Review: River Road by Suzanne Johnson

Hello! Hope you are all fantastically well...I've been up since 4.30am in order to get to work so naturally my day could have started better ;) but anyway...today I'm part of a tour for Suzanne Johnson's newest release RIVER ROAD! Now, I don't know how many of you have read book 1 in the Sentinels of New Orleans series (Royal Street) but I did and I really enjoyed it...so when I was offered the opportunity to review book 2, I jumped at the chance! Later today there will also be an Interview + Giveaway with the marvellous lady herself, Suzanne Johnson, plus your chance to win some amazing goodies! Well then, what are we waiting for? Lets crack on!

Title: River Road
Author: Suzanne Johnson
Publisher: Headline (UK) | Tor Books (US)
Release Date: 22nd November 2012 (UK)* | 13th November 2012 (US)
Series: Sentinels of New Orleans Series, book 2
Source: I received an ARC of this book via Bewitching Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.
*kindle edition

Blurb:
Hurricane Katrina is long gone, but the preternatural storm rages on in New Orleans. New species from the Beyond moved into Louisiana after the hurricane destroyed the borders between worlds, and it falls to wizard sentinel Drusilla Jaco and her partner, Alex Warin, to keep the preternaturals peaceful and the humans unaware. But a war is brewing between two clans of Cajun merpeople in Plaquemines Parish, and down in the swamp, DJ learns, there’s more stirring than angry mermen and the threat of a were-gator.
Wizards are dying, and something—or someone—from the Beyond is poisoning the waters of the mighty Mississippi, threatening the humans who live and work along the river. DJ and Alex must figure out what unearthly source is contaminating the water and who—or what—is killing the wizards. Is it a malcontented merman, the naughty nymph, or some other critter altogether? After all, DJ’s undead suitor, the pirate Jean Lafitte, knows his way around a body or two.
It’s anything but smooth sailing on the bayou as the Sentinels of New Orleans series continues.

Review:
First line: 'The minute hand of the ornate grandfather clock crept like a gator stuck in swamp mud. I’d been watching it for half an hour, nursing a fizzy cocktail from my perch inside the Hotel Monteleone.'
First of all, I have to have a little cover love right here! As much as I loved ROYAL STREET'S cover I think I may like this one more, if it's possible. I'm liking the fact that Charlie is featured (a.k.a. DJ's mysterious glowing elven staff) because that is the aspect of the series that intrigues me the most, what is Charlie, where did he come from...and why can DJ wield him? I'm glad to say that some of these questions are looking a little closer to being completely answered...but I won't spoil it so moving on...As I mentioned earlier, I really enjoyed the first book in the Sentinels of New Orleans series, and I enjoyed RIVER ROAD even more! The few niggles I had with book 1 are straightened out and I got to watch the characters I loved so much grow even more...they're worming their way into my heart ;)

This chapter of the Sentinels of New Orleans series takes place 3 years after the events of ROYAL STREET, and thereby 3 years after Katrina. Drusilla Jaco (DJ) is the Sentinel Wizard for New Orleans, meaning her and her partner Alex keep the supernatural world in line and settle any disputes...disputes such as the war looming between two rival clans of Merpeople inhabiting the rivers of New Orleans. Someone has poisoned the river, causing members of both clans to become ill. Naturally, they blame each other. On the one side we have Rene Delachaise, the smooth talking, incredibly handsome leader of the Delachaise clan...and on the other Denis Villere, the grumpy old, shotgun toting leader of the Villere clan. This dispute allows the reader to really see how much DJ has obviously grown into her role as sentinel over the last three years though you can see that the events of Royal Street still way heavily on her. The death and betrayal of Gerry, her mentor and biological father still hits her hard. DJ is just waiting for everyone around her to leave, as they have done before..no-one has stayed around her for long. The longest was Gerry...and that didn't exactly end well. No, DJ still can give herself 100% to someone else because of that deep seated fear of abandonment. That being said, she's smart, funny and ready to kick butt if necessary ..but if that can be avoided by say, buying hundreds of dollars worth of seafood then that's what she'll do ;)

A dark braid flew above the fray before a hand grabbed it and used it for leverage to throw a punch. Denis Villere had indeed appeared from somewhere, and he and one of the twins— Rene, I thought— were beating the crap out of each other. Libby played the role of wanton cheerleader. Jean struggled to separate them, and ended up with a fist to his nose. Instead of stopping the fight, he shouted French epithets
I couldn't understand, and decked Denis with a powerful round house punch. Great. The three men separated briefly before Denis took another lunge at Jean, Rene tried to get between  them, and all three toppled over the side of the boat with a leviathan splash.
I briefly considered letting them kill each other. It would solve all kinds of problems— Rene and Denis would be out of my hair, and Jean would go back to the Beyond to lick his wounds a couple of weeks before coming back good as new. But then the war would just mutate to Robert and T-Jacques.

Not only do DJ and Alex have to deal with murderous Merpeople but wizards are dying along the banks of the river, Green Congress wizards, and it's up to the duo to tackle that as well. There is an almost perfect balance of magic and investigative work that compliment each other beautifully, Alex being the investigator and DJ being...well...the magic, even if it sometimes a tad destructive. We hear more from the Elders since they are not ready to let DJ handle sentinel without some supervision, especially with the newly relaxed border regulations between the Beyond and New Orleans. Plus Jean Laffite is still being a pain in DJ's backside...though admittedly a seriously sexy, French speaking, completely lickable pain ;)

Now, I can't quite work out if this next part is something I like, or if it just frustrates me. I STILL AM NOT 100% SURE WHO DJ IS DATING...IF ANYONE! It's like a love quadrangle...with more people possibly being added to it as I kept reading. The three main contenders as far as I can tell are:
1) Alex - DJ's partner and friend. The shapeshifter who helped her through what must have been the toughest year of her life...the time Gerry was missing and subsequently all the revelations and consequences. I don't know what Alex feels exactly, I think he feels something for DJ but isn't sure what to do about it. Though he does seem to become very jealous whenever DJ spends time with Jean Laffite, or Jake...or Rene...come to think of it, any male presence makes him jealous, that's got to mean something...right?
2) Jean Laffite - Now, I think Jean and Alex are the two main contenders for DJ's heart. Where Alex walks the straight and narrow, Jean...is well...Jean. He's a pirate. A 200 year old French speaking pirate, who doesn't know anything about modern technology and can't drive for shit...oh, and also has views on a woman's place that have no business being in the 21st centuary. That being said, daymn that man is hot! What I wouldn't give to have a gorgeous man whispering French in my ear...come on DJ!
3) Jake - Alex's cousin, the ex-marine and now Loup-Garou. After being bitten at the end of Royal Street, Jake's introduction to the preternatural was anything but smooth. As a werewolf, he blamed DJ for the events that lead to his turning...or at least, lying to him about what was really out there. Jake hadn't spoken to DJ since that night but he's back. I didn't know quite what to make of his return but he could still be one to watch in the race to woo the lovely DJ.

I'm not the biggest fan of love triangles, but I have to admit, this one is done pretty well...you don't get that cheesy feeling you do with some and you know what, I actually do like not knowing who DJ will end up with...keeps me guessing, and if we have to put up with hot men stripping off while we figure things out then I guess we'll just have to suffer ;)

Oh and one last thing to leave you with...this made me giggle so I thought I'd share :)

Alex stopped, sweeping his eyes from my face to where my feet balanced on the coffee table in their fuzzy blue socks. “What the hell are you wearing?”
I looked down at my black sleepshirt featuring the movie cast on the front and the pants emblazoned with Gryffindor logos. “Well, crap. Now the matching Harry Potter PJs I bought you for Christmas won’t be a surprise.”
Chuckling, he flopped on the sofa next to me. “I thought you hated Harry Potter.”
“I don’t hate Harry Potter. I am jealous of Harry Potter,” I said. “He can do too many cool things I can’t.”

I enjoyed RIVER ROAD, Suzanne Johnson has made it so that you become so invested in her world and characters that you want to jump straight into the book and save them all from harm! The series still has some aspects yet to be explored and I look forward to book 3 where hopefully all shall be revealed!

My Rating: 4/5  

Review: Dark Light of Day by Jill Archer

HI! Yep, I'm here...sorry I seem to be doing another absent blogger phase but I have a rather long dissertation/research project that is taking up rather large chunks of my time...plus I've started placement again, Intensive Care this time...which is stressing me out to say the least! But anyway, today I'm part of yet another superb tour hosted by Bewitching Book Tours. This time I was intrigued by the blurb for DARK LIGHT OF DAY by Jill Archer...I'm loving the demon based novels right now!

Title: Dark Light of Day
Author: Jill Archer
Publisher: ACE
Release Date: September 25th 2012
Series: Noon Onyx series, book 1
Source: I received this e-copy via NetGalley from the publishers as part of a Bewitching Books Tour.

Blurb:

Armageddon is over. The demons won. And yet somehow…the world has continued. Survivors worship patron demons under a draconian system of tributes and rules. These laws keep the demons from warring among themselves, the world from slipping back into chaos.
Noon Onyx grew up on the banks of the river Lethe, daughter of a prominent politician, and a descendant of Lucifer’s warlords. Noon has a secret—she was born with waning magic, the dark, destructive, fiery power that is used to control demons and maintain the delicate peace among them. But a woman with waning magic is unheard of and some will consider her an abomination.
Noon is summoned to attend St. Lucifer’s, a school of demon law. She must decide whether to declare her powers there…or attempt to continue hiding them, knowing the price for doing so may be death. And once she meets the forbiddingly powerful Ari Carmine—who suspects Noon is harbouring magic as deadly as his own—Noon realizes there may be more at stake than just her life.

Review:
First Line: 'The wind whipping across my face made it feel like I'd just scrubbed with camphor and bits of glass.'
Dark Light of Day is set in the country of Halja, and it was here that the war between Lucifer's army and the Saviour's army was fought. Only this time...good didn't win. But it has been 2,000 years since that fateful battle has fought and the people of Halja have moved on and leant to live with the demon next door. I find this concept fascinating, I honestly don't think I've ever read anything where the war is over and the evil side won...end of. That's what drew me to this book in the first place. The concept brilliant and the world building that Jill Archer uses is amazing, the powers of those with Waxing and Waning magic (which if I tried to describe would probably just confuse people but in context to the book, works really well) are amazingly detailed and just bring the whole book into another level of reality. I have to say that I didn't really get much of a sense of time, as in due to the vast differences between their world and ours...the magic...the names for things...I couldn't really pinpoint a time in out history where this setting would fit. And I like that, discovering an entirely new way of thinking and order is pretty cool for me so I enjoyed just learning the world Noon and others like her inhabit.

This new and fantasy world while taking some time to get to grips with, never smothered me. It's one this I absolutely hate in a book when you can't just enjoy yourself because you have to keep stopping to connect the dots or flick back to some obscure reference 30 pages earlier to understand the part you just read. That seriously short circuits my temper, thankfully Jill Archer never triggered my famous annoyance :) DARK LIGHT OF DAY was just fun and enjoyable read to sink straight into!

So we've fast forwarded 2,000 years from the war, and meet Nouiomo Onyx, a 21 year old girl just about to start her first day at St Lucifer's academy. There's only one problem...Noon has Waning magic, and she's a girl. It's not really heard of in Halja so needless to say Noon feels like a freak. So much so that she is debating whether or not to declare her magic at the academy. There's one tiny problem though. If Noon does not declare her magic by a certain day of her 21st year...she can be put to death. I don't think Noon has ever really accepted who she is or the power her magic gives her. Her Waning magic causes death and destruction all around her, she can't walk into a garden without all the plant life dying before her eyes. Noon would give anything to have healing (Waxing) magic, like her mother and Night (her twin brother) but instead she's stuck with her father's legacy...and Noon will do all she can to alter her destiny.

While I generally liked Noon's character she does make some idiotic decisions ..mostly because she can't accept who she is. Noon's insistence that she would never fit in, never be looked upon as anything less than a freak leads to some horrible decision making but for the most part I did enjoy her character. Especially after she meets Ari. Earlier in the book we meet an Angel called Peter, who has lived next door to Noon for years, and I thought he would be the main romantic interest. However Peter appears to never really have accepted Noon as the woman she is. He is insistent on finding a spell to give Noon the Waxing (healing) magic she always believed she should have. Ari however, takes Noon for who she is, and I think his acceptance makes Noon believe in herself and her magic more than she ever has before. And I enjoyed watching Noon have mini revelations over the course of the book.

DARK LIGHT OF DAY is more along the adult lines...because yes, there is sex involved  while not the most explicit sex scenes I've ever read, detail is there ;) though I imagine teens who are sort of getting used to the more adult content of some books would find it ok.

All in all, I think DARK LIGHT OF DAY is a new and interesting concept, I liked the characters and loved the world building. I certainly think I will be keeping a close eye on this series as it develops.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Think you might like DARK LIGHT OF DAY? I know I did, but to tempt you some more, Jill Archer has given us a lovely excerpt to show you...enjoy!

Exerpt:
“ I've been watching you, wondering, waiting to see where you’d end up. After all, there are other demon law schools,” Seknecus said, making a moue of distaste that made it clear exactly what he thought of them. “But I was happy to see that you chose St. Lucifer’s.”
Technically my mother chose St. Lucifer’s . . . But there seemed no reason to interrupt just to clarify that bit of misinformation. Seknecus wandered around the room, picking through papers, flipping open and quickly shutting the front covers of various leather-bound books, never meeting my eye. I had no doubt, however, that his attention was fully focused on me.
“So, you see, seeing your name on my List wasn't exactly a surprise, although it appeared much later than I would have liked.”
He did look at me then, with a frown of disapproval. I did my best to look expressionless because none seemed appropriate. It wouldn't do to look amused, bored or, Luck forbid, rebellious. Seknecus stared at me with narrowed eyes and then went back to wandering.
“ You've got some catching up to do,” he said, addressing a copy of Sin and Sanction: Codification & Case Law. “It doesn't matter why or what excuses you've got for yourself. You will be held to the same standards as everyone else, regardless of whose daughter you are. And you've missed a lot of class already.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off with a wave.
“Manipulation class,” he clarified. “You’re going to have to work ten times as hard as everyone else just to pass. Quintus Rochester doesn't go easy on students and he’s likely to see your absence during the early part of the semester as a challenge. You know, failing is not an option. Not if you want to live.”

For more information or to buy the book, visit:

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

website: www.jillarcher.com

blog: http://jillarcherauthor.wordpress.com

Review: Shadow's Edge by Jami Gray

Jami will be giving away a $10 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour as well as to the host with the most comments on her stop (excluding the author's and the host's). So leave me a comment for your chance to win!

Hi everyone, today I'm honoured to be part of the GoddessFish book tour for Shadow's Edge by Jami Gray. This is book 1 in the Kyn Kronicles, enjoy :)

Title: Shadow's Edge
Author: Jami Gray
Publisher: Black Opal Books
Release Date: 29th October 2011
Series: Kyn Kronicles, book 1
Source: E-book provided by GoddessFish in exchange for an honest review.

Blurb:
It takes a monster to hunt one, and for Raine McCord, forged in the maelstrom of magic and science, she’s the one for the job. In a world where the supernatural live in a shadowy existence with the mundane, a series of disappearances and deaths threatens the secrecy of her kind and indicates someone knows the monsters are alive and kicking. Partnering up with the sexy and tantalising Gavin Durand proves to be a challenge as dangerous as the prey she hunts.
When the trail points back to the foundation which warped Raine’s magic as a child, her torturous past raises its ugly head. Gavin and Raine sift through a maze of lies, murder and betrayal to discover not only each other, but the emerging threat to them and the entire magical community.

Review:
First Line: 'With a quick twist of her wrist, Raine slipped the blade between Quinn’s ribs. His heart gave one last desperate beat then fell silent. He slid slowly down her body to his knees, ending up in a strange, lover-like tableau.'
We start this book at the end of a battle, a fight that thankfully our heroine Raine has won. Her hands still shake after killing someone, something she believes still distinguishes her from the monsters she hunts. Within the first few pages, Raine's past is eluded to. Mentions of mixed heritage and being experimented on had me intrigued by Raine almost instantly...I love it when you have to wait to discover huge parts of the main characters life, makes things more interesting. 

In SHADOW'S EDGE Supernatural creatures are called Kyn, and they aren't exactly the most forthcoming type...one of the reasons whey they're still in hiding from the human population. Raine is part of an otherworldly task force (theTaliesin) ...not only is she one of their best operatives but she is also one of the 12 elite chosen to police the supernatural world. Raine is a Wraith. Part fey part unknown, Raine is a mystery even to herself, but she's a damn good fighter. When Raine and Gavin (another Wraith) are called onto two separate cases they are briefed together as these cases may be connected. Gavin is given the task of looking into the suspicious accidents of 7 men, whereas Raine is given a breach in Taliesin security to investigate. Unbeknownst to Gavin, Raine is hiding secrets that may compromise the investigation...but Raine has her reasons for keeping secrets. For these secrets will open up the door to Rains horrific past...a door she may never be able to close. They knew it was going to be dangerous but now she and Gavin are the hunted...will Raine be able to save Gavin and in the process...save herself?

Our heroine is Raine, a half fey, half unknown woman. Her heritage is unknown because her mother died in the captivity Raine eventually escaped from. Raine has had a torturous past, one that leaves her waking up in cold sweats every night. Raine's nightmares bleed into her reality when the case she is working hits a little too close to a past that she would rather keep hidden. There are rumours about her... rumours that allude to the horrible things forced upon her while held captive in a human lab. Things that warped her very nature, Raine's magic is not what it once was. Now...it's deadly. 

Raine may be good when it comes to knives and combat in general, but throw a hot, willing man into the mix and she has no clue what to do. Raine is closed off from everyone and her partner Gavin is no exception. There is some obvious sexual tension from the very beginning of the book, as if Raine has been lusting after Gavin for a while now. You get to see Raine slowly open herself up to Gavin throughout...trusting him more and more with pieces of herself. However one big revelation proves too much for this budding relationship and Raine begins to shut down again...but she wants Gavin's trust back. Raine doesn't want to have to rely on anyone but herself but Gavin somehow manages to wriggle under her skin. It doesn't hurt that he's gorgeous and enjoys pushing Raine's limits...plus they can spar together. I do think that Gavin falls into the 'Bad Boy' category...I expected him to develop into something more as the story progressed but nope, he remained firmly in the 'generic bad boy' category. I think his character could have been a little more, I think Raine deserved a little more but I guess it wasn't to be.

'Slightly disconcerted, she met his darkening eyes. She grabbed another chair, dragged it next to his took a seat and faced him. Trying to ignore the sensation of her left thigh barely brushing his outstretched right leg, she bent over his wound. Her voice came out husky. “We need to clean you up, though I don’t think you’ll need stitches.”
He said nothing. She slanted a glance up. He was watching her—like some big cat waiting to pounce. She shrugged and forced her attention back to the work at hand, though her fingers trembled slightly as she cleaned the blood off the wound, now half-closed. Warmth radiated from Gavin, spreading chills down her
arms. Her awareness of him as a male was raising her tension level—which, in turn, pissed her off.
Her eyes whipped to his. “Whatever you’re doing, knock it off. I don’t like games.”
His face darkened with satisfaction at her outburst. “I’m not doing anything.” His other arm darted around her neck. “But I can change that,” he whispered.'

I had one bigger problem with SHADOW'S EDGE. The book shows so much promise, the characters are interesting and the plot is pretty complex. It had everything I look for in a good PR, a strong lead, good base plot, mystery, suspense...I just couldn't connect with it. I don't know what it was but something just didn't catch me. You know there are those books you have where you can start reading...intending to only read for 20 minutes but you get so absorbed you physically can't stop and the time just flies. I though SHADOW'S EDGE was going to be one of them, don't get me wrong...there were places that did happen, the action scenes mostly...the places where you saw Raine most at home...but then something would slow it down and I'd find myself putting it down to go make a cup of tea. I can't quite put my finger on it but something about Raine and her relationship with Gavin just didn't always connect with me. It may just be me and in places I did enjoy it but there's just something...gah I can't even explain it properly but I didn't feel part of their story...I was merely an observer looking through a window, seeing but not feeling.

Anyway, despite this I believe this series has a lot of potential and I will keep an eye out, I was just a little disappointed with this particular book, it could have been more.

My Rating: 3/5

Excerpt

 “You’re going to have to move fast if you want to save your boyfriend, Raine.” It took a second for the words to penetrate through the static.

“Who are you?”

“Let’s just say you and I are kin of sorts.” The voice was a vibrating growl.

“Strange, I don’t remember attending a family reunion recently.” Her heart rate kicked up and static whispered across the line even as she struggled to stay calm.

The static cleared. “Perhaps because you have no family left.”

Her blood froze at the words. “What do you want?” Her own voice came out cold, merciless.

“Ah, ah ah,” the voice chided. “No need to get so upset, cher. I just wanted to let you know if you want lover boy to make it out sane, you best starting moving on Dr. Lawson’s little lab.”

“What lab?” she bit out.

There was a huge elaborate sigh. “I’m so disappointed at how slow y’all move. Hasn’t your boss found lover boy’s car yet?” The gruff voice didn’t wait for answer. “Check the glove compartment. I’m sure you’ll find what you’re looking for.”

Her mind raced furiously. “How do I know this isn’t just another little trap?”

The growl rumbled. “You don’t, but since you and I know exactly what’s happening to lover boy, I have a feeling it won’t matter. That Chet character, he was getting way too close, but this one they’re keeping alive for now. He shows promise.” A guttural scream cut through the airwaves, and she felt her breath stop. 

About the Author:

Growing up on the Arizona-Mexico border, Jami Gray was adopted at the age of 14 and suddenly became the fifth eldest of 37 children. She graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor’s in Journalism and three minors-History, English, and Theatre.  Shortly after marrying her techie-geek hubby (who moonlighted as her best friend in high school) she completed a Masters in Organisational Management from University of Phoenix Oregon. 

Now, years later, she’s back in the Southwest where  she’s outnumbered in her own home by two Star Wars obsessed boys, one Star Wars obsessed husband, and an overly-friendly, 105-pound male lab.  Writing is what saves her sanity.

Review: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

Ok time for my second review, and I've picked Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews. This is a series I've recently discovered but have completely fallen in love with. GO KATE!

Title: Magic Bites
Author: Ilona Andrews
Publisher: Ace Books
Released: 2007
Series: Kate Daniels Series, Book #1
Source: My personal copy

From Ilona Andrew's Website:
Atlanta would be a nice place to live, if it weren’t for magic… One moment magic dominates, and cars stall and guns fail. The next, technology takes over and the defensive spells no longer protect your house from monsters. Here skyscrapers topple under onslaught of magic; werebears and werehyenas prowl through the ruined streets; and the Masters of the Dead, necromancers driven by their thirst of knowledge and wealth, pilot blood-crazed vampires with their minds. In this world lives Kate Daniels. Kate likes her sword a little too much and has a hard time controlling her mouth. The magic in her blood makes her a target, and she spent most of her life hiding in plain sight. But when Kate’s guardian is murdered, she must choose to do nothing and remain safe or to pursue his preternatural killer. Hiding is easy, but the right choice is rarely easy…

Review:
This has my favourite pair of characters in of all time, Kate Daniels (our heroine) and Curran (Beast Lord). The plot is pretty good and easy to follow, starting with Kate's guardian being murdered whilst investigating the disappearances of young women as part of his job as the Knight Diviner for the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid. Kate subsequently decides that she will find and slowly and painfully kill the one responsible so begins to do her own investigation. Naturally she ends up right in the middle of a nasty situation, involving vampires, shape-shifters and the Order. The plot has many good twists and turns, that lead to a pretty interesting conclusion where the reader is left wondering if there is more to some characters than meets the eye.

Sharp witted, sarcastic Kate is a mercenary for the Guild. As a Merc she doesn't earn much but she gets to do what she's best at...killing things. She carries a sword called Slayer everywhere with her in a back sheath. Her waist length dark hair is usually kept in a plat (practicality I suppose). I think she lets it down once when's she's out to dinner in an elegant dress with heels that, having being seriously injured earlier, were uncomfortable to say the least. As for her features... well she says 'Beautiful I would never be. Striking, that I could manage', which I suppose sums her up. Kate has a tendency to piss off the wrong people including the idiotic head of the Order but namely Beast Lord Curran who she meets during her investigation. You can't tell if they hate, like or even respect each other and that is what makes the scenes between these two engaging and pretty funny. Kate has a knack of getting under Curran's skin with her retorts, comments...basically her general behaviour, and vice versa. Curran is the Beast Lord, the leader of the Atlanta shape-shifter pack. He looks younger than his 30 or so years and is supremely strong, has short blond hair and is heavily chorded with muscle. He has a handsome face but his nose looks to have been broken at some point, which according to Kate means 'someone must have pounded his face with a sledgehammer' as shape-shifters heal rapidly. Curran does not take kindly to people undermining his authority, unfortunately Kate does this with practically every breath, starting with the comment 'Here Kitty, Kitty' what she first meets Curran. He the ultimate alpha male and wants Kate to do exactly as he tells her, when he tells her....All I can say is dream on buddy, Kate is hardly a pushover. The interactions between these two never fail to bring a smile to my face. I hope they keep this up in books to come because it's just fantastic.

Mystery and intrigue surrounds both Kate and Curran's pasts and heritage as they both seem stronger than your average Merc or shape-shifter should be, what with Curran being over 5ft tall at the shoulder in his lion form...and striped somehow. Though Kate especially seems to have an interesting past as she says she was brought up knowing how to kill and it's very important to her that no-one gets a hold of her blood...something I am looking forward to discovering the reason behind.

This is just fantastically written and the characters are amazing, the connection with the reader is great, and you can't help but love Kate. I immediately ran to my computer to order the next in the series hoping it will be just as good! I'm telling you after you read this you will want to follow Kate anywhere, just to see the havoc she and Slayer will cause.

My Rating: 5/5