New Releases: Best New Urban Fantasy Books for September 2008

The following fantasy books are being released this month. With new releases by authors like C.E. Murphy, Lilith Saintcrow, Chris Marie Green, Justina Robson, L.A. Banks, and Richelle Mead, you can’t go wrong. There’s something here for everyone!


Sept. 1, 2008 image Hands of Flame (The Negotiator Book 3)
by C.E. Murphy
 

War has erupted among the five Old Races, and Margrit is responsible for the death that caused it. Now New York City’s most unusual lawyer finds herself facing her toughest negotiation yet. And with her gargoyle lover, Alban, taken prisoner, Margrit’s only allies—a dragon bitter about his fall, a vampire determined to hold his standing at any cost and a mortal detective with no idea what he’s up against—have demands of their own.

Determined to rescue Alban and torn between conflicting loyalties as the battle seeps into the human world, Margrit soon realizes the only way out is through the fire.

See my review of C.E. Murphy’s urban fantasy book, Heart of Stone (The Negotiator Book 1).


Sept. 1, 2008 image Haunting the Nightside (Nightside Omnibus Book 2)
by Simon R. Green
 

This is a popular urban fantasy book series by Simon R. Green, a great urban fantasy writer.


Sept. 1, 2008 image Hungry for More
by Diana Holquist
 

Chef James LaChance has no time for the gorgeous Gypsy who appears at his restaurant with a mysterious agenda. Amy Burns is a Gypsy with a gift: she can name a person’s One True Love. To keep her mystical power, she can never fall in love herself–a price she’s more than willing to pay. Until she meets the sexy chef whose talents in the kitchen are only surpassed by his talents in the bedroom. But is any man worth giving up the only gift she’s ever had? As desire leads to passion, Amy must choose between her destiny and the man who loves her…


Sept. 1, 2008 image Hunter’s Prayer
by Lilith Saintcrow
 

Another night on the Nightside…An ancient evil looms over Santa Luz. Prostitutes are showing up dead and eviscerated. And Jill Kismet just might be able to get her revenge against an old enemy.

There’s just one problem. Someone wants Jill dead–again. And if they have to open up Hell itself to kill her, they will.

I love the books in this urban fantasy series by Lilith Saintcrow!


Sept. 1, 2008 image Insatiable Desire
by Rita Herron
 

FBI agent Vincent Valtrez, the son of a devil and an angel, is a Dark Lord with the potential for great good or great evil. His dead father, Zion, is about to be named the new leader of Hell’s legions, and Pan, god of fear, wants to harvest Vincent’s soul and win Zion’s approval. He lures Vincent back to his hometown by targeting psychic Clarissa King, for whom Vincent has long felt an attraction. Herron manages to strike a balance between the romance bubbling between Vincent and Clarissa and the horror of Pan’s actions. Vincent displays enough self-loathing to make him an interestingly brooding hero, and readers will enjoy the chase after Pan’s earthly agents and Vincent’s struggle with his figurative and literal demons, right up to the obligatory cliffhanger ending.


Sept. 2, 2008 image Medlocks (The Barathrum Evado Trophy)
by Dave Berenato
 

The Barkers arent your normal family living in Wisconsin. With eight kids including a set of quintuplets, a pair of twins, and one single born, they couldnt count themselves as the typical American family. But in Medlocks: the Barathrum Evado Trophy, their lives change forever one summer when they wake up with miraculous superpowers. Shortly after they are told that they must attend an academy in another solar system called Medlocks. While they discover their parents dark secrets, they also learn about a villain trying to stop them from solving the mystery of The Barathrum Evado Trophy. Grab onto the roller coaster ride where young author Dave Berenato takes you down a path of cliffhangers and unexpected twists in Medlocks: the Barathrum Evado Trophy.


Sept. 2, 2008 image Moon in the Mirror (A Tess Noncoire Adventure)
by P.R. Frost
 

Frost’s lively sequel to Hounding the Moon (2006) finds Tess Noncoiré, fantasy writer and Warrior of the Celestial Blade, literally haunted by the ghost of her dead husband, Dill, and on the run from the vengeful widow of a Windago demon. Tess doesn’t need more trouble, but she gets it anyway when WindScribe, a member of her aunt MoonFeather’s coven, reappears—unaged, naked and hounded by garden gnomes with teeth—after vanishing 28 years before. This is an enjoyable, slightly screwball fantasy adventure leavened with touches of soap opera.


Sept. 2, 2008 image Vampires
by John Steakley
 

Vampires is about a tightly knit group of professional vampire killers. They may say they’re in it for the money, but their death-defying bravado are as intense as those in any soldier-hero epic. The irrepressible, foul-mouthed, hard-drinkin’ Jack Crow–decked out in high-tech chain mail and wielding a fearsome crossbow–is the leader of the bunch. He’s the sort of man who screams obscenities at the pope, and then (after a lot of booze) weeps in the pontiff’s lap over the horrors he’s witnessed.

Vampires is a gaudy, action-packed novel. The men are men, the women are vulnerable, and the vampires are mean, ugly monsters. Unless you don’t like that sort of thing, you’ll love it.

I personally love reading vampire books like this.


Sept. 2, 2008 image Break of Dawn
by Chris Marie Green
 

Hollywood can really suck…
After facing off against the lethal Vampire Killer, Hollywood stuntwoman Dawn Madison and her friends are reeling. But for Dawn, the pain is much more personal. She’s learned more about her missing father and long-dead mother than she ever wanted to, and her conflicted feelings about both her enigmatic, never-seen boss, Jonah, and P.I. Matt Lonigan are only making things worse.

To save her father Dawn must enter the Vampire Underground, where she will encounter an unthinkable betrayal, and where the question of who is truly good and who is truly evil will become a matter of life, death—and undeath.

See my review of Night Rising (Vampire Babylon Book 1), a great introduction to this urban fantasy series.


Sept. 2, 2008 image Daughter of Hounds
by Caitlin R. Kiernan
 

This book features psychic sensitive Deacon Silvey and his supernaturally scarred family and friends is a hell-raising dark fantasy replete with ghouls, changelings and eerie intimations of a macabre otherworld. Deacon’s adolescent daughter, Emmie, finds herself increasingly subject to weird presentiments and uncanny encounters that suggest she’s more fey than mortal. The complex plot springs abundant surprises involving forgotten cradle exchanges, mistaken identities and unexpected betrayals on its juggernaut roll to a memorable finale. Though more talky than Kiernan’s usual, the story still manages an effective mix of atmosphere and action and resolves most of the major subplots.


Sept. 16 , 2008 image The Bride of Casa Dracula (Casa Dracula Book 3)
by Marta Acosta
 

Milagro De Los Santos is having serious problems planning her wedding to fabulous Oswald Grant, M.D. Her future in-laws loathe her, her dog just died, and Oswald’s family has a genetic anomaly that makes them crave blood. Then her extravagant best friend hijacks the role of wedding coordinator, and the secretive Vampire Council assigns conniving Cornelia Ducharme to guide the couple through the ancient vampire marriage rituals.

To top it all off, Milagro’s career is on the skids. She’s reduced to ghost-writing the memoirs of a loony little man who claims to be a shapeshifter. And why does Cornelia’s decadent, way too attractive brother, Ian, always show up whenever Milagro is away from Oswald? When a series of accidents interferes with wedding plans, Oswald worries that Milagro is cracking under the pressure. Is she just paranoid, or is a hidden enemy trying to make sure Milagro doesn’t wed the undead?


Sept. 23, 2008 image Going Under (Quantum Gravity Book 3)
by Justina Robson
 

Lila Black is off with the faeries . . .

Ever since the Quantum Bomb of 2015 things have been different; the dimensions have fused and suddenly our world is accessible to elves, demons, ghosts and elementals and their worlds are open to us. Things have been different for Special Agent Lila Black too: tortured and magic-scarred by elves, rebuilt by humans into a half-robot, part-AI, nuclear-fueled walking arsenal, and carrying the essence of a dead elfin necromancer in her chest, sometimes she has trouble figuring out who she is.

And a mission to the world of the fae may not help her work it out.

See my review of Keeping It Real (Quantum Gravity Book 1), the first book in the Lila Black urban fantasy series.


Sept. 30, 2008 image One Bite With a Stranger (The Others Book 6)
by Christine Warren
 

When Regina’s friends insist on setting her up a “Fantasy Fix” to help her get over her cheating ex, she dreams up some kinky out-of-this-world encounters that they could never possibly bring to life. But the next thing Regina knows, her friends have got her laced into a shiny black corset, tight leather pants, and a sexy pair of stilettos. It’s time for some downtown vampire-fantasy fun. . . .

The Vampire Ball in Manhattan’s East Village isn’t really Dmitri Vidâme’s idea of a good time, but as a member of the Council that governs the Others, he has to keep an eye on all the young vamps who prey on the pretenders. After he feasts his dark eyes on fiery Regina at the bar, he knows that he must have her. But for the first time Dmitri meets a woman who is more than a match for his indomitable will. And he may be the fantasy Regina hoped for… until she—and her feisty friends—discover her sexy new lover’s bloodsucking secret.


Sept. 30, 2008 image Pandemonium
by Daryl Gregory
 

Sasha Trudeau considers herself a soldier first and a werewolf second. But while her secret government-sanctioned task-force faces its greatest challenge so far, Sasha faces something much more primal: the undeniable pull of the moon—and her own desires.

With rogue wolves savaging both the human and paranormal worlds, Sasha’s team of elite operatives has one job: destroy the rogues and isolate the deadly toxin that’s poisoned their blood. But the challenge is far more complicated than Sasha could have imagined. Soon she is thrust into a full-scale supernatural war for supremacy—and the only man left who Sasha can turn to might be the biggest danger to her of all. . .and in more ways than one.

I love L.A. Banks’ sexy urban fantasy books!


Sept. 30, 2008 image Succubus Dreams (Georgina Kincaid Book 3)
by Richelle Mead
 

Some days, a girl just can’t catch a break … especially when the girl in question is Georgina Kincaid, a shape-shifting succubus who gets her energy from seducing men. First there’s her relationship with gorgeous bestselling writer Seth Mortensen, which is unsatisfying on a number of levels. It’s not just that they can’t have sex in case Georgina inadvertently kills him (generally a turn-off for most guys). Lately, even spending time together is a challenge.

Then there are the dreams. Someone, or something, is preying on Georgina at night, draining her energy, and supplying eerie visions of her future. Now Georgina faces a double challenge-rein in her out-of-control love life, and go toe-to-toe with an enemy capable of wreaking serious havoc among mankind. Otherwise, Georgina, and the entire mortal world, may never sleep easy again.


See also: Best Selling Urban Fantasy Books for 2008

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Undead and Uneasy by MaryJanice Davidson

Undead&Uneasy

If you’re looking for a light summer read you might want to try Undead and Uneasy by MaryJanice Davidson. I’ll forewarn you that it has its moments of silliness, but if you approach it knowing that, you should might be okay. Maybe. Perhaps.

Most of the humor in the book occurs because of the heroine, Betsy. Or I should say, Queen Betsy. You see, Betsy is a 30-year old super master vampire with powers that other vampires would die for. Sorry about that.

Betsy can:

  • walk outside on a sunny day;
  • go for several weeks without needing to feed;
  • survive being stabbed through the heart (it hurts a bit, but it’s not life threatening);
  • drink holy water;
  • attend church or other religious ceremonies.

However, Betsy is also:

  • incredibly vain and egocentric;
  • petty and shallow;
  • dense as a thick fog.

These qualities can make her character a bit irritating.

Anyway, this installment in the Queen Betsy series finds Betsy finally preparing for her wedding to the incredibly handsome Sinclair, the “King” of the vampires. Sinclair makes it clear that he’s not interested in the marriage ceremony because according to vampire lore, he and Betsy are already married. He sees no reason for participating in a wedding, a human tradition. This results in an argument between he and Betsy and as a result, Sinclair leaves.

Betsy’s best friend Jessica is still battling cancer. This is a theme that you’d think wouldn’t fit in a lightweight book like this but it does. It gives Betsy someone to worry about besides deciding which shoes to wear and helps balance out the ridiculous machinations of the heroine. Jessica spends most of the book in the hospital and things are at times pretty grim.

Marc, the gay physician that lives in Jessica’s mansion with Betsy and Sinclair, suddenly disappears. Garrett and his werewolf girlfriend Antonia (who also live in the mansion) disappear as well. And Tina, another live-in vampire, is away in France attending a meeting. As a result Betsy ends up mysteriously alone and unable to reach anyone. Not even Sinclair, who has never left Betsy alone for an extended period of time. However since Betsy is such an airhead someone else has to connect the dots for her. Duh. Thus the central “plot” in the book focuses on Betsy’s attempts to find out who’s responsible for Sinclair’s disappearance.

Okay, you can probably tell that I wasn’t incredibly pleased with the book, even though I’ve read the other books in the series and knew what to expect from Betsy. The problem is that the “Betsy is a dumb blonde” theme can be a bit tiring. I’m not sure where MaryJanice Davidson is going to take this series because it’s starting to get repetitive. Let’s see: Betsy obsesses over some new designer shoes. A mystery occurs. Betsy has sex with Sinclair. She selects a new designer outfit. Betsy works on the mystery. She gets new shoes. Betsy stumbles upon the solution to the mystery. The End.

But then again perhaps the fans of this romantic paranormal fantasy series really like these qualities about Betsy. I wonder: is it just me?

So I went looking for other reviews of the book. Although what I found was a mixed bag the reviews were primarily positive. At Amazon.com, 79% of the 63 reviewers gave it 4 or 5 stars. Interesting. It doesn’t affect how I feel about the book though. I still think MaryJanice Davidson spends too much time trying to make us laugh about Betsy’s flaws which tends to overshadow and weaken the plot. Because so much time is spent on this effort the book, at 270 pages, feels more like an extended short story than a complete novel.

Unless you’re a big MaryJanice Davidson fan and are willing to overlook Betsy’s tiresome personality, I recommend that you borrow Undead and Uneasy from the library. I really wanted to like this book more but I just couldn’t get past the heroine’s tendency to plod along oblivious to the people and events around her.

For more about MaryJanice Davidson’s Betsy the Vampire Queen series see:

Undead and Unreturnable

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Hot New Releases - Best Urban Fantasy Books for August 2008

The following fantasy books are being released this month, August 2008. Several of these books are written by very popular fantasy book writers and are sure to be good.


August 2, 2008 image Breaking the Dawn (The Twilight Saga Book 4)
by Stephenie Meyer
 

This is the last book in the incredibly popular Twilight Saga series.

GetItAtAmazon

August 3, 2008 SeabornbyChrisHoward Seaborn
by Chris Howard
 

Corina Lairsey goes from one bad relationship to the next. However this new guy has taken a few liberties that Corina can’t possibly allow - he’s taken control of her body. As Corina struggles to get rid of him he starts selling off pieces of her life in order to gain additional power. What follows is an adventurous race against time and a to-the-death battle of wills.

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August 4, 2008 TheLastAngelbyKaylaSteele The Last Angel
by Kayla Steele
 

An angel is found murdered on the streets of Sunset Boulevard. To the media gossip mongers, it’s the biggest story ever. To the Hunters, an underground monster-fighting hit-squad, it’s just another case of ‘whodunnit’. To Kayla Steele, their youngest and newest member, it means a last, desperate chance to bring her murdered fiancé back from the dead . . .

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August 5, 2008 StormBornbyRichelleMead Storm Born (Dark Swan Book 1)
by Richelle Mead
 

I’d seen weirder things than a haunted shoe, but not many. Sending some of my will into the wand, I tapped it against the shoe and spoke in a sing-song voice.

“Come out, come out, whoever you are.”

“Go away, bitch.”

Great, a shoe with attitude.

Fantasy Girl: I just bought this one - can’t wait to start reading it!

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August 5, 2008 EnchantmentPlacebyDeniseLittle Enchantment Place
by Denise Little
 

To say that the stores in Enchantment Place are unique is an understatement. They cater to customers that are looking for specialty items.

Here are seventeen shopping trips you’ll never forget, from a store that sells the highest quality familiars…to the non-magical daughter of a magic-filled family who is left to mind the family jewelry store though she has no means to defeat an enchanting thief…to a woman running a Wiccan supply store who is suddenly faced with an IRS audit…

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August 5, 2008 NeckingbyChrisSalvatore Necking
by Chris Salvatore
 

Gia Felice has a Rolodex full of vampires, werewolves, witches, and aliens - not to mention the livestock suppliers, undead-friendly hotels, and sleazy bars that cater to her clients’ more carnal needs. Sometimes being the premier book publicist to the underworld can suck - literally. Especially if you’re human. Especially if you’ve got the hots for irresistible Johnny and his sly half smile that shows just a little fang!”

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August 5, 2008 image Gale Force (Weather Warden, Book 7)
by Rachel Caine
 

Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin is on vacation when her Djinn lover, David, asks Joanne to marry him. She’s thrilled to say yes, even if some others may be less than happy about it. Unfortunately, Joanne’s pre-marital bliss is ended by a devastating earthquake in Florida. And she can’t ask David and his kind for assistance. Because the cause of the quake is unlike anything Joanne has ever encountered—and a power even the Djinn cannot perceive.”

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August 5, 2008 image Underground (Greywalker, Book Three)
by Kat Richardson
 

Harper Blaine was your average small-time P.I. until she died—for two minutes. Now Harper is a Greywalker—walking the thin line between the living world and the paranormal realm.

The local homeless are turning up dead and mutilated, and zombies have been seen roaming the underground—the city buried beneath modern Seattle. But the killer is no mere murderer—it is a creature of ancient legend. And Harper must deal with both the living and the dead to stop the monster and its master…unless they stop her first.”

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August 5, 2008 image Kiss of Fury (Dragon Fire Book 3)
by Deborah Cooke
 

Alexandra Madison has discovered an invention that could change the world. When her partner is murdered and their lab destroyed, Alex knows she has to rebuild her prototype in time…

Donovan Shea knows the Madison project is of dire importance to the ongoing Pyr/Slayer war. So when he sees Alex being followed by a Slayer, he reacts and defends her, never imagining that she’s his destined mate…

As Slayers close in on their prey, Donovan knows he’ll surrender his life to protect Alex—and lose his heart to possess her…

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August 12, 2008 BittentoDeathbyJenniferRardin Bitten to Death (Jaz Parks, Book 4)
by Jennifer Rardin
 

Jaz Parks here. My latest mission has taken me to the ancient Greek city of Patras; but instead of soaking up its splendor, I’m here to infiltrate a Vampere Trust. Only two vamps have ever escaped the tightly bound communities and lived to tell the tale: Edward “The Raptor”Samos, the most reviled criminal mastermind in recent memory, and Vayl, the CIA’s number one assassin who also happens to be my boss.

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August 26, 2008 image The Gypsy Morph (The Genesis of Shannara, Book 3)
by Terry Brooks
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August 26, 2008 image Hunter’s Prayer
by Lilith Saintcrow
 

Another night on the Nightside…An ancient evil looms over Santa Luz. Prostitutes are showing up dead and eviscerated. And Jill Kismet just might be able to get her revenge against an old enemy. There’s just one problem. Someone wants Jill dead–again. And if they have to open up Hell itself to kill her, they will.

Fantasy Girl: I have every Lilith Saintcrow urban fantasy book in publication and they’re all fantastic!

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August 26, 2008 LegacybyJeanneCStein Legacy (Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles, Book 4)
by Jeanne C. Stein
 

The sinister vampire who transformed her is dead, and Anna is entitled to his vast fortune. But a predatory werewolf comes forward, claiming the inheritance as her own—and she’ll kill to get what she wants most: blood and money.

Fantasy Girl: I have every book in the Anna Strong urban fantasy vampire series and highly recommend them!

Reviews:
Book 2: Blood Drive
Book 3: The Watcher

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August 26, 2008 PandemoniumbyDarylGregory Pandemonium
by Daryl Gregory
 

A demon had possessed a man, and O’Hare security had sealed off the concourse between the gates and baggage claim. Reactions varied from exasperation to excitement. It was another travel delay, but at least it was an interesting delay.
We couldn’t go back: we’d just come through security, and more travelers were filling in behind us. There was nothing to do but wait for the demon to finish its business.

Fantasy Girl: I’ve added this one to my shopping cart!

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August 26, 2008 PureBloodbyCaitlinKittredge Pure Blood
by Caitlin Kittredge
 

In the shadows of Nocturne City, witches lurk and demons prowl, and homicide detective Luna Wilder must keep the peace—while living life as a werewolf. Now bodies are turning up all over town, the brutal murders linked by a cryptic message: We see with empty eyes…

To make matters worse for Luna, she can’t get wolfishly handsome Dmitri Sandovsky out of her mind . . .

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See also: Best Selling Urban Fantasy Books for 2008
 

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