Barbsn's reads for2017

I got distracted last year and didn't keep my reading list - but I'm back in 2017 to keep track of all the books I read this year - hoping to make it to 75!

When Nalini Singh's new Guild Hunter book came out late last year I started the series again from the beginning so the first two books I've read this year are the last two in that series - what a way to start a new year. Definitely one of my favourite authors. It constantly amazes me that she is from New Zealand too.

Every year I tell myself I will stretch my boundaries, try new stories and genres. But every year I return to my favourite genres (paranormal, urban fantasy, fantasy and historical romance) with the odd non-fiction book in the mix. This year I accept that I'm going to stick with the genres I love, the ones that give me real pleasure to read - that provide that escapism that comes from a really good story - that transports me to a world that I have to picture using the author's descriptions. After all I have always read to transport myself out of 'real life', even as a child. I'm not fighting it any longer. This is what I love. It's what I've always loved - and will always love. My goal instead is to find new authors in these genres and I hope to find that in other members' threads.

So here are my reads for 2017...

January

1. Archangel's Enigma by Nalini Singh. This is the second time I've read this book - and I enjoyed it even more this time around. Naasir, one of Raphael's Seven, has decided he's ready to find his mate but Raphael has an important mission for him escorting an apprentice scholar, Andromeda, in the search for the Sleeping Archangel Alexander's Sleeping place, before the Archangel of China, aka the Archangel of Death, can find and kill him. Zhou Lijuan wants him dead because of an ancient prophecy that says he will be partially responsible for her death. When they meet, Naasir thinks she smells like his mate, but she has a big secret - in 14 days she must return to her Grandfather's court to serve out a 500 year bond. And her grandfather is the dissolute Archangel Charisemnon. All ends well of course...but not without a little angst first. These two are a perfect pair - they both have their 'civilised' skins and they both have their wild sides.
   
   This is a great adventure and a love story. I recommend to anyone who enjoys paranormal/urban fantasy books to give this series a go.
   
   *****
   


2. Archangel's Heart by Nalini Singh. I love it whenever we get a new book centered around Elena and Raphael. I absolutely love this couple.
   
   After Zhou Lijuan's attack on Alexander's Sleeping place, she retreats injured from the battle. Now it appears she has chosen to Sleep - in order to rise again stronger than ever. She hasn't been seen, or heard from, in two years, and the Luminata, an independent sect of angels who seek 'luminescence' have called the Cadre to a meeting in Lumia - their stronghold in Morocco. All must accept the summons, or risk war. All do accept, except Zhou Lijuan - who sends a message saying that she is a Goddess and therefore above the strictures laid upon the Cadre of Ten.
   
   As Raphael's Consort, Elena gets to accompany Raphael to the meeting, along with Aodhan. Elena is excited to go as her mother's mother came from Morocco and she hopes to find clues to her ancestry in the library of the Luminata. However, when they get there - things are not as they seem. They all sense a 'wrongness' to the place and Elena is determined to unravel the mystery, especially when she overhears some of the monks saying seeing her is like seeing a ghost haunting the halls of Lumia. And when they visit the local town, the people are afraid, more so than is normal. The other oddity is that the town is populated entirely of mortals. That never happens because it upsets the balance - makes the town even more vulnerable to rogue vampires than normal. And when they see Elena's hair - there is true terror - everyone afraid to speak of the beautiful girl with hair like sunlight that one lived there - and loved her vampire husband 'like he was the moon and the stars'. One brave local tells Elena the story of the woman whose husband was a vampire and who disappeared. Elena is a Hunter with the scent...
   
   They eventually unearth the dark heart of Lumia - where mortals are kept prisoner and abused, and as many as 35 immortals were murdered without recourse - because they refused to look the other way. The Cadre all lost warriors to this corruption - and they will have justice.
   
   What they discover in the bowels of Lumia is enough to shake the foundations of Elena's life - and remake it anew.
   
   Meanwhile it's agreed that Zhou Lijuan has chosen to Sleep - Favashi given her territory to become the new Archangel of China - who will rule with the assistance of Caliane until she can rule it herself, and Alexander reclaimed all of Persia.
   
   Can't wait for the next instalment in this series. September is sooo far away!
   
   *****
   


3. Wild Embrace by Nalini Singh. A Psy/Changeling collection. I don't often read short stories but these stories were all enjoyable, giving a bit more depth to the Psy/Changling world by letting us into the lives of side characters in other stories.
   The first story I really enjoyed when I realised Stefan was the one who advised Judd on how to redirect his TK powers when he was with Brenna.
   The second story was about Dorian and span years - from when he was young adapting to not being able to shift, and then - once Ashaya's gene therapy kicked in - learning to adapt to being able to shift - learning to trust his cat.
   The third story was about Desiree - a dominant leopard who we have met as a young soldier in the early Psy/Changeling books - and her attraction to a submissive Snow Dancer wolf - Felix. This was a lovely story.
   The final story is Kenji and Garnet's story. It fills us in on their past, why they have such a strange angry flirtation thing going on, and how they resolve their differences.
   
   *****
   


4. Blood of the Earth by Faith Hunter. A Soulwood Novel - book 1. This story is set in the world of Jane Yellowrock. We first met Nell - the main character of this book - in a Jane Yellowrock story when Jane was drafted in to rescue a vampire held captive on a cult church's land and she needed access to the Church/cult via Nell's land. Jane recognises instantly that Nell isn't human - but swears to keep her secret - however she warns her that PsyLED may be in touch in the future. That cult is the same one Nell escaped from as a child - but still really affects her perspective on the world.
   Rick La Fleur - the notorious ex of Jane's - shows up on Nell's doorstep wanting access from her land to the Church land. Local girls have been kidnapped and Law Enforcement is convinced the Church is somehow involved. Nell is contracted as a civilian adviser to PsyLED, but quickly becomes a part of Unit 18 - a unit that is predominantly paranormal.
   After she is attacked on her land by the leaders of the Church, Rick and Paka save her and she feeds Brother Ephraim to Soulwood - her land.
   Nell's ability to 'read' the land helps them determine who and what they are dealing with.
   A sideline to this story was the uprising at the Church to oust the evil leaders - which ended in a gun fight the left Nell fighting for her life. The tree behind the church healed Nell - but her blood changed it - not necessarily for the better.
   They discover that the church leaders are not human - they are Gwylgi - demon dogs - who are kidnapping the girls to raise money (by ransoming them) but also by breeding with the ones they think may not be human to try and breed more dogs.
   They rescue the girls, capture or kill the dogs, and finally Nell can go home. But she finds she enjoys this newfound independence and when she is invited to Spook School she jumps at the chance.
   
   It was a great first book - I find I really like Nell - she's got spunk. And I was so glad Faith Hunter didn't make Rick out to be a nice guy (because we all know he's not).
   
   I'm so glad I've already got the second book in the series.
   
   ****
   



5. Curse on the Land by Faith Hunter. A Soulwood Novel - book 2. This story is the second book about Nell and her PsyLED team. Nell has just finished her Spook School training when she's gets called into a job that needs her specific skills. A good, fast-paced story. The dynamics within the team develop a lot in this book - not least the relationship between Nell and Occam - a wereleopard. We also get a glimpse at the changes that Nell's brother has brought to the Cult that she was raised in. And maybe the biggest thing was when Rick finally shifted into his leopard form - only for Paka - his mate - to reveal that she had been sent there to get Rick to transform - and then leave him stranded in his animal form as revenge for the death of the wereleopard who changed him. I only hope that little bit of news has no bearing on Jane and Bruiser's relationship.
   
   I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.
   
   ****
   



6. Storm Front by Jim Butcher. A Dresden Files Novel - book 1. I bought this book because my favourite author, Nalini Singh, recommended it.
   
   It took me awhile to get into this book - but about half-way through it got really interesting. I'm not convinced I like Harry Dresden (the main character) - but the story was well woven and with lots of different threads all coming together at the end.
   
   A good book all-in-all.
   
   ****
   


February


7. Call of the Wolf by Madelaine Montague. Book 2 of the Wolfen series. This is a book I fall back on when I want a bit of erotic romance.
   
   ****
   


8. Wolfen by Madelaine Montague. Book 1 of the Wolfen series. For some reason I always series out of order. I like this series, though I prefer Call of the Wolf. It's a good series when I don't want to have to think too hard about the plot.
   
   ****
   


9. Her Alien Saviour by Elle Thorne. Ultimate Passage, Book 1. The Asazi are a winged species that were originally from Earth, but were banished with their creator, Saraz. Their eternal enemies are the Kormic, who the Asazi believe are the native species of the planet. But their women cannot breed so they steal human women's eggs. Finn is an Asazi warrior is assigned to the next mission to Earth to retrieve targets. As soon as he meets Marissa - he can't turn her in to his people. Instead he runs with her. Kal, Finn's cousin, tells him of a safe place they can run to where they won't be found out. Now that Finn is away from Kormia - he discovers a sex drive - and also, that his wings work. Kal warns Finn that he mustn't get Marissa pregnant because human can't survive giving birth to an Asazi baby except by cesarian - the wings shred them and they bleed to death...
   
   ****
   


10. His Human Hellion by Elle Thorne. Ultimate Passage, Book 2. Marissa is pregnant! And Finn is desperate to find a solution to their dilemma - including considering taking her back to Kormia. Marissa is desperate to visit her Father's grave to talk to him about the baby. But she's captured by an Asazi warrior who shouldn't still be on Earth...
    Kal arrives on Earth - with a renegade Alithera on board - she tells Finn she had to get away because she has wings and did not want to be a part of hte asazi prophecy.
    Meanwhile marissa fights back and kills her captor- then she's caught again and sent to Kormia to face justice. She is sentenced without trial to Death - which amounts to banishment from Asazi land. By the time Finn arrives on Kormia Marissa has already been left in Midlands - Kormic land. Finn is captured by two Kormic - who turn out to be Raiza's brother - the woman who feeds him in captivity. When he convinces her to let him out - he is confronted with his father - a man he thought was killed ten years ago. Turns out he was betrayed and left for dead by his own people, and the Kormic saved him. He has mated with Raiza and they have a little boy together. Marissa was 'rescued' by Saraz - who the Asazi think of as their God. He thinks Marissa is the Carrier - the one who will bear the woman who will bring the prophecy to fruition which will allow him to return to Earth. Taya and Cinia - two of Saraz's concubines help marissa escape Saraz's monastery and she is soon reunited with Finn. They make a deal with Saraz, that they'll stay on Kormia until the baby is born so that he can see her baby is not part of his prophecy. And Finn tells Saraz that Alithera has wings - and that she's on Earth...
    
    ****
    


11. Midland Refugee by Elle Thorne. Ultimate Passage, Book 3. Marissa and Finn are enjoying their time together awaiting the birth of their baby. Finn has a hard time accepting the weekly visits from saraz as he checks on the progress of Marissa's pregnancy. In their little community is also Norn (Finn's father) and his mate Raiza and their son, and her twin brothers, Barz and Corzine, plus the two former concubines that helped Marissa escape Saraz's monastery. Red-headed Taya becomes close friends with Marissa, while Cinia withdraws into herself and then disappears one night. They search fruitlessly for her, and all the while Taya feels more and more drawn to Barz. But in Kormic culture - twins mate the same woman - but Taya only wants Barz - and Barz wants her to himself too. So he gives up his culture and they mate. Saraz agrees to create a portal to enable Finn, Marissa and their baby boy to return to Earth. The catch? His father must stay as collateral with Saraz, and Finn must return Alithera to Saraz.
    
    ****
    


12. Runaway Renegade by Elle Thorne. Ultimate Passage, Book 4. As soon as Finn left for Kormia, Alithera runs away from the Asazi ranch. She just wants to leave her old life as far behind as possible. Thane is a Brethren - like Saraz -and his job is to monitor his region of Earth (LA) for Asazi and kill any that get back to Earth. When they meet by chance - they both feel the instant attraction between them. Thane can't give in to the attraction because control the transformation to his saural form when he climaxes. Little does he know that Ali has a similar problem. When Brohm, the senior Brethren on Earth discovers Thane's involvement with Ali - and that she's Asazi he threatens to turn Thane in - so Thane attacks him, and as he's dying he admits that the Asazi are his people - that his woman was already pregnant when Saraz seduced her away from him. Thane's best friend, Zale, helps them escape retribution by opening a portal to Kormia where they are met by the Kormic elders that he dealt with while on Earth.
    
    ****
    


March


13. Venomous by Penelope Fletcher. Alien Warrior book 1. this was a surprisingly well-written book for an alien romance. I really enjoyed this book.
    
    *****
    


14. Rescued by Tordin by Mychal Daniels. Olodian Alien Warrior book 1. I quite liked the story, it's just the writing was a little stilted at times. With a better editor it could be a better book.
    
    ****
    


15. Alphas: Origins by Ilona Andrews. This is a novella that I was hoping would be the start of a series, since I tend to love all of Ilona Andrews work. But there's no mention of this world on the authors' website. What a tease!
    
    ****
    


16. Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews. Kinsmen book 1. This is a novella set in a world where humans have evolved with special powers - those that have them belong to the elite families that rule the world. Good book!
    ****½
    


17. Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews. Kinsmen book 2. Another novella in the same world at Silent Blade. I really enjoyed this. I wish there were more stories in this world.
    
    *****
    

Written in Red by Anne Bishop. The Others Book 1. I absolutely LOVE this book! This is the third time I've read this book and I still love it. I love the whole concept of the terra indigene earth natives, especially the Elementals.

Meg Corbyn is on the run. Alone and desperate, and ill-equipped to deal with the real world after a lifetime of imprisonment, Meg stumbles into Lakeside Courtyard, where the Others reside. Meg knows entering a courtyard is a dangerous risk - most people who tangle with the Others end up dead - but it's the only place she'll be safe from the people chasing her.

For Simon Wolfgard, leader of the Others residing in Lakeside, Meg is a puzzle until he discovers she's a valuable blood prophet and can see the future.then he has to decide if she is worth the potential fight to keep her in the Courtyard. It will be a fight not just with the humans but with the rest of the Others - as well as a fight with his own confusing feelings towards Meg...

For Police Office Montgomery, Meg is the property he's supposed to recover - and the spark that could start a fight with the Others that would wipe out the human city of Lakeside. And for Meg, who has seen her own future, living in the Courtyard is a chance to have a life - for what little time she has left.

*****


18. Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop. The Others book 2.
    
    After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more.
    
    The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murders of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard - Lakeside's shape-shifting leader - wonders whether their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or of a future threat.
    
    As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet-and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.
    
    *****
    


19. Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop. The Others book 3. The Others freed the cassandra sangue to protect the blood prophets from exploitation, not realizing their actions would have dire consequences. Now the fragile seers are in greater danger than ever before—both from their own weaknesses and from those who seek to control their divinations for wicked purposes. In desperate need of answers, Simon Wolfgard, a shape-shifter leader among the Others, has no choice but to enlist blood prophet Meg Corbyn’s help, regardless of the risks she faces by aiding him.
    
    Meg is still deep in the throes of her addiction to the euphoria she feels when she cuts and speaks prophecy. She knows each slice of her blade tempts death. But Others and humans alike need answers, and her visions may be Simon’s only hope of ending the conflict.
    
    For the shadows of war are deepening across the Atlantik, and the prejudice of a fanatic faction is threatening to bring the battle right to Meg and Simon’s doorstep…
    
    *****
    


20. Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop. The Others book 4. I laughed and I cried reading this book - a lot! Now I have to wait a few months for the last book to be released in paperback.
    
    For centuries, the Others and humans have lived side by side in uneasy peace. But when humankind oversteps its bounds, the Others will have to decide how much humanity they’re willing to tolerate—both within themselves and within their community...
    
    Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.
    
    But not everyone is convinced. A group of radical humans is seeking to usurp land through a series of violent attacks on the Others. What they don’t realize is that there are older and more dangerous forces than shifters and vampires protecting the land that belongs to the Others—and those forces are willing to do whatever is necessary to protect what is theirs...
    
    *****
    


April

Happy reading in 2017, Barbara!

Welcome back! I hope you make it too!

I am part of the group.
I love being part of the group.
I love the friendships bestowed upon my by dint of my membership of this wonderful fellowship.
I love that race and creed and gender and age and sexuality and nationality make absolutely no difference to our being a valued member of the group.

Thank you for also being part of the group.