A Book Obsession..: March 2016

Early Review: The Mirror King by Jodi Meadows

, by Kt Clapsadl

The Mirror Kind by Jodi Meadows

The Orphan Queen #2

Wilhelmina has a hundred enemies.

HER FRIENDS HAVE TURNED. After her identity is revealed during the Inundation, Princess Wilhelmina is kept prisoner by the Indigo Kingdom, with the Ospreys lost somewhere in the devastated city. When the Ospreys’ leader emerges at the worst possible moment, leaving Wil’s biggest ally on his deathbed, she must become Black Knife to set things right.

HER MAGIC IS UNCONTROLLABLE. Wil’s power is to animate, not to give true life, but in the wraithland she commanded a cloud of wraith mist to save herself, and later ordered it solid. Now there is a living boy made of wraith—destructive and deadly, and willing to do anything for her.

HER HEART IS TORN. Though she’s ready for her crown, declaring herself queen means war. Caught between what she wants and what is right, Wilhelmina realizes the throne might not even matter. Everyone thought the wraith was years off, but already it’s destroying Indigo Kingdom villages. If she can’t protect both kingdoms, soon there won’t be a land to rule.

In this stunning conclusion to THE ORPHAN QUEEN, Jodi Meadows follows Wilhelmina’s breathtaking and brave journey from orphaned criminal on the streets to magic-wielding queen.

I read and moderately enjoyed THE ORPHAN QUEEN, it didn't wow me, but kept me entertained enough to keep reading. I had hoped the sequel would prove to be more of an engrossing read, but unfortunately it wasn't. I felt that there was entirely too much time spent on politics and not enough on the real threat. I did appreciate how the author used the politic issues like a chess board, and it was interesting to see each part play out, but I just felt it held too much of the focus. It's a very long book, and by drastically lessening the politics and adding more to the wraith issues I feel this would have been a much more compelling read. That's not to say it was a bad one, but yet again it didn't wow me as I would have preferred.

The romance felt more than a bit forced for me in this book, even more so than the first installment. It was set up where the reader is supposed to feel the yearning and devastation as duty keeps the pair apart. And yet it felt forced and not realistic, almost like they were motions rather than real. Honestly I felt like there was more depth in the various friendships. That being said perhaps if the politics had not of overshadowed everything so much the romance would have felt like less of an afterthought.

Romance and politic issues aside, I will say that the last third of the book really shined. It was so jammed pack with heart pounding action and events that I was sucked up in the whirlwind. Once I reached that point I simply couldn't put the book down and it made the long, long read prior to that part worth it. For all the things that frustrated me, at least I can say it went out with one heck of a bang.

This series, and THE MIRROR KING had the feel and makings of an epic story, but unfortunately missing the parts to make it truly epic. That being said, the author shows true talent and I'll be interested in checking out past and future books from her.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
The Eater of Books!
The Stary-Eyed Revue
Brandi Breathes Books

Previous Books:
1. The Orphan Queen

Kirsten Reviews: Nevermore by Rob Thurman

, by Kt Clapsadl

Nevermore by Rob Thurman

Cal Leandros #10

People die.

Everyone knows that. I knew it intimately as everyone in my life died thanks to my one seemingly harmless mistake. I'd brought down Heaven, lifted up Hell, and set the world on fire, all due to one slip of the memory.

I forgot the pizzas...

Caliban is a dead man. The Vigil, a group devoted to concealing the paranormal from humanity, has decided Cal has stepped out of the shadows once too often, and death is the only sentence. They plan to send a supernatural assassin into the past to take down the younger, less lethal Cal.

But things change when The Vigil makes one last attempt on Caliban's life in the present—and end up destroying everyone and everything he cares about.

Now, Cal has to save himself, warn those closest to him, and kill every Vigil bastard who stole his world. But if he fails, he and everyone in his life will be history…

Nevermore by Rob Thurman is the tenth book in the Cal Leandros series, and as this one ends on a cliffhanger, readers are likely to be more than a bit impatient for the next installment, which is set to be released next year, and according to Thurman, is likely to be the final book in the series.

The Vigil has at last decided to pay Cal a visit, and they’re sparing no expense, or being in order to see that he’s disposed of before he does any more to expose humans to the supernatural. When the Vigil uses their most powerful weapons against him, Cal is the only one left alive, which gives him one of two options, those being killing himself, or finding some way of altering past events so that this never happens. Unsurprisingly, Cal chooses to stick it out and try to fix things, while pissing off anybody he can in the process. On top of this, the Vigil decided, to be thorough, that it would be wisest to travel back in time and kill Cal when he was 18, and therefore not yet strong enough to destroy them. That leaves Cal of the present day no other option than following the Vigil back in time, and trying to protect his 18 year old self, and his brother Niko from being killed.

The time travel plotline allows for a great bit of self reflection on Cal’s part, and he has the opportunity to see just how much he’s matured - and so does the audience. The younger Cal and Niko also get a taste of Cal’s fighting skills, which have also improved substantially in only a few years. Of course, sooner or later, Robin shows up, and as always he brings more than a little bit of trouble with him.

There are more than a few funny scenes between all the angst - among them when Cal tells Robin he’d sleep with him if there weren’t extenuating circumstances, this after Robin has medicated Cal so that he’ll slow down and rest after not having slept or eaten for several days.

Anyone who isn’t fond of time travel stories may find that aspect of the story a hassle, but there’s plenty of other aspects of the plot to enjoy, and the villain’s reveal would be more impressive if they had gotten more attention earlier in the book. All told, if this is the penultimate Cal Leandros book, then it’s set events and characters up for one hell of a final showdown.
(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Errant Dreams
Cannonball Read 8

Previous Books:
1. Nightlife
2. Moonshine
3. Madhouse
4. Deathwish
5. Roadkill
6. Blackout
7. Doubletake
8. Slashback
9. Downfall

Early Review: Waylaid by Kim Harrison

, by Kt Clapsadl

Waylaid by Kim Harrison

Worlds collide when Rachel Morgan of The Hollows meets Peri Reed of The Drafter in this exciting new short story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison.

The paranormal and the futuristic meet in this thrilling novella featuring your favorite badass heroines from two of “the amazingly gifted” (RT Book Reviews) Kim Harrison’s most beloved series: the Hollows and the Peri Reed Chronicles. The magic of the Hollows runs full force into the technological sophistication of The Drafter when a device capable of carrying a city’s data stream pulls Rachel, the bounty hunter witch of the Hollows, between realities, marooning her in a world where the supernatural holds no sway. To get Rachel and Jenks home, Peri, the dangerous renegade of 2030, must decide what will chart her future: her blind trust in those who grant her power, or her intuition telling her to believe.

WAYLAID is a fun romp of a mashup between one of my all time favorite series, The Hollows, and the author's new series, Peri Reed. When I heard about this novelette, I had wondered how Kim Harrison would realistically mash the two very very different worlds without it stretching the rules to far. I was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly everything played out. Rachel true to her character comes blazing in and her rashness gets her into trouble like normal. Peri on the other hand, is much more controlled and by the books type, and yet in this story a bit of Rachel rubbed off on her. It made for a fun but short tale.

One thing to note is that I think the draw for WAYLAID is more of a hook rather than a true story in it's own right. It feels like more of a marketing tool (and a good one!) for Hollows fans to be enticed by another story with Rachel, and introduce them to Peri's world. As a die hard Hollows fan, I think it's worth the $0.99 price tag, but for someone else who hasn't read the books, it may not be. Then again the reverse could be true and bring Peri fans over to the Hollows. Either way, it's a fun story that I enjoyed a great deal, that only made me love both series even more. Perhaps a re-read of the hollows is in order during the long wait until the next Peri book...

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Anna's Book Blog
Books Are My Reality

Review: Veiled Magic by Deborah Blake

, by Kt Clapsadl

Veiled Magic by Deborah Blake

Since Witches came out of the broom-closet in the early 21st century, they have worked alongside humans as police officers, healers, stock traders, and more. But they aren’t the only paranormal entities in our world…

Police officer and Witch Donata Santori spends her days interrogating dead witnesses by summoning their spectral forms. Normally the job is little more than taking statements and filing reports. But when she’s called in on the case of a murdered art restorer, she finds herself suddenly in possession of a mystical portrait that both the human and paranormal communities would kill to get their hands on.

Unable to take on the forces hunting her alone, Donata seeks help from two unlikely and attractive allies: a reluctant shape-changer and a half-dragon art forger. But as the three of them hurry to uncover the truth about the powerful painting, Donata realizes that she’s caught in the middle of not one but two wars—one for possession of the painting’s secrets and one for possession of her heart…

VEILED MAGIC was an interesting start to what I hope will be a new series. The premise was very intriguing and while the plot moved along a bit slowly, that's to be expected at the introduction to a new paranormal world due to all the world building. And let me say that it was a very interesting world. There's a plethora of various supernatural characters, factions, and magical angles and when you add that into the rather unique plot, I was pretty hooked and intrigued from the start. I found it particularly interesting how only some of the supernaturals were public knowledge, yet everyone else was still in hiding. And it's not a recent "outting" either. So it was entertaining if not slightly baffling that the rest of the secrets were so well kept.

Not only the main character, Donata, but the entire cast of supporting characters were full of depth as well, or at least at the beginning. Unfortunately while I was impressed early on with the characters, they didn't seem to progress much further in development past where they started. I would have hoped for more growth especially if this isn't a series starter but a stand alone. As far as the romance, I do wish it had of been ramped up just a bit rather than being overly toned down as it was, especially when you consider it seems to almost be a triangle. But again if this is to be a series, that makes a bit more sense. Both men have their merits, but I think by the end there was a clear path/choice for Donata.

Overall this was a decent start to hopefully a new series. There's just so much room for growth and potential that it would be a shame to end it with just this book. So here's to hoping it continues.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Paranormal Haven
La Crimson Femme
Urban Fantasy Investigations

Kirsten Reviews: Swords and Scoundrels by Julia Knight

, by Kt Clapsadl

Swords and Scoundrels by Julia Knight

The Duellists Trilogy #1

Two siblings.
Outcasts for life.... together.
What could possibly go wrong?

Vocho and Kacha are champion duelists: a brother and sister known for the finest swordplay in the city of Reyes. Or at least they used to be-until they were thrown out of the Duelist's Guild.

As a last resort, they turn reluctant highwaymen. But when they pick the wrong carriage to rob, their simple plans to win back fame and fortune go south fast.

After barely besting three armed men and a powerful magician, Vocho and Kacha make off with an immense locked chest. But the contents will bring them much more than they've bargained for when they find themselves embroiled in a dangerous plot to return an angry king to power....

Swords and Scoundrels is the first book in The Duelist's Trilogy -- a tale of death, magic, and family loyalty.

Swords and Scoundrels by Julia Knight (aka Francis Knight) begins the Duelists Trilogy and is the sort of fantasy book that will appeal to anyone who feels the lack of brother-sister teams in the genre.

Vocho and Kacha are champion duelists, a brother and sister who were once known throughout the city of Reyes for their exceptional swordplay. At least, they were, before they were tossed out of the Duelist’s Guild. Left without any other option, they decided, reluctantly, to become highwaymen, but all this changes when they decide to rob the wrong carriage and their plans to easily find their fame and fortune take an unexpected turn.

They are able to overcome several heavily-armed men and a powerful magician, escaping with a large locked chest, but as is often the case, the contents of the chest will bring them more trouble than they ever wanted, and involve them in the plot to return a king to the throne.

This plot drives the story and so does the relationship between the siblings, both of whom want to be the best duelist, and there is a bit of friction between Kacha, the older sister, and Vocho, who often feels that he’s overshadowed by his disciplined sister. But, no matter how much they might quarrel with each other, the siblings stick together, and anyone who tries to hurt one of them will have to watch out for the other.

This loyalty has been already tested as they rose through the ranks of the Duelist’s Guild and the events of this book and the others in the trilogy promise to create further challenges for Kacha and Vocho.

For the most part the worldbuilding is solid with accessible dialogue , although in some places it could be expanded upon, and the next books offer that opportunity. Of note, the siblings’ perspectives are the most interesting, and although showing the other side of the story is necessary at times, it can’t quite hold the attention as that of Kacha and Vocho. Readers looking for a fantasy world with a pair of siblings who don’t hesitate to draw their swords or throw a punch will enjoy the first installment in this trilogy.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
The Bibliosanctum
The Book Adventures
Paranormal Haven

Review: The Reburialists by J.C. Nelson

, by Kt Clapsadl

The Reburialists by J.C. Nelson

Burying the dead is easy. Keeping them down is difficult.

At the Bureau of Special Investigations, agents encounter all sorts of paranormal evils. So for Agent Brynner Carson, driving a stake through a rampaging three-week-old corpse is par for the course. Except this cadaver is different. It’s talking—and it has a message about his father, Heinrich.

The reanimated stiff delivers an ultimatum written in bloody hieroglyphics, and BSI Senior Analyst Grace Roberts is called in to translate. It seems that Heinrich Carson stole the heart of Ra-Ame, the long-dead god of the Re-Animus. She wants it back. The only problem is Heinrich took the secret of its location to his grave.

With the arrival of Ra-Ame looming and her undead army wreaking havoc, Brynner and Grace must race to find the key to stopping her. It’s a race they can’t afford to lose, but then again, it’s just another day on the job . . .

I have rather mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, the characters and their dynamics were top notch, and the plotline is very well paced and had the perfect amount of stakes. But unfortunately to be blunt, the world didn't make a lick of sense, which left me more than a little frustrated throughout the entire read. I realize part of the book is supposed to have to do with different beliefs as to why the dead didn't stay dead, but nothing was really explained. We're just thrown into things without any knowledge or understanding at all. Even towards the end as more explanations came, I still frankly was confused. Perhaps by that point I had just given up trying to make sense of it and was just going with the flow. It's a shame because there's so much potential here, but I needed more explanation to really get sucked into the series. It was almost like everyone just accepted that the reanimates were there, and that was that. No one really tried to get to the route of the problem, or try and find ways to get rid of them once and for all. Just rang a bit false to me. I realize I've been a bit vague here, but even after finishing the book I still don't understand any of the mythology to explain it myself.

Now onto the good. I really enjoyed Brynner and Grace's characters. Where the world building lacked depth, their three dimensional characters made up for it. Brynner is incredibly damaged goods, and yet so strong at the same time. And of course Grace's fierce yet gun shy character was the perfect thing to help "tame" his wild ways. So I really enjoyed their progression together. It was more than a little bumpy along the way, making for a very enjoyable journey in the romance aspect. No complaints on that angle. The other good thing about THE REBURIALISTS is that despite my confusion on the world and mythology, it didn't stop the plot from progressing quickly and the stakes being very high. I was engaged and invested from the start, which when you think about it is rather impressive considering the disadvantage of the world.

I'm not sure if this is going to be a new series, or if it's a stand alone. Things ended well enough that I'd be satisfied here. But as there's potential for more, if it does continue I just hope there's more digging into the world to bring just a bit more depth.

All in all THE REBURIALISTS is an entertaining read with some world building flaws, but great characters that I enjoyed.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Between Dreams and Reality
Badass Book Reviews

Review: Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop

, by Kt Clapsadl

Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop

The Others #4

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…

I have to admit I may have danced a victory jig when I got my hands on this book. I absolutely love this series and wish the books would come faster. Each book blows me away and this one was no exception. At first the frequent shifting point of views were rather jarring and took a little while to get used to the flow. However, once I did I really appreciated all those multiple character angles as it allowed the suspense and pace to feel all the more widespread. Sure it didn't allow for quite as much character development in as in previous installments, but the action and horror of this book would have out-shadowed any large growth anyway. That being said, Meg still continued to grow and for the first time I felt like real progress was made towards a long term solution to save her life. The thousand cut expiration has felt like a looming axe, and while nothing is certain, that hope makes me a very happy reader. I also really enjoyed the small progression in the hints of romance with Simon and Meg. Again it was more hope than anything certain, but it's that hope that keeps me sucked in.

The ramifications of all the Humans First and Last terrible actions ripple throughout making MARKED IN FLESH feel like a turning point in the series. With the things between human finally coming fully to a head, nothing will be the same. I can't tell you how many times while reading this book that I was blown away by the majority of the human's stupidity, audacity, and utter cruelty. And yet they call the Others, "monsters." Anne Bishop did an incredible job at making those stakes feel so real. I was horrified at the humans, and utterly terrified of the Elders. She crafted them in a way that they were fully fleshed, and yet still mysterious at the same time, making them all the more terrifying for it.

The Others series is simply put, one of the best urban fantasy series that I have ever read. Considering just how many books I've read in the genre, trust me when I say that this is the one to read. MARKED IN FLESH proved once again that this series is an utter powerhouse in the genre that I hope will continue on for many books to come. Run, do not walk to get your hands on this one.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Between Dreams and Reality
Rabid Reads
Hot Listens

Previous Books:
1. Written in Red
2. Murder of Crows
3. Vision in Silver

Release Day Review: Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

, by Kt Clapsadl

Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs

Mercy Thompson #9

Mercy Thompson has been hailed as “a heroine who continues to grow and yet always remains true to herself.”* Now she’s back, and she’ll soon discover that when the fae stalk the human world, it’s the children who suffer...

Tensions between the fae and humans are coming to a head. And when coyote shapeshifter Mercy and her Alpha werewolf mate, Adam, are called upon to stop a rampaging troll, they find themselves with something that could be used to make the fae back down and forestall out-and-out war: a human child stolen long ago by the fae.

Defying the most powerful werewolf in the country, the humans, and the fae, Mercy, Adam, and their pack choose to protect the boy no matter what the cost. But who will protect them from a boy who is fire touched?

I absolutely love this series. I start counting the days until the next release as soon as I finish the latest installment as I could read endless books in this world. There's just something about Mercy and her world that is so entertaining, and yet comforting that keeps me craving more. Each book makes me feel like coming home, and in fact this series is one of my favorites to listen to on audiobook as a re-read. So before I even get started fully into this review, if you haven't read this series, stop right here, run and start a binge read, as once you start you won't be able to stop.

It amazes me how the stakes continually get higher and yet different in each new installment. Some times when books try and outdo the previous installment, the constant one-upmanship only leads to unbelievable and unrealistic states. And yet, Patricia Briggs seamlessly writes each new obstacle and challenge where they are all unique, more dangerous, and yet in no way outlandish. She stays well within the rules she has set in her world and I truly admire her for that. There's no shortcuts here. This time around the threat brewing is an all out war between the fae and the werewolves, and the humans as a side result. Mercy takes some rather both actions as she is wont to do, and Adam ever the amazingly supportive hero backs her up soundly. In fact his actions throughout this book were incredible to put it mildly. Fans of the series will be delighted at the new road and choices the two of them have made in this round, and the new pack dynamics that result as a fact. All I can say is that it's about time.

One of the other great things about this series is that it weaves in its sister series, the Alpha and Omega as well, tying them together perfectly. There was one large character from that series that made a pretty terrible decision and actions towards Mercy. And while I understand them, they left me reeling alongside her. There's a lot of long reaching consequences from those choices, and I can't wait to see how that turns out in the next book in either series, whichever comes first.

Yet another brilliant installment in the always fantastic Mercy Thompson series, FIRE TOUCHED is one you'll want you'll want to get your hands on as soon as possible. Make sure to set aside a nice long block to read as once you start, you simply won't be able to put it down.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Rabid Reads
Under the Covers

Previous Books:
1. Moon Called
2. Blood Bound
3. Iron Kissed
4. Bone Crossed
5. Silver Borne
6. River Marked
7. Frost Burned
8. Night Broken

Review: Midnight Marked by Chloe Neill

, by Kt Clapsadl

Midnight Marked by Chloe Neill

Chicagoland Vampires #12

As the Chicagoland Vampires series continues, Merit and Ethan find themselves in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, where winning may require the ultimate sacrifice...

A vampire’s grudges don’t stay dead long...

Merit is one of Chicago's most skilled vampire warriors; these days, she doesn't scare easily. But she and Master vampire Ethan have made a new and powerful enemy, and he won't give up until he owns the Windy City.

With his last plan thwarted, he's more determined than ever to watch Cadogan burn. Ethan has put the House's vampires on high alert, but their enemy will stop at nothing, including pitting vampire against vampire...

In this deadly game of cat-and-mouse, the stakes are life or death—and winning might mean sacrificing everything..

Each book in this series has continued at a frenetic pace, and MIDNIGHT MARKED was no exception. From page one, it takes off and doesn't stop once. The "Big Bad" this time around was a doozy, leaving the plot spiraling almost out of control. It definitely made for some intense scenes and stakes, so intense that the resolution almost didn't stand a chance at living up to the build up. Don't get me wrong, the resolution packed a punch and had some very high stakes. It's just that it almost felt just a tad easy. But then again if you really look hard, it was only a half fix, and the next book could become the final, final showdown. We'll have to see.

Merit and Ethan's relationship continues to be tumultuous, which adds both excitement and frustration to the series. It definitely keeps things interesting, but as I said it's rather frustrating as well. Granted Ethan does act in character with his ridiculous alpha male routine in this book, but it comes across as juvenile so very hypocritical. To be honest, it rang rather false to me how easily he got off the hook with Merit for his actions. He pulled a rather ridiculous stunt in this book, and while there was mentions of him being in the "dog house," there really wasn't any real consequences for him with Merit nor anyone else in the end. And yet, he claimed to have learned his lesson. Again. But in all honestly it just once and for all proved he'll never really change, which unfortunately soured my view of him a bit. Luckily he has one more book to potentially redeem himself and better control those actions, but only time will tell.

You can really feel this series starting to wind down, which is a shame, as it's one I've really enjoyed. Surprisingly, the span of this series despite so many books, has only been a year in total. In fact, Merit is celebrating her one year anniversary as a vampire in this book. So much has happened in only that short year, it's rather mind boggling. And yet it feels like there's so much more left unsaid/to be done, so if the next book is truly the finale, I can't imagine the frenetic pace that will entail to pack so much in. Should make for a bang of a book. So that being said, I highly recommend this book and this series to anyone who enjoys a fast paced and high stakes read in the urban fantasy genre.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
Rabid Reads
Fangs, Wands, and Fairy Dust
Naomi's Reading Place

Previous Books:
1. Some Girls Bite
2. Friday Night Bites
3. Twice Bitten
4. Hard Bitten
5. Drink Deep
6. Biting Cold
7. House Rules

8. Biting Bad

9. Wild Things

10. Blood Games

10.5. Lucky Break

11. Dark Debt

Release Day Review: Midnight Bites by Rachel Caine

, by Kt Clapsadl

Midnight Bites by Rachel Caine

Morganville Series

New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine presents a collection of stories—including six new tales—featuring the little Texas town that’s overrun by the undead.

WELCOME TO MORGANVILLE.

YOU’LL NEVER WANT TO LEAVE.

By day, Morganville, Texas, is just a typical college town. By night, the vampires emerge and take control....

In a town where it’s not safe to be out after dark, student Claire Danvers and her friends have had their fair share of thrills. But Morganville still has a few secrets left to tell.

Now, in this collection, you can venture down the town’s strange streets, revisit all the tales you’ve come to love, and experience six new stories featuring your favorite Morganville residents—both human and vampire...

I really enjoyed MIDNIGHT BITES. It's been a while since this series closed, so reading this book was almost like returning home to some of my favorite characters. There's a good mix of new content in between the previously released stories. I hadn't read any of the previously released parts, so this anthology was entirely new content for me, making me enjoy it even more.

There's a great mix of stories in this anthology, from things that last a few pages, to ones that are a bit longer that let you get more immersed. A lot of times in anthologies I do get frustrated with the brevity of the stories, but that wasn't the case here. Despite there being so many different short stories packed into this book, I didn't get frustrated with that lack of depth. I think it had a lot to do with how the entire thing was set up chronologically, making it all flow well, and tie in together. Some of the stories themselves hinted at things that were then tied back to in later stories, so it was really enjoyable. There's a good mix of perspectives, something for every character fan.

There's one downside to this enjoyable anthology and that's that it has left wanting more from Morganville again. I had said my bittersweet goodbyes at the release of the final book, and I feel like this book has only reopened things back up. I want, would almost say need, more from this world. There's so much room and potential for more and considering just how many books and stories have been released in this world, that's saying something. That being said, despite wanting more, MIDNIGHT BITES is a very satisfying absolute must read for Morganville fans. As they say, you never really leave Morganville, and that's only been proven here with this fantastic anthology. Here's to hoping Rachel Caine returns again and again to this world in the future.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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