Archive for the ‘Sci Fi’ Category

THE LEAGUE SERIES BOOK 4: BORN OF SHADOWS
Sherrilyn Kenyon
ISBN: 978-0446573252
Kindle ASIN: B003JTHXV8
Grand Central Publishing
April 2011
Paranormal Romance/ Sci Fi
Hardcover

Caillen Dagan has been protecting his sisters ever since their father’s murder twenty-two years ago. Unfortunately, his sister’s latest escapade leaves him with a death sentence… until his DNA identifies him as Kaden Radek Aluzahn de Orczy. Instead of being executed, he finds himself in the role of a long lost prince! However, things quickly take a turn for the worse when he meets Desideria and they accidentally stop an assassination attempt meant to topple both their governments. Will Caillen and Desideria be able to prove their innocence in time to save both of their lives?

BORN OF SHADOWS is the fourth book in The League series but can easily be read as a stand alone. Characters from past novels do make appearances but Sherrilyn Kenyon provides any background information needed to understand this tale.

Sherrilyn Kenyon is just one heck of a good writer! Whether its vampires, were-creatures, or sci fi, her books are just a sheer joy to read. Her characters are complex and multidimensional, making the reader care about them while her plotlines are full of twists and turns. BORN OF SHADOWS is no exception and it’s hard to say which aspect shines the most – the world building or the character development- as both are superb.

Caillen and Desideria are both struggling with their own sense of belonging and worth. Caillen feels his whole life has been yanked out from under him whereas Desideria has fought hard to gain her mother’s admiration. Both feel they are failing at every turn. With parental issues aplenty, Caillen and Desideria have a tough battle ahead of them to have any chance at making a relationship work- but that is the beauty of a Sherrilyn Kenyon romance.

And oh, the world building! What can I say other than Sherrilyn Kenyon crafts a vast world populated with diverse peoples and cultures and then shows us the ensuing clashes. I just can’t get enough of this series and am thrilled to see that it is continuing. BORN OF SHADOWS is a fast paced, intense adventure that only leaves the reader hungering for more of this exciting world and its inhabitants. Highly recommended!

BENEATH THE THIRTEEN MOONS
Kathryne Kennedy
ISBN: 978-1-4022-3651-8 (Mass Market Paperback)
B004BA57L2 (Kindle eBook)
December 1, 2010
Sourcebooks/Casablanca
Paranormal Romance/Fantasy
Paranormal Romance/Sci Fi
Mass Market Paperback and eBook

If you are like me and kicking yourself for missing Beneath the Thirteen Moons in its first incarnation, then now you can rest easy because Kathryne Kennedy’s first book is available once more. And I for one am thrilled to finally be able to get this book in my hot little hands.

Mahri Zin is a swamp rat, making ends meet as a smuggler of zabba root, prized for the power it gives the user to See into the minds of others and influence the environment. She’s proud and she’s a wilding, able to use zabba’s power far more than most people, as yet unaffected by overdosing as happens to so many others. Now her village has been struck ill and is in desperate need of a healer. Mahri has no qualms about kidnapping a healer to save her people, though she gets a little bit more than she bargained for in the process.

Prince Korl Com’nder has the gift of healing, but he also has a duty to his family as rulers of the Sea Forest. He’s always been granted anything he desired, so he gets a rude awakening, quite literally one night, when he is kidnapped by an outlaw who demands he save her family and their village from a terrible illness striking them down. The last thing he wants is to be whisked away into the expansive waters of their world, though he soon finds out that is exactly what he needs.

Now Korl and Mahri must join forces to save Mahri’s village, and defeat an enemy determined to steal the crown rightfully belonging to Prince Korl. However, there is only one way to do both of those things, and it comes with a price that means permanent changes to both their hearts and their lives.

Beneath the Thirteen Moons is a beautifully told and incredibly realized fantasy world from The imagination of a master, Kathryne Kennedy. The Sea Forest planet is a world inhabited by humans crash-landed there so long ago they no longer remember their original home. The landscape is so brilliantly done that I was right there with Mahri on her adventures. The world is so amazingly vivid that I had no difficulty imagining the beauty of the world and its inhabitants. I especially loved the natives of this striking land. We don’t start seeing them until later in the story but they were so exotic, compared to Mahri’s people.

Korl and Mahri have an immediate attraction, though Mahri is resistant for so long, convinced she had no need for a partner again, after losing her mate. They are consistently at odds in the beginning and I loved watching the fireworks as Korl’s royal pride clashes with Mahri’s determination to save her village. Korl knows right away he desires Mahri, no matter how resistant she is to his charms. Seeing the relationship develop between this couple, as Mahri comes to terms with her growing love for Korl, makes for many sigh-worthy moments. The character growth happens gradually throughout the novel until both Korl and Mahri reach the point where we know their love will carry them through everything thrown their way.

Beneath the Thirteen Moons is a delightfully entertaining blend of fast paced action and tender emotion, interspersed with plenty of humor (most often in the form of Mahri’s scene-stealing companion, the monkfish Jaja), and breathtaking intrigue. All of the elements I’ve come to expect from Kathryne Kennedy are here, and it is evident that her skill for painting magical worlds was present from the beginning, only growing and becoming more sophisticated with time and practice. I so thoroughly enjoyed my travels to the world of the Sea Forest that I hope we get a chance to come back for a visit in some later book.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, November 2010. All rights reserved.

THE JAGUAR PRINCE
Karen Kelley
ISBN: 978-0758238368
April 2010
Kensington Publishing/Brava Books
Paranormal Romance/Shape Shifter
Paranormal Romance/Sci Fi
Trade Paperback

Zoo worker Callie Jordan dreams of the day that she is promoted to being the zoo keeper for the big cats, especially the sleek jaguar, Sheba.  When she encounters a black jaguar on the zoo grounds that magically turns into a handsome, naked man, she fears for her sanity.  She is even more unsettled once he appears in her bedroom the next morning, telling her a fantastic story of shape shifting and aliens.  Prince Rogar insists that Callie herself is ½ alien and he has arrived to save her life and take her back “home” to his planet, New Symtaria.

The Jaguar Prince is a fantastic entry to the new shape shifting world of Karen Kelley, and I can hardly wait to return for her next shape shifter, The Falcon Prince due in August 2010. Callie is immediately likable and her innocent adventures of trying to find her “inner guide” are hysterical and endearing.  Rogar is a strong hero, but his inner jaguar guide has an equally strong personality that is totally delightful. There are several humorous scenes where Rogar tries to adapt to the customs, laws and technology of Earthlings.

If there is a weak link in this story, it would have to be the evil rogue, Zerod who has made it his quest to rid the universe of mixed blood Symtarians.  He seems a little one dimensional and stereotypical; however, he serves his purpose none the less.  I highly recommend The Jaguar Prince to anyone who enjoys light paranormal romance with an alien twist.