MAGIC TO THE BONE: Book 1 Allie Beckstrom - Devon Monk

From the back of the book: "Using magic meant it used you back. Forget the fairy-tale, hocus-pocus, wave a wand and bling-o, sparkles and pixie dust crap. Magic, like booze, sex, and drugs, gave as good as it got."

Everything has a cost. And every act of magic exacts a price from its user--maybe a two-day migraine, or losing the memory of your first kiss. But some people want to use magic without paying, and they Offload the cost onto innocents. When that happens, it falls to a Hound to identify the spell's caster--and Allie Beckstrom's the best there is.

Daughter of a prominent Portland businessman, Allie would rather moonlight as a Hound than accept the family fortune--and the strings that come with it. But when she discovers a little boy dying from a magic Offload that has her father's signature all over it, Allie is thrown into the high-stakes world of corporate espionage and black magic.

Now Allie's out for the truth--and must call upon forces that will challenge everything she knows, changer her in ways she could never imagine...and make her capable of things that powerful people will do anything to control.

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Holey schmokes!!! I mowed through this book rather quickly for many reasons: to make one more book for my book journal this month, to get one more review in for the mini-challenge over at Literary Escapism/League of Reluctant Adults...but, most of all, I couldn't seem to stop reading this superb book! I obviously had to stop to sleep or go to work, dagnabbit (how else does one support a bookholic habit?), but I wished I could have stayed home to continue reading. Some points, I had to sleep from the feeling of exhaustion in response of all that Allie went through on hour-to-hour, minute-to-minute basis.

This is why I love reading the urban fantasy genre, it's dark, action packed, putting the main character into situations they'd rather not be in, but take care of anyway because it's how they are wired. They keep going in the positive aiding direction even after the point of exhaustion, after getting injured...they just keep going. Makes me wish I could be that heroic/stoic, but I'm not so I read about the character who are that way.

That's Allie through the book, aiding those weaker than she and in need of help. She gets assistance from the mysterious Zayvion, the Savant Cody, and her best friend Nola who lives in the magic-free countryside. Mostly, though, Allie stands on her own two feet and gets what needs doing accomplished. She learns along the way, even with losing some of her memories of her past through the use of magic. Using magic has its consequences. And Allie knows it only too well.

The atmosphere of the genre seems best set in the Pacific Northwest, rain seems the prevailing weather adding to the dark mystery. Cold, drizzly, always there rain....

I cannot wait to get and read the rest of this series. This one is going on the keeper shelf, it's a fab book that I will revisit and my good book buddy, Jenna, got it for me and had Devon Monk sign it. I don't keep many books, but this one is definitely one of the few that stays in Casa IYamVixen.

Five rain adds to the magic diamonds.....

TEMPEST RISING: Jane True #1 - Nicole Peeler

From the back of the book: Living in a small town Rockabill, Maine, Jane True always knew she didn't quite fit in with so-called normal society.

During her nightly clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jan to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human.

Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures that are terrifying, beautiful, and deadly--all of which perfectly describe her few 'friend,' Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire.

It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick; spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never--ever--rub the genie's lamp.

If you love Sookie Stackhouse, then you'll want to dive into Nicole Peeler's enchanting debut novel.

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O..M..G!!! I have absolutely no idea what took me so long to buy this incredibly hellah fun book. It's been on the WWBL ever since I started reading Nicole's bloggage on League of Reluctant Adults and interviews here there and yon in anticipation of the release of TEMPEST RISING last November.

I bought it when I joined up Literary Escapism's mini challenge to read as many League books as possible in February, preferably the League authors we hadn't read yet. Good enough to go book shopping and put this one in the cart. Then it became the next book after Jackie Kessler's HELL'S BELLES. I was two for two in new author 'YAY, I'm so glad I found this author' pool.

I could empathize with Jane's outsider-ness and the small cache of friends she loved and who loved her. I'm glad Nicole didn't dwell on the sheer town bastards who treated Jane like shite at every opportunity. Rather, Jane glowed when she showed her strength of character, her love for her father and fab friends, especially the owners of the bookshop where she worked. And her love of the ocean without understanding why she felt so at home and at peace when in the water.

Then she found the body on the beach and her world started to change. Anyan, the talking dog arrived as did Ryu, the uber hot vampire and investigator for the fae world. The body on the beach wasn't just any body, he was a halfling, half human and half...well, not human. As was Jane.

I liked how Nicole gave Jane just enough 'Wuh-haaat?' incredulity and the right amount of common sense to go along with the flow of events as they occurred.

And, oh the fab 'dirty drawer'....snort laugh funny throughout, excellent fight scenes, well written other world characters, both full and halfling varietal. The humans are pretty much secondary in the whole book and that's just fine with me. Especially since the majority of the humans in the book are aith-holes and life is too short to read about them...movin' on....not to say that the fae world is all la-la-la airy fairy nice. Nope, there's some eeeevil ones on that side of the bed, too. The good ones are good and ornery and funny and the bad ones are eeeevil. Fab mix.

So...I changed up the rating..TEMPEST RISING gets to be the first five sparkly diamond rating....I'll still do coffee beans, but the really special ones from now on will get the diamonds....

Here's five sparkly diamonds for Jane and the gang....

HELL'S BELLES - Jackie Kessler

From the back of the book: Once upon a time, Jezebel was a powerful succubus, capable of seducing men and sucking out their souls. But that was before Hell put a bounty on her head. Now her only chance to escape a fate far worse than death is to live as a mortal, losing herself in a sea of unfamiliar humanity, in a place where sinners walk hand-in-hand with saints ----a place like New York City.

Working as an exotic dancer is a piece of cake for a former demon who once specialized in sex. But she hadn't counted on meeting sexy Paul Hamilton, a man haunted by his past. Good-bye, succubus; hello , lovestruck.

But Hell hasn't stopped looking for her. The secrets Jezebel holds are the most dangerous of all, the kind every demon in the Underworld would do their worst to protect. Demons are closing in, which is enough to make Jezebel shiver in her G-string. But it's her love for Paul that's going to have deadly consequences.....

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How fun was this book??! I knew I'd probably like it, but didn't realize how much I'd dig it or how fast I'd read it. Jezebel is such a resourceful and funny character who makes her way to the big City to make it, well, big......or at least get herself off of Hell's minion's radar and stay alive.

I could cringe at the way she stole an identity, stole money and credit cards before making her way to NYC, but Jezebel is a succubus, a demon, so this pretty much comes as normal for her, so I could enjoy the ride. That and I could see Jezebel changing and becoming a better person as the book continued. Heck, she made becoming an exotic dancer could be a smart career move. Loved reading the description of feeling the music move through her and using it to keep her body moving for the slavering masses.

I liked seeing her inner thoughts as she conducted business, met Paul (oh, me like...me like a lot!), met the dancers, danced. She never just walks or runs, Jezebel sashayed, undulated,marched. And she more often than not purred instead of just saying something.

I liked Jezebel for all her faults. She tried to be better and she wanted out of Hell. Management was making some changes and Jezebel didn't want anything to do with it.

Five Hell is going to hell and Jezebel is outta here beans....