myJaxon

Undead and Uneasy is the latest installment in the Betsy Taylor series by MaryJanice Davidson. While I’m a big fan of this series, I have to say I wasn’t that crazy about this contribution. It just seemed like the main character, Betsy, did more complaining and there wasn’t that much action. Maybe I’m moving more away from the romance genre into the fantasy/science fiction genre than I thought, but this novel was really light reading. Let’s put it this way, I picked it up from the library this morning (around noon) and I’ve already finished it (about 10pm) even while taking care of Ian this morning. Light reading. Don’t get me wrong, I still like the series, but every series has one book that is iffy and I think this one is it.

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Authors Update:

I’m getting my hands on the Harlequin and Lean Mean Thirteen this weekend, so expect reviews sometime over the next two weeks. I didn’t do a review on All Together Dead, my bad, but it was good. For those of you who have seen it, the release of Lick of Frost was moved up and I’ve found a couple of new authors - Jennifer Armintrout and Jacquelyn Frank. If you haven’t already, check them out.

Upcoming Releases:

• Ashes to Ashes - by Jennifer Armintrout - Aug 2007 (Blood Ties #3)
• Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade - by Diana Gabaldon - Aug 28th
• Hotter than Hell - Anthology including Kim Harrison - Sept 2007
• Lover Unbound - by JR Ward - Sept 27th (Dagger Brother #5)
• Many Bloody Returns - Anthology including Charlaine Harris & Kelley Armstrong - Sept 4th
• Lick of Frost - by Laurell K Hamilton - Oct 23rd
• Lord John and the Hand of Devils - by Diana Gabaldon - Nov 27th
• Holidays are Hell - Anthology including Kim Harrision - Nov 1st
• Holy Smokes - by Katie MacAlister - Nov 6th
• Elijah - by Jacquelyn Frank - Dec 2007 (Nightwalkers #3)
• The Outlaw Demon Wails - by Kim Harrison - March 2008
• Personal Demon - by Kelley Armstrong - Spring 2008 (Otherworld #8)
• All Souls Night - by Jennifer Armintrout - Jun 2008 (Blood Ties #4)

Since it is the first novel in the Nightwalkers series by J. Frank, Jacob explained a lot of the little things that were missing in the second novel, Gideon. Of course, if you’re going to read any series, you should start with the first novel, but I didn’t find Jacob first. I have to stand by my review of Gideon. It’s a good change to read about “good” demons instead of the kind everyone wants to destroy. It’s going to be interesting to see how this series continues. The third novel in the series is coming out later this year and I’ll definitely be checking it out.

Ren Fest Road Trip - Aug 25th. Let’s meet in front of the gates, in Holly, at 11am. Comment if you’re going, so we know who we’re waiting for.

The weekend theme is Highland Fling - “Kick up your heels with traditional Scottish music and the annual Highland Games.”

Ticket Prices:
$17.95 for Adults
$8.95 for Children
I can get tickets ahead of time at Kroger if you want to give me your money while we’re in town the weekend of Aug 12th. I’m going to find out if tickets are cheaper the younger the kids are. Ian is definitely going after all.

Directions:
The Festival is located in Holly, Michigan off I-75, exit 106, on Dixie Highway between Pontiac and Flint.

I-75 Northbound Traffic:
Exit 106 (Grand Blanc), stay in left lane of exit, travel two blocks.
Turn left onto Dixie Highway, southbound. The Festival is two miles
south to the right.

I-75 Southbound Traffic:
Exit 106 (Dixie Highway - this is a left exit). Merge to the right.
The Festival is located two miles south on the right.

Website:
Michigan Renaissance Festival

The library is a wondrous thing. They have all of these books you can check out for free. Jesse and I made a trip there this past weekend and I found a book by an author I was unfamiliar with - Gideon by Jacquelyn Frank. The second novel in a series called “the Nightwalkers”, it takes a different spin on the supernatural - they are not necessarily evil, just different. For example, demons exist, but not in the sense that we’re familiar with. Instead, they appear human, but when they are summoned by necromancers, that’s when they take on the form that society sees as demonic. I’ve been reading a lot of the supernatural lately and all of the books have demons being evil and they are the ones you have to take down. So it’s refreshing to read something from a demons point of view, where it’s the humans that are interrupting the demons lifestyle and not the other way around.

If you like the supernatural and are looking for a new author or just something different, check this author out. I have only read the one novel, but I have requested the first novel from the library and am waiting for it. I’ve included an excerpt from the publisher below to give you a taste of what is going on.

From the Publisher
They’re called the Nightwalkers—proud, ancient beings who live in the shadows, existing just beyond the human world. But there are also dangerous humans who hunt them—necromancers who use the blackest magic to manipulate them. And for a Demon named Gideon, the battle against these evil forces will soon be all too personal.

For a thousand years, Gideon has healed his people. And as the oldest surviving male of his race, his wisdom has always been respected without question. But Gideon knows that even he is vulnerable to the powerful, primitive desires that befall his kind during Hallowed moons—and nine years ago that truth was hammered home when he found himself claiming Magdalegna, the Demon King’s sister, in a wild embrace. Horrified by his lack of control, he left her wanting and furious—and then exiled himself for the better part of a decade. Now, with necromancers threatening his people—and Magdalegna nearly their victim—Gideon must face another truth. He and the beautiful, stubborn Magdalegna are destined to be together, to share a love as deep and old as time itself. But first he needs to regain her trust. Then he’ll have to save her life.

For a Few Demons More by Kim Harrison is definitely worth a read. The book picks up about four months after the ending of A Fistful of Charms with a few new werewolf murders. Nobody is convinced that the focus went over the bridge in Michigan and someone has started looking for it in Cincinnati. On top of these murders, Al the demon shows back up to create untold panic in Rachel’s life. Let’s just say that when you start reading this book, it’s not going to end the way you think it will. Harrison throws in more plot twists that have no choice but to be further developed in the future and there are relevations made that I, for one, didn’t see coming. This addition to the series has opened up a whole new path and I can’t wait until the sixth book comes out. This book is definitely worth everyone’s time.

There were some aspects of the book that got to me. Basically, I need to rant a few points because it did get to me so much. So if you haven’t read For a Few Demons More yet, then don’t continue from this point. There are going to be some spoilers.

I can’t believed they killed Kisten! I loved the whole tangle of webs that were going on between Ivy, Rachel and Kisten. While I understand why Harrison killed him off, I still don’t have to like it. In the fourth book, Ivy finally bites Rachel. The experience ends horribly, but Rachel isn’t as afraid of it as she thought she was going to be and wants to find a blood balance with Ivy. The only problem is she doesn’t want it to include sex. This makes the relationships of Ivy/Rachel and Rachel/Kisten even more interesting. Now that Kisten knows that Rachel isn’t afraid of being bite, it adds a new dimension to their relationship. At the same time, they know they can’t do anything about it because Ivy has called owner on Rachel’s blood. If Kisten bites Rachel, then Ivy kills Kisten. So the level of danger in the Kisten/Rachel relationship has escalated and with Kisten’s birthday gift to Rachel, it gets even more interesting. By killing off Kisten, it ends the whole triangle of pain and longing. I get this, but I loved the relationship Kisten and Rachel had. I don’t think that Rachel is going to be able to have another relationship in the series quite like this one. I’m sure this is just a prequel to Ivy and Rachel finally getting the blood balance worked out (and not having to worry about Kisten), especially since Rachel now has a reason to find out if she is bi-curious or not, but I think Rachel needs to have a man in her life.

And what is going on with the elves. So far Ceri hasn’t been interested in doing demon curses and other dark arts, but damn, mess with Rachel and she goes all demonic. Rachel finally decides to introduce Ceri to Trent and it doesn’t start off well. The whole “I have the focus” confession to Trent actually backfires on Rachel and Trent’s evil side is shown to Ceri before introductions are made. Next thing you know, Ceri goes all medieval with the dark arts and we find out that Quen is actually a practitioner much to Trent’s shock. Ceri sees first hand that Trent isn’t actually good, I mean she calls him a demon, and then admits that she likes him after he is gone. Talk about twisted. Plus, once Quen sees what Rachel can do, it seems like he gets a new pile of respect for her. Like she wasn’t really an equal before, but now she has the potential to be. I’m not sure where this is going to end up, but it definitely screams more drama between Rachel and the elves.

I love the fact that they killed off Piscary and that Al the Demon is now in a demonic jail cell. It was time for some new villains, but I’m curious about who did kill Kisten. Piscary gives Kisten’s blood to somebody not of his camarilla and they never mention who. I know that Ivy and Rachel are going to try and find out, but I have a feeling Ivy doesn’t want to know. Personally, I think Skimmer is going to have a part in Kisten’s death and that is going to totally screw her over with both Ivy and Rachel. Saladan is back to take over for Piscary, but a power struggle is definitely going to begin and I’m curious to see who the new big bad is.

There were so many plot points that I have a love/hate feeling toward that I could continue talking until someone tells me to stop; however, that isn’t going to happen in a one-sided conversation and this post is starting to get a bit long. If anyone does end up reading For a Few Demons More and wants to talk about it, let me know.

Series Read Order:
Dead Witch Walking
The Good, the Bad, and the Undead
Every Which Way But Dead
A Fistful of Charms
For a Few Demons More