Showing posts with label Jane Yellowrock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jane Yellowrock. Show all posts

Saturday, April 2, 2016

#Review/Excerpt/Giveaway - Faith Hunter's Shadow Rites (Urban Fantasy) *Blog Tour Stop*

Series: Jane Yellowrock # 10
Format: Paperback, 368 pages 
Release Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Roc
Source: Publisher/ Let's Talk Promotions
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Jane Yellowrock has her hands full in the latest novel in theNew York Times bestselling series that captures “the essence of urban fantasy” (SF Site).
 
Slaying vampires is child’s play for skinwalker Jane Yellowrock. But handling the complicated politics of New Orleans’ supernatural players is another story...
  
Jane is keeping the peace between visiting groups of witches and vamps in the city, but then trouble comes knocking on her doorstep. When her house is magically attacked, the wild chase to find her assailants unearths a mystery that has literally been buried deep. 
 
A missing master vampire, presumed long deceased, is found chained in a pit...undead, raving mad, and in the company of two human bodies. Now it’s up to Jane to find out who kept the vampire hidden for so long and why, because the incident could tip already high supernatural tensions to an all-out arcane war.






Shadow Rites is the TENTH installment in the Jane Yellowrock Urban Fantasy series by author Faith Hunter. Set in Louisiana, Jane is a full blooded Cherokee Skinwalker who is also a badass rogue vampire hunter. She is connected with a mountain lion named Beast who she has come to understand a whole lot more, especially recently. Jane is head of Yellowrock Security with Alex, and Eli Younger who she calls brothers, as well as Fanghead Leo Pellissier's Enforcer when he needs something difficult taken care of. 

After being subjected to a magical attack and then attacked by Gee DiMercy (Leo's Mercy Blade), Jane finds herself having to deal with two very powerful witches with major axes to grind. On the heels of the Witches Conclave and talks about possible reparations to the witches from Leo and the fangheads, things are on edge for everyone. Having two witches going after everyone that Jane loves, plus Leo's crew, puts everyone in bad moods. On top of that, Jane now has a household full of people from Molly's family to Alex & Eli, to wait for it....Edmund Hartley, Brute, and a grindylow! 

Jane has faced more than her fair share of enemies since arriving in New Orleans and meeting and working for Leo, and this story really pushes the envelope at how much Jane can deal with. I have read every single book in this series, and I don't remember Jane being so out of her league for most of the book. That Hunter hasn't even begun to deal with the European Fangheads who are planning a visit, and possibly starting a war with Leo and his allies, goes to show how intense this series really can be.

This is a series that features so many different plots within subplots, and schemes and conspiracies that manage to collect a variety of Jane's friends and extended family. It is, once again, a self contained story with an ending and a conclusion, but there are key points in this story that go back all the way to the beginning of the series. Kind of interesting that only Six months have passed when you think of all the horror and other niceties she's had to take care of.

I really do like the fact that Jane and Bruiser are apparently a couple now. It is funny watching Jane squirm and realize that yes, she may actually have someone that she can be with that is just as strong as she is. What's more, he is absolutely supportive of her now that the past has been forgiven, and the two of them no longer have to deal with Ricky LaFleur. On the other hand, watching Jane struggle with her growing "Family" made my heart melt. I love that Molly says it all, when she tells Jane that we are your friends, your family, and we can take care of ourselves if you let us.

I am really curious about Hunter is going to deal with Angie Baby now that she's showed some really powerful abilities. This is a kid who is able to put her own parents to sleep, and break their binding without even thinking about what it means. This is a kid who is so powerful, Jane is scared to death for her since she's been kept a secret by Molly and Evan up to this point. I also want to see what happens with Jane and her ability to slow down time. There has to be some sort of consequences coming soon. Hopefully, not too severe.

Next up in this series: Cold Reign, Jane # 11. No release date listed yet, but I definitely won't be missing out on any Jane novels in the future. I want to thank Let's Talk! Promotions for once again reaching out to me and asking me if I would like to participate in the Shadow Rites blog tour. How can I refuse? 



Excerpt #7
The elevator opened and I stepped out, leading the way to the gym. Eli stopped at the men’s locker room and came back out with a sword belted at his waist. “Seriously?” I said. Instead of a reply he drew the sword and shoved open the door to the gym, preceding me inside. “Men . . .” He was taking this whole “being my second” a little too seriously, though it was a position he had been forced to undertake on more than one occasion.
The gym at HQ was big enough for a full-sized basketball court, but it was usually set up for fighting rings. I had damaged one recently, and the antique wood on all three rings had been replaced with a modern practice mat, the kind used in the Olympics for martial arts. They were easily replaceable, in case my claws came out again, forgiving to body slams, and less abrasive than most older-style mats. They had the classic tatami texture and smooth surface, giving better traction, but also had an antiskid, rubberized, waffle backing. The mats also eliminated odors, decreasing the reek of stale vamp and human sweat, looked better than the scarred wood, and were versatile enough for standing arts and grappling arts—meaning sword practice and hand-to-hand. Also, a final plus, blood washed out of them easily.
It was close to dawn, so there should be no vamps in the room, only humans, but I smelled Leo, the chief fanghead, and the city’s Mercy Blade, Gee DiMercy. He pronounced the name something like Zjeee, which sounded Frenchy. It was the misericord’s job to kill young vamp scions when they didn’t cure after the devoveo, the ten years or so of insanity that every human went through when turned. Not all of them made it. 



About Faith Hunter

Faith Hunter, fantasy writer, was born in Louisiana and raised all over the south. She writes three Urban Fantasy series:  the Skinwalker series, featuring Jane Yellowrock, a Cherokee skinwalker who hunts rogue vampires. The Soulwood series, featuring earth magic user Nell Ingram. And the Rogue Mage novels, a dark, urban, post-apocalyptic, fantasy series featuring Thorn St. Croix, a stone mage. (There is a role playing game based on the series, ROGUE MAGE.)
Under the pen name Gwen Hunter, she writes action-adventure, mysteries, and thrillers. As Faith and Gwen, she has 30+ books in print in 29 countries.
Hunter writes full-time, tries to keep house, and is a workaholic with a passion for travel, jewelry making, white-water kayaking, and writing. She and her husband love to RV, traveling with their rescued Pomeranians to whitewater rivers all over the Southeast.

Find Faith online at www.faithhunter.net, her blog, on TwitterFacebook, and Goodreads; also www.yellowrocksecurities.com, and www.gwenhunter.com.






Tour-wide

There is a tour-wide giveaway for 1 complete set of the Jane Yellowrock series (all 10 novels!), plus one $100 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. This giveaway details will be listed on our tour page (http://www.ltpromos.com/2016/03/13/faith-hunters-shadow-rites-blog-tour/) once finalized (it’ll be up by the beginning of the tour). 





Saturday, January 30, 2016

#Saturday Review - Blood In Her Veins by Faith Hunter (Collection of 19 Stories & Novellas) Urban Fantasy

Series: Jane Yellowrock
Format: Paperback, 560 pages
Release Date: February 02, 2016
Publisher: ROC
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy

New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter presents a comprehensive collection of stories starring everyone’s favorite “smart, sexy, and ruthless”* shapeshifting skinwalker...
 
In this must-have collection of stories, experience nineteen thrilling adventures from the world of vampire-hunter Jane Yellowrock, including many fan favorites and two all-new novellas. Read about the first time Jane put the pedal to the metal in “The Early Years,” and the last thing a werewolf will ever see as Jane delivers justice in “Beneath a Bloody Moon.” Get a searing look into the pasts of some of the series’ best-loved characters: Beast in “WeSa and the Lumber King,” Rick LaFleur in “Cat Tats,” and Molly Everhart Trueblood in “Haints.” 
 
In the brand-new “Cat Fight,” the witches and vampires of Bayou, Oiseau, are at war over a magical talisman—and Jane must figure out how to keep the mysterious artifact out of the covetous hands of the Master of New Orleans. And in the never-before-published “Bound No More,” Jane welcomes a visit from Molly and her daughter, Angie, who is about to prove she’s the most powerful witch in Everhart history....
 
From the Big Easy to the bad bayou, from the open road to a vampire’s lair—with Jane Yellowrock, it’s always a given: have stakes, will travel.




Blood In Her Veins is an amazing collection of 19 new and not so new stories from Faith Hunter which takes place in the Jane Yellowrock universe. I dare say that this book took me longer to read than usual because I was a bit occupied with life's crap. For a book filled with short, and not so short stories, this is a must read for anyone who has enjoyed reading Faith Hunter's Jane Yellowrock series. It is totally worth the time it takes to sift through all 19 stories.

I absolutely loved seeing Jane through the eyes of certain secondary characters that have been there from the very beginning with Jane and Beast. I love the fact that Hunter and her publisher put this book together for her readers. I adore authors who give back to readers. There are SEVEN stories that take place before Skinwalker, and each should be read in order so that you can follow along with Jane's growth as a character, and her decision to add Eli and Alex Younger to her family core.

I will be doing a brief summary of each of the 19 stories. I will tell you who is the narrator, and when the story actually takes place. I have absolutely ZERO intention of spoiling anything for my loyal readers. So, enjoy!

*Note* The first SEVEN stories take place before Skinwalker, Jane Yellowrock # 1. 

1. "Wesa and the Lumber King" - The shortest story of the entire anthology. It features Beast, and takes place in a period called the Hunger Times. Does exactly what it is intended to do. Whet your pallet, and now you can move on to the next story.

2. "The Early Years" - Short story featuring Jane. We've never really gone back to when Jane was at the children's home she spent 6 years at. Readers know that Jane was found in the woods when she was Twelve. This story shows Jane at Eighteen leaving the home for the final time.

3. "Snafu" - Jane has passed her Private Investigators class, has her concealed carry gun license, and now is time to intern with a real life PI to get the experience she needs to go out on her own.  

4. "Cat Tats" - Rick LaFleur aka Ricky Bo, makes his first appearance. It's a basic story showing how Ricky got his cat tattoos when he was captive of a Vampire named Isleen and a witch named Loraine. 

5. "Kits" - Jane meets her soon to be best friend Molly Everhart Trueblood as they hunt for rogue vampires. This is the first time we meet Molly's sisters and understand how badass Jane really is when she goes after the vampires and tries to save those they took.

6. "Haint(s)" - Molly is the primary character, and Jane is the secondary character as they team up with Detective Paul Braxton to rid a home of a powerful haunting. Molly's husband Big Evan also plays a major role in this story. 

7. "Signatures of the Dead" - Back to Molly being primary character, and Jane being secondary character. This story has been told before, but it also is the final story that takes place in North Carolina since Jane will soon be traveling to New Orleans. This is one of the best stories in the book.

8. "First Sight" - Readers first introduction to Bruiser, and what he thought of Jane when they first met. It's rather short, but does what it needs to do. Technically, the story takes place during Skinwalker, and before Blood Cross and Mercy Blade Jane# 2 and #3.

9. "Blood, Fangs, and Going Furry" - Another story from Ricky "I'm a freaking MORON" LaFleur as he faces his first full moon. Sorry folks, but I just can't stand Rick. I truly hope that Faith doesn't twist the series so that Jane returns to his side. 

10. "Dance Master" - Bruisers POV after he calls Jane to investigate a problem with an unknown vampires. Perhaps a peek at things to come in future stories. Story takes place right before Jane # 4, Raven Cursed

11. "Golden Delicious" - Back to Rick's POV. Basic story about his time at the PsyLED learning to be a team with werewolf Brute, and grindylow Pea and finding out that there is more to meet the eye test at the school. Readers also get a very interesting peek at Soul, who up to now, we had no clue what she was, or how powerful she can be.

12. "Cajun With Fangs" - Jane finds herself in a small town called Bayou Oiseau after Bitsa breaks down. For those taking notes, the story actually takes place after Raven Cursed and before Death's Rival Jane # 5. Jane faces an interesting dilemma in a town where witches and vampires are on the cusp of war and have been left behind by Leo, the Master of New Orleans. This story is another take on Romeo (vampire) and Juliet (witch) falling in love, having an unexpected baby, and facing the consequences thanks to Jane's intervention. Oh, and don't drool all over yourselves when Faith talks about the yummy Cajun food. Oh, my GOD!

13. "The Devil's Left Boot" - Everhart twin sisters Elizabeth, who barely survived in Blood Trade, and Bodacia being asked by their one time nemesis to locate her mother. Jane is a secondary character in this story. I've read this story before, but it still gives readers a look into how others see and feel about Jane. You should read this story because as secondary characters, Liz and Cia finally understand how much Jane went through in Blood Trade Jane # 6.   

14. "Beneath a Bloody Moon" - Jane and the Younger Brothers, Alex and Eli, travel to Houma, Louisiana where werewolves are causing a whole lot of trouble. Story takes place after "The Devil's Left Boot" and before Black Arts Jane # 7. If you skip over this story, then you will end up skipping over the next one as well since they are pretty much joined at the hip.

15. "Black Water" - Jane travels back to Chauvin, Louisiana after receiving a call from tertiary characters that showed up in story number 14. This time around it is to deal with human filth who call her out for her actions in killing a certain female werewolf in the story above. Sarge, who appeared in story 14, and PP return along with a new character named Christabel. Christabel is still an unknown to me expect that she is very, very powerful. Would love to see Jane revisit this character again soon.

16. "Off the Grid" Story takes place before Broken Soul, Jane # 8. Leo sends Jane to Tennessee to help rescue a vampire who has been taken by a vile cult leader. This is where she meets a new character named Nell Nicholson Ingram who has been living off the grid since escaping above named vile Cult. Nell will be featured in a new series called Soulwood coming August 2016. This is just a taste of what is to come. Don't get excited because you don't know what Nell is. I think that is the entire point of this story. 

17. "Not All as It Seems" Featuring Molly and her daughter Angelina, aka Angie Baby, Jane's goddaughter who is probably more scarier than her mother. Molly gets a visit from Clan Shaddock looking for a teapot that has sentimental value for Lincoln Shaddock. 

18. "Cat Fight" - Featuring Jane, this story takes place right before Dark Heir, Jane # 9. Jane and the Younger Brothers, along with Edmund Hartley return to Bayou Oiseau where trouble is once again brewing between the witches, and vampires who call the small town home. This IS the longest of all the stories in this entire collection. After reading THIS story, I have a whole lot of questions about Edmund and what he is really up to. Maybe we'll learn more in Shadow Rights, Jane # 10

19. "Bound No More" This is the final story in the collection. Molly and Angie Baby travel to New Orleans to visit Jane and attend a vampire/witch parlay that is being watched by everyone. Do I dare say that I have scary thoughts about Angie and her future after reading this story? Holy Cats, Yes! The story is about a powerful arcenciel, being of light, who homes in on Molly. There is so much to be said about this book, but you must read the book to find out!

If you've made it this far in my review/summary, bless your little hearts and thank you from the bottom of mine!  



Friday, April 10, 2015

*Book Review & Excerpt* Dark Heir by Faith Hunter (UF)


I'm always happy to be invited to one of Let's Talk Promotions blog Tours, especially when
it comes to Faith Hunter and her Jane Yellowrock series. I adore this series! I love Jane, and her family like connection to Eli, Alex, and now Bruiser. I love that everything is connected and the series gets better and better by the book! Today, I am doing a review and an excerpt. Today is also the last day of the blog tour. If you haven't caught up with the other participants yet, the link is below:

See the rest of the tour stops here:


Series: Jane Yellowrock # 9
Format: Paperback, 364 pages 
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Publisher: Penguin/ACE
Source: Publisher
ISBN: 9780451465962
Genre: Urban Fantasy

*Book Blurb*

For centuries, the extremely powerful and ruthless vampire witches of the European Council have wandered the Earth, controlling governments, fostering war, creating political conflict, and often leaving absolute destruction in their wake. One of the strongest of them is set to create some havoc in the city of New Orleans, and it’s definitely personal.

Jane is tasked with tracking him down. With the help of a tech wiz and an ex-Army ranger, her partners in Yellowrock Securities, she’ll have to put everything on the line, and hope it’s enough. Things are about to get real hard in the Big Easy.
 




Dark Heir is the NINTH installment in the Jane Yellowrock series. Jane is a Cherokee skin walker who operates Yellowrock Securities. She hunts down bad vampires and has had her hands full since arriving in New Orleans and learning more about the Mithrans and their long game. Working with Fangheads isn't a job for just anyone, and Jane has gotten into a few deadly scrapes working for Master Fanghead Leo Pellisier who I still can't figure out.

Dark Heir continues the series storyline about the pending arrival of the European Mithran Council in New Orleans and the politics they play. If you are a fan of this series, you will notice that certain threads have a habit of showing up in the next book. On top of all this worry, is the escape of a very powerful vampire who Jane has faced once, and left standing. This vampire has more than an agenda on his mind, and it will take all of Jane's attention in order to bring him down. I dare say that this book has one of the highest bloody counts of the entire series. 

Dark Heir is a book filled with deception, betrayal, dark secrets, politics, and Jane's conscious perhaps getting the best of her. However, I don't see a problem with Jane questioning her actions, or blaming herself for some silly mistakes she's made since working for Leo. She's come to terms with Beast, and now has some nifty abilities, but she now has to accept that not everything she does is going to be looked upon favorably. Roll with it, Jane! She needs to accept fully that she was meant to be a Warrior Woman, and rock some vampires asses! 

Let's talk nitty gritty, shall we? Jane and the Younger Brothers, Eli and Alex have come a very long way in such a short time. At this point, they are as close to a real family as they can be. Their interactions and the way they care for each other is wonderfully done. I love the sarcasm and snark and humor that is written between the characters, especially Eli and Jane. I love that they have also accepted that Jane is different and that she changes into Beast from time to time. I also love that Beast and Jane are connected like never before. This prevents lots of silly angst, and gives Jane/Beast some powerful new abilities.

Shall we talk romance? We shall! Jane has a new-ish beau and his name is Bruiser. If you don't know who Bruiser is, go back and read this series from the beginning! I love the relationship. It is so much more entertaining than Jane and the annoying lamb who needs to be slaughter, Ricky Bo. Yeah, unfortunately Ricky makes a guest appearance. Just enough to get a rise out of me, and Jane. Yet, it is Bruiser who stands alongside Jane, Eli, and Alex to take down Leo's mistake. 

I will say that I am requesting that Hunter remove a few traitorous vampires from this series, ASAP! I do believe that several of them have taken up all the attention span I can afford to give to them. I'll mention Arianna as one of them, and move on. My other concern is what is happening to Molly. Molly has her ups and downs again in this installment, and I do hope with that ending, that Molly is once again on a good track. There is good and bad when you add more characters to the series. You really can't trust any of them not to stick a knife in your back, or try to fry you within an inch of your life.

In closing, I'm very appreciative that Let's Talk Promotions reached out to me for yet another Jane Yellowrock blog tour. They really do come through for bloggers and reviews in the pinch and are easy to work with. Thanks, Ladies! Hopefully I'll see you again when book # 10 comes out!



Excerpt
Dark Heir excerpt #14

Pinkie pulled a ring of keys from a pocket and held them close as she read the labels. Starting at the top, she unlocked each padlock, bending back the metal strips as she worked. The metal wasn’t overly pliable, and it groaned as it was bent, but tiny little Pinkie was a lot stronger than she appeared.
When the door was unlocked, she indicated that it was ours to open. Eli slipped in front of me, knelt, and pulled a small light, checking all around the edges for . . . I had no idea, not in such an old room, but Mr. Paranoid didn’t heal as well as I did, so I let him take whatever precautions he wanted. Once he was assured it was safe, he stepped back and I took the old metal knob in my hand, feeling the lines that had been etched or pressed into the metal when it was made, leaves, I thought, or a fleur-de-lis. Then I thought about a shotgun set up to fire when the door opened, and I stepped to the side. Eli and Pinkie both stepped to the other side, as if reading my mind. I twisted the knob, which made a dry, creaking sound, made much worse as I pushed on the door, swollen into place, wood against wood. I set my shoulder to it, the door groaning like a human dying, still thinking about the possible shotgun. But no gun went off.
The smells that rushed out of the dark, overheated room were mice, damp, mold, old wood, rotten linens, old blood, and . . . dead vamp.



About Faith Hunter:

New York Times Bestselling author Faith Hunter writes fantasy in several subgenres: the urban fantasy Skinwalker series, featuring Jane Yellowrock, a Cherokee skinwalker; the post-apocalyptic Rogue Mage series and RPG, featuring Thorn St. Croix, a stone mage; and the upcoming SoulWood trilogy featuring Nell Nicholson Ingram, a woman who can siphon off the magic of others and is drawn into solving paranormal crimes. Faith writes mystery and thrillers under the name Gwen Hunter. When she isn’t writing, Faith likes to make jewelry, run whitewater rivers (Class II and III), and RV with her hubby and their rescued dogs.
Faith is online -