Top 5 Sundays #42 - Favorite Books Featuring Travel in Some Way!

Sometimes you just need to get away from it all. Unfortunately, when you're a character in a book - especially a book where magic is the norm and fangs commonplace - chances are good that getting away from it all is just going to land you in a whole different kind of trouble and mayhem.

So, without further ado, I present this week's Top 5 - my favourite books featuring travel in some way!

#5 - Michelle Rowen's Blood Bath & Beyond

After having spent all five books of the original series in Toronto, vampire fledgling Sarah Dearly and her boyfriend Thierry kick off the start of their new mystery spin-off series (or would this be a sequel series? O_o) by taking this couple on the road and relocating to the dazzling city life of Las Vegas where, naturally, their bad luck follows.

#4 - Jennifer Estep's By a Thread

After tying up the first major arc of the series, Gin decides to do what every heroine dreams of doing and heads to the seaside for a well-deserved vacation with her boyfriend, sister, and stepbrother. Lucky for Gin, she ends up in a town where her sister's best friend is dating her ex and a power-crazy vampire is up to no good. Definitely one of those instances of good intentions going horribly off track.

#3 -  Ilona Andews' Magic Rises

Yes, this book is still a month and then some away from release but, people, let's think about this for a moment: after five books of Kate and Curran staying within the city limits of a magic-eaten Atlanta, this book will have them setting sail and crossing the ocean to Europe. Are you thinking about it? Yup. Exactly. Need more be said?

#2 - Nalini Singh's Archangel's Kiss

So, while Elena and Raphael are based in New York City, they're both no strangers to travel. This book, however, is the first time they head off somewhere within the timeline of the main story. It starts off in the tropic-like Refuge of the angels - where Elena's period of rest and healing is marred by a would-be assassin stalking the halls - and then takes a trip to the Forbidden City - where you get zombie servants and, say it with me now, a would-be assassin stalking the halls.

#1 - Kresley Cole's A Hunger Like No Other

It begins with Emmaline being taken hostage of a half-crazed Lachlain who has only just gotten free from two centuries of torture. A forced road trip to Scotland ensues, with the narrative taking side-trips to New Orleans every now and then to check in with Emmaline's family, and, after a teleport and some epic battle scenes in Eastern Europe and a near-death experience and a marriage in New Orleans, a Scottish happily ever after ties everything up. Talk about your continent jumping...

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.

WINNER of Jennifer Estep's Deadly Sting Giveaway REDRAWN!

Unfortunately, May wasn't able to accept the prize and so the winner of the Jennifer Estep contest for a copy of her latest Elemental Assassin installment, Deadly Sting, is going to have to be redrawn. So, without further adieu....

  Van Pham!

Congrats Van! Please send me your snail mail address as soon as possible (you should find a notification e-mail from me in your inbox) so I can pass it along to get your book in the mail as soon as possible.

As for the rest of you, once again, be sure to scoop up your own copy of Deadly Sting posthaste and thanks for participating. I'd also like to extend my gratitude to Ms. Estep for stopping by and taking the time and effort to contribute to Calliope's Domain and its readers, especially at what must be such a busy time for her.

WINNER of Jennifer Estep Deadly Sting Giveaway

Someone cue the drum roll....

Winner of the Jennifer Estep contest for a copy of her latest Elemental Assassin installment, Deadly Sting, is....DUM DUM DUM

  May!

Congrats May! Please send me your snail mail address as soon as possible (you should find a notification e-mail from me in your inbox) so I can pass it along to get your book in the mail as soon as possible.

As for the rest of you, be sure to scoop up your own copy of Deadly Sting posthaste and thanks for participating. I'd also like to extend my gratitude to Ms. Estep for stopping by and taking the time and effort to contribute to Calliope's Domain and its readers, especially at what must be such a busy time for her.

Until next time, my lovelies, read on!

EXCERPT & CONTEST - Jennifer Estep's Deadly Sting!

THE SITCH:
Alrighty then, boils and ghouls, today we have an extra special treat; Jennifer Estep, author of the Elemental Assassins series, has provided yours truly with an exclusive except from her newest release, Deadly Sting, a great edition to the fast paced, perpetually surprising series about a (semi-retired) assassin trying to get through life in corrupt and morally rotting city. You can read my review of this book, complete with links to purchase it, right here and be sure to scroll down after the excerpt for the contest details!

So, without further ado:

Red is definitely my color. Good thing, because in my line of work, I end up wearing it a lot.

Most people shy away from blood, but for an assassin like me— Gin Blanco, aka the Spider—it’s just part of the job. Still, it would be nice to get a night off, especially when I’m attending the biggest gala event of the summer at Briartop, Ashland’s fanciest art museum. But it’s just not meant to be. For this exhibition of my late nemesis’s priceless possessions is not only the place to be seen, but the place to be robbed and taken hostage at gunpoint as well. No sooner did I get my champagne than a bunch of the unluckiest thieves ever burst into the museum and started looting the place.

Unlucky why? Because I brought along a couple of knives in addition to my killer dress. Add these to my Ice and Stone magic, and nothing makes me happier than showing the bad guys why red really is my color.

DEADLY STING EXCERPT: 

A soft, feminine laugh floated through the air, followed by a series of high-pitched giggles. Bria and I looked at each other, then over at Finn. Apparently, all had been forgiven because the two saleswomen had practically draped themselves over him by this point. Red had her hand on one of his shoulders, while Blonde was cozied up on his other side, toying with his jacket sleeve. Finn’s head swiveled back and forth between the two women, as though he was watching an intense tennis match. It was a wonder his neck didn’t break, as fast as he was snapping it from one side to the other.

“Good luck getting those statements,” I murmured.

Bria smiled, showing a hint of teeth. “Oh, luck has nothing to do with it, big sister.”

She strode over and planted herself in front of Finn and his adoring entourage.

“Bria!” he said. “I was just telling these two lovely ladies how brave they were when that terrible dwarf rushed into the store.”

“Of course you were.” Her voice was mild, although she raised her eyebrows at him.

Finn gave her a sheepish grin, but he immediately disentangled himself from the other two women and stepped forward. His sudden movement made the saleswomen teeter in their heels and almost crash into each other, but Finn didn’t care. He leaned down and murmured something in Bria’s ear that caused a fierce blush to bloom in her cheeks. Red and Blonde both frowned, but Bria just smiled at them. They all knew that she had Finn’s full and undivided attention now.

He finally quit whispering to her and straightened up, a teasing grin on his handsome face. Bria stared back at him, her blue eyes warm and soft.

“I’m going to hold you to that,” she murmured. “Tonight.”

Finn’s grin widened.

BIO INFO:
Jennifer Estep is a New York Times bestselling author, prowling the streets of her imagination in search of her next fantasy idea. Deadly Sting, the eighth book in her Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series, was released on March 26. For more information, visit www.jenniferestep.com or follow Jennifer on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

CONTEST INFO:
The bad news (because bad news should always be given first - gives the good news the chance to redeem it) is that this contest is unfortunately open to US mailing addresses only - sorry folks!

The good news, however, is that up for grabs is a copy of Deadly Sting and, believe me, you do not want to miss out on this little gem! It's like...imagine James Bond went to a high society event on his day off, but, of course, with this being Bond things go wrong faster than you can blink and next thing you know there are hostages and weapons and death. Well, it's a lot like that but with magic tossed. Now, tell me, how can anyone resist that?! All you have to do is (1) follow Calliope's Domain (links to do so are located on the sidebar) and (2) comment on this post, including your e-mail address in the message and voila! you're in! Normally, contest would close in exactly one week, but I'll be out of town a week from now so I'm going to give this contest TWO weeks. Yup, TWO! Winner will be chosen on Friday, April 12, and I will announce the winner the very next day, Monday, September Saturday, April 13. Good luck!

REVIEW: Jennifer Estep's Deadly Sting

Book: Deadly Sting

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: Elemental Assassin

Publishing stats: March 26th 2013 by Pocket Books

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Cover Blurb: Red is definitely my color. Good thing, because in my line of work, I end up wearing it a lot.

Most people shy away from blood, but for an assassin like me— Gin Blanco, aka the Spider—it’s just part of the job. Still, it would be nice to get a night off, especially when I’m attending the biggest gala event of the summer at Briartop, Ashland’s fanciest art museum. But it’s just not meant to be. For this exhibition of my late nemesis’s priceless possessions is not only the place to be seen, but the place to be robbed and taken hostage at gunpoint as well. No sooner did I get my champagne than a bunch of the unluckiest thieves ever burst into the museum and started looting the place.

Unlucky why? Because I brought along a couple of knives in addition to my killer dress. Add these to my Ice and Stone magic, and nothing makes me happier than showing the bad guys why red really is my color.

First line: “That would look fabulous on you.”

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

What I liked: The action of this book takes place primarily over the course of a single night. A night. Not even twenty-four hours. Now, I've read books before with small time windows, but Ms. Estep packs an unlikely amount of action into the small number of hours she has to work with; she even introduces new and significant characters. But that's not what's most impressive. What's impressive, most impressive is the amount of development the larger series arc receives in this book. In a single night, a mysterious future character is introduced, one who can't help but have an impact, and one who, given his/her connections, can't help but fill the currently vacant Big Bad role. Owen and Gin's relationship takes a tiny step closer to reconciliation. Gin's past tragedy is not only touched upon, but further fleshed out. Do you want to know what this book is? It's the TARDIS - much, much, much bigger on the inside than you can possibly imagine.

What I didn’t like: I want to slap Owen. I realize this book takes place over just one night and, hey, that's not much more than a snapshot, after all, but OMG, I want to slap him. I understand why he and Gin are currently on a break. I understand his reasoning and I understand Gin's acceptance of that reasoning. I mean, heck, if she pushes she'll end up with the rest of their relationship from then on tainted and overshadowed by doubt and questions. Letting him have the time to work through things on his own solves that problem. That being said, Owen didn't go into this relationship blind; he knew who Gin was, knew what she was, and he claims to have loved her. And yet he's all surprised when she holds true to character and makes the choice to save lives rather than spare pain. He had a rather sweet moment at the end of this book but, honestly, if this goes on past the next book, I'm going to start to feel like they're being kept apart for the sake of drama and suspense alone. Ashland isn't a safe town, not by far, and Gin is definitely one of the city's more at-risk (for sudden death that is) citizens. Owen needs to work his head out and fast; before it's too late and both his chance and Gin are lying cold in the grave.

Overall: This is the eighth book in this series and one of the things I love most about it is that even while relationships, circumstances, and villains change, the characters still remain true to themselves. A lot has happened leading up to this book, including the defeat of the archvillian in book five, the return of old loves and the true reunion of sisters in book six, and an unbelievable break-up in book seven. You'd think Ashland would run out of evil doers by this point but apparently Ashland is a lot like Gotham on that front. The thing about this book, about this series, is that in spite of what's going on in the story (and this was not your average hostage situation by far), is that at the core its characters remain the same. Gin will always do what needs to be done to protect her family, will always feel guilt for those innocents caught up as collateral damage, will always see herself as a cold-hearted psychopath even as she strives to protect her friends, family, and innocent strangers from the ruthless, murdering monsters in power. Finn will always be suave, flirtatious, arrogant, and greedy. Bria will always be brave, stubborn, strong, and realistic. And so on. It's that vein of consistency that tips this series from "good" to "great" and this particular book is a stellar example of the hows and whys of that.

Would I read this author again: Yes - did you not read above? LOL

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 #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? ^^)

WINNER of Jennifer Estep Widow's Web Giveaway

And the winner is...

 Margaret Ushman

Thanks to Random.org, Margaret Ushman has won the copy of Widow's Web by Jennifer Estep up for grabs! Congratulations, Margaret! Please send me your snail mail address as soon as possible (you should find a notification e-mail from me in your inbox) so I can pass it along to get your book in the mail as soon as possible.

As for the rest of you, be sure to scoop up your own copy of Widow's Web posthaste and thanks for participating. I'd also like to extend my gratitude to Ms. Estep for stopping by and taking the time and effort to contribute to Calliope's Domain and its readers, especially at what must be such a busy time for her.

Ciao for now, ladies and gents!

EXCERPT & CONTEST - Jennifer Estep!

THE SITCH:
Alrighty then, boils and ghouls, today we have an extra special treat; Jennifer Estep, author of the Elemental Assassins series, has provided yours truly with an exclusive except from her newest release, Widow's Web, a great edition to the fast paced, perpetually surprising series about a (semi-retired) assassin trying to get through life in corrupt and morally rotting city. You can read my review of this book, complete with links to purchase it, right here and be sure to scroll down after the excerpt for the contest details!

So, without further ado:

I used to murder people for money, but lately it’s become more of a survival technique. Once an assassin, always an assassin. So much for being plain old Gin Blanco. With every lowlife in Ashland gunning for me, I don’t need another problem, but a new one has come to town anyway. Salina might seem like a sweet Southern belle, but she’s really a dangerous enemy whose water elemental magic can go head-to-head with my own Ice and Stone power. Salina also has an intimate history with my lover, Owen Grayson, and now that she’s back, she thinks he’s hers for the taking. Salina’s playing a mysterious game that involves a shady local casino owner with a surprising connection to Owen. But they call me the Spider for a reason. I’m going to untangle her deadly scheme, even if it leaves my love affair hanging by a thread.

WIDOW’S WEB EXCERPT: 

We talked and laughed all through dinner. The food was excellent—black pepper-crusted steaks, along with soft, sweet sourdough rolls, crispy, fried green tomatoes, and mashed sweet potatoes generously slathered with honey butter and sprinkled with cinnamon. Our waiter was attentive without intruding, and none of the other patrons paid us much attention. Even though some of the crime bosses like Ron Donaldson and Lorelei Parker were also eating here, they merely glanced in our direction and went back to their meals and dinner companions, content to leave well enough alone—at least for tonight. 

Owen and I were having a lovely evening—until Jonah McAllister walked into the restaurant.
Among those in the underworld, McAllister was probably the person who hated me the most—with good reason. Last year, I’d killed his son, Jake, for trying to rob the Pork Pit and then wanting to rape and murder me. Plus, Jonah used to be Mab’s lawyer, so I’d cut off his meal ticket and a good deal of his power and influence as well when I’d taken her out.

Rumor had it that McAllister was at loose ends these days, looking for a new crime lord or lady to serve, but he was also gunning for me. A few weeks ago, he’d sicced a sadistic vampire named Randall Dekes on me, and the bloodsucker had almost been the death of me before I’d put the vamp in the ground instead.

Needless to say, Jonah was at the top of my to-kill list now. All that was left was for me to decide when and where to take him out—and just how much I wanted to make it hurt. My only regret was that it wasn’t going to be tonight. But I wasn’t ruining my evening with Owen, especially not for the likes of Jonah McAllister.

The maître d’ led McAllister to a table about fifteen feet away from ours. Despite my hatred of him, I had to admit that the lawyer cut a confident, impressive figure in his impeccable black suit, and his thick, perfectly styled coif of silver hair gleamed underneath the restaurant’s muted lights. Nobody in Ashland—male or female—had better hair than McAllister did. 

McAllister sat down and glanced around, checking out who else was here. He tipped his head at Donaldson and Parker, who both politely nodded back at him, even though their smiles were nothing more than mocking sneers. Not too long ago, McAllister had tried to have the two crime bosses and me taken out by a sniper at Mab’s funeral. At least, I was convinced he was the one behind that sneak attack, even if nothing had ever been proven. I was mildly surprised that Donaldson and Parker hadn’t retaliated against McAllister yet. Perhaps they didn’t realize that he was probably behind it. Or perhaps they simply thought he was beneath their notice these days. Either way, the lawyer was still breathing when he shouldn’t have been.

Finally, McAllister spotted Owen and me. He stiffened in his chair, and his mouth puckered down the faintest bit in displeasure, but the rest of his features didn’t move with his lips. Despite the fact that he was in his sixties, McAllister’s face was smoother than mine was at thirty, given his regimen of Air elemental facials. Vanity, thy name was Jonah McAllister.

“Well, well, well,” I murmured. “Look who’s here tonight. I’m glad we had dinner already, or I would have lost my appetite.”

“Ignore him,” Owen said. “Just pretend he’s not sitting there. I don’t want him to ruin our night. I don’t want to give him that satisfaction, and I know you don’t either.”

“Of course not. We both know he’s not worth it.”

BIO INFO:
Jennifer Estep is a New York Times bestselling author. Jennifer writes the Elemental Assassin urban fantasy series for Pocket Books. Widow’s Web, the seventh book, was released on Aug. 21. Visit www.jenniferestep.com for excerpts and more information about her books. 

CONTEST INFO:
The bad news (because bad news should always be given first - gives the good news the chance to redeem it) is that this contest is unfortunately open to US mailing addresses only - sorry folks!

The good news, however, is that up for grabs is a copy of Widow's Web and, believe me, you do not want to miss out on this little gem! It's got everything; romance, drama, tragedy, back story galore and an ending you have got to read to believe! All you have to do is (1) follow Calliope's Domain (links to do so are located on the sidebar) and (2) comment on this post, including your e-mail address in the message and voila! you're in! Contest will close in exactly one week on Sunday, September 2, and I will announce the winner the very next day, Monday, September 3. Good luck!

REVIEW: Jennifer Estep's Widow Web

Book: Widow's Web

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: Elemental Assassins

Publishing stats: August 21st 2012 by Simon & Schuster (USA) (today!!)

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Cover Blurb: I used to murder people for money, but lately it’s become more of a survival technique. Once an assassin, always an assassin. So much for being plain old Gin Blanco. With every lowlife in Ashland gunning for me, I don’t need another problem, but a new one has come to town anyway. Salina might seem like a sweet Southern belle, but she’s really a dangerous enemy whose water elemental magic can go head-to-head with my own Ice and Stone power. Salina also has an intimate history with my lover, Owen Grayson, and now that she’s back, she thinks he’s hers for the taking. Salina’s playing a mysterious game that involves a shady local casino owner with a surprising connection to Owen. But they call me the Spider for a reason. I’m going to untangle her deadly scheme, even if it leaves my love affair hanging by a thread.

First line: Breaking into the building was easy.

What I liked: This book unloaded a heck of a lot of backstory, tying together characters in surprising way and fleshing the history and people of Ashland alike. It was a little like being an archaeological dig where for the past six books you know, just know, that there's something more to be found here and then, with this book, a sandstorm strikes and suddenly the revelations are flying a mile a minute. And the best part? Most of the discoveries were Owen-centric. The other element topping my "like" list is the villain. This is the seventh book in the Elemental assassins series and, depending on how you want to do the counting on this, at least the seventh villain Ms. Estep has delivered. Have you ever seen the Adam West Batman series? Almost each and every  villain had a theme and took it to the extreme; everything, from their costume to their henchmen to their crimes followed their theme (case and point: there was Bookworm who had a book theme and left literature based puns as clues, King Tut who had an Ancient Egypt theme and wanted Gotham as his new Thebes, Mad Hatter who had a hat theme and at one point stole hats with their wearer included - the list goes on). Ms. Estep's villains, however, are in a hell of a lot more individualized. With a heroine as powerful of Gin, it can be tough creating a villain that actually comes across as a believable challenge. Not only does Salina drive the back story discovery, she also leaves no doubt she's a contender as well, physically, mentally, magically, even romantically.

What I didn’t like: With this book, my biggest problem regarding these books holds firm. There is a habit in this series for key points - like Gin hearing the whispers from stones, for example, or specific events from past books - to be brought up again and again and again. It's a little like reading watching Murder, She Wrote and having the camera zoom in repeatedly on an otherwise subtle clue. These instances are blended in the narrative better than ever before with this book, but, alas, still persist.

Overall: The ending of this book had me screaming. I couldn't believe Ms. Estep actually went there and had that happen. There was so much to digest, so much emotion to wade through, and then BAM! You get slammed with the one thing you would have sworn going in would never happen. I mean, heck, after the events of the past books, you sort of come to think of elements of sacred. It would be like Ilona Andrews breaking up Kate and Curran or Patricia Briggs killing off Jessie or Jeanine Frost playing the amnesia card or...well, you get the idea. Some things you just do not do to your readers and Jennifer Estep went there, did that, and left us hanging. Otherwise, this was definitely one of my favourite books to date in this series and the next installment, Deadly Sting, cannot release soon enough!

Would I read this author again: Yes - the ending was pretty much a cliffhanger as far as I'm concerned!

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 #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 #12 - Fictional Houses You'd Love to Live in!

One of my friends has an addiction to the HGTV network. In particular, she has a thing for House Hunters, or as I like to call it: "That show that walks you through pretty houses you wish you could have but will probably never afford." And now the show's spun off to go international. That's a lot of pretty houses to be wishing for. Point being, I've got some experience when it comes to dream house fantasy which, as it turns out, is a rather handy tool to bring to bear when writing up a list of fictional houses I'd love to call home.

So, without a further ado, here is Calliope's Domain's Top 5 Fictional Houses You'd Love to Live in! Someone - quick! - cue the drum roll. (Oh! And FYI - the pictures? Those are just close takes on my imagination's vision of the mentioned homes and are in no way official that I know of.)

#5 - Gin's house in Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassin series

In the first book, Gin lives in an apartment that's pretty Spartan aside from a cluttering of books, weapons and cooking implement. By the second book, she's moved into the house she inherited from her mentor, Fletcher. A mismatch of architectural styles and defense precautions on the outside, the inside is a warren of hallways, stairwells, hidden passages, and rooms. Great if you never know when enemies of deadly intent might be dropping by...

#4 - Charley's apartment in Darynda Jones' Charley Davidson series

They say when it comes to real estate, it's all about the location. Charley Davidson lives in a small apartment in the building she was brought to as a kidnap victim in her childhood. There is the ghost of an elderly Asian man standing in one corner with his back to the room and her front door may as well be revolving for all the traffic it sees - usually regardless of Charley's opinion on the matter. But all that besides, her best friend lives a couple of doors down and her office - which is upstairs from her father's bar - is literally across the parking lot from her apartment building. Ultimately, everything balances out just fine, LOL.

#3 - The Beast's castle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast

 Of all the Disney princesses, Belle has, hands down, the best living accommodations. I mean, West Wing aside, her first night in there, Belle's dinner entertainment is a musical number put on by the silverware, dishes and candlesticks. Yup, that's right, the furniture? It's alive. Not to mention that, for the first time, we've a Disney romance based on time spent together and mutual interest as opposed to love at first sight. And, heck, did you see those gardens?

Oh, who am I kidding? We all know the number one reason for wanting to call this castle home and it has nothing to do with the talking teapot. THIS is why:

#2 - Barrons Books and Baubles from Karen Marie Moning's Fever series

It has books, it has beautiful antique architecture, it offers several rooms above, it has Barrons, it has an intricate and developed underground, it has books, it abuts to a garage filled with beautiful expensive cars, and it can claim one heck of a security system. Oh, and did I mention the books? It's a wondrous, wonderful home and damn if I don't envy Mac like crazy for owning it by series' end.

#1 - American Centurion Embassy from Gini Koch's  Kitty Katt series

This is not your standard embassy. It has secret underground levels sporting even secreter underground laboratories. It has teleporting gates. It has little balls of fluff that can grow to man-size and devour people. It has aliens. And the very best part of all? It has wonderful invisible elves (for which there is a complicated, logic-based scientific explanation) that take care of the cleaning and laundry as well as ensuring an infinite supply of any beverage you can name. Literally. Add to that all the yummy aliens walking about and this embassy is as close to Heaven as you can get. You just have to overlook all the bad guys gunning for the lady and master of the house.

And there you have it! Until next week, lovies. ^^

Top 5 Sundays #10 - Favorite Book Covers {1st Half of 2012}

Alright now boils and ghouls, this week's Top 5 is taking a look at my favourite book covers so far this year. Everyone knows that old adage about not judging a book by its cover but, hey, the truth is that a book's cover provides potential readers with their first impression of what might lie within its pages. Sometimes, covers will pose the hero or heroine, other times it will snapshot a significant scene or perhaps show a collage of shadow and light, animal and human, architecture and nature that in one way or another indicate the essence of the story the book harbours. I remember reading somewhere that when it came to the blades held by heroines on urban fantasy covers, for instance, the degree of fantasy within the story was directly proportional to the length of the blade; a dagger meant low fantasy, a sword high fantasy. And have you wondered about the sudden change in cover style for MaryJanice Davidson's Undead series? Turns out the original cartoon based covers were drawing too young an audience.

All of which is to say that covers are important - very important. They attract readers, hint at their book's content, and, when you get right down to it, are works of art in their own right. So far in 2012 we've had, on average, about a hundred covers a month revealed for releases ranging as far in the future as January 2013. Here are my top five favourites so far.

#5 - Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks 

FBI agent Lily Yu is living at Nokolai Clanhome with her fiancé, lupi Rule Turner, when an intruder penetrates their territory, stealing the prototype of a magical device the clan hopes will be worth a fortune--if a few bugs can be worked out . . .

But the prototype can be dangerously erratic, discharging a bizarre form of mind magic—and it looks like the thief wants it for that very side effect. Worse, whoever stole the device didn't learn about it by accident. There's a Nokolai traitor in their midst. Lily and Rule have to find the traitor, the thief, and the prototype. One job proves easy when the thief calls them--and his identity rocks Rule's world.

As they race to recover their missing property, they find Robert Friar's sticky footprints all over the place. Robert Friar―killer, madman, and acolyte of the Old One the Lupi are at war with―an Old One whose power is almost as vast as her ambition to rock the entire world . . .

Expected publication: October 2nd 2012 by Berkley Sensation

So, admittedly, it irks me that this series has zero uniformity when it comes to its cover art, especially considering how amazing some of the more recent covers have been. This one in particular, set to grace the ninth book in the series due out in the fall, simultaneously captures the magic of the series, hints at setting and theme, and showcases main heroine Lily's strength, vulnerability, curiosity, and bravery all with a single snapshot. What greater accomplishment is there for a cover?

#4 - Out for Blood by Kristen Painter

After nearly dying at the hands of the Aurelian, Chrysabelle finds new determination to move beyond life as a comarré. That is until the Kubai Mata bring a new task to her doorstep: rescue the child Tatiana has kidnapped, or Mal becomes enemy number one.

Expected publication: August 21st 2012 by Pocket 

Every cover in this series has shown main heroine Chrysabelle posed with some sort of blade and set into a Gothic styled frame. What I love most about these covers is the artist's use of colour. With the exception of a few details - the red of her ribbon, the blood-hue glow of her blades, the gold of her tattoos - the cover is predominantly black and white. Considering the plot can be summed up using such words as vampires, nobility, tragedy, blood, geisha, blades and outcast this style of cover definitely serves to convey its essence, no question.

#3 - Widow's Web  by Jennifer Estep

Once an assassin, always an assassin. So much for being plain old Gin Blanco. With every lowlife in Ashland gunning for me, I don’t need another problem, but a new one has come to town.

Salina might seem like a sweet Southern belle, but she’s really a dangerous enemy whose water elemental magic can go head-to-head with my own Ice and Stone power. Salina also has an intimate history with my lover, Owen Grayson, and now that she’s back in town, she thinks he’s hers for the taking.

Salina’s playing a mysterious game that involves a shady local casino owner with a surprising connection to Owen. But they call me the Spider for a reason. I’m going to untangle her deadly scheme, even if it leaves my love affair hanging by a thread.

Expected publication: August 21st 2012 by Pocket Books

This cover has made my list for two reasons. Every cover in this series has been stunning and this one has a twist, also known as Reason #1 - the cover you see above? Well, to quote author Jennifer Estep, "The paperback copies will actually have two covers — an outer white cover [on the left] and an inner blue cover [the right, minus the author's name and title, of course - those are there because this is also set to be used as the eBook cover]. Basically, the white cover is a flap that you open up to see the inner cover. This is called a step-back cover. Pretty cool, huh?" Gotta love the ingenuity of that. The second thing I love about this cover is how it harkens back to the earlier ones, once again obscuring Gin's face, once again revealing one of the Spider rune scars gracing her palms, once again giving her blade in the other hand. The introduction of the new coupled with the preservation of the old makes this cover more than just visually pleasing. 

#2 - Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews

Some people have everything figured out — Andrea Nash is not one of those people. After being kicked out of the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, Andrea's whole existence is in shambles. All she can do is try to put herself back together, something made easier by working for Cutting Edge, a small investigative firm owned by her best friend, Kate Daniels.

When several shapeshifters working for Raphael Medrano — the male alpha of Clan Bouda and Andrea's former lover — die unexpectedly at a dig site, Andrea is assigned to investigate ... and must work with Raphael. As her search for the killer leads her into the secret underbelly of supernatural Atlanta, Andrea knows that dealing with her feelings for Raphael might have to take a backseat to saving the world ..

Expected publication: July 31st 2012 by Ace Books

The books of the Kate Daniels series are usually sure to have three things: a long haired brunette holding a sword, a lion, and some hint of the book's setting. Well, this book, a spin-off featuring Kate's best friend, has a hint of the decaying skyline of Atlanta in the background but that's where the similarities end. There's no hyena or other hero-hinting symbol and certainly no sword, nope, instead you get a blonde with a smoking gun. The autumn colour scheme of this cover is also a change from the Kate covers - most keeping to darker tones of secondary colours. I love the vibrancy, the hints of bad-ass of this colour, but most of all I love how it breaks from its parent series and captures a style all its own.

#1 - Alien vs. Alien by Gini Koch

Jeff and Kitty Katt-Martini and the rest of the American Centaurion Diplomatic Corps are still recovering from their introduction to Washington D.C. politics, parties, and conspiracies. So when compromising pictures arrive, no one’s too surprised. They’re also the least of anyone’s worries.

Evil androids running amok, birds of all kinds and from all places creating havoc, a Senator trapped in an ever-tightening web of intrigue, and escalating international tensions all seem tough but manageable. But the disappearance of Jeff Martini and Charles Reynolds during the International One World Festival signals more than the usual nastiness — and it looks like even ACE can’t help them.

Then new trouble arrives in old packages and even with the best hackers in the world, beings from near and far, the full might of Earth’s military, and the Wonder Twins on their side, Centaurion Division’s outmanned and outgunned.

Now Kitty’s racing against the clock to find not only Jeff and Chuckie, but to keep the peace between Middle Eastern countries, all while searching for the bases of super-soldier operations — to stop them or die trying.

Expected publication: December 4th 2012 by DAW Books

You've got a book about aliens that has a cover showing flying saucers and androids attacking Washington, D.C. while Kitty crouches down with her daughter, Jaime, with a gun in one hand while presumably her husband, Jeff, stands guard before them. Oh, and there's a bird. The stunning artwork captures so much emotion - anticipation, concern, fear, bravery, protectiveness, curiosity, love. The bright colours contrasts against the looming space ships. But best of all? It captures what amounts to a touching and typical family moment for the Martini family.

All in all, what all of these covers have in common is simple: they help to drive you crazy waiting for their books' releases!

And there you have it - this week's Top 5! Until next week, Ciao!