REVIEW: Maryjanice Davidson's Undead and Unsure

Book: Undead and Unsure

Author: MaryJanice Davidson

Series: Betsy Taylor, Vampire Queen

Publishing stats: August 6th 2013 by Berkley Hardcover

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Cover Blurb: It’s no surprise to Betsy that her trip to Hell with her sister Laura landed them in hot water. Betsy isn’t exactly sorry she killed the Devil but it’s put Laura in a damnable position: assuming the role of Satan (she may not have the training but she looks great in red)—and in charge of billions of souls as she moves up in the world. Or is that down?

But Betsy herself is in an odd new position as well—that of being a responsible monarch suddenly in charge of all things more earth-bound: like her vampire husband Sinclair who has gone from relieved to ecstatic to downright reckless now that he can tolerate sunlight. And if Sinclair isn’t enough to contend with, Betsy’s best friend Jessica is in her sixth (and hopefully last) trimester. Considering she’s been pregnant for eighteen months, she’s become a veritable encyclopedia of what not to expect when you’re expecting. Oh, the horror…

And speaking of growing pains, Betsy and Sinclair’s adopted little BabyJon is finally starting to walk. And if the increasingly unpredictable toddler is anything like his extended family, precisely where he’s headed is anyone’s guess.

First line: “The devil's dead, and the Antichrist is pissed.”

***** If you're behind on the series, below may contain minor spoilers *****

What I liked: Like in the second and eighth books of this series, this book featured a sprinkling of chapters told from a perspective other than Betsy, the regularly scheduled narrator. Not only does this let the reader in on information Betsy wouldn't be privy to, it also allows for other characters to be fleshed out and gives direct insight into their psyches. The treat here was that the character sharing the spotlight with Betsy this time around was none other than Eric Sinclair. It was surprising; I didn't expect the tone his thoughts took, didn't anticipate the emotions driving his actions, and most certainly didn't see that last twist coming until it had run me over and backed up to wham me again. Which, really, is par for the course where Sinclair is concerned.

What I didn't like: This books featured events that are no doubt going to have a huge impact on the future of the series. Unfortunately, they all happen at the end. Until that point it's basically Betsy planning Thanksgiving, Betsy fretting over her relationship with Laura, Jessica being pregnant, Sinclair being in the sun and, oh yeah, Betsy goes to Hell. It's literally the last three chapters that contain all action, so to speak. Don't get me wrong, the lead up is funny as all sin, but it just seems like a splash of ordinary life with OMFGPLOTPOINTS! tacked on the end.

Overall: I love this series; it's quirky, it's funny, it's surprising, it's innocent. No matter how bad things get, they'll always get better. No matter the tragedy, the betrayal, the horror, or the body count, sooner or later it clears up and bright skies shine through. I love the MaryJanice Davidson brand of comedy; her books never fail to have me laughing out loud, be they Betsy, Fred the Mermaid, or Alaskan Royalty. This book was by no means my least favourite (Undead and Unworthy still holds that claim - between a geographically divided cast, psycho Laura, and judgmental werewolves the plot was just too...un-Betsy), but I was disappointment by the pace of events. It was a little like going to a Spiderman movie where Spiderman only gets twenty minutes of air time (Oh, wait, that's happened - thanks a lot Spiderman 2). Point being, it was a good book, funny and with a great ending, but its flow of action left much to be desired.

Would I read this author again: Yes - she's hilarious.

My rating: ☺☺☺/5

To purchase the book for yourself, you can find it at Chapters.Indigo.ca, Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, or The Book Depository. Enjoy!

Top 5 Sundays #41 - Best Book Sidekicks!

Ah, sidekicks. They aren't the ones to save the day or get the girl and if a villain targets them it's more because the villain's looking for an indirect strike against the hero than as a proactive move against a real threat. Yup, it's a hard role, that of the sidekick, but also more important than you'd think. After all, When you're not being held captive or threatened, you're supporting the hero (or heroes) in a whole slew of ways, including emotionally, physically, and, yup, even comically. Not everyone can be a sidekick, it takes a special kind of person, one with the sort of personality that can shine through to the bright side even when tied to a chair with a sword blade to their throat.

Which brings us to this week's Top 5 Best Book Sidekicks!

#5 - Finn Lane from The Elemental Assassin series by Jennifer Estep

He's not just Gin's brother, he's her source for all the gossip and cold hard facts she could ever hope for on her targets, a crack shot, and better-than-reliable back-up. Add to that the fact that Finn well and truly understands his sister, that he supports her unconditionally yet isn't afraid to call her on her BS and, really, what more could a first class assassin ask for?

#4 - Ilianna and Tao from The Dark Angels series by Keri Arthur

I could tell you about how this trio has a awesome relationship of many forms; they're business partners in a restaurant, they're roommates, they're friends, they're family. I could tell you about how they have complimentary skill sets and a stronger-than-steel bond. But, really, what makes Ilianna and Tao such great sidekicks is their willingness to have Coca Cola at the ready when Risa returns from a hard day of butt kicking.

#3 - Jess, Marc, Tina, Sinclair, Nick, Antonia, Garrett and more from Betsy Taylor, Vampire Queen series by Maryjanice Davidson

In the beginning, it was just Betsy and her best friend Jess. Then she saved Marc from his almost-suicide. And then she fell in love Sinclair who came as a matched set with his majordomo Tina. And then the werewolves found out about her and sent one of their own, Antonia, as a sort of ambassador-cum-babysitter-cum-spy. And  then Antonia fell in love with Garrett, a slowly recovering vamp savage. And then Jess got together with Nick. And on it went until her house had more in common with the Hotel California than 1313 Mockingbird Lane.

#2 - Cookie from Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones

Technically, she's Charlie's assistant. And next door neighbour. And best friend. And cheerleader. And fan club president. And alibi. Okay, so the list goes on a bit long. Putting up with a boss/friend/neighbour/so on who is the Grim Reaper and frequently targeted for death is no easy thing, but Cookie pulls it off superbly.

#1 - Pony from Elfhome series by Wen Spencer

When he first pops up in  the first book, he's just a random elf assigned to guard the newly elfin Tinker. By the book's end, however, he's become so much more, willingly binding himself to Tinker in ways that are still being made clear two books later. He's an awesome blend of big brother, best friend, and sexual tension, all wrapped up in a pretty package with a gooey, golden-hearted centre.

Top 5 Sundays #31 - Books/Series You Have Read More Than Once!

There are always books you go back to, books where the characters are like old friends, the world a familiar safe haven, and the events a well worn path. Books in and of themselves are escapes, but these books are more than just escapes - they're like visits to your favourite vacations spots, where every scene is a different sort of salve for whatever your mood might require.

So, without further ado, here are Calliope's Domain's Top 5 (although, believe me when I say there are more - many, many, many more!) Books/Series I Have Read More Than Once! Enjoy.

#5 - Black Jewel Trilogy by Anne Bishop

Three books that chronicle the life of a world's saviour as she grows from childhood to womanhood through the eyes of the family that loves her. It has angst, pain, tragedy, suffering, light, happiness, love, devotion - it runs the gamut back and forth over and over again yet somehow still finds it way to a happy ending. What's not to love about that?

#4 - Betsy Taylor, Vampire Queen series by Maryjanice Davidson

These books are hilarious. Betsy is a self-centered, shoe-obsessed, foul-mouthed, tried-and-true dumb blonde who, after an unfortunate run-in with a Aztec and a series of unfortunate events, finds herself the vampire queen of the dead. Somehow, in between all the sarcasm and comic relief, there's an actual story that unfolds that dances the line between the dramatic and the wacky.

#3 - Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews

I love Kate's journey. In the beginning, she's a tough and miserable loner. As the books progress, however, she became more open, more caring and dedicated to the people in her life; heck, she even fell in love. And each step along that path is another nugget of emotional drama as comforting and familiar as a warm blanket on a cold day.

#2 - Guild Hunters series by Nalini Singh

Alright, so the first books were a little rocky but once Elena finds some closure on her past in the second book, the subsequent stories have been phenomenal. Not to mention the depth and intricacies involved in the emotional development going on in these pages. Oh, but, honestly, who am I kidding? These are books about strong, powerful men - men so powerful, so intimidating that they not only top the charts, they blow it into a whole new scale. And these books give you a front row seat as these scary-as-sin-and-twice-as-hot heroes finds themselves vulnerable to the love of the right woman. Cue the dreamy sigh here.

#1 - The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning

To quote Belle, this book has it all - far-off places, daring swordfights, magic spells, a prince (if you're flexible with the definition that is) in disguise - and enough drama to keep a drama vampire like myself sated for a decade! Mac is the perfect narrator; she starts off naive and ignorant and over the course of the subsequent books not only grows in both physical and mental strength, but knowledge too. Through Mac readers are introduced to a world that gets darker, larger and weirder with every page. And Barrons and V'lane don't hurt either!

Top 5 Sundays #24 - Series or Author That Make You Forget/Ignore Your TBR!

This week's topic on Top 5 Sundays are those series and authors I just can't wait for and absolutely, positively MUST read just as soon as I can, to hell with what other books might be waiting! This is probably something any bibliophile can relate to - heck, anyone who has ever waited in line for admittance to a night club can relate. Sometimes, no matter how good you look, someone (or something) else for one reason or another simply jumps ahead.

Here's my Top 5 and the reasons why; hope you enjoy!

#5 - MetaWars series by Kelly Meding

The interesting thing about this series is that it reads like a comic book. The plot is simple: a group of young adults suddenly have their former powers return to them after they mysteriously vanished fifteen years earlier and decide to band together to rebuild the tarnished reputation superheroes have incurred since the aftermath of the last great hero/villain super match. What really distinguishes these books, however, are two things. Firstly, the stories actually bother to deal with the collateral damage incited by superheroes doing battle with the villains in the middle of major city centres. Secondly, the characters are amazingly well written with complex histories, distinct personalities and engaging dynamics. It's like The Justice League meets The Middleman and too good to wait any longer than absolutely necessary!

#4 - Monère: Children of the Moon series by Sunny

These books are not that long when it comes to the number of pages between their covers. When it comes to the plot, however, these books are jammed packed, using every word, every scene for all it is worth and just when you think everything's over, that's when the story flips. Take the first book; just when you think everything's settled, a car accident orphans Mona Lisa's brother. Among the book's other points: Mona Lisa learns she's only half human and, oh yeah, a Queen, falls in love, finds and meets her birth mother, acquires two  indentured servants, is introduced to a high court, meets the prince of Hell, loses her lover, gets kidnapped, falls in love again, escapes her kidnappers, exposes another Queen's treachery, and regains her lover. And that's only the first half of the book. Now imagine five books just as bursting with activity. Yup. It's like that.

#3 - Undead/Betsy Taylor series by MaryJanice Davidson

I have never managed to get through one of these books without laughing. Betsy is a self-absorbed, shoe-obsessed air head who somehow landed  herself the job of vampire queen. Needless to say, hilarity ensues. Among my favourite adventures to date are Betsy's trip through time with her Satan spawned sister and unraveling the mystery of her zombified friend while coping with a total lack of help from her visiting future self. Wild times, man, wild times.

#2 - Charley Davidson series by  Darlynda Jones

Another hilarious narrative but in a totally different manner. There's something about Charley's tone and thoughts that reminds me of my own making for a narration I find beyond easy to relate to. Toss in ghosts, demons and one hell of a hunky son of Satan and the only bad thing about this series is the unbelieveably torturous wait between book releases.

#1 - Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews

This series has everything - a sarcastic, crazy heroine whose powerful and kickass but has a heart, a domineering, control-freak alpha whose not afraid to let his devotion show, an extend cast of developed and distinct secondary characters, compelling and intricate mysteries that draw on mythologies and history from around the world and an overreaching story plot that progresses and deepens with each book. Add in the fast paced and engaging writing and, really, there's no question why these books jump the line.

Top 5 Sundays #22 - 2013 Sequels I'm Dying to Read!

This week's Top 5 is really, really, really late because of my recent hop across the pond to teach in the London area for a year. It's also the cause for the lack of recent reviews or non-Top 5 posts. Relocating has been a pretty huge ordeal. Apologies, ladies and gents, but hopefully now that I'm getting settled I'll be back to my usual routines - both on and off the blog - soon!

That being said, it's on to the promised Top 5 post, late though it be! Almost each and every year sees all of my favourite authors releasing at least one book in their continuing series - be there one or many such series under their belts. This gives a girl a lot of options to narrow down to just five. Ultimately, I just chose five at random that happen to have had their covers revealed already.

So, without further ado, I give you this week's belated Top 5 post.

#5 - Haunted Moon by Yasmine Galenorn (Otherworld #10)

Release Date: January 29th 2013

This series rotates between three narrators - sisters, each with her own distinct personality that colours her voice and her observations.  Because author Yasmine Galenorn is some kind of bionic woman, she puts out two books per year in her Otherworld series and another book per year in her Indigo Court series.  This next installment will feature Camille as the narrator. Eldest of the sisters, Camille is a witch whose books tend to focus on the darker side of magic and have a different flavour of emotion compared to those of her sisters. I'm especially excited for this installment, given the trauma Camille suffered in her last book and the reappearance of the sisters' father, last seen when he disowned Camille for following her goddess' directive to join an Earthside Fae Court.

#4 - Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs (Mercy Thompson #7)

Release Date: March 5th, 2013 

I can't imagine anyone who claims to be a reader of urban fantasy (or any genre remotely similar) not being excited about the next Mercy book. With the last book, River Marked, having come out almost two years ago and tossing in such game changers as a wedding and a paternal revelation, it's small wonder why anticipation is so high.  Especially when this book is rumoured to bring back the vampires and vanish the werewolf pack, hunky alpha Adam included.

#3 -Midnight Blue-Light Special by Seanan McGuire (InCryptid #2)

Release Date: March 5th, 2013

 The first book in this series, Discount Armaggedeon, had everything: adventure, humour, mystery, family and even a dollop of romance. Honestly, it's that last part (and the humour and the adventure and the mystery and the family) that has me coming back for more. On the one hand you have fun and fiesty Verity, professional dancer and cryptozoologist, and on the other hand you have serious and severe Dominic, professional slayer and monster hunter - a more unlikely pair there isn't. I'm intrigue, however, to see if they make it work and the sparks that will no doubt ensue if they do.

#2 - Deadly Sting by Jennifer Estep (Elemental Assassin #8)

Release Date: March 26th, 2013

You know how sometimes you'll find yourself holding certain elements of a story - a character, a couple, an object, a place - sacred. You get yourself wrapped up in certainty that no matter what else happens, Sirius will always be there to take care of Harry or Chuck and Blair will be together forever or Leonardo will always have his katana. After all, you tell yourself, after they get through so much else together, they just have to make it through to the end. And then Sirius is killed, Chuck tries to sell Blair for a hotel and the Foot Ninja snap both katana blades. For a good long while you just sit there and stare at the screen or the page, absolutely positive that you misunderstood, that that didn't just happen. But it did. The thing is, though, is that if you just hold tight and stick with it you'll see that, yes, Sirius died but he by no means left Harry alone; alright, Chuck and Blair split but they eventually find their way back to each other; sure, the katana were broken, but Leonardo reforges them better than ever. This is what this series is about - getting through the bad to get back what was broken.

#1 - Undead and Unsure by MaryJanice Davidson (Betsy Taylor #12)

Release Date: August 6th, 2013

So, to date, our beloved vampire queen has, well, found herself a vampire, got promoted to Queen of the vampires, fell in love and married Sinclair, had various wheeling and dealings with Satan, found out her sister has Satan for a mom,  had her father and stepmother die in a car crush, acquired her baby (literally) brother as a ward, and to top it all off, time travelled back and forth and back again. The last book tied up a heck of a lot of loose ends - so many in fact that I wondered where the story could go from there - and then the last chapter happened and the whole world exploded to realign in new ways. (Brighter side, this book's release coincides with my expected return to Canada! What's not to love about that? ^^)

Top 5 Sundays #16 - Best Book Couples!

Good evening, ladies and germs, and welcome to yet another (and on time) edition of Top 5 Sundays presented by Calliope's Domain. This week's post was written way back on Wednesday night - I'll be going out of town again this weekend and I'll be damned if I have a third tardiness strike with this feature. The consequence here is that it's entirely possible that between now and Sunday the other possible topic - The Next TBR Books To Be Read! - may have pulled ahead and won the role of official Top 5 theme. It's a risk but, hey, it's also a compromise - possibly erroneous topic in exchange for timely posting.

Ah, the things I do for my readers.

So, without further ado, I present my Top 5 Best Book Couples!

#5 - Betsy Taylor & Eric Sinclair from MaryJanice Davidson's Betsy Taylor, Undead series

This couple began as the very definition of a love/hate relationship. Specifically, he loved her and she hated him. As the series progressed, however, so Sinclair began to grow on Betsy (like mold, she claims) and by the sixth book vows are said, rings exchanged, brides kissed and knots tied. What I love most, however, is the obvious devotion and love between these two despite how impossible it seems for either one of them to feel that deeply outside themselves.

#4 - Sarah Dearly & Thierry de Bennicoeur from Michelle Rowen's Immortality Bites series

She is a goofy, trouble-attracting, tenacious fledgling vampire. He is a stoic, secretive, virtually expressionless master vampire. These two could not be any more opposite each other. Heck, day and night, white and black, fire and water all have more in common than these two. But irregardless, these two work as a couple; they just click.

#3 - Gin Blanco and Owen Grayson from Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassin series

Gin's first try at love left her badly burned but her second try seems to be the keeper. Gin is a ruthless assassin with our strict code of ethics. Owen is a businessman who knows that sometimes a little dirt and blood is necessary to get a job done. The understanding and acceptance between these two are beautiful and endearing elements of this romance that really serve to put it on the map and draw readers back again and again to see how it develops and grows with time.

#2 - Elena and Raphael from Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series

Raphael is a scary powerful archangel; the sort of powerful that would have given Zeus himself nightmares.  Elena is a fledgling angel and vampire hunter born and trained to be an efficient tracker and slayer. Both are severely damaged by the events of their pasts and both bear scars incapable of fully healing for one reason or another. Together they're like a hurricane in love with a tornado; sure there's a power discrepancy, but at the end of the day the danger they represent can't be underestimated and as a team they're unbeatable.

#1 - Kate Daniels and Curran Lennart from Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series

Here we have the daughter of an ancient sometimes god and a lion-shifter ruling over fifteen hundred shapeshifters. Both have questionable sanity and a predilection for violence. And they're together. Their world should be very, very, very afraid. I mean, this is the guy who fought his way through an army of monsters to reclaim his mate and the woman who willingly and knowingly impaled herself on a magical sword to save his life. And at the same time this is the guy who quotes The Princess Bride to her regularly and the girl who, after a long day of monster managing, cooks pie just because she knows he likes it. In a word, these guys are simply adorable.

And - ta dah! - that's all folks! Until next week...

Top 5 Sundays #3 - Characters I'd Love to Have Dinner With!

Ah, tis Sunday yet again and that means, you guessed it, it's time for Calliope's Domain latest Top 5. Now, looking at the tone set by Larissa's Bookish Life, the character pool is not limited to just the worlds between the pages, which made this extra difficult to narrow down. I know, I know - I've been saying that every week but, heck, it's true! These can be some pretty tough choices, especially when I've only got five spaces to fill!

Without further adieu, I give you Calliope's Domain's Top 5 Characters I'd Love to Have Dinner With!

#1 - Jack Sparrow 

Ok, so this one was no contest. I mean, have you seen the Pirates of the Caribbean movies? He's witty, he's funny, he's unpredictable, he's...he's Captain Jack Sparrow, savvy?

#2 - Charley Davidson

 I made the mistake of reading the first book while drinking Coca-Cola. Needless to say, the coke went straight out my nose by the second paragraph. I adore Charley's perspective, spunk and attitude and would love the chance to pick her brain. Not to mention get the dish on Reyes.


#3 - Prince Charming

Now, let's be clear here - when I say "Prince Charming" (as in Snow's true love in Once Upon a Time - THAT Prince Charming) I mean the hunky hero running about the fairy tale world searching for his perpetually missing Snow White, not his real world counterpart, David. Charming was heroic, brave, noble and all those good prince qualities. David was a moron. It's an important distinction.


#4 - Jane Jameson 

Even if you ignore the fact that we're talking about a vampiric bibliophile with a head full of random trivia, a gorgeous Civil War era boyfriend, and a family that puts the "fun" in "disfunctional," we're still left with a vamp whose a best friend, wedded to a werewolf and one pointed voo-doo cursed by his mama, is, hands down, the most normal character in this book. Why wouldn't you want Jane over for dinner?!

#5 - Betsy Taylor

Betsy...Betsy is kind of like a force of nature who comes blowing through, causing upheaval after upheaval, leaving a wake of destruction, and then leaves you standing there blinking in confusion over whether or not you should strangle her or thank her. And did I mention this is the Queen of the Vamps initiated into the ranks of the undead after an unfortunate run in with an Aztec? The car, not the civilization.


And there you have it - my Top 5. Hopefully this will pop up again next week (yes, I'm still being pessimistic about this...or realistic if you think of my track record thus far). Until then...over and out, mes amours!