues her. They meet, but accomplish nothing.

Meanwhile Kitty gets a call from the NIH Center for the Study of paranormal Biology. A werewolf soldier in Afghanistan infected other soldiers; they were successful as a unit until the alpha died. The squad falls apart as the new alpha Sergeant Vanderman kills those who opposed him. By the time they are stateside, only two soldiers and Vanderman remain. They are held at Fort Carson, Colorado as each is out of control suffering from a form of PTSD. Kitty arrives to save the two followers as Vanderman is too far gone. She takes them outside on runs trying to show them what a good pack is like. During a blizzard, one flees from Kitty in an attempt to rescue his alpha Vanderman. Kitty learns Franklin is causing somehow the blizzard. She can see clearly that she must end the storm and find the missing werewolf before feral Vanderman escapes and the storm becomes like another Katrina. Catching Franklin would be the icing on the cake.

Carrie Vaughn continues to expand her wonderful werewolf urban fantasy mythos with an edgy, poignant yet at times amusing thriller. The cast is solid as everyone wants to sue, kill or help Kitty. However, as always this is her tale as she struggles with helping werewolf soldiers suffering from PTSD. She and the audience will be stunned with a twist as Kitty Goes to War.

Harriet Klausner

Dreamveil
Lynn Viehl
Onyx, Jun 1 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780451412881

Rowan Dietrich left Georgia for a job in Boston because the man she loves has chosen a different mate. She stops in Manhattan to look at the place she ran from several years ago and senses the old man knows she is in town. After getting gangbangers to leave her alone, she goes on her bike to finish her trip, but something hits her from behind. She crashes into a car in the ally next to D’Anges Restaurant. The owner yells at Rowen, but the restaurant owner Jean-Marc Dansant fires him. He is attracted to Rowan and offers her a job, which she accepts though she is unsure why. He also gives her an apartment to use.

Taire is happy she caused the accident that led to Rowan staying. She seeks answers and believes Rowan has them as she saw what the woman did mentally to get rid of the gang, saw the tattoos on her arms just like she has, and recognizes the smell. Taire sleeps in an abandoned hotel; fearing Father who expects perfection and might kill her for her failure.

Sean Meridan is irate that Jean-Marc allowed someone to move in next door. Gerald King calls him demanding he find his missing daughter Alana. Sean refuses, but Gerald arranges to kill a man standing next to Sean and threatens others. He has three weeks to find Alana or die as Gerald is also dying. Rowan and Sean meet, but he coldly warns “Cupcake” to stay away from him. Jean-Marc feels guilty about kissing Rowan, but makes her forget he did it. The players converge in ways that none could have imagined.

The Kyndred story line is fast-paced throughout as the action never stops. Yet the cast is strong as is the romantic triangle containing a delightful unexpected late twist as does the Taire-Rowan-Gerald connection. Although the villain does not live up to his early toughness, readers will enjoy this strong urban fantasy thriller. This urban fantasy is pure magic.

Harriet Klausner

Shift
Rachel Vincent
Mira, Mar 1 2010, $7.99
ISBN: 9780778327608

The civil war between Werecat clans seems imminent. Malone has challenged Sanders for the pivotal Chair of the Territorial Council. Although Sanders and his daughter Faythe wants to grieve the death of his son Ethan (see Prey), she will be there for her dad; as will the rest of their Pride.

As the other council members try to prevent clan war, the Sanders Alpha sends their tabbies (Faythe, Manx and Kaci) to safety. However, instead of reaching the haven, the thunderbirds catch the trio. To save Kaci’s life, Faythe cuts a deal that sends her, her mate Marc Ramos and Calvin’s stepson Jace, whom the two lovers do not trust, into Malone territory with no guarantees.

Though the plot is a bit thin, this is an exhilarating werewolf thriller as Faythe is at her best with her first person account of the seemingly inevitable civil war, her capture with the younger tabbies and her venture into enemy territory with her mate and the stepson of her dad’s rivals. Fans will appreciate her latest escapades while newcomers will seek the backlist (see Pride, Rogue and Shift) as the former student knows werewolf blood will flow unless she and her two traveling hunks pull off a miracle.

Harriet Klausner

Kitty’s House of Horrors
Carrie Vaughn
Grand Central, Jan 4 2010, $$7.99
ISBN: 9780446199551

One of the talk radio hosts on KNOB is werewolf Kitty Norville, who was forced to change on the air. Since her outing, other supernaturals that include weres, vampires and psychics have also come out in the open. Mortals either believe or think strongly a conspiratorial fraud is occurring. The paranormal want acceptance in a mundane world so when SuperByte approaches Kitty to join others of her supernatural kind on a reality TV show, she accepts.

They are flown to a lodge in the mountainous wilds of Montana with no one around for miles. At first the filming proceeds like any reality show, but soon the weres, vampires, and psychics wake up to find all electrical power cut off and three crewmen dead in the plane and three others missing. They are further trapped and isolated by silver fences and weapons. The contestants know they are in mortal danger. A natural leader, Kitty takes charge with resolute determination to kill her enemy before they kill her. Lives are lost on both sides as Kitty struggles to prevent a massacre in the lodge prison.

Romance, action, and mystery come together in this fabulous urban fantasy mindful in a paranormal way of Christie’s And Then There Was None. Kitty is an alpha Lara Croft type heroine who goes into danger with her eyes wide open and a grit to be the predator and not the prey. She not only becomes the leader, she is there only hope of survival as slim as that seems as Kitty’s House of Horrors is a death trap.

Harriet Klausner

Immortal Wolf
Bonnie Vanak
Silhouette Nocturne, Oct 2009, $5.25
ISBN: 9780373618217

Leaving New Orleans for Tennessee, Draicon executioner Raphael Robichaux is assigned to kill the ancient shapeshifter Emily as her pack fears her because everyone she touches dies. However, Raphael is taken aback when he meets the female he must kill. Emily Burke is young and is his life mate.

Ignoring her pack’s insistence he do his job, Raphael chooses to investigate the deaths that has haunted this Draicon clan. On the other hand her pack is prepared to kill both of them if he fails to carry out his mission immediately as she has killed her father and her aunt in the past year. Raphael soon realizes she also possesses healing power instead of killing power. He begins to theorize that someone evil lurks in the background trying to prevent Emily from fulfilling an ancient shapeshifter prophesy.

Emily is a fascinating lead protagonist who believes she needs to die as her future is that of a hermit unable to touch anyone; the audience will think of Rogue of the X-Men. The urban romantic fantasy story line is fast-paced from the moment the executioner arrives and twists immediately as he knows he must kill his life mate, which will kill him too. Ironically she had been the bringer of life and he the destroyer, but now she apparently is the destroyer and he brings the hope of life. Fans will believe in the supernatural world of Bonnie Vanak as eastern Tennessee is home to the Burke Draicon clan.

Harriet Klausner

Shadowlight
Lynn Viehl
Onyx, Oct 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780451412782

Jessa Bellamy is a highly regarded job recruiting consultant. Her success is due to her special skill of being able to touch someone and journey into the SHADOWLAND where she learns the dark side of a candidate that they hide from an interviewer. She hides her ability, but also knows there are other Takyn like her.

GenHance CEO Jonah Genaro has learned of Jessa and tries to kidnap her. He wants to use her as he has others in an experiment to create a race of supermen via gene manipulation; no one has survived his tests. Mattias rescues Jessa; insisting he just wants to keep her safe, but he has secrets that he conceals from her while Jonah wants her back and some unknown adversary prefers both dead.

Expanding the world of the Darkyn with a SHADOWLIGHT into the Kyndred, Lynn Viehl provides her fans with an even more complex realm in her latest enjoyable urban romantic fantasy. The story line is fast-paced and filled with plenty of suspense as Jonah plots to harvest Jessa’s DNA while Mattias plans to protect her though he also has other secret plans for her. With a strong lead couple and a terrific in a macabre sense villain, SHADOWLIGHT unveils a dramatic thrilling twist.

Harriet Klausner

My Soul To Take
Rachel Vincent
Harlequin Teen, Aug 2009, $9.99
ISBN: 9780373210039

Though underage, Kaylee Cavanaugh sneaks into the Taboo club for people eighteen and over thanks to the voluptuous statuesque Marshall sisters. The teen feels great especially when Eastlake High School hottie Nash Hudson dances with her instead of beautiful Emma. However, abruptly she senses someone is about to die and when that happens to her she has a deep need to scream at the top of her lungs. Nash calms her down, but a humiliated Kaylee cannot understand what is happening to her; as this is not the first time she had this deep urge.

She tells Nash that a nearby strawberry blond is “darker” than everyone else and will soon die. The next day she is dead. Nash explains to Kaylee that banshees love to scream when someone is about to die and she is a banshee. He also explains who he is or at least his species. They begin dating and the kisses have Kaylee screaming louder than a banshee. However, the pair also has to stop a serial killer as the grim reaper seems t be focused on Eastlake High School. Of course there is still trig.

The “second” Soul Screamers teen urban fantasy (see My Soul to Lose novella prequel that can be downloaded for free from the net) is a fun tale starring a bewildered heroine and the hunk who helps her adjust thanks to his soothing voice while also displaying his attraction to her. Fast-paced from the opening club scene and filled with twists, fans will enjoy Rachel Vincent’s strong entry due to Kaylee who saves a soul and a life, falls in love, but has to study for her history exam.

Harriet Klausner