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Smoke Show by D.N. Erikson
Emmy Davis, the world’s most famous fox shifter, went missing two years ago. And I’ve just been hired to find her.
Title: Smoke Show
Author: D.N. Erikson
Series: Tess Skye #2
Publish Date: August 17, 2021
Source: purchased by reviewer
Publisher’s Description: Emmy Davis, the world’s most famous fox shifter, went missing two years ago.
And I’ve just been hired to find her.
If only things were that simple. The cops have no leads. Other PIs haven’t fared any better. The trail is colder than an arctic winter. And to make matters worse, a mysterious creature from Javy Diaz’s past has taken an alarming interest in the case.
But all that might be the least of my problems. Because you know everything you’ve heard about the pitfalls of social media?
Yeah. Turns out it’s worse than that.
Way worse.
And having 113 million crazed fans breathing down my neck as I search for their lost idol might prove more dangerous than crossing paths with whoever actually took her in the first place…
Smoke Show is the breakneck, action-packed second novel in the new Tess Skye urban fantasy series. It must be read after the first book, Drop Dead.
Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel. In other words …SPOILERS. *BEWARE*
Nervous Nellie says…
You know how the next book in a series loses some of it’s shine? Not in this series! I am so happy I found this author because they are amazing. Another book-in-one-day kind of story.
This story does not stray from the urban fantasy genre. No sex, no romance. There is an over arcing story that follows the agreement Tess and Javy made in the first book. To help people.
You’d think this would be a fairly straight forward plot line. 1. missing person 2. search for person 3. found person story done. Yeah, not so much in this story. There are a lot of twists and turns in this story and the action? It was a page turner. I was glued to the book from the first page. There are 3 friends that are social media influencers and they came up with a fantastic idea to boost their ratings, except the plan did not go according to script. I would love to tell you what happened, but I feel like one slip and it’d ruin the anticipation getting to the end of the story. It all ends well, so no fears there. When I got to the end, it was like a lightbulb moment when all was revealed. It was so simple, but yet complicated. I enjoyed the ride greatly.
Other reviews in this series:
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Drop Dead by
I just woke up in a motel. I have no idea who I am or how I got here.
Title: Drop Dead
Author: D.N. Erikson
Series: Tess Skye #1
Publish Date: January 20, 2021
Source: purchased by reviewer
Publisher’s Description: I just woke up in a motel.
I have no idea who I am or how I got here.
But I do know three things.
There’s a body on the floor…and one in the bathtub.
There’s a bullet in my shoulder. And it hurts. Bad.
And there’s a vampire warlock right outside the door. And he’s coming to finish the job.
Drop Dead is the first book in the new urban fantasy series starring Tess Skye.
Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel. In other words …SPOILERS. *BEWARE*
Nervous Nellie says…
First of all, I loved this story. It was well written and it was never slow…ever. There is no sex – pure urban fantasy. There is death and some of it is a little gory too.
Tess is a Soulwalker. Someone that can live the last few minutes of someone’s life as well as re-animate them. It’s a dang cool trick and it sounds like it could make a human full on insane. Tess is fighting the odds in a losing game. It’s really quite amazing that she actually finishes the year long fight in good vs. evil. Tess is the last Soulwalker and there are many magical creatures that are out in the public eye because of the Great Reveal. This time, the cops are against the good guy and are corrupt all because of one guy that, again, wants all the power. There are Immortals, Vampires and probably others that haven’t been mentioned yet. I guess the reason I liked this story so much was because it didn’t duplicate something I’d already read. This book popped up after I read Demon Rogue by this same author. If I had to measure in stars, I’d rate this book one more star higher than Demon Rogue. If you like urban fantasy and a fairly fast paced, but not complicated story, this is the book for your next planned escape. I really enjoyed it.
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Demon Rogue by D.N. Erikson
I’m Kalos Aeon. I’ve been around for longer than you could know – and most people don’t want to know me, being half-demon, and all – but right now I’ve got a big f’in problem.
Title: Demon Rogue
Author: D.N. Erikson
Series: The Half-Demon Rogue #1 AND Demons and Bounty Hunters #1
Publish Date: June 18, 2016
Source: purchased by reviewer
Publisher’s Description: I’m Kalos Aeon. I’ve been around for longer than you could know – and most people don’t want to know me, being half-demon, and all – but right now I’ve got a big f’in problem.
A woman just came into my office, and I gotta say, from the photo she slipped me, someone’s got a serious issue with the supernatural.
Life expectancy is looking kinda low if I don’t figure out who’s kidnapping magical creatures, selling their blood and trying to reveal magic’s existence to the mortal world. Last time that happened it didn’t end well. I’m not optimistic about this time, either.
Joke’s on me, anyway, for setting up a magical salvage and retrieval business. 50% of an item’s magical essence and a per diem can’t cover the damages this job is gonna inflict.
Money and magic aren’t of much use to a dead man. And If I didn’t have a code (yes, I’m a demon with a code), then I would jet out of Texas faster than a vamp at a sorority party (you don’t want to know).
But I agreed to the gig, she paid the cash, so I gotta see it through.
Did I mention the super-powerful wiccan – who I used to have, ahem, relations with – just returned from a long hiatus in a place worse than hell? And she’s still obsessed with finding a certain god’s spear that I may or may not have.
Seriously. This situation is code red. I’m almost willing to accept help from wizards. On second thought, no wizards. I hate you guys. I’d rather die.
So um, if I don’t make it through the next three days, anyone want a talking dog that’s read too much for his own good? Because the way things are going, Argos is gonna need a new home after the spells stop flying…*
*His only request is that you suck less than Odysseus. Apparently, the epic poems got that all wrong, and that guy was a major asshole. Or my dog might just be bitter. Tends to rub off when you live with a demon.
Nervous Nellie’s nervousness necessitates knowledge of the novel. In other words …SPOILERS. *BEWARE*
Nervous Nellie says…
This was a good book. I almost read it in one sitting, it was that good. I can describe this story through other books I’ve read. It’s got a pinch of Harry Dresden, except instead of Bob, there is Argos. It’s got your standard villains that want to rule the world. It’s also got trolls, warlocks and other magical creatures.
The plot of the book was just as it’s title suggests. A Rogue Demon is the main character. He’s got a destiny that we just learn about in the first book and appears to be the tip of the iceberg regarding the trouble coming Kal’s way. The editing was good, the story was good and it was entertaining. So much so, like I said, I nearly read it in one sitting. There is no sex – it’s not a romance. It’s a true form urban fantasy. There isn’t any grisly death and dismemberment – it doesn’t fall anywhere near the horror genre. Kal doesn’t use magic unless he has no choice and then it always comes with a serious price tag.
I will pick up the next book. It’ll be interesting to see what happens next.
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Listen Up! Three Light-Hearted UF/PNR Series
Since it’s been a while since I’ve posted, I thought I would play catch-up with a multi-book review. My goal lately has been to listen to audiobooks I’ve already purchased instead of buying something new. I have over a thousand audiobooks in three accounts, after all. I should be able to find SOMETHING entertaining, right? I landed on three light-hearted urban fantasy/paranormal romance series that had good mysteries and fit my mood perfectly.
I’m not going to include the story descriptions in this review to save space, but I’ll include a link to the series’ Goodreads page for descriptions. I highly recommend all three of these series if you’re in the mood for belly laughs, mysteries, relatable problems, gorgeous men, and a touch of romance.
Ordinary Magic series by Devon Monk
I decided to listen to Devon Monk‘s Ordinary Magic series again. I like this series a lot. It’s quirky and fun, and Khristine Hvam, who also voices the Jane Yellowrock and Soulwood series, does a fantastic job. I’ve liked Devon Monk’s writing since her Ally Beckstrom series. Ordinary Magic is lighter-hearted than Ally, but the mystery is good and I’m eager to see where it goes.
While the first three books in this series are published in the unabridged, single-narrator format, Graphic Audio has the first five books available. Graphic Audio produces full-scale dramatizations, though somewhat abridged. I like both types of productions, but I’d like to stay consistent within a series, so I hope the rest of Ordinary Magic gets made with Hvam narrating. Please, Audible? Pretty please?
Betwixt and Between series by Darynda Jones
After Ordinary Magic, I tried several different audiobooks. Either the story or the narrator wasn’t fitting my mood until I landed on Darynda Jones‘s Betwixt, and I realized I was wanting some light-hearted brain candy rather than my typical serious UF. The signature humor from Jones’s Charley Davidson series is all over Betwixt, and I laughed out loud several times, which was exactly what I needed. Traci Odom does a great job as narrator, ensuring the humor lands just right. My only frustration is that the second and third books aren’t out yet in audio! Bewitched releases on March 30 (a week from now) and Beguiled releases on May 5. All three books are available now in eBook, though, so I might have to switch formats to get more of this delightful series.
Madison Fox series by Rebecca Chastain
I wanted to stick with this lighthearted theme, so I decided to listen to Rebecca Chastain‘s Madison Fox series in audio. Before the audio was released, I had previously read and enjoyed this series in ebook format. So I knew I’d like the story. I just hoped the narrator did it justice. And she did! Elise Arsenault does a beautiful job voicing the characters and bringing the story to life. There are a few shorts and novellas in this series not in audio, and I’d love to see an anthology narrated by Arsenault, along with more Madison Fox adventures. In the meantime, however, I get to reread Chastain’s Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles and catch up on her Terra Haven series, which is starting to appear in audio as well. Thank you, Tantor!
A Killing Frost by Seanan McGuire
I don’t know of many series whose fourteenth book is still as good as the first. But the October Daye series is certainly one of them.
Title: A Killing Frost
Author: Seanan McGuire
Series: October Daye, Book 14
Publish Date: September 15, 2020
Genre: Urban fantasy
Narrator: Mary Robinette Kowal
Source: Purchased
Publisher’s Description: When October is informed that Simon Torquill—legally her father, due to Faerie’s archaic marriage traditions—must be invited to her wedding or risk the ceremony throwing the Kingdom in the Mists into political turmoil, she finds herself setting out on a quest she was not yet prepared to undertake for the sake of her future…. and the man who represents her family’s past.
Possible spoilers beyond this point.
Invested Ivana says…
There hasn’t been an October Daye book yet that I don’t find fabulous. Between McGuire’s writing and Kowal’s performance, I am constantly surprised at the emotional response each book can provoke in me. A major theme in A Killing Frost is forgiveness, which is a theme guaranteed to spark emotions.
If you are enjoying this series, don’t miss out on this book. Each one really does build on the last, and I have a feeling there will be some big revelations coming in Book 15!
One Book Two 