All Things Wicked
Karina Cooper
Avon, Jan 31 2012, $7.99
ISBN: 9780062046932

Juliet Carpenter the witch fell in love with Caleb Leigh but he betrayed her and killed her Coven of the Unbinding witches who treated him as family. Two obsessions keep Juliet going; she needs to know why but even stronger is a need to avenge what he did to her and her “kin”.

One year later Juliet finds Caleb in a seedy motel, just like the demons he runs from always do. Her compulsion to kill him supersedes her desire to know why so she goes after him with a knife, which she plunges into him. Caleb survives but feels overwhelmed by the guilt of the wicked thing he did though his motive was to protect his sibling Cordelia and himself from her coven’s power grabbing sacrifice of them. When adversaries arrive with dire intentions of abducting the girl and killing her ally, Caleb, who still loves his Jules, knows this is the beginning of his last stand to keep his pledge of insuring the witch who owns his wicked heart is safe as long as what is left of his declining brain stays rational.

The third Dark Mission romantic urban fantasy (see Lure of the Wicked and Blood of the Wicked) expands the incredible Cooper universe beyond the New Seattle environs in a stunning coming of age thriller. Fast-paced and filled with action, readers will relish the romance between two people struggling with an inconvenient truth of being in love at a time when both should be in hate (at him). Wickedly dark, Karina Cooper provides a powerful futuristic twisting tale.

Harriet Klausner

Autumn: Aftermath
David Moody
Dunne Griffin, Mar 12 2012, $14.99
ISBN: 9780312570026

One nanosecond ago everything was fine; a moment later 99% of the human race died; however over the next three months the dead failed to stay dead as they returned as the mindless indead with an innate instinct to kill the 1% of human survivors. Several of the 1% survivors reach the remote island of Cormansey; access exclusively by air ad boat, making this isolated rock zombie free for the fifty-one humans including a pregnant women. They helicopter to Chadwick to obtain needed supplies.

Another of the 1% made it to fortified Cheatham Castle. These twenty-one survivors go to Chadwick for supplies too. The two human groups collide as the castle dwellers believe the islanders are encroaching on their territory of Chadwick. The islanders invite the Chadwick crew to join them on the island as there is strength in numbers. Many want to go but their leaders refuse to give up their power. As tension mounts, the two small pockets of humans seem ready to war with each other instead of allying against the greater threat.

The final Autumn urban fantasy (see Autumn: Disintegration and Autumn: The City) is a great finish to a fabulous zombie thriller. The underlying premise is that those on power obsess with remaining in power at any cost even to their own group’s survival. With a deep look at the human need to dominate or subordinate, readers will relish this entry as only the strong survive by using the weaker as fodder.

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

Alpha Instinct
Katie Reus
Signet, Feb 7 2012, $7.99
ISBN: 9780451236098

Her pack was devastated by the silver poisoning that left all the males murdered and few females still alive. Alpha Ana Cordona, supported by her sisters and the other survivors, takes charge trying to keep the pack together and safe from further insidious assaults and the offer of protection from Taggert, Alpha chief of what until recently was a rival pack.

Connor Armstrong and his warrior wolves return to the beleaguered pack he left years ago. He knows he hurt Ana when he deserted her, but also realizes like she does too that they are his soul mates. Although she has doubts about the prodigal alpha coming home to take charge, Ana and her few survivors have little choice especially when another member is poisoned.

The first Moon Shifter romantic urban fantasy is an engaging thriller in which the wary dysfunctional relationship between humans and shifters will remind readers of the X-Men. Fast-paced, the strong murder mystery anchors the paranormal elements while also enhancing the second chance at love romance. Sub-genre, fans will take immense pleasure exploring the Reus’ mythos.

Harriet Klausner

Almost Everything
Tate Hallaway
NAL, Feb 7 20122, $9.99
ISBN: 9780451235664

In humid hot St. Paul, hybrid witch-vampire Anastasija Parker’s sort of boyfriend purebred vamp Elias Constantine lives in the basement of the home of her mom, queen of the witches. Though Ana’s dad is the king of the St. Paul vampires, she knows vamps and witches are natural enemies. Yet her mom and Elias enjoy discussing 1970s nostalgia while treating Ana like a terrible two year old for calling that era ancient history.

Meanwhile her ex Nikolai Korov the Russian-Romany rock star wants a second round with Ana, but, he is the junior vampire slayer, which makes for a dysfunctional relationship when your GF is the vampire princess. She also is hounded by high school hockey star turned actor mundane Matthew Thompson. However, relationship dynamics fade when the Prince of the Southern Region vampires Luis David Montezuma arrives; demanding a replacement mate since Anna freed Khan from a marriage alliance between the two regions or war will occur. Ana mentions she has no one to offer except Elias; Montezuma accepts, but Ana explains her dad banished them. War between the regions seems likely unless Ana can find a way to prevent the hostilities.

The boys of summer in the city heat up St. Paul as the teen protagonist finds she misses her simpler geek days rather than deal poorly with witch and vampire politics along with men wanting her. The final Vampire Princess urban young teen fantasy (see Almost Final Curtain and Almost To Die For) is an engaging fast-paced thriller as the dhampir heroine learns life is convoluted when you are the potential heir to the region’s witch and vampire thrones while seemingly every male besides Dr. Who wants her.

Harriet Klausner

Apocalypse To Go
Katharine Kerr
Daw, Feb 7 2012, $7.99
ISBN: 9780756407094

Across the multiverse, there are infinite earths with many containing people who fight to keep Chaos off their respective plane. to stop worlds colliding. On our earth, the top secret Agency consists of psychics whose mission is to prevent the chaos from entering the orb.

Trans-word enforcement organization TWIXT wants to liaison with the Agency. They vigorously recruit Apocalypse Squad Israeli Interpol agent Ari Nathan. His lover Agency operative Nola O’Grady learns her father in jail on Earth 5, a horrible place but not as horrendous as earth 3, which was destroyed by radiation. Nola must go to 3 because her brothers (world-walker Michael and finder Sean), in a failed attempt to save their dad, are in prison in a grotesque San Fran; a place that is a dark, gritty and filled radiation. Accompanied by Nathan and Spare 14, she travels to 3 to rescue her siblings and with bit of luck her father.

The latest O’Grady dark urban fantasy (see License to Ensorcell and Water To Burn) is a terrific thriller placed within an urban fantasy. Psychic powers are prevalent on some of the many earths. Nola and her family are strong psis whose extrasensory skills along with others make the paranormal seem real. However, Earth 3 makes the tale work as a grim world in which a Capone like individual rules amidst the radioactive poison.

Harriet Klausner

Article 5
Kristen Simmons
Tor, Feb 14 2012, $17.99
ISBN: 9780765329585

Following the latest war to end all wars, the Unites States revokes the outrageous Bill of Rights that interfered with law enforcement security and enabled deviant behavior; and replaced it with the strict Moral Statutes. The Bureau of Reformation enforces the laws in which soldiers brutally hunt down and arrest anyone who is in noncompliance of the strict Moral Statutes. Those rule breakers are taken away and never return.

Seventeen year old Ember Miller remembers that just a few years ago it was okay to read all sorts of books before the massive censorship and going out at night was acceptable before the curfew. Though Ember is intelligent and more important flexible in working her way around the new system, she will soon learn how naïve she truly is. Her odyssey starts when soldiers arrive and arrest her mother for violation of Article 5 as “compliance is mandatory” with no alibis accepted. One of the arresting thugs is Chase Jennings, the young man Ember loved. Feeling betrayed, Ember vows to rescue her mom. Her journey is dangerous as the legal enforcers hunt violators and predators stalk the seemingly helpless like a female teen. With her on her quest is Chase

This dark dystopian thriller will remind readers of Big Brother in Huxley’s 1984 and Firemen in Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. Ember is a courageous protagonist while Chase goes from villain to hero. Action-packed, young adults (and us elders) readers will appreciate this timely cautionary tale as the fascinating Simmons world extrapolates from deployment of the Patriot Act (affirmed by the Defense spending bill) and other First Amendment “exceptions” enabling legal censorship and much worse.

Harriet Klausner

All That Bleeds
Kimberly Frost
Berkley, Jan 3 2012, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425245804

The demonic slaughter occurs at the Arts & Innovation Benefit held at the House of North. Body guard Mr. Clark takes his charge, Alissa the last heiress muse to a safe location, but she insists they return to rescue the human hostages. He refuses saying unless the Etherlin Council president Dimitri Xanakis orders him to do so she will remain safe. Mr. Clark reminds her that the damned cannot resist the smell of the blood of a muse like she is. Furthermore he blames the ventala hybrid vampires for failing to kill the demon in Varden. Merrick the ventala arrives and easily kills Corthus the demon, who had slaughtered many. Over Mr. Clark’s objection, Alissa thanks Merrick.

Five years later, Alissa and Merrick remain attracted to one another, but each knows that is taboo. However, everything changes when someone abducts the muse and removes her from the safety of the House. Merrick vows to use every tool in heaven, hell and earth to rescue the forbidden female he has loved since she bravely shook his hand after he killed Corthus.

The first Etherlin romantic fantasy is a terrific ultra dark (due to constant violence that lives up to the title as even demons bleed) thriller. The vivid story line is action-packed but it is the forbidden relationship between the muse and the ventala that is at the heart of Kimberley Frost’s turn from the lighthearted frolics of the Southern Witch saga to this dark tale.

Harriet Klausner

A Perfect Blood
Kim Harrison
Harper Voyager, Feb 21 2012, $26.99
ISBN: 9780061957895

She may have won the battle, but lost the outcome as Rachel Morgan suffers from PTSD having almost lost her aura by unwittingly creating a new ley line that causes havoc (see Pale Rider). Feeling the weights of failure and responsibility overwhelming her, the witch turned demon decides to vanish in plain sight by deploying an Elven bracelet that Trent made. Almost everyone assumes she died in the combat.

Being declared dead makes it difficult to obtain a driver’s license as she learns first hand at the Department of Motor Vehicles. Nina the live vampire allows the dead vampire chief of Inderlander Security to cut a deal with Rachel. The ancient dead one wants Rachel and Ivy Tamwood to investigate demon-like murders of Inderlander in the greater Cincinnati area in exchange for a valid license and registration. Rachel will soon learn that fanatical Humans Against Paranormal Association (HAPA) operatives have worked on an Inderlander Species ethnic cleansing project by developing a weapon of demonic mass destruction using the blood of witches like Rachel containing the Rosewood syndrome.

This is an intriguing and enthralling entry as Rachel feels she is a magnet of hurt to her friends so has chosen isolation. She will soon learn what FDR meant when he said in 1933: “…that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” The inquiry in Cincinnati is deftly handled as Rachel soon realizes she is both hunter and hunted. With a direct silver bracelet link to Pale Rider, fans will enjoy the .latest Hollows urban fantasy as the heroine comes back from the dead to battle the toughest, most sinister, and diabolical opponent to date: the dreaded humans.

Harriet Klausner

Angel of Darkness
Cynthia Eden
Kensington Brava, Nov 29 2011, $14.00
ISBN: 9780758242174

Keenan the Angel of Death stalks Nicole St. James as he has for weeks waiting to collect her soul as he has done countless times over several millennia. The moment he has anticipated is at hand with a vampire attacking Nicole. She pleads with him to save her life; though he knows he cannot. Keenan kills the vampire instead of the human female he is attracted to.

For failing to complete his mission, Keenan is exiled as a Fallen. He searches for her over the next six months and finally “of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks” (Casablanca) into this dive he drinks away his depression. He remains wanting her though he knows she is now a vampiric fledgling, but Keenan is unaware that Nicole is wanted for murder. Nicole wants her savior, but is unaware that if Keenan completes the kill he regains his former angel essence. Meanwhile besides NYPD, a horde of the paranormal and hunters of the paranormal stalk the pair

The first Fallen urban romantic fantasy is a fast-paced thriller starring a beleaguered pair as seemingly everyone in the Big Apple wants to take a bite out of both them. Fascinatingly, neither of the protagonists acts with typical human morality although Nicole is a recent convert to the other species. With too many adversaries cluttering the overall exciting but dark story line, sub-genre fans still will enjoy Cynthia Eden’s opening entry.

Harriet Klausner