Soul Survivor

Book Review of Rosanna McCoy’s Soul Survivor

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Author, Rosanna McCoy, sent me a review copy of Soul Survivor .

Description from Goodreads:
Awakening from a coma, University of New Mexico’s Professor, Grayson Lane, finds himself in a living nightmare. He remembers a delivery truck hitting him while out on a leisurely run, but he has no memory of his near-death experience in ICU or his soul encountering the soul of Sophia Cruz, the woman lying in the hospital bed next to his.

Bewildered by the entanglement of Sophia’s ghost, Grayson seeks the help of University of New Mexico’s parapsychologist, Dr. Prothro. But Grayson is skeptical of Prothro’s explanation, and he does not believe Zuri, his long-time lover, has become too busy with her pottery business to spend time with him.

Zuri is horrified when Grayson reveals the ghost that is possessing his soul to be that of Sophia Cruz, the dead wife of State Senator Domingo Cruz, the predator who is sexually extorting her. Dom is powerful and dangerous, and when Grayson tells her that Prothro suspects the Senator of murdering his wife, she pleads with him to steer clear of Dom.

Desperate, Zuri also turns to Dr. Prothro for help. He enlists Tate Edwards, a PI with a ghost of his own, to help her break free of Dom’s control. But none of them are prepared for the events that unfold when the ghost of Sophia Cruz begins using Grayson to accomplish her revenge on those who have betrayed her

Soul Survivor has ghosts in it, but I wouldn’t call it a ghost story. They play a decidedly secondary role. After a traumatic head injury Grayson Lane can see ghosts, meanwhile his girlfriend Lani can see monsters (and not the supernatural kind). He probably got the better end of that deal.

The book is very well written. Most of the characters are sharp and well defined. I especially like Tate and, though I know it probably makes me a bad person, Spyker. But I had a hard time reading it. This isn’t a happy, happy, joy, joy type of book. Lani is stuck in hell and the reader is forced to ride along side her. Luckily McCoy wasn’t inclined toward titillation and avoided being gratuitous. I don’t think I could have finished it if she had described the details of what we know Lani went through. But she is especially strong and determined to survive.

It has a happy ending of sorts, but I didn’t find the it particularly gratifying. I think that some people will though. Those who are comfortable with the idea that the rewards for a life well led come in the next will stand up and cheer. Those of us who want it here and now and aren’t so sure about the whole heaven thing might feel a little disgruntled. I did, as I often do when strong religious themes are sprung on me unexpectedly. I would have preferred the book without, but suspect the author wouldn’t have cared to write it that way. (But what do I know?)

The cover doesn’t really do it justice. Overlook it. The book is worth reading.

Book Review of Arlene Blakely’s Illegal Magic

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I’ve been on a fae kick lately so I grabbed Illegal Magic from the Amazon free list.

Description from Goodreads:
What do you get when you mix magic & lawyers?

More than you bargained for.

Lani’s family has magic. Her friends have magic. Even the plants in her community are magical. But Lani’s powers never manifest, and she’s tired of feeling like the odd one out. So she goes to law school and does her best to fit in with the non-magical world.

Too bad her first client is a geeky vampire. And her second client is an evil sorcerer. And her smoking hot one night stand doesn’t remember her name.

If Lani survives her first week of work, she’s gonna seriously consider a career change.

Illegal Magic starts with a magical bash. Lani’s family pulls out the works for a no-holds-bared party to celebrate her success at becoming a lawyer. Spells, mythical creatures and lost inhibitions abound. It was like Harry Potter on crack. There was a serious moment in which I paused and thought, “oh, this is gonna be BAD.” Lucky, after the first chapter or so it settled down, though it still reminded me of a grown up Happy Potter. Lani’s parents could easily have been Molly and Arthur Weasly. Ron was a baker named Kalvin. Hermine was actually some odd amalgamation of  Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom (a pretty, spacey gardener named Dana), and good ‘ol Harry was still brave in the face of danger, even if he did have breasts and no magic.

This is not a book that takes itself seriously, nor should it be taken too seriously by any reader. Look too deeply and you start to wonder how exactly the magic users could live practically among the rest of humanity and not know what a car is or that grocery stores exist. Plus, a number of the plots elements are bare substructures with no substance. Why exactly is Fellion following Lani around incessantly, for example? I spent 95% of the book thinking that he didn’t even remember her. But if you are willing to suspend your critical thinking for the duration of the story it is extremely funny. Poor Lani’s perpetual frustration, sharp tongue, and insane surrounding are pure joy.

I also really appreciated that Blakely didn’t suddenly allow Lani to develop magic out of the blue. That is such a common occurrence in fantasy novels. The main character is lacking in some fashion only to then suddenly become the strongest of them all. It reeks of over-simplicity. Lani hadn’t had magic from birth and unless someone or something gives it to her I don’t see why it should suddenly appear, even if that allows a problem to wrap up nicely. Blakely maintains Lani’s non-magic status, thereby refusing to give her an easy out and forcing her to develop as a character. It was far more satisfying that way.

This is obviously the first of a series. A number of threads were left open for further development. I’m looking forward to the continuation. 

Book Review of Robyn Bachar’s Blood, Smoke and Mirrors & Bewitched, Blooded and Bewildered

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I grabbed Blood, Smoke and Mirrors and  book off of the Amazon KDP free list because I really liked the cover. I know. That’s a poor reason to pick up a book, but it works for me.

Description from Goodreads:
Even a bad witch deserves a second chance.

Wrongly accused of using her magic to harm, the closest Catherine Baker comes to helping others is serving their coffee. Life as an outcast is nothing new, thanks to her father’s reputation, but the injustice stings. Especially since the man she loved turned her in.

Now the man has the gall to show up and suggest she become the next Titania? She’d rather wipe that charming grin off his face with a pot of hot java to the groin.

Alexander Duquesne has never faltered in his duties as a guardian—until now. The lingering guilt over Cat’s exile and the recent death of his best friend have shaken his dedication. With the murder of the old Titania, the faerie realm teeters on the brink of chaos. His new orders: keep Cat alive at all costs.

Hunted by a powerful stranger intent on drawing her into an evil web, Cat reluctantly accepts Lex’s protection and the resurrected desire that comes along with it. Lex faces the fight of his life to keep her safe…and win her back. If they both survive.

Somewhat spoilerish review:

Blood, Smoke and Mirrors wasn’t what I expected. To be fair it was exactly what the description said it would be, but somehow I expected a completely different feel than it had. I think it was more fairytale than PNR, despite the vamps and werewolves. But different than expected isn’t necessarily all bad. I enjoyed it. Cat is a likeable heroine, though the ever present cigarette annoyed me…a lot. I get that it gave her a personality quirk, but I didn’t enjoy it. It bothered me in the same way that smelling smoke irks the nonsmokers in a restaurant. I wanted to waft it away. Lex, or Alexander Duquesne (how do you pronounce that?) was smexy, yum. Though I felt like he was missing for half the book, giving Zach room to grow on the reader. I felt disloyal rooting for him since Cat was obviously going to be with her soul mate, Lex, in the end and not Zach. Honestly, I bought book two almost solely to see what happens to/with Zach. I want him to have a happy ending. The fairy siblings were a hoot (poor Tybalt) and though Mac faded out about half way through the book I liked him too.

The book did feel a little bit lopsided. Cat overcame one major challenge only to step right into a second one, either of which could have been expanded to a full book. What’s more, there didn’t seem to be enough importance attached to the first one. I mean come on, that was her father! But he might as well have been a stranger for all the difference it made to her. The second dilemma was of lesser overall significance, but given more attention than the first. I was still left with questions though. What was Zach’s intended purpose in holding her hostage for a month? Was something happening outside of Harrison Tower that he wanted to keep her distracted from? Was he planning to fall in love with her from the beginning? I doubt it. Did her really expect to convince her to be part of his plans?  What was the point? I get what the outcome was, but that is only relevant after the fact.

All-in-all, despite being written in first person present tense (which almost always drives me up the wall) I enjoyed the read. It was fun, didn’t take itself too seriously and passed the hours easily. I’m off to start Bewitched, Blooded and Bewildered now.

bewitched, blooded and bewilderedDescription from Goodreads:
One thing stands between Catherine Duquesne and happily-ever-after with her soul mate Lex her unwanted bond with billionaire vampire Zachary Harrison. Married life is hard enough without adding an uninvited vampire to the mix, and being tied to Zach endangers more than just her relationship. If Zach dies, she dies, and with his new seat on the necromancer council being challenged by older, more powerful masters, his life expectancy is dwindling fast.

Vampire politics is only the beginning of Cat s problems. Hunters are stalking magicians, abducting entire families and killing anyone who resists. As the current Titania and Oberon, Cat and Lex must protect their people, but Cat s dark past keeps the victims from seeking their help. Worse, the former Titania s granddaughter wants to oust Cat from the job, believing her vampire ties make her unfit.

To break the bond Cat must broker deals with devils on a journey that will take her to hell and back literally. Freedom comes at a high price, but Cat will risk anything to save her people and her marriage.

Review:

If anything I think that Bewitched, Blooded and Bewildered is even better than Blood, Smoke and Mirrors. Cat really comes into her own in this one, no more Mrs. Nice Witch. She fully accepts herself as a bad witch and runs with it. She has the mouth of a sailor and a seriously rapier wit. I only wish I could be half as sharp in real life. I laughed out loud more than once, especially at some of the modern media references (fighting Louis, turning into Darth Vader, Bruce Wayne and Batman)…all very funny. The book also felt more focused than the last, leaving fewer questions at the end. I still feel sorry for poor Zach, but am looking forward to seeing what happens to Portia and Faust. Honestly, I probably would have the book it five stars if it hadn’t ended so abruptly. I didn’t see it coming at all. At 92% (on the Kindle) it suddenly ended. It was so unexpected that I was literally startled when the “more books by Robyn Bachar” screen came up instead of the start of the next chapter. This left me feeling like it was unfinished. Of course, in a sense it isn’t since it is part of a series. But it feels very much like a just read the first 10 or so chapters of a larger book than an entire story. A challenge was overcome, as opposed to the challenge (if that makes any sense.) Either way I’ll be reading the next one.