Book Review: Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress World #2)

An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness . . . And now one woman has stumbled into the shadows.

Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she's only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master vampire who thought he'd seen it all. Then Kira appears, this fearless, beautiful . . . human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life. Yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose either the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.

My Review:
After enjoying the first spin-off book featuring Denise and Spade, I moved on to this one but I didn't really like it. I find Mencheres a good enough character in the Night Huntress books when he appears in scenes but I don't feel that he has the charisma or interest to be the main hero in a book of his own. I got tired of his suicidal attitude and comments about his non sex life all the time. I just didn't connect with him as a solo male lead and prefer him as part of the ensemble in Night Huntress.

I liked Kira as a female lead though and thought that she was much more interesting, with all her family problems. She made a pretty good match for our Angel type brooding vampire so she wasn't the problem.

I just never got into the book and the plot was pretty slow to get into. I found my mind wandering constantly and I'd plough through a chapter and then leave the book a few days before forcing myself to go back to it. After a few weeks of this I made the decision to abandon it. I know how they meet so that will do me for reference for the Night Huntress series if they feature in upcoming books. I will read a solo book about Ian though... 

Book Review: First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress World #1)

The night is not safe for mortals.

Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows – her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield – and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family’s dark past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness – and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who craves a taste of her.

He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human – even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the demon nightmare together…

Because once the first drop of crimson falls, they will both be lost.

My Review:
This is the first spin-off book from the Night Huntress series and comes between 'Destined for an early grave' and 'This side of the grave'. I think it's a good idea to read this spin-off before reading Cat and Books #5 as it gives essential background to Denise and the changes in her life.

Denise already knows what lurks in the dark and has been on the wrong end of vampires and ghouls. She finds out that her cousins have been murdered by a demon and reaches out to best friend Cat Crawfield for help. With Cat and husband Bones unavailable, Bones best friend Spade agrees to help but by the time he gets there, Denise has been marked by a demon. One of her ancestors cheated a demon and this demon will turn Denise unless she delivers Nathaniel.

It was interesting to see a novel built around Denise and I very much liked the story. Knowing the character and her trauma in previous books made it easy to get right into the story. Spade is a strong enough side character to carry a book on his own and I liked seeing him as a heroic male lead and not just a friend of Bones. I liked the chemistry between the characters and the way their relationship developed as it felt like a natural progression.

What begins as a search for Nathaniel through the bloodlines of Spade and Ian soon becomes more deadly. When Spade feeds from Denise, he goes on a bad trip and tries to kill her, her demon infected blood being highly toxic. Spade realises that Denise would be worth a fortune to drug dealers which makes it harder to protect her. The vampire guardians would also regard Denise as a risk to vampire health and will kill her if they discover her secret. Spade is also stressed at trying to keep the whole mess from Cat and Bones, giving a gleeful Ian the chance to blackmail him. Now Spade has to find demonologists to help Denise and drug dealers who might know Nathaniel.

I liked having some of my favourite characters like Cat, Bones and Ian making short appearances, but this book is really about showcasing Spade and giving him a good strong love interest. I liked the usual humour and action scenes that you expect from this author as well as the plot twists that come along. I also think the ending was quite satisfying, fitting in with what we know about Denise as a person. She is going to have challenges ahead but I like the fact that she will be able to contribute to future Night Huntress adventures. I really like what the author has done with her character and there are endless possibilities for Denise. And of course it is nice to see Spade get a decent girlfriend!

Book Review: Destined for an early grave by Jeaniene Frost (Night Huntress #4)

Her deadly dreams leave her in grave danger

Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they've fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it's time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed when Cat awakes one night in terror. She's having visions of a vampire named Gregor who's more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn't know about.

Gregor believes Cat is his and he won't stop until he has her. As the battle begins between the vamp who haunts her nightmares and the one who holds her heart, only Cat can break Gregor's hold over her. She'll need all the power she can summon in order to bring down the baddest bloodsucker she's ever faced . . . even if getting that power will result in an early grave. 

My Review:
Cat has quit her job with Homeland Security and gone on vacation with Bones, but she is finding it hard to sleep because she has vivid dreams about another vampire. Gregor claims that Cat belongs to him, not Bones and the dreams are enough to have a worried Mencheres waiting in Paris with a team of vampires to protect her. Gregor is a Dreamsnatcher and if he catches Cat in a dream he can pull her out. Gregor is determined to win Cat back and sends teams of vampires and ghouls to retrieve her.

The plot is more serious in this book as Cat has to face up to being with another vampire when she was a teenager and possibly being married to him, making her union with Bones void. She has no memory of these events, thanks to Mencheres and this causes strain between them. I liked the idea of Mencheres getting visions of Cat and Bones being destined for each other and being determined to do whatever it took to manipulate Cat to ensure it happened. Cat is wondering if she actually did belong to Gregor and isn't sure if she really wants to find out what her missing memories could tell her. Her anger and frustration create strain in her relationship with Bones. Don tries to help with dream suppressing drugs but Gregor still seems able to track her with ease, causing untold problems for their security.

We meet a new character in this book as well. Fabian is a ghost and he is going to be very useful to Cat in their new friendship. But it is the characters we know who are doing bad things in this book. Tate is using every trick he can to persuade Cat to finish with Bones so he can have her. I wanted to shoot him, I really did. I never really took to him because of his attitude. He just has that 'I want you so you should be mine and I don't care what you say about it'. Caveman! Bones is pissed at Cat for not trusting him to deal with Gregor and their relationship hits rock bottom, which was so worrying! I wanted to hit Bones at various times in this book. I was also pretty hacked off at Mencheres.

I wanted Gregor to die so badly. He was a really interesting bad guy and I liked the plot of this book, even though it was much darker. Gregor does something really terrible in this book and it leads to scenes that were pretty upsetting. These things were great for the plot but so hard for poor readers like me to cope with!

Good things about this book? Vlad. I love that guy! Cat's decision to become a full vampire and the consequences of that idea. It was a great plot twist. The action scenes were well written as always and there are some really emotional scenes as well. Gregor and Cat's story and the plotting of Mencheres. The battles and the kidnappings. I won't say more as I don't want to spoil it.

The author keeps me glued to this book and I can't wait to see what she does with the characters next. The great writing continues in this fourth book.  I first read this book back in 2010.

Book Review: Desert Children by Waris Dirie

U.N. Special Ambassador Waris Dirie was born to a family of tribal nomads in Somalia. She told her story—enduring female circumcision, fleeing through the desert, and, improbably, becoming a top model—in her first book, Desert Flower. In Desert Dawn, she wrote about her return to Somalia and her work as a U.N. Special Ambassador against FGM (female genital mutilation). Her latest book recounts her investigations into the practice of FGM in Europe—it is estimated that as many as 500,000 women and girls have undergone FGM or are at risk. Here are the voices of women who have felt emboldened by Waris Dirie’s courage.

My Review:
I was a great admirer of the work that Waris did and I very much enjoyed her first two books which I certainly recommend to readers. When I heard about a third book on FGM I was interested in reading it. Sadly I ended up angry and frustrated by the attitudes of Waris to Western people which bordered on racism. Not impressed at all by her now.

First thing is, I am totally opposed to FGM and I can't imagine the trauma of what these girls go through. I'm not against giving them medical help here in the UK and providing trauma therapy for their ordeal. I feel in cases where FGM is discovered, punishments need to be given. On this I agree with Waris. But I do not agree with the amount of blame that she unleashes on western governments and its people during her crusade.

Lets start with her attitude of 'do as I say, not as I do'. She talks about having a relaxed attitude to timekeeping and appointments, turning up whenever she feels like it. However, when the woman she is meeting is late, Waris makes a big fuss about there being no apology or reason given. So it is ok for Waris to do what she wants and be late but everyone else has to be on time to meet her. A bit of hypocrisy there. Still, that is a niggle and not part of my real complaints.

Waris clearly has it in for Western governments, blaming them for cases of FGM, blaming them for not doing enough. Funny, when we do intervene in African affairs we are told to mind our own business and that we don't understand African culture. If we don't intervene we are suddenly responsible for FGM and genocide and every other problem in Africa. We can't win. We give a lot of money for things like famine relief and medical care in Africa...where does that money go? It goes to government officials to buy private planes for its leaders instead of helping ordinary people. I suppose THAT is our fault as well.

Getting back to the point, I was getting pretty angry as I read on. Waris starts pointing the finger at western people for things like FGM. It seems that because we don't integrate African people into our society, they cling to traditions like FGM so it's our fault that girls are still being cut! That Waris, is a pile of steaming bullshit! A lot of African migrants don't speak English and don't WANT to be part of the local community, preferring to stick with a community of their own people. So how the hell am I meant to make friends and make them feel welcome when most aren't interested??? How is it MY fault that these families take the horrific step of mutilating their daughters??? How am I meant to know who is doing it and who to report them to? That is a bloody ridiculous thing to say!

Waris also blames us for not putting enough money towards FGM and other issues. Right. The people in Africa are the ones who are mutilating their daughters. Let Africa pay the money to re-educate people and pay for corrective surgery and other procedures! Let them police this! Most FGM is still happening in Africa itself with girls being sent home to stay with relatives where they can be cut, safe from western justice. So I say again, how is this all our fault Waris??? Are we meant to send troops into Africa to examine every girl and arrest countless parents? Oh please!

We are also not doing enough to stop FGM in our western countries. Right. These families pay women from their community to come and do the cutting. They don't tend to seek treatment in western hospitals for fear of the results of FGM being seen. They keep this secret in their own community. They don't cooperate with the police, social workers or health professionals . They don't shop others in their community. Yet Waris thinks we are doing nothing. She wants girls to be examined in schools for evidence of FGM! Are you serious??? Can you imagine the outrage it would cause if you take every girl who does not have white skin out of class for an examination like that??? Parents would go mental! And I expect the British taxpayer is expected to pay for it too.

Waris also complains about people not integrating in the community because they have no papers, living in grotty bedsits and are hiding like criminals, making them cling to the old traditions. They are ILLEGALS for fuck's sake! What are we meant to do, put them up in The Dorchester??? It's not our fault that they sneak into Britain and hide away and cut their daughters! We didn't put them there!

Waris needs to get her head out of her arse and point the finger in the right direction. It is the elders in the tribes and towns who tell parents that this tradition needs to be upheld. It is African governments who are not making FGM illegal or enforcing punishment. It is African communities in western countries who keep having their daughters cut and hushing it up. It is African people who are not telling the authorities about girls they know who are in danger. Perhaps Waris should concentrate on going to Africa and telling the people there to change their ways instead of blaming the countries who have taken in so many African refugees and given them a chance at a new life.

If they are all at grateful as Waris, maybe we shouldn't bother.  

Book Review: Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

My name is Peter Grant. Until January I was just another probationary constable in the Metropolitan Police Service. My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - We do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from a man who was dead, but disturbingly voluble, and that brought me to the attention of Chief Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England. And that, as they say, is where the story begins.

Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated. I'm dealing with nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden - and that's just routine. There's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious, vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair.

The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos - or die trying. Which, I don't mind telling you, would involve a hell of a lot of paperwork.

My Review:
I was in two minds about reading this book based on the blurb. I liked the sound of the story and where Peter was working but I just wasn't sure about whether I'd like it. As it happens it didn't work out great for me but this is more due to my taste than any issue with the book.

I read a lot of American based books in the urban fantasy realm and one problem I have with them at times is the way authors try to be funny and fail. Some authors are trying to grab you and say 'LAUGH HERE, it's funny!' and I end up rolling my eyes at whatever it is and not laughing at all. It's too forceful and I find that annoying to read. They are trying to impose what they find funny onto the reader and I don't enjoy that kind of writing much.

There are plenty books, American and British written, that go for more subtle humour and this is one of them. The author presents Peter's ironic observations about life as his own thoughts, and I found myself smiling at a few of them. The author isn't trying to force you to laugh at anything, he is presenting quirky humour in a low key way and it is much more entertaining to read. Peter doesn't think much of the British people or his police duties and I enjoyed a lot of his grumblings. It just works well.

"Nothing builds character like being abused, spat at and being vomited on by members of the public'.

Peter as a character is someone you could like. I've worked with guys like him who are a bit grumpy and sarky so I can relate to him! He is smart, witty and amusing as an MC.

So why did I give the book 2 stars? Well basically, I felt as if I was reading a crime novel and not an urban fantasy novel. By page 70 we had seen one ghost and a spell to silence a barking dog. Most of the story was exploring crime scenes and talking to witnesses, and I wasn't really excited by the slowness of the plot. I don't like crime novels because long drawn out investigations and asking a group of suspects the same questions does not greatly interest me. So having this book follow that pattern disappointed me.

There is nothing really wrong with this book. If you like crime novels and like a bit of paranormal, I think you would probably enjoy this book as there is a lot to like about it.