13

I had been putting off reading Kelley Armstrong's 13, as I didn't want my adventures with the inter-racial council to end, but I couldn't wait any longer to crack open my beautiful hardcover addition.  I'd started reading a few pages here and there but the turning point was when I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep.  Therefore early morning logic dictated that I should read a few chapters and drift back off to my much needed slumber.  Instead, I read over half the book and by the end I was in tears, proper sobs, trying to stifle them so I didn't wake anyone else up.  Now, I'm not saying that this is my favourite entry in the Women of the Otherworld series (my heart will always belong to Jamie Vegas and book no.7 No Humans Involved) but I don't think I would have wanted such a great urban fantasy series to end any other way. 

War is coming to the Otherworld.  A sinister cult known as The Supernatural Liberation Movement is hell-bent on exposing the truth about supernaturals to the rest of the world.  Their violent, ruthless plan has put everyone at risk: from werewolves to vampires, from witches to half-demons.
  Savannah Levine - fiery and unpredictable - stands at the heart of the maelstrom.  There is a new, dark magic inside her, granting her the power to summon spells of terrifying strength.  But wether this magic is a gift or a curse, no one knows.
  On the ever of battle, all the major players must come together in a last, desperate fight for survival - Elena and Clay; Adam and Savannah; Paige and Lucas; Jeremy and Jamie; Hope, Eve and more...
They are fighting for their lives.  They are fighting for their loved ones.  They are fighting for the Otherworld.

  I was a bit miffed as the blurb had implied something much bigger was brewing and about to be revealed.  Plus I wanted an old style Buffy season finale or something akin to the showdown in Jim Butcher's Changes.  However, what I got was something that enabled my beloved characters to get together and fight for their right to stay anonymous.  There's plenty of action and gore, especially at the start, but there's a lot of heart to 13 and plenty of character development.
Armstrong has said that this is isn't the end for Elena and company, they'll appear in short fiction, but I'm glad she's resting the series so it won't have the chance to enter Sookie Stackhouse or Anita Blake territory.

The Reckoning

The Reckoning is the final part of Chloe's arc in the Darkest Powers series and Kelley Armstrong successfully provides an exciting end to the trilogy.  The long set up of the love triangle finally comes to fruition.  Secrets are revealed and alliances formed, some with shady characters.  Not all problems are solved in the end leaving enough to be answered in the new series, set in the same world but in another location that has links with Edison Group, which starts with The Gathering.  I can't reveal too much without spoiling such an interlinked series, so the best advice I can offer is to get your hands on a copy and see what you think, especially if you're a fan of Armstrong's Otherworld series (or just an individual book/short story of hers) as you won't be dissapointed.

First Grave on the Right

I had such high hopes for this debut novel from Darynda Jones.  First Grave on the Right is about Charley Davidson: PI, police aide and Grim Reaper.  I had first spotted it in the States; but due to a bad exchange rate I ordered a copy from my local library so it would be waiting for me upon my return.  When the time came I noticed, that like many trans Atlantic editions, the cover was different and underneath the blurb on the back cover was the thing I dread most on a book jacket: a shoe.  From experience, shoe(s) on book covers mean only one thing: chick lit.

  In no way am I an advocate for that genre.  This may have placed the seeds of doubt into my head, but once I started reading my suspicions were only confirmed. 

The premise was interesting and perhaps if given to another writer with more natural talent or a bit more experience this could have been the start of an excellent series.  However, it felt like Jones was trying too hard.  The supposed humorous quips felt like padding, or nervous chatter.  The attempt to give her Grim Reaper a history became lengthy and forced.  Instead of being brought up gradually every revelation about Charley's past was a massive anvil.  This resulted in every instance a derailment of the story and by the last proclamation I couldn't help feeling that there were too many of these horrible childhood moments.  While on the subject of unbelievable there is also the obligatory sex scene at the end. 

Maybe Jones had the Dummies guide on how to write paranormal fiction and from following those instructions so mechanically her finished product lacks any real magic.  Don't get me wrong; there are good things about First Grave on the Right but it was really hard to look past the rubbish.  It reminded me a lot of MaryJanice Davidson's Undead series, so if you're a fan of hers be sure to get your hands on FGotR.  I have the second book to read, as they were ordered together, and now I'm more aware of what to expect perhaps I may find reading slightly more enjoyable.