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

Prey
Rachel Vincent
Mira, Jul 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780778326816

Werecat enforcer Faythe Sanders and her Pride are in Atlanta escorting were-tabby Manx to her hearing. While there she runs into hunter partner and lover Marc Ramos, who was exiled from their pride. They barely purr hi to each other when strays attacked them. Both are fortunate to survive. Before they can get a second purr together, Faythe is ordered home to deal with teenage tabby Kaci Dillon who refuses to shift; which is suicidal to a were.

Faythe makes some headway with stubborn Kaci when she learns Marc was abducted and probably killed based on the blood at the crime scene. Faythe believes she would know if her mate is dead so with her new partner Parker begins a quest to find and rescue Marc. They soon uncover a conspiracy challenging her father’s alpha authority by insidious means, werecat civil war seems imminent.

The latest Faythe urban fantasy (see PRIDE, STRAY and ROGUE) is a terrific entry as the heroine tells the tale of being yanked in several directions at the same time so that she feels she never finishes anything (including quality time with Marc) to the level she expects of herself. The story line is fast-paced from the onset and Faythe is a wonderful center of gravity. Fans will enjoy the latest werecat enforcer thriller as the stakes have gotten much higher with claws open and pointed at everyone.

Harriet Klausner

Baour: Strands of Death
Dirk Vandereyeken
Blackwyrm, Apr 2009, $11.95
ISBN: 9780982006726

In the village Barnsby, Baour the necromancer stands trial for defying the Laws of God by performing death magic. The judge Reald, who is actually a scribe but temporarily appointed in charge of the trial of the century, asks the dark mage how he pleads. Baour shocks the judge, the villagers in attendance and the three priests when he proclaims he is guilty. Reald explains that the King’s Law means death if the court agrees with his statement and that he should reconsider his plea; Baour confidently sates he is guilty but will be freed by the trial’s end as he insists he is not bound by Gealius Divine authority; the three priests elderly Eldried, middle age Ignetius and young Therionald are insulted and say so.

The first witness is the witch Esmeralda who believes Baour killed her only friend Ewella. She soon explains how the necromancer became her lover, is the most powerful string manipulator she knows, and wasforced by Baour to testify how she broke the law when she brought back Ewella back from the dead. Next on the witness stand is Roaldus the tailor who also places Baour in a mixed light of death and yet no evil. The trial continues.

This super fantasy legal thriller is filled with twists and spins that even Baour did not always anticipate while he orchestrated his trial is a fantastic refreshing tale. The story line is character driven as the witnesses tells what they know of the accused and in between Baour adds to the picture. With a great final twirl that will stun the audience in spite of being interwoven throughout the enjoyable tale, fans will appreciate Dirk Vandereyeken’s excellent one sitting saga.

Harriet Klausner

White Star
Elizabeth Vaughn
Berkley, Apr 2009, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425227015

In the war-ravaged Palins, Lord Marshal Orrin Blackhart knows his guilt and remorse will remain with him long after his bones are interred as his loyalty to his late Lady High Baroness Elanore was misplaced. Whereas she created evil Odiun warriors causing death and destruction, he ignored the dark magic she used to bring these killers to life. Following Elanore’s death, Orrin, in spite of having captured the Chosen One High Lady Priestess Evelyn, turns himself in to the rebel opposition to insure his loyal men are not killed or imprisoned.

Ironically, Evelyn claims his life as hers; Orrin is grateful to the Chosen One not because she saved him, but she has given him time to somewhat atone for his transgressions though he realistically knows he will never wipe the slate clean. He vows to Evelyn and himself that he will eradicate the Odium roving the countryside. Although the Chosen One can claim almost any bounty, High Priestess Evelyn struggles with a powerful archbishop with a personal agenda.

With the devastating wars allegedly over (see Chronicles of the Warlands trilogy), the aftermath and dark evil remain throughout the Palins even as malevolence has been killed (see DAGGER STAR). The beloved enemies Evelyn and Orrin were powerful leaders of opposing forces in the vicious hostilities war that still has the people of the Palins reeling. Fans will appreciate the clever twist that Elizabeth Vaughn writes in WHITE STAR as the latest return to her Warlands saga is a welcome entry in one of the best romantic fantasies of the last few years.

Harriet Klausner

Palimpsest
Catherynne M. Valente
Bantam, Feb 24 2009, $14.00
ISBN: 9780553385762

Somewhere out there beyond the realm of the living or for that matter the dead is Palimpsest, a place you just don’t simply get to. First you must believe it exists; then you hope for a miracle, though some might insist a curse, must occur. You still might not get there as there are many strange places out there beyond life and death. To find this city beyond all, following a major loss usually of a loved one and during the deepest of natural sleep after sex like none before or any afterward, will appear a tattooed map on the skin that seems to have come from no known source.

Four strangers wake up to the map and a binding need to find each other as they begin their quest: In Tokyo is Amaya Sei: in California is November; in New York is Oleg; and in his books is Ludovico. They are heading to the ghost train that will take them to Palimpsest and a realm filled with wonder, awe and perhaps what each seeks: someone to fill the loss in their respective souls.

This is an intriguing Twilight Zone like quest fantasy, but the quest is not some prophecy artifact to save a world from evil; instead it is an individual search to find what death recently took away and left behind in its wake loneliness and sorrow warped in grief. The quartet seems genuine even when they confront creatures that logically could not exist. The support cast before the journey, during the travel, and in the city also comes across real enough to make the heroes seem more complete. Though as always is the case with a Catherynne M. Valente tale (see IN THE CITIES OF COIN AND SPICE and IN THE NIGHT GARDEN) this parable of seeking to belong to someone is complex, and convoluted making for a difficult but ultimately poignant read.

Harriet Klausner

Kitty Raises Hell
Carrie Vaughn
Grand Central, Mar 2009, $6.99
ISBN: 9780446199544

Everyone who goes to Vegas understands the mantra that what happens there stays there; everyone except Kitty Norville as a piece of the Neon City followed her home to Denver. She first realized what happened when the word Tiamat is burned into the door of her restaurant the New Moon. In Vegas (see KITTY AND THE DEAD MAN’S HAND), Kitty tangled with the Band of Tiamat, a lycan group led by a vampire who sacrificed other lycanthropes to the Babylonian Goddess they worshipped. Instead off her Bbeing sacrificed Kitty defeated them and apparently the survivors seek vengeance.

When Paradox PI, a reality TV show that investigates supernatural cases, enter an alleged haunted house; something destroys the trailer they are in and the smell of fire, brimstone, and sulfur permeates the atmosphere. That same odor arises when they conduct a séance at the New Moon; almost immediately the restaurant is on fire. The cameraman taped the incident and catches on the video a humanoid shape in the smoke. Kitty and her pack are magically protected, but the monster kills one of her people who didn’t use her potion and several innocents. Kitty has to find out what it is and how to contain it without help from Roman the new vampire in town or the city’s master vampire Rick because she deems the price of relying on either of them is too high.

Urban fantasy fans who like the works of Kelly Armstrong are going to relish the latest supernatural thriller. The protagonist is a kick butt heroine similar to Laurell K. Hamilton’s Anita Blake as both are the lead alpha of an extended family/pack. They each understand the responsibility of protecting their submissive loyal followers. Carrie Vaughn provides another enthralling and spellbinding Kitty tale although this time it pays to read KITTY AND THE DEAD MAN’S HAND first as this is a direct sequel.

Harriet Klausner