Black Magic Sanction (Rachel Morgan #8) - Kim Harrison

Overview from BN.com:

Rachel Morgan has fought and hunted vampires, werewolves, banshees, demons, and other supernatural dangers as both witch and bounty hunter—and lived to tell the tale. But she's never faced off against her own kind . . . until now.

Denounced and shunned for dealing with demons and black magic, her best hope is life imprisonment—her worst, a forced lobotomy and genetic slavery. Only her enemies are strong enough to help her win her freedom. But trust comes hard when it hinges on the unscrupulous tycoon Trent Kalamack, the demon Algaliarept, and a lowlife ex-boyfriend-turned-thief.

My Thoughts:

I absolutely love this series and the cast of characters (especially Jenks, the tough, foul-mouthed pixie). The plot continues to build and grow with each book, and the characters continue to develop, especially the main character, Rachel Morgan. The last couple of books have been developing the story behind Rachel's special powers and how they stem from her childhood, as well as bringing in some of the history between witches, elves, and demons. This current book continues to build on that a bit, which in my opinion, is definitely one of the more interesting sub-plots - I'm really excited to read and see where and what that will lead to.

The Rachel Morgan series is definitely in my top 5 favorite series. Rachel is a confident, strong heroine, while also being a little clumsy and insecure. I would definitely recommend this series to anyone who loves strong female characters and urban fantasy.

Rating: A

Changeling - Yasmine Galenorn

Synopsis:

Delilah, a were tabby cat by a twist of genetic fate, and her half-Fae, half-human sisters are on the front lines of a brewing war. Just recovering from a battle, and adjusting to a relationship with human cop Chase, Delilah is drawn into investigating the mysterious, gruesome deaths of the Rainier Were Puma Clan and becomes attracted to their leader, Zachary. As she fears, a new threat emerges, manipulated by an old enemy, and it will take all of their efforts, and acceptance of her fate, to bring them down.

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the series, and even more bad things are happening to the D'Artigo sisters! I like how Galenorn mixes in a bunch of genres in this series: a little bit of humor, some mystery, some romance, a lot of paranormal and fantasy! I did find myself being a little frazzled at how much stuff was going on in this story, but it didn't make me enjoy it any less. I'm really enjoying the series so far, but they definitely need to be read in order to understand everything that is going on.

Rating: B+

Dime Store Magic - Kelley Armstrong

Synopsis:

Unlike the Wizard of Oz, the witches in this sexy supernatural romance, including the murdered mother of 23-year-old heroine Paige Winterbourne, are not evil entities inhabiting a fairy tale land. They're an ages-old race of women so frightened by the possibility of exposure and endangerment that they've allowed their magical powers to atrophy. When Paige inherits her mom's mantle as Coven leader, however, she also inherits caretaking responsibility of Savannah Levine, an extremely gifted but rebellious 13-year-old who possesses her dead mother's penchant for dark magic-and for attracting the unwanted attention of darker magical beings (including Savannah's long-lost sorcerer father). The only person Paige can depend on is the one person she doesn't want to associate with: Lucas Cortez, an endearingly nerdy lawyer/sorcerer ("It was a sad world when a witch had to rely on a work-starved sorcerer for help"). As in Armstrong's debut novel Bitten, this story's special strength lies in its seamless incorporation of the supernatural into the real world. A convincing small-town setting, clever contemporary dialogue, compelling characterizations and a touch of cool humor make the tale's occasional vivid violence palatable and its fantasy elements both gripping and believable.

My Thoughts:

A great follow up to Armstrong's last book 'Stolen'. This story felt a little different from the last two books, and that could possibly just be because it's told from a different point of view, but I was still completely drawn into the characters and the story, just like the previous books. Really the synopsis says it all :) Another great one by Kelley Armstrong!

Rating: A

Dead Witch Walking - Kim Harrison

 

Synopsis:
All the creatures of the night gather in "the Hollows" of Cincinnatie, to hide, to prowl, to party...and to feed.
Vampires rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers beyond imagining - and it's RAchel Morgan's job to keep that world civilized.
A bounty hunter and witch with serious sex appeal and an attitude, she'll bring 'em back alive, dead...or undead.

My Thoughts:
This is my first Kim Harrison book and I absolutely loved it. I thought the world she creates is fantastic, and am excited to see how that evolves. I also loved the characters and their interaction with one another (my personal favorite being the fiesty pixie, Jenks). I thought the story was intersting with touches of humor here and there, and definitely left some things open for the next book. I'm really looking foward to reading more in this series!

Rating: A

Witchling - Yasmine Galenorn

Synopsis:

The first in an engrossing new series about conflict in the magic modern world—as told by the half-human, half-Faerie D'Artigo sisters—is a whimsical reminder of fantasy's importance in everyday life. Narrator Camille is a good witch with unpredictable powers who runs a Seattle bookstore while working as an Otherworld Intelligence operative, sent Earthside to keep an eye on things. When an operative from the Wayfaerer, a human/Faerie hangout, is killed, Camille springs into action with her sisters Delilah, a werecat, and Menolly, a freshly minted vampire. Tracing the murder back to evil demon leader Shadow Wing, the sisters find evidence of a far-reaching plot, but the Otherworld Intelligence Agency offers no help, stifled by bureaucratic red tape and a nasty Otherworld battle.


My Thoughts:
I love the spin that Galenorn puts on these girls: They each have their own talent (Menolly's a Vampire, Delilah's a Were, and Camille is a Witch), and all three are half human and half faerie. Because of their mixed blood their magic tends to short circut ocassionaly, which really add an element of humor to a darker story line.

There is a lot going on in this story, from the demons coming earthside, to a battle that's brewing in the Other World. With all the different plot lines that are going on, it does make the book a bit confusing at times, but it also makes for a very fast read. I think this was a great start to the series, you get to know a lot of background information, as well as getting to know the sisters better. It was a really nice blend of paranormal, action, mystery and romance!

Rating: B+