Winter Fae (Northern Wolves #3) by Debra Dunbar

Winter Fae by Debra Dunbar

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is one of those where I'm not certain if I want to rate it 3.5 something or 3.75 something, so I rate it 3.5 for now.

I liked Dunbar's Imp series, really loved that Imp. These side stories fluctuate in my response to them. I think there's just the one I DNF'd (previous story in this specific off-shoot series, though there's one I speed read through (1st in this off-shoot series). While, at the same time, my favorite book I've read by this author, if I recall correctly, is the stand-alone off-shoot from the Imp series that, in turn, lead to the Northern Wolves series. That specific book is why I keep reading more stories in this specific series. I had an issue with the first one because it was just an extension of a secondary coupling in 'Northern Lights' - a coupling that could just as easily have been wrapped up in that book instead of becoming an off-shoot short story. Second story, bah, I can't specifically recall now why I wasn't able to complete it, though there's vague recollection that I despised both main characters. Which leads us to this story here - the Winter Fae one.

Oddly enough, one of the other reasons that I went down this Northern Wolves series was because I had seen a description of Winter Fae and rather wanted to read it. And figured it'd be better to read the others first. Didn't really help, on one level, because I kinda dislike the main male character in this book (a guy who kept whimping, mentally, about how much of a gamer loser he is; and who kept pinching himself, literally, because this 'gorgeous woman' wanted anything to do with him - that personality got old fast, though wasn't specifically on display in previous stories, but he himself was there and not specifically very likable). I liked the female fae, though, so that's good.

If not for the second story in this series, that Rogue one, I'd say that I appear to like the author's female lead stories more than her male lead ones. Since that Rogue one was female lead. But the Imp series is mostly from the Imp's point of view, and . . . well, um, drat my brain is leaking out of my head for some reason so I move on.

Right - story - the male wolf, the pilot previously seen in the series and whose name may or may not be something like 'Dustin', leads off this specific story. While in the process of delivering people around Alaska, he spots what appears to be an overturned truck with an injured person nearby. Naturally, therefore, he lands his seaplane on the snow nearby and hops out to help. And, naturally, he gets shot for his troubles. Normally, being a werewolf, being shot is annoying, not deadly. Except these are those magic bullets seen throughout this series, and there's a good chance the fellas going to die.

Except the wolf, or the man transformed into wolf, drags self to a hidden sanctuary area. The woman who built the place finds the wolf and attempts to heal. Binding both of them together. Later she comes to realize that the wolf/dog (she's not sure what the creature is specifically) was not in fact a canine (or not only that) but also some kind of human. Since she found said man, naked, where she'd left the dog in her dwelling.

I interject to note: good grief that guy thought about his erection a lot (he, naturally, had an erection when the woman found him there).

So - werewolf meet a new creature to this series; though the reason why I wanted to read this book - the woman is a fae. And, as has been stressed, an elf and a fae are not the same thing in this series world. Fae are in there own little place, Aerie, and are largely not encountered by others.

Despite kind of disliking the main male in this story, the story was entertaining to read and passed the time well.

Rating: 3.5something

October 16 2017



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Once Bitten by Kate Owen

Once Bitten
by Kate Owen
Pages: ?
Publish Date: February 8 2017
Publisher: Less than Three
Series: None

Review
Rating: 4.98
Read: January 26 to February 1 2017

*I received this book from NetGalley and Less than Three in return for a fair review.*

The book had an interesting beginning, quite readable, quite fun then things turned on me. At one point I was vaguely on edge of wondering if this one would end up being a book I'd like to DNF (put on my did not finish shelf for lack of being able to finish the book). That's the reason the book took somewhat longer than normal for me to read - I paused it grumbling.

Then I resumed reading after days of ignoring it and . . . well - I'd say that this book is somewhere within range of being one of the best werewolf books I've read. So, that happened.

The book stars Izzy Konning, lawyer - Federal Prosecutor, and Dr. Emma Douglas, medical doctor. They both have their point of views presented in this book, and are in a committed relationship with each other (to a certain extent). Though one has a secret that accidentally gets revealed at the start of the book.

You see, during a moment of sexual frenzy, it appears that Emma accidentally bit Izzy. Oh, you know, it happens. Izzy kind of laughed about it the next morning when Emma was all sad about the matter. Then Emma showed what was going on. By, you know, turning into a wolf. Strong, sane, mentally well-balanced - upon learning that she has accidentally been turned into a werewolf, freaked out and ran screaming out onto the Dallas streets (well, not literally screaming, more like she went for an unplanned, unorganized jog).

Naturally Izzy immediately ran into two fine young men who looked like 'hoodlums'. They got into an altercation. And things went differently than you might expect (no, not in the 'Izzy turned into a wolf and ate them' way). The two men forced her into a car and abducted her - because they knew she was a wolf - they could smell her - and she was in their territory without permission. But then, that is where she lived (Emma, who belonged to a different 'gang', or pack, had permission).

Strangely, Izzy ends up face to face with one of her targets as a federal prosecutor. A really evil man who was involved in such nice things as human trafficing and the like.

Turns out Julio is also a wolf - the head wolf, for that matter, for one of the two packs in Dallas. He plans to take advantage until he realizes that, by smell, Izzy was deeply connected to the daughter of the head of the other wolf pack in Dallas - and he is going to use this leverage - having the daughter's mate - to his advantage.

Meanwhile, he'll make some money off Izzy by including her in his 'wolf fight club'.

Things proceed from here, both in a manner expected, and in certain ways, unexpected.

As I noted above, this is one of those books that, unexpectedly, turned out better - much better - than I initially thought it would be. Exciting, thrilling, action packed. Wolves, vampires, witches, fae, demons, all represented in the book.

Despite the above, there were a few issues I had here and there - like a few 'scares' that the book was heading in particular directions I didn't want to go (but then didn't, so not an issue). But there were real serious 'problems' I ran across that almost kept me from enjoying the book (and one almost caused me to not finish the book). That one? - The part wherein the dominant wolves 'obviously' are male because . . . . um . . . no clue (females are submissives or omegas). That was a somewhat rage moment for me to move past. Glad I moved past it. By the way, it turns out Izzy is quite dominat so . . . naturally that means her wolf has massive balls . . . and penis (she's a 'morph' - female human, male wolf).

Right, so, I enjoyed the book.

Rating: 4.97

NOTE: the book will be available for purchase February 8th.

February 1 2017

Once Broken Faith by Seanan McGuire

Once Broken Faith
by Seanan McGuire
Pages: 418
Date: September 6 2016
Publisher: DAW
Series: October Daye (10)

Review
Rating: 4.83
Read: October 13 to 14 2016

I was long down the road to marking this 5 stars, maybe even 5+ stars, but it is hard to do so now. Though it would be somewhat unfair to not do so for the specific reasons that are currently blocking me: the book ended abruptly. No, I do not mean that it ended on a cliff-hanger, or that there wasn't an ending, but that it ended at 84% of the Kindle file. I think I was at something like 80% when I decided to call it a night last night. Woke up this morning for a good long read and . . . 3 pages after I ended (more or less) and the book was over.

Right, so, this is the 10th book in a series - there's no way someone can come in and read this as a stand-alone. There's way too much back story a person needs to know to be able to enjoy this book (I was going to say 'fully enjoy', but just 'enjoy' works). As for those who have been keeping up with the main books (as in not having read the short stories, like me) there's enough 'there' to both bring you back up to speed and not be annoying about it (as in hints dropped here and there about who and what has gone before; enough for someone who has read the prior books, not enough for someone who hasn't - hence both the 'can't read this as a first book in the series read' and the 'not heavy-handed backstory info drops' way).

So - as people know - . . . bloody hell. I can't say anything really about this book without spoiling prior books. Right so - there's this conclave going on, bunch of kings/queens/other assorted higher ups are all meeting to decide how to deal with an issue that has popped up that is something of a 'game-changer' to how the current system operates. While this conclave is going on, someone starts killing and/or 'putting to sleep' various conclave members - and October Daye investigates.

I was being purposely vague as that's about as deep as I can be without spoiling everything. So . . ..

Enjoyed the book. Enjoyable book. Still vaguely annoyed to have the book end at 84% of the kindle file (or, if I'd read the physical copy, end with a massive wad of pages still sitting there unread). To be fair - there is 'something there'. A whole other story. Not a snippet, but a story. I think. That's the impression I got. Don't particularly wish to read it at the moment, though. And no, I do not mean that at 84% of the book the POV changed and I feel like the book ended, it actually is a situation wherein the book I had been reading ended, and there's this 'bonus' other story there. I purposely did not look at the cover of the book, book description here or on amazon, because I already knew I wanted to read this book and did not wish to be spoiled by a book description (as so many seem to do; or, if not that, then present things in a way completely unrelated to the actual book). Looked at those things just now. Nothing in the book description (on Goodreads), but the cover does have 'Includes a brand new map (I do not recall seeing a map, what map? there's no map; *looks* oh, there's a map (I can't really tell, but I think there's a guy doing inappropriate things to a goat on the map; no wait, he's sitting on a rock next to a seal. hmm. My eyes don't work.)) and an original Arden Windermere novella!' (of note: Arden Windermere is not the main character of this series, no that would be October Daye). So if I had looked at the cover I'd have seen that note. And maybe be less annoyed now about the book ending at 84%.

Right, whatever. Book read. Rating just the book I thought I was reading and not including the 'bonus novella', I rate this 4.83 stars.

October 14 2016

Fashionably Dead in Diapers by Robyn Peterman

Fashionably Dead in Diapers
by Robyn Peterman
Pages: 232
Date: February 17 2015
Publisher: Self
Series: Hot Damned (4th in series)

Review
Rating: 4.0 out of 5.0
Read: March 18 2016
In this fourth book in the series (and fourth book I've read by this author), the series returns to following Astrid (you may or may not recall that the previous book involved following Dixie, Satan's daughter).

Astrid's baby's been born and its aging/growing in experience much more rapidly than expected. As in, I think the kid was talking by two months old or something like that. Well, the book involves several 'dangers of having a child with power - being watched by babysitter' type moments. Plus 'new mothers are very horny' type moments. Then one evening (day? night? whenever), things kick up a notch when invaders do something weird like, you know, invade. The house I mean. There's yelling, screaming, death. Man, these invaders are really easy to kill . . . two are left. They flee the room. Screams from the nursery. Astrid hurries and . . . one dead invader, one missing invader . . . and no baby (nor, for that matter, are the two vampires that Astrid sent in currently in the room). The vampire prince dude . . um . . whatever the fuck his name is, he's the father of Astrid's child and her boyfriend, well he's in the room as well and he notes that one of the evil dudes who had invaded made off with both the baby and the vampires. Though he didn't specifically want to bring the vampires with him; they latched on while he was fleeing with the baby.

So. That happened. Mother on a rage. Baby's been taken. I've been vague, but the identity of the invaders actually was known more or less immediately - they are evil fairies. No not evil gay men (I make this 'joke' because it's made both in this book and series a lot; like in - haha, fairy = gay dude, or something), fairy as in the kind that's magical (not to imply that gay men can't be magical). The fairy's were there to kill Gemma, who is the newly returned (arrived/discovered/whatever the fuck) rightful queen of fairyland. The current leader of fairyland, queen bitch, wants Gemma dead.

It immediately becomes clear that (1) the fairy dudes took the baby to fairyland; (2) they think the baby is Gemma's. Naturally that means that Gemma's significant other, that guy who likes to wear a tutu and was in the first book . . . why can't I remember anyone's names? Well, he, Ethan (that's the vampire dude, right?, and Astrid head off to Fairyland to retrieve the baby.

Things are going great on their quest to save the baby, until they come to a bridge. They all attempt to cross. Winds pick up. The next thing Astrid knows she’s waking up in some kind of cabin. Listening to strangers talking. She listens to them. Gets the idea that there’s some ‘stuff’ going on. And that there’s this baby. And stuff. Eventually everyone realizes that she’s awake. They call her Astrid. She replies that she’s fairly certain that that is not her name. They mention things like vampires and fairy’s, and Astrid is confused. See, she’s lost her memory.

Overall the book was actually quite interesting. A new ‘plane’ was visited – that of the faerie folk that apparently live in an amusement park like setting, and really love reality television. There’s a certain amount of humor, a certain amount of fun/excitement/etc. had by the reader. I’d have said had by all, but considering that a baby’s been taken, as well as someone’s memories – that same someone imagining they have 24 children with a human husband (or possibly a human wife) while at the same time lusting after that vampire guy; who, it appears, has two concubines (the two vampires who had gone and gotten themselves latched onto the kidnapper) – well, not fun for them. But fun for me. The reader.

(Please note: yes I know they spell vampire as vampyre in this book, but I'm too lazy to remember that and spell it that way in my review).

March 21 2016

Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

Fire Touched
by Patricia Briggs
Pages: 352
Date: March 8 2016
Publisher: Ace
Series: Mercy Thompson (9th in series)

Review
Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0
Read: March 11 to 13 2016
Except for short stories, and short story collections, oh and all but one graphic novel, I have read everything published by Briggs (as far as I know – so many authors turn out to have written, or write under other names that I can’t ever really know if I’ve read everything a specific author has published). This is around 23 books. Including this book here. I think.

I had this specific book here on my ‘to read’ shelf since I learned of its existence. However many years before publication that might have been. I bought the book the day of publication. But then . . . I kind of was vaguely reluctant to actually go ahead and read it. Simple-ish reason – I’ve, for the most part, loved the books I’ve read by Briggs, and didn’t want to find out that she’s another author who I would need to move into a ‘no longer read’ column. Not because I suspected anything like that might occur, just that a lot of the authors who I loved from the era I started reading Briggs, have slowly fallen out of my reading rotation. So, I was reluctant to start the book.

Well, I hadn’t anything to worry about. It was kind of interesting, in its way, to read the book – and see a certain higher level craftsmanship in evidence – after reading and liking books by others of either lesser writing skills, or imagination.

*shrugs* - why am I doing another rambling review as opposed to any of my more organized reviews? Because the book came out on the 6th of March and there are already 506 other reviews on GoodReads. And 3,172 ratings. Anything I say will just drop into the sea and sink beneath the waves of others.

So I do a somewhat minimal review: 1) interesting to return to Briggs; 2) writes a high quality story; 3) enjoyable read; 4) brings to mind the difference between Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy (maybe in my own mind) – they might both deal with the same subjects, have the same ‘out there’ creatures, etc., but one seems vaguely obsessed with sex & romance (PNR), while the other might mention it, but only in passing (UF), or, at least, isn't the main point of the book. I’ve had this thought before, but this is one of the few times I’ve actually jumped back and forth between a PNR book and a UF book. Well, I didn’t read them at the same time; I mean read them back to back. Hmms. Well, I’d been thinking of more ‘Fashionably Dead Down Under’ (no this book 1) is not set in Australia; 2) involve someone who’s ‘down there’ is ‘dead’; 3) involve anything ‘down under’. I’m not actually sure why it has the title it has – yes, the main character goes to Hell, but there’s a huge point made that Hell isn’t ‘under’, heaven isn’t ‘up there’, but all three are just on different planes of the same location) & ‘Fire Touched’, but there’s a bunch of books in between. Okay, I’ll pretend I meant ‘Fire Touched’ and ‘Hell on Heels’. That one is even more obsessed with sex than ‘Fashionably Dead Down Under’ so there’s that.

So, yeah, I read this book, it was high quality; there’s no inherent need to recommend or not recommend since it’s the ninth in a series. A series that has an interconnected ‘other’ series that currently has 4 books in it. All of which occurred before this book here. So that means that there are 12 books in the combined series that occurred before this book here. And the books are connected, one thing leading to another, characters growing, relationships expanding/contracting. You can’t start with this book here, basically is what I’m driving at. So I can’t recommend it for that reason. All I can say is that if you’ve read the other books in both series before this one, then yes, I recommend this book here.

March 14 2016

Dead in the Water by Hailey Edwards

Dead in the Water
by Hailey Edwards
Pages: 186
Date: January 30 2016
Publisher: Self
Series: Gemini (1st in series; 6th in shared universe)

Review
Rating: 2.5 out of 5.0
Read: February 14 to 15 2016

My sixth book by this author. Before this book, my average rating for this author was 3.90. After this book, my average rating for this author is 3.67.

This is both the sixth book I've read by this author and the sixth book set in the same universe. Only four of those, though, had the same main character - that being those books in the Black Dog series (and involving Thierry). Well, Thierry was in this book as well, and . . . I don't recall if she has a cameo in Mai's book. She only has a cameo in this book though.

No, this time the main character is Camille Ellis. A Gemini. Other than something about twins, and something about being able to detect what other people are, and a limited time ability to shift into other things, I've no real idea what a Gemini is supposed to be.

The story here isn't really super bad or anything. No, I rated it the way I rated it for the same reason I rated the first book in the Black Dog series 3 stars. The main male was super creepy, and the male-female dynamic in that book was very off putting on so many levels. This is the same in this one. I kind of liked Thierry in that book, though, while I don't really like Camille Ellis. Then the later books in the Black Dog series pushed Shaw, the creepy guy in that Thierry series, into something of a larger than a cameo role but barely role, and I was able to push down the nausea he generated in me. Unfortunately, I don't think this series here will follow the same path.

So - at some point, I believe maybe when she was about 7 or 8, Cam watched her twin sister Lori drown. She's felt incredibly guilty ever since then and is super down on herself. And to increase the level of pain and guilt, she spends her time investigating drowning victims. This brings us to this book here. Apparently there's this person going around killing fae and or magical people. There's a good chance this person doing the kill is also fae.

The first body Cam visits in this book, though not the first death, Cam runs across a guy named Cord Graeson - who is the beta in the Warg clan in the region the dead body was found. Oh, and Cord is also the brother of the dead person and desires to find the murderer. Because of politics, Cam is forced to allow Cord to be involved in the investigation.

One - Warg is what any other fantasy series would call a werewolf. Two - aren't warg's the name of pets Klingon's have? Wait, no, they have Targs, not wargs. Though the targ in Star Trek III was named Warrigul. Which is not a warg but . . . um. Right.

I was having a certain amount of trouble with this book before Cord Graeson kidnapped Cam so once that happened; I just wanted the book to be over. Following Cam around? While she constantly belittled herself? And was involved with the weirdly evil Marshalls (a fellow agent gets into trouble, it takes them a good long while to get off their asses to actually help this fellow agent, okay, so she was a contractor not a fellow agent, so?)? Yeah, that was kind of annoying. Then the kidnapping occurred.

Books like this one here remind me of why I don't like reading MF romance books. Inevitably we end up with a brooding man-child who dominates women and screams things like a two year old ‘mine mine mine’. Happened in the first book in the Dog series I read. Happened here. Happens in way too many other MF romance books I read. Seriously, is that the only thing men can be described as? Man-childs? And I’m supposed to go weak in the knees over it? Well, Cam seemed weak in the knees at times, while bitching about being kidnapped. So . . . supposedly I am supposed to be drooling over the man-child Cord. Oh, and that ‘but he was in grief’? He wasn’t himself? He spread his grief around his werewolf clan so he could operate on finding the killer.

That whole warg thing pissed me off. There’s a female warg Cam meets. She’s kind of bubbly. And kind of cowers around male wargs. And smiles when one calls her over. Though the smile doesn’t reach her eyes. No, her eyes tell a different story. As she is forced, because of pack dynamics, to fuck that male warg. Right there in the open.

One of the reasons I was able to get over a vaguely similar nausea inducing man in Black Dog was because 1) the man didn’t really matter in the series (I’m overplaying his lack of importance, but whatever); 2) the woman was super powerful. Well, this time the man seems to matter, and this time the woman is a super weak ass liability.

This book ends in a cliff-hanger. And you know what? I did not in the least care. I was ready for the book to end 30 pages before it ended in the way it did. Still, there’s a reasonably good chance I’ll try the second book in this specific series here. Mostly on the off chance the author follows the patterns she set down in her other series in this universe. As in, super nausea inducing man introduced, turns out to be less important than expected, woman stronger than expected, etc.

Too bad the Mai series didn’t continue, though. Unlike Thierry and Cam, I always liked Mai. Even if she spends all of her time man-hunting, I still always liked her. And following her story.

Well, it’s probably time to stop babbling now. I’ll just leave with this thought here – I fucking hate Cord Graeson.

February 16 2016