The Jennifer Morgue, by Charles Stross (Golden Gryphon, 2006)

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Bob Howard works for the Laundry, a top-secret British organization formally known as the Department of Internal Logistics. His job: to help protect the world from things so unnatural, so bizarre, so nasty, even knowing about them could destroy a man’s brain. They’re the ones who deal with mad scientists, Elder Gods, other dimensions, and all that other fun stuff, utilizing weird devices and mathematics so advanced it’s akin to magic. And sometimes, Bob regrets ever asking that he be assigned to active service … in other words, out in the field.

This newest mission may just be the one to break him and send him running home. He’s been partnered with Ramona, a demon who represents the Laundry’s American counterparts, the Black Chamber, and sent on an undercover mission against an evil genius who’s acquired an ancient, evil artifact of some sort. Bob has to puzzle out the elements of his mission, untangle his destiny from that of a soul-eating succubus (or some such), and prevent war from breaking out between the surface world and the dark things which live at the bottom of the ocean. Worse, he seems to be falling under the power of a geas which could destroy him. As he gets further into the act, and closer to the center of things, events take on a very familiar sort of pattern. Can Bob save the day? Or is he going to fall victim to a dangerous madman’s diabolical plan for world domination?

The Jennifer Morgue quite deliberately, and elaborately, draws upon the resonance of the James Bond mythos, infusing it with a Lovecraftian paranoia and a metatextual brilliance. This story is … well, honestly, it defies easy description. Stross takes some old and familiar elements, and puts a new spin on them. I’ve seen plenty of Bond parodies and homages and tips of the hat over the years, but this may be the first time I’ve seen anyone turn the Bond mythos into a magical paradigm to be used offensively. It’s one thing to be an evil genius seeking world domination, and it’s a different thing to wrap yourself in those trappings as part of an even greater plot. And melding it together with the pre-Cold War bleakness and fear of the unknown and adventure found in the Lovecraftian mythos? Well, you wouldn’t think these two elements would play well together, but they seem to be a perfect mix. And the twists Stross throws in? Let’s just say I didn’t see it coming.

I’m pretty sure Stross is writing beyond my usual sphere of comprehension. I greatly enjoyed The Jennifer Morgue, but there were times when I felt left behind, just because he goes off on some really esoteric or technical angles. But looking at this on the surface, as a James Bond meets Lovecraft meets quantum physics, you end up with a fascinatingly strange, rip-roaring adventure. (And I love that the main character is named Robert Howard, which isn’t too far off from Robert E. Howard, best-known for creating Conan, and a friend/pen-pal of H.P. Lovecraft back in the day…)

“Pimpf” is an odd “extra,” a short story that first saw print online at Jim Baen’s Universe (http://www.baens-universe.com) and it’s another one of Bob Howard’s adventures. In short, it’s all about how Bob has to deal with departmental politics and bureaucratic nuisance, an unwanted intern, and a private online game server gone haywire. Things get messy, and then they get ugly, sticky, explosive, and dangerous. Possibly in that order. So who, or what, is behind the troubles at hand? Therein lies the mystery.

“Pimpf” likewise makes use of nested realities, computers that can perform math that might as well be magic, and other such strange concepts. Unfortunately, I found it hard to really get into the concept of the online game that plays such a major role in this story, so I wasn’t able to appreciate it to its full potential. Nonetheless, it’s an intriguing story, that further fleshes out the weird world of the Laundry.

Stross rounds out this volume with several essays that go into a lot more detail about his inspirations and sources. In “Afterword: The Golden Age of Spying,” he goes into detail about how James Bond is basically Ian Fleming’s “Mary Sue” (Google it, I dare you) character. Then he elaborates on the nature of arch villains like Bond’s Blofield, and the earlier, less immortalized Dr. Mabuse. Then Stross attempts to get into the mindset of people like Blofield, actually making their point of view seem entirely reasonable, and recasting people like Bond and his masters as the true villains. Socialist villains, no less. He finishes things off by relating the golden age of spying (those early decades of the Cold War) to the moods and themes of Lovecraft’s work. This collection of mini essays is fascinating, informative, and sheds quite a lot of light into the themes and plotlines of Stross’s Laundry stories.

Overall, The Jennifer Morgue is definitely a different offering from the norm. Its perfect for those who are always looking for cutting-edge fiction and boundary-stretching ideas. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even when I wasn’t entirely sure what was going on beneath the surface. Give it a shot, if you’re in the mood for something challenging.

Succubus On Top, by Richelle Mead (Kensington 2008)

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Life is starting to look up for Georgina Kincaid, part-time bookseller and full-time succubus. After all, she’s got a job where she can score as many white chocolate mochas as she wants and a boyfriend who also happens to be her favorite author of all time, and she’s been given an award for exceeding and surpassing her succubus quotas for the quarter. Of course, for every plus, there’s a minus. The bookstore’s understaffed of late, leaving Georgina doing way more of the work than normal, and one of her best friends, Doug, is actually decidedly odd of late, leading her to wonder if it’s drugs, or something even more sinister at work. She can’t actually touch her boyfriend with any sort of intimacy in mind, lest her succubus powers kick in and start draining his very essence . . . and believe me, there’s nothing Georgina and Seth would like to do more than have wild, passionate sex. And an agreement made to save Seth’s life also has her locked into decades more of seducing random men for their energies, in an attempt to corrupt their souls.

On top of all that, one of Georgina’s best supernatural friends, an incubus named Bastien, has breezed back into her life, wanting her help in his plan to seduce and topple a viciously intolerant, conservative radio host who happens to run a powerful organization dedicated to moral purity. Even Georgina can’t argue against giving someone like this their comeuppance. So now she’s stuck juggling all these various problems . . . just in time for it to get worse. It seems there’s a new supernatural player in town trying to shake things up. After some of Georgina’s friends and coworkers fall victim, it’s up to her to find out who’s behind this and put a stop to it. For some reason, her supervisor’s staying strictly hands-off on this problem. . . .

Succubus On Top continues the plotlines and situations started in Succubus Blues, and helps to further flesh out the life of reluctant good girl/bad girl Georgina Kincaid, as well as her charmingly bewildered mortal, no-sex-involved lover, Seth Mortenson. And I have to say, Richelle Mead writes some of the hottest non-sex scenes around. Sure, Georgina may get physical with random guys in nightclubs in order to steal their energy, but it’s with Seth, in one way or another, that things truly begin to sizzle, and the way they handle that issue and work around it continues to be of great interest.

Part of why I love this series is because it maintains a healthy balance of focus. It’s as much about Georgina’s star-crossed love life as it is about her obligations at the bookstore (obligations that ramp up considerably through the course of this book) as it is about the way she deals with the rest of the supernatural community of the Seattle area. And in this particular offering, it’s also about the underlying mystery of who — or what — is preying upon people close to Georgina. What’s going on with Doug, and how can she stop something that both an angel and a demon have refused to handle? The truth behind that mystery is unexpected and interesting, forcing us (and Georgina) to think outside the mythological paradigm the series geared us towards. There’s a lot more to Georgina’s world than originally anticipated. Oh, and let’s not forget how her resumed partnership with Bastien takes a rather creative twist or two of its own, leading first to a rather surprisingly logical moment, and later to a cleverly-crafted resolution. I wish I could say I’d seen it coming, but Mead pulled it all off without a hitch.

Succubus On Top successfully straddles the fence between paranormal romance and urban fantasy (and where that fence lies has been a subject of great debate of late), and is bound to appeal to either fan base. I’ll be looking forward to the third book in the series, and here’s hoping that our heroes find the satisfaction they so richly deserve at some point.

Succubus Blues, by Richelle Mead (Kensington, 2007)

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At first glance, Georgina Kincaid is just your average everyday retail monkey, working as a clerk for Emerald City Books and Cafe, one of Seattle’s finest bookstores. Her weaknesses: shoes, white chocolate mochas, and Seth Mortensen, one of today’s most brilliant authors. Unfortunately, that’s just Georgina’s day job, the one that pays the rent. In truth, she’s a succubus, tasked with seducing and corrupting mortals so Hell can get their souls. It’s a thankless job, filled with mindless bureacracy, sleazy people, and a growing sense of regret, especially since it prevents her from having any real sort of relationships. After all, every time she touches a guy, she’s apt to steal his strength; actual sex might just kill someone if she’s not careful.

Despite all this, Georgina maintains a delicate balance between the two aspects of her life, steering clear of anyone she’d regret hurting, and doing odd jobs and regular assigments for her demonic boss, an oddball who has a thing for John Cusack films. And then things get messy. Really messy. First, Georgina’s favorite author shows up in town, and swiftly becomes a regular at the bookstore. Second, someone — or something — seems out to get everyone connected to Georgina, leaving them terrorized, maimed, or just plain dead. Third, Georgina finds herself falling for Roman, a hot guy who shows up at the bookstore one day. As the attacks on her supernatural friends increase in severity, Georgina has to keep herself safe, even as she juggles her feelings for Roman and Seth. And when representatives of Hell and Heaven are forced to get involved in things, you just know it’s not going to end prettily. Worst of all, Seth Mortensen might never finish writing his newest book at this rate!

In Succubus Blues, Richelle Mead has conjured up a fun new heroine. Georgina may be playing for Team Evil, but she’s a reluctant sort of bad guy, a delightfully flawed succubus who never lets her powers go to her head. She’s complex and believable, and easy to root for as she tries to keep two very different areas of her life from colliding, with decreasing success. Mead takes gleeful advantage of the world she’s created, populating it with supernatural entities that are a welcome relief from the same old werewolves and vampires. Even better, she manages to give us angels which aren’t one-sided, moralizing, absolute avatars of Goodness and Light, and demons which aren’t cackling cliches of Evil. No, these are fully-realized, three-dimensional characters, and great fun to watch. And in what might be considered a surprise contrast to the concept, this is a book about a succubus that doesn’t entirely revolve around sex; the first truly in-depth sex scene doesn’t occur for quite some time, and when sex does enter the picture it’s part of the story. Given how easy it would be to use a succubus as a main character solely to justify many erotic scenes, I commend Mead for taking things in a more organic, plot-driven, characterization-heavy route. That’s what made the book work for me.

Mind you, there’s also an intriguing mystery at hand, as Georgina works to figure out why someone’s targeting her friends and enemies, and why she’s on their hit list as well. Even when things seem obvious, Mead pulls some nice surprises out of her hat, keeping things from getting overly predictable. Of course, Georgina’s a classic sort of character, the sort that has no business getting underfoot and uncovering mysteries, yet does so anyway, much to her inevitable dismay. That’s half the fun, watching her stumble through an increasingly dangerous situation, right up until the messy end.

Overall, Succubus Blues is an excellent start to a new series, with a memorable heroine and a genuinely interesting take on the paranormal romance/urban fantasy genre. I look forward to seeing future offerings from Richelle Mead, and the further adventures of Georgina Kincaid, reluctant succubus.

Stray, by Rachel Vincent (Mira, 2007)

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Faythe Sanders thought if she went far enough away to grad school, she could escape her family indefinitely. Unfortunately, as one of very few werecat females of breeding age left in North America, daughter to one of the major Pride leaders, she’s been kept on a leash all her life. Sometimes a very long leash, but a leash nonetheless. And when her father sends Marc, his second-in-command to fetch Faythe home, she has no choice but to go, abandoning her scholastic career, friends and boyfriend without warning. It’s back to the family ranch for her, and all because there’s a bit of a crisis going on. . . . The daughter of the neighboring Pride leader has vanished without a trace, and foul play is suspected, and Faythe could be the next to vanish. Trapped at home under the overprotective, watchful eyes of her father and brothers, Faythe struggles for her freedom, all the while trying to cope with some old, unresolved feelings for Marc.

As things heat up, with danger threatening from all sides, Faythe attempts to win the freedom to choose her own destiny, only to fall into the clutches of some very nasty people, with some decidedly unwholesome plans for her. Now she has to marshal her resources and prove to everyone that she can fight her own battles. If she can, she may just find the freedom and responsibility she’s always wanted, and much more, to boot. If she fails, Faythe Sanders might never be seen again. Oh, and Marc might have something to say about that as well.

Stray is a fun, hot new take on the idea of werecats living among us. Rachel Vincent has really done a good job of creating an intriguing hidden society where werecats can either live in organized prides, or roam the unclaimed territories as rogues, depending on what sort of quality of life they want. Her cats act very much like cats, so that even when human, they have a certain alien quality to them in mood and behavior.

The plot is a little slow in places, but it always tries to keep moving forward. I will admit to finding elements of the book to be somewhat forgettable; it took me several flipthroughs after the initial reading to bring many details of the story back to the forefront of my memory. And for such a long book (600+ pages), it does feel as though very little ultimately happens. However, Stray works very well to set up future installments, with Faythe accepting and embracing her new role of authority and responsibility within the Pride. This book has its flaws, primarily where the plot is concerned, but all in all, I really enjoyed Stray, and I’ll be keeping my eyes open for the next in the series, to see where Vincent takes her heroes next.

Strange Candy, by Laurell K. Hamilton (Berkley, 2006)

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When you think of Laurell K. Hamilton, you probably think first of her Anita Blake series of books, and of highly-sensualized vampires and werewolves. Or perhaps you think of her Meredith Gentry series of even more sexualized faeries and related creatures. Given how much space the two series take up on the shelves, it’s little wonder. And, as my above words have likely suggested, it’s easy to generalize her works these days. However, she’s actually produced a fair number of short stories that range a wider gamut than one normally realizes. Here, in Strange Candy, her short fiction is gathered at last, with all-new introductions by Hamilton herself. Follow the development of her career in fourteen stories spanning nearly twenty years, with brief commentary elaborating on the whys and wheres of each story.

“Those Who Seek Forgiveness” is actually the first Anita Blake story, and as such, we see many of the elements that are present in the novels, though at this stage, it’s clear Hamilton was still figuring out what, exactly, makes the character tick. As such, she’s only a raiser of the dead, and there’s nary a vampire to be seen. Just a widow who wants a moment with her deceased husband, and a zombie to be raised. It’s actually a tight piece, and a good example of Hamilton’s bent towards dark fantasy and horror.

“A Lust of Cupids” is a strange tale where roving packs of cupids terrorize innocent victims, causing them to fall in lust or love with random targets. Short but sweet, it’s got something of a wicked core to it.

“The Edge of the Sea” is much more of a horror story, one in which you’ll never look at the ocean, or think of mer-creatures, the same way again.

“A Scarcity of Lake Monsters” might possibly be my favorite in this collection. It’s set in a world where lake monsters and other mythological creatures, such as satyrs and leprechauns, are real. But in a distinct departure from the norm, this story focuses upon conservation and scholarly efforts to understand these creatures. How do lake monsters breed and continue on? Therein lies the mystery and the whimsy of this story. I’d happily read more stories in this setting.

“Selling Houses” is a ghost story set in the Anita Blake universe, though Anita herself is nowhere to be seen. Instead, we meet a new protagonist, a real estate agent whose latest property, which comes complete with tragic history, may be a very tough sell.

Set in the same world as her novel Nightseer, “A Token For Celandinem” is a dark tale about a healer corrupted by evil powers, and the elven bodyguard sworn to see her through a dangerous quest.

“A Clean Sweep” is another of my favorites, a bizarre story about an underappreciated superhero named Captain Housework, who’s found himself short of villains, but still possessed of the need to help. As with many of Hamilton’s stories, it has a somewhat dark twist to it.

“The Curse-Maker” and “Stealing Souls” both feature the same characters, a woman warrior with an intelligent, magical sword, and her bard companion. They make for an interesting pair, though the sword seems rather inspired by old-school Dungeons and Dragons at times . . . though ironically, it may be the most intriguing of the group. In one story, our heroine goes on a quest to save the life of her bard friend from the man who placed a death curse on him. In the other, they storm a wizard’s keep to fulfill a childhood vow. All in all, I enjoyed this pair of stories, and I wouldn’t have minded to see more of the characters and their backstory. Something tells me a longer work set in their world would almost feel like retro fantasy, these days.

“Geese” also sees a young woman fulfilling an old obligation. In this instance, a girl has spent much of her life as a goose in order to avoid falling victim to an enemy’s geas. Now that she’s grown, will she seek vengeance, or succumb to the geas’ power?

“House of Wizards” is about a young woman, entirely non-magical, who marries into a family where magic is a rule, not an exception. A classic fish out of water story ensues, and naturally, she makes quite an impact on her in-laws.

“Here Be Dragons,” the sole story with science fiction elements, is rather strong, and rather disturbing. An empathic dream therapist who spends her days dealing with the worst people society has to offer, is called back to a place she hates and fears, to deal with a child sociopath in the making. In the battle of wills to follow, who will emerge victorious, and who will prove to be the greater monster?

Also from the world of Nightseer comes “Winterkill,” about an assassin who only targets wizards. Not as gripping as some of the stories, but it still shows an early strength to Hamilton’s work.

Finally comes “The Girl Who Was Infatuated With Death,” which is the newest of the lot, an Anita Blake story which falls relatively lately in the series. In it, Anita is tasked to find a seventeen-year-old girl who’s on the verge of illegally being brought over as a vampire. Should this happen, it’ll be trouble for the vampire who does the deed, and heartbreak for the distraught mother who’d lose her daughter. This one is the closest to Hamilton’s best-known style of writing.

Overall, I have to admit that Hamilton’s a really good writer. I think she really brings out a certain strength when she’s writing short fiction; with only so much space to work with, she stays on track and sheds a lot of excess baggage that makes her novels seem to drag on. This, of course, is just my opinion, but looking at how she’s evolved and matured as an author, it seems as though these earlier works really were ripe with promise. It’s almost a shame she’s gotten locked into the Anita Blake and Merry Gentry series; a few more standalones that branch out might just be what she needs for variety. Clearly, she’s got an old-fashioned affinity for sword and sorcery (sorceress?) fantasy (two of the stories in this volume actually did appear in the Sword & Sorceress anthology series, and two more appeared in projects edited by S&S editor Marion Zimmer Bradley) and I may just have to find a copy of Nightseer to see how it stacks up in comparison to the short fiction set in that world. In the introduction, Hamilton speaks with some regret about how the bottom fell out of the heroic fantasy market, and she was forced to find something the publishers would pick up, which obviously led to the projects she’s best known for. I wonder if now that the heroic fantasy market seems to have made a comeback, she’ll once again venture into it.

That digression aside, I’ll conclude, somewhat to my surprise, that Strange Candy is actually quite entertaining, and a rather nice sampler of Hamilton’s work. Fans of her stuff are sure to enjoy it, and those who might have avoided Hamilton’s books “because of all the sex” will find these stories almost entirely free of that determent. So go ahead, check this one out.

Sorcery and the Single Girl, by Mindy Klasky (Red Dress Ink, 2007)

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When Jane Madison, a librarian working at the historic Peabridge Library in Georgetown, Washington D.C ., discovered a secret cache of magical books, crystals and other paraphernalia, she was catapulted into a world of witchcraft and magic. Now she has a cat familiar, Neko, who chooses to appear as a rather flamboyantly gay human, and a sexy warder named David, whose job it is to teach her about her powers. Because, it turns out, if she can’t convince the local Coven that she’s responsible enough to control her abilities, they’ll take it all back: familiar, warder, books, crystals and magic.

After a somewhat rocky start to this arrangement (as detailed in A Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft), Jane’s been trying her best to learn everything she needs to know. But the first meeting with the Coven saddles her with a frighteningly important project, one she’s not convinced she can succeed at. So now she’s juggling the obligations of her day job (playing tour guide and mocha-maker to the Peabridge’s visitors) and the requirements of the Coven, and trying to get in something resembling a social life. Because there’s this rather nice British guy, Graeme, who seems to really like her, but for some reason, Jane just can’t bring herself to talk about him to those people closest to her. As the night for fulfilling the Coven’s task draws closer, it becomes clear someone doesn’t want her to succeed, leaving threatening messages and images for her to find. Can Jane unravel whatever’s going on, and prove herself to the Coven, or are her days as a witch numbered?

Sorcery and the Single Girl is a rather pleasant, fun book that combines elements of “chick-lit” and urban fantasy into what I’m thinking should be called “witch-lit”. Jane Madison is a likable heroine, memorable and sympathetic, and her familiar, Neko, pretty much steals the show whenever he’s around. The setting is authentic; having spent some time in Georgetown, I can recognize some of the local landmarks in passing. Unfortunately, the book lacks a certain ‘oomph’ that I thought was very much present in Klasky’s earlier works (the Glasswright Series).

How do I mean that? Well, the book just doesn’t seem to commit to any particular feel. Despite Jane’s romance with Graeme, and flirtatious dealings with David, it doesn’t strike me as a romance; the sparks occasionally appear, but they fail to fan into anything greater, as if Jane just can’t quite get into any of the men in her life. Despite the clear presence of magic and the paranormal, there’s not even that profound of a fantasy atmosphere to the story, as though the witchcraft just happens to be there, and in an understated manner. There’s certainly no real danger, no epic struggle for life and limb, or climatic resolution against an enemy. No, this story is all about Jane and her personal growth and attempt to overcome internal challenges. Klasky describes this series as “urban fantasy with a healthy splash of chick-lit sensibility”, but I fear it’s more like chick-lit wrapped around an urban fantasy core. And even though I’m not ashamed to read romance books, I, like most other men, fail to find an emotional resonance with the hallmarks of the chick-lit genre, which is probably why this book falls a little flat for me.

However, I’d like to note that, even though chick-lit isn’t one of my stronger points, Klasky is an excellent writer, with a pleasant, engaging voice and a knack for fleshing out her characters, and it’s actually because of her that I’d even have picked up this book in the first place. I think that Sorcery and the Single Girl is, at worst, a slight misfire, and it’s still bound to appeal to fans of A Girl’s Guide to Witchcraft. I’ll definitely be picking up the next in the series. Nonetheless. I’m still crossing my fingers that Klasky will return to her fantasy roots one of these days, and allow herself to cut loose.

Iron Kissed, by Patricia Briggs (Ace, 2008)

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If there’s one thing Mercy Thompson, mechanic and skinwalker, knows, it’s that when you deal with the Fae, there’s always a price to be paid. Some time ago, she borrowed several of their artifacts in order to take care of a problem, and exceeded the terms by which they could be used. Now the Fae have come to collect their payment. Luckily, it’s right up her alley. She’s taken out to the Fae reservation outside of Walla Walla, Washington, where they need her help to investigate the scenes of several murders. That’s right, some one’s been killing the Fae, and Mercy may be able to help discover who did it.

Unfortunately, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Because the resulting investigation lands her mentor, an old German Fae named Zee, in jail and living under a death sentence from his own kind, for the Fae value their secrets and their privacy very dearly indeed. Mercy, never one to let a friend down, takes it upon herself to find the truth of the matter, thus placing herself in the path of multiple killers, mortal and Fae alike. The trail leads her both into the magical corners of Underhill, where non-Fae are decidedly unwelcome, and into the meetings of a notorious anti-Fae hate group. Complicating matters in the meantime, her love life heats up, as both Samuel and Adam, two very different but equally dominant werewolves, vie for her affections, and she can’t bear to lose either one when she finally makes her choice. Ultimately, Mercy will be put through the wringer, emotionally and physically, as she tries to clear Zee’s name and save herself from the forces arrayed against her.

One of the strongest, most interesting aspects of this book was the further exploration of how the Fae fit into Mercy Thompson’s world. Only semi-outted to the world, with the majority of them living in heavily-guarded, prison-like reservations, they may be diminished from what they once were, but at the same time, it’s suggested that they’re much more powerful than they let on. Indeed, that being secluded as they are is helping them regain their power in some way. It’s intriguing to watch Mercy’s small exploration into an ever-more mysterious world, full of questions and definite danger. No harmless fairies these, but fey creatures once worshiped as gods in their own right. I’d have to say I was a lot more intrigued by the state of the Fae than I was in the doings of the werewolves which also appeared in the book.

The underlying mystery was a little convoluted, things further complicated by several false leads and a dramatic third-act revelation, but it moved the plot along quite nicely all the same. Of course, we have Mercy’s near-suicidal stubbornness and independence to thank for most of that. I wasn’t pleased with a certain turn of events near the end, which put Mercy through the wringer more than she deserved, but it seems as though she’ll pull through just fine. I won’t go into details, but I will hope that it doesn’t become a huge source of angst and woe later on, as that could very easily become tiresome.

Iron Kissed is a perfectly satisfactory urban fantasy, the third offering in a likewise entertaining series, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each installment to date. Mercy’s a fun, strong-willed character (and it doesn’t hurt that she turns into a coyote, which is a nice change of pace as far as shape shifting goes) and her world, one where supernaturals are still in the process of coming out of the metaphorical closet, is an interesting one. I’ll definitely be looking forward to her next adventure, and whatever twists Briggs has on the way.

Hell’s Belles and The Road To Hell, by Jackie Kessler (Kensington, 2007)

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For a very long time, Jezebel the succubus was very good at what she did: tempt and seduce mortals, and ultimately suck the souls of the damned down to Hell for their eternal punishment. And then something happened, an upheaval in the workplace, so to speak, and she did what just about no other demon had ever done before. She ran. Abandoning Hell and her duties, she fled to Earth, where she adopted a mortal identity with the somewhat unwitting help of a witch acquaintance. Armed with stolen credit cards and a meager wardrobe, disguised as a human and barred from the use of her infernal powers, Jezebel gravitated towards a profession right up her alley. She became a stripper.

Unfortunately, just because one escapes from Hell doesn’t mean they’re entirely free. First her friends — the Fury known as Megeara and the incubus Duanuan — find her. And then her enemies, including the infamous Lillith, Queen of Hell show up on her doorstep, and before she knows it, the succubus-turned-stripper now known as Jesse is once again in some mighty deep trouble. Worse still, her newfound lover, Paul Hamilton, is caught in the crossfire. As Jesse tries to extricate herself from the mess, to remove the price on her head and escape Hell’s clutches, her backstory unfolds, showing just what happened to shake up Hell, and why she chose to leave rather than continue doing her duty. Ultimately, she ends up changed. For better or for worse, no one can say, except that Jezebel the succubus is no more . . . or is she?

All of the above is related in Hell’s Belles. In The Road To Hell, Jesse’s life gets even more complicated. She’s still seeing Paul Hamilton, the sexy vice cop to whom she’s given her heart and soul (inasmuch as she has a soul, anyway), and she’s still stripping for a living, now working at a classy joint called Spice. Unfortunately, just because she’s ready to leave Hell behind once and for all doesn’t mean that her former coworkers and superiors are willing to respect that wish. Rapidly, the problems once again mount. Megeara’s even more fearsome sister Alecto is trying to coax Jesse back to Hell, claiming that Meg is in horrible trouble. Duanuan the irresistible incubus is still trying to seduce Jesse away from Paul, especially now that she’s vulnerable to his copious charms. And Lillith, one of the most fearsome beings to occupy Hell, is out for revenge once again. Complicating matters even more is Angel, a, well, angel-turned-novice succubus who’s looking for pointers, and Paul himself, whose disapproval of Jesse’s stripping may put an end to their relationship.

Mind you, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Eventually, things come together in such a fashion that Jesse has no choice but to return to Hell, to fight for her right to live, the soul of her boyfriend, and the freedom of her best friend, a quest which will bring her into conflict with the new ruler of Hell and one of the most powerful beings in the universe. Let’s just say that if she survives this, she’ll appreciate the mortal life all the more for it.

Taken together, Hell’s Belles and The Road to Hell do an excellent job of chronicling the growth of Jezebel as she goes through the trials and tribulations of falling in love, becoming mortal, returning to her roots, living, dying, gaining a soul, and generally developing a much larger range of emotions and experience than most of her kind. Her propensity for free will remains a somewhat unexplained oddity, putting her directly in contrast with just about every other denizen of Hell, suggesting that there’s still more to her than has been explored. It’ll be interesting to see where this goes as the series progresses.

Now to pause, and look at an essential aspect of the series thus far: the sex. Quite simply, there are points in both books when things get downright pornographic, and words like sensual, sexy, sizzling, and steamy barely do it justice. Kessler has a real flair for turning up the heat, taking full advantage of her characters’ natures and histories to keep things at a fever pitch. It’s hard to open either book and not find a scene where Jezebel isn’t taking her clothes off, seducing someone, or being seduced in return, and yet the way it’s presented, it’s all part of the story. After all, when you’re dealing with demons who embody lust, where the main character is a succubus-turned-stripper, you can either find a way to work around it (such as in Richelle Mead’s Succubus Blues) or embrace it whole-heartedly, like Kessler does. Rest assured that while the “adult” scenes are fairly frequent and in-depth, they serve a larger purpose and keep the story moving.

In fact, I found the plots of both books to be rather fast-paced and compelling, with events moving at enough of a pace that it was hard to stop reading. In Hell’s Belles, I wanted to find out just what happened in Hell to make a seasoned succubus like Jezebel run for the mortal world, and in The Road To Hell, I wanted to see how she’d extricate herself from the current mess of problems she’s attracted. In both cases, Kessler kept things going quite nicely, the end result being that I polished off each book rather swiftly.

Her descriptions of Hell are memorable and suitably terrifying, and I really liked Kessler’s setup of the relationship between Heaven and Hell, punishment and redemption, and the various beings that populate both regions. You can never forget that no matter how friendly or approachable or seductive some characters are, they’re still demons, and no matter how relatable, many of them are utterly inhuman, operating on a different level of power and motivation. Even Kessler’s angels, and we see a few representatives of that faction, stand out as tangibly different. The presence of certain beings not normally associated with the Heaven/Hell construct, such as Pan, Lillith, and the Furies, suggests that there’s a lot more going on than we’ve seen in the two books so far, and I’m hoping we’ll get more of the larger picture over time.

So in case it’s not obvious, I really enjoyed Hell’s Belles and The Road To Hell. The main character is flawed but likeable, the setup is intriguing, the physical scenes are hot, and the plot quick-paced. Having read both books back to back, I can hardly wait for the next in the series, which promises to follow the incubus Duanuan for a change (and given his nature and history thus far, that proves to be quite . . . interesting.) If you’re looking for paranormal romance with a healthy dose of erotic content and a female protagonist who doesn’t mind upsetting the status quo wherever she goes, I definitely recommend these books

Heart of Stone, by C.E. Murphy (Luna, 2007)

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Rationally, Margrit Knight knows that jogging after dark — after midnight, no less — in Central Park isn’t a good idea. Irrationally, she does it anyway, eager for the clarity of mind and feeling of freedom it gives her to defy fate like this. When she’s interrupted one evening by a strange, pale man, she takes it all in stride, dismissing him as a mostly harmless crank. That is, until he turns up on the news the next day as a murder suspect. Now the man, who introduces himself as Alban, is stalking Margrit, intent upon obtaining her help in her capacity as a lawyer, albeit one working for Legal Aid. He claims he’s innocent, and strangely enough, Margrit’s inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

But the more Margrit is exposed to Alban’s world, the more she’s drawn into an old, strange game. One where gargoyles soar through the air and take on human form at will. One where dragons and djinn, vampires and selkies are all real and living in secret among us. One where her on-again, off-again cop boyfriend Tony thinks Margrit’s in league with the killer. One where if Margrit can’t pit some very dangerous people against one another, people will keep dying. For a mere mortal, Margrit Knight is about to become one heck of a player among the Old Races. If she doesn’t get herself killed, first.

Heart of Stone is the start of a brand-new series from C.E. Murphy, already known for her other Luna series, the Walker Papers. And so far, it’s shaping up to be just as good, if not better than her previous works. The heroine, Margrit, is a curious mix of recklessness and practicality, the sort of woman equally at ease running in Central Park after dark and instinctively defending herself against surprise attacks, and the sort of woman who takes on the most hopeless of cases, right before bearding the most powerful men in the city in their own dens. One character claims she’s got metaphorical balls to do what she dares, and I agree with, and applaud her audacity. Here’s a character who will go far out of sheer nerve and chutzpah, as long as she doesn’t make a fatal mistake. From businessmen to crime lords, cops to squatters, Margrit can handle them all.

Tony, the occasional boyfriend, comes off as your average cop: harried, well-intentioned, but dedicated to upholding the law. Unfortunately, while he’s somewhat sympathetic, he has a certain streak that makes him seem like a real jerk, reminiscent of Michael Celluci, from Tanya Huff’s Blood Books. The crime lord Janx is more interesting, with his odd blend of vicious practicality and personal honor, which makes his scenes with Margrit play out very nicely. Likewise, the powerful business man, Eliseo Daisani, helps balance things out with his own ruthless attention to detail and willingness to throw money at a problem before taking it to a bloodier level. And of course, you have Alban, the centuries-old gargoyle, the tormented yet noble outcast with his love for humanity and weakness for a certain woman. . . .

Looking back at that, it would seem as though Murphy had populated the supporting cast with stock characters, but that’s hardly fair, or accurate. Tony, Janx, Daisani, Alban, Margrit’s roommates and friends, they’re all interesting and fleshed-out as best they can be given space and plot constraints, and the next two books in the series are bound to expand upon what we already know.

Obviously, the characterization is one of this book’s strong points. The plot itself is well-paced and intriguing, even as it follows several red herrings before getting to the final revelations. I like the idea of a human — a lawyer no less — with the courage and creativity needed to deal with multiple supernatural races as a go-between, negotiator (in fact, the series is called The Negotiator) and investigator, especially since the way Margrit goes about it reminds me of a saying: “It’s amazing what one can do, when one doesn’t know what one can’t do.” Her reactions, after the fact, are appropriate and telling.

I enjoyed the setup of the hidden world of the supernatural Old Races. Murphy gets major points from me for finding supernatural races to explore that haven’t been overused of late, such as selkies and gargoyles. She’s very good at, in this book at least, keeping the dragons and vampires extremely low-key and in the shadows, making them appropriately mysterious and powerful. Just for trying something new, this book scores high with me. That it succeeds, all the better. It’s a breath of fresh air after the plethora of vampire and werewolf books on the shelves today.

Oh, and Murphy also continues the happy trend of the Luna line being just as much about fantasy and plot as it is about romantic entanglements. There’s certainly no happily-ever-after here, just a slowly-simmering, growing attraction between Margrit and Alban (like that’s a surprise to anyone) and the relationship difficulties between Margrit and Tony (again, like that’s a surprise.) You might find this book in the romance section, you might find it in science fiction, but regardless, it’s definitely worth picking up. Once I started reading Heart of Stone, I just couldn’t put it down. I’ll be eagerly anticipating future installments.

Halfway to the Grave, by Jeaniene Frost (Avon, 2007)

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Catherine “Cat” Crawford spends her nights trolling the local bars and nightclubs, luring men to their doom. The almost-unique offspring of a human and a vampire, gifted with certain vampiric traits, she’s promised her mother that she’ll kill as many vampires as possible, all the while hunting for the vampire whose brutal assault led to her birth some twenty years ago. Cat’s good at what she does, skilled at slaying the undead with little more than her cleavage and a stake in her arsenal. But then she runs into more than she can handle. Captured by a mysterious vampire bounty hunter named Bones, Cat is convinced to partner with him, to train under his merciless tutelage and to kill the vampires he sends her after. The idea of working with the enemy is unthinkable, but it’s either that, or her life. And so Cat undergoes an intense period of training, to fully utilize her skills and vampiric powers.

The partnership between Bones and Cat grows stronger the longer they spend together, until Cat finds her opinion of this one particular vampire changing for the better. It’s just a shame her mother would never approve of him. . . . Before long, Bones reveals the true target of his hunting, and Cat joins him in an attempt to bring down a master vampire and his organization of amoral kidnappers and killers. Hundreds of lives are at stake, and only Cat and Bones have what it takes to go against a cabal whose influence reaches higher than they ever imagined. Of course, neither of them can predict how things will turn out, or what other factors will come into play before everything’s resolved.

With plenty of twists and turns, a feisty heroine and an annoyingly sexy male lead, Halfway to the Grave is a spectacular debut for Jeaniene Frost. This book has a lot going for it. Cat is a wonderful blend of blushing inexperience and sultry, sexy temptress, with an attitude that just won’t quit, a believable voice, and a laugh-out-loud way of looking at the most awkward of situations. Bones pulls off an intriguing blend of mystery, confidence, and snarky smugness that owes a lot of inspiration to Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Together, they make an excellent team, playing well off each others’ quirks and foibles, and the growth of their relationship, both professional and otherwise, is convincing, especially the moment where Cat is forced to reconsider a lifetime of bias and blind hatred for all vampires.

The plot is fast-paced and continually on the move, with Cat getting herself into and out of one scrape after another. Her ability to stumble into trouble is almost too profound to be real; with the number of different ways she falls into harm’s way, one wonders how she survived as long as she did in the first place. I blame her unique nature for turning her into a trouble magnet, personally, and luckily, Frost does manage to explain most of the incidents logically, feeding them into a larger picture of the setting as a whole. There’s a lot going on in the background, and the more the story progresses, the more we pull back to see this grand scheme. As Cat’s perceptions expand, so does the story, proving that a lot more is happening than just one young woman and her passion for staking the undead. The action scenes are sharply-executed, in turns both brutal and cinematic, and the physical chemistry between Bones and Cat is downright sizzling at times.

Frost really upsets the status quo by the end of the book, taking our heroes in some potentially new and interesting directions, and I’ll be eagerly looking forward to the next installment. There may be a lot of vampire-themed paranormal romances already on the shelves, but Halfway to the Grave still manages to stand out from the pack, and I heartily recommend it to those looking for something worth reading. And let me just add that it has a spectacular, sexy cover, one of the best I’ve seen in a while. For those who like urban fantasy with a blend of romance and adventure, this one’s a don’t miss.