New Releases ~ week 04/02/2018

A Magical Match by Juliet Blackwell (#10 Witchcraft Mystery)

Advice Column Murder by Leslie Nagel (#3 OakWood Mysteries)
Billionaire for Hire by Cat Johnson (#1 For Hire)
Blood Veil by Megan Erickson (#2 Mission)
Cavanaugh Vanguard by Marie Ferrarella (#37 Cavanaugh Justice)
Cave of Bones by Anne Hillerman (#22 Leaphorn & Chee)
Cinco De Murder by Rebecca Adler (#3 A Taste of Texas)
Claim Me, Cowboy by Maisey Yates (#12 Copper Ridge)
Death by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge (#1 By the Sea Mystery Series)
Defy the Worlds by Claudia Gray (#2 Constellation)
Elizabeth, Protector of Dragons by Ava Mason (#5 Fated Alpha)
Fearless in Texas by Kari Lynn Dell (#4 Texas Rodeo)
Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence (#2 Book of the Ancestor)
Hard Aground by Brendan DuBois (#11 Lewis Cole)
Hold Back The Dark by Kay Hooper (#18 The Bishop/Special Crimes Unit)

Infamous by Alyson Noel (#3 Beautiful Idols)
Lost Books and Old Bones by Paige Shelton (#3 The Scottish Bookshop Mystery)
Miss Julia Raises the Roof by Ann B Ross (#20 Miss Julia)
Montana Lawman Rescuer by Linda Ford (#7 Big Sky Country)
Muse in Lingerie by Penelope Sky (#1 Lingerie)
Never Been Good by Christi Barth (#2 Bad Boys Gone Good)
Pelican Point by Irene Hannon (#4 Hope Harbor)
Queen Anne's Lace by Susan Wittig Albert (#26 The China Bayles Herbal Mysteries)
Reunited with the Bull Rider by Christine Wenger (#5 Gold Buckle Cowboys)
Scourged by Kevin Hearne (#9 Iron Druid Chronicles)
Seeker of the Crown by Ruth Lauren (#2 Prisoner of Ice and Snow)

Stormcaster by Cinda Williams Chima (#3 Shattered Realms)
Texas Ranger Showdown by Margaret Daley (#3 Lone Star Justice)
The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy (#1 High Sierra Sweethearts)
The Backward Season by Lauren Myracle (#3 Wishing Day)
The Bad Break by Jill Orr (#2 A Riley Ellison Mystery)
The Barrow Will Send What it May by Margaret Killjoy (#2 Danielle Cain)
The Body Library by Jeff Noon (#2 John Nyquist)
The Bride Next Door by Hope Ramsay (#4 Chapel of Love)
The Hellion by Christi Caldwell (#1 Wicked Wallflowers)
The Knowledge by Martha Grimes (#24 Richard Jury)
The Last King by Katee Robert (#1 The Kings)
The Oracle Queen by Kendare Blake (#2.5 Three Dark Crowns)

The Pumpkin Was Stuffed by Tara Sivec (#5 The Holidays)
The Redemption of Lillie Rourke by Loree Lough (#3 By Way of the Lighthouse)
The Secrets of the Bastide by Blanche M L Longworth (#7 Verlaque and Bonnet Mystery)
The Sisters Mederos by Patrice Sarath (#1 The Tales of Port Saint Frey)
Watch for Me by Candlelight by Kirsty Ferry (#2 Hartsford Mystery)
Wedding Cake Crumble by Jenn McKinlay (#10 Cupcake Mystery)
Why Kill the Innocent by C S Harris (#13 Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery)
Wild Cat by Tiffinie Helmer (#2 Alaska Wild Nights)
Witchy Winter by D J Butler (#2 Witchy)

This Week's Reads

The Haunted House
by anacathie (DeviantArt)

Midnight at The Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan
(Goodreads)
** I love mysteries set in a bookstore. One of the "bookFrogs" commits suicide and his favorite bookseller must unravel the whys and how it may be connected to her.

A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne
Seven Kennings #1 (Goodreads)
**I keep meaning to read Hearne's Iron Druid series but still haven't started (I even own book 1). A story of warring giants and elemental magic told by a bard. Many elements that I love in a good fantasy.

Anthology Review ~ A Fantasy Medley 3

A Fantasy Medley 3

by Kevin Hearne, Laura Bickle, Aliette de Bodard, Jacqueline Carey
edited by Yanni Kuznia
published by Subterranean Press
genre: Adult, Fantasy, Anthology, 

Summary (Goodreads): In “Goddess at the Crossroads,” Kevin Hearne shares a thrillingly memorable episode from the past of his popular Iron Druid Chronicles hero Atticus O’Sullivan, revealing how one night’s dark encounter with the cult of Hecate served as inspiration for Shakespeare’s witches in the Scottish play.

With “Ashes,” Laura Bickle revisits Detroit arson investigator and powerful spirit medium Anya Kalinczyk as she, her five-foot-long salamander familiar Sparky, and Hades’ Charon pursue a destructive fire elemental named the Nain Rouge through the city’s festival in his dubious honor.

“The Death of Aiguillon” finds Aliette de Bodard exploring an episode sixty years prior to the start of her latest novel, The House of Shattered Wings, in which the survivors of an ongoing magical conflict in Paris eke out a grim existence, and one woman’s wish for a better life is granted at a terrible price.

And in “One Hundred Ablutions,” Jacqueline Carey, author of the much-beloved Kushiel’s Legacy series, tells the tale of Dala—a young woman chosen by her people’s overlords to be an exalted slave among slaves—and of the twining in her life of ritual, rebellion, and redemption.

My Thoughts: Goddess at the Crossroads (Iron Druid Chronicles 0.3) I keep seeing this series around but this is the first I've read from it. I liked the story. Found the main character interesting and enjoyed the story of him and Shakespeare going up against a coven of witches and a few other troubles. Definitely going to take the time to read this series (at some point).
Ashes (Anya Kalinczyk) This was my favorite of this book. I thought I was at least aware of books in this genre that take place in MI but somehow missed this series. I liked Anya, Sparky and Charon. Their interactions, abilities, and the overall story (even a short one) definitely peaked my interest and added yet another series to my tbr.
The Death of Aiguillon (Dominion of the Fallen) I tried to read The House of Shattered Wings but could not get into it at the time. the writing is good and the world the author created is interesting to me but it just wasn't working for me. This short worked better. The relationship between the Fallen and the people on the outside just trying to survive. Add in another creature of myth that resides in the river and the story works. I may try at a later date to read the full novel.
One Hundred Ablutions. This had more of a sci-fi feel for me than straight fantasy. The races felt more alien in nature. That aside, I've liked everything else I read from this author and this was the same. For me it fell into the old adage of "Be careful what you wish for you just might get it".

Overall Rating: 4