Guest Review - - Body Master

Body Master
By C.J. Barry
Publisher:  Berkley Sensation
Release Date: August 3, 2010

When it comes to taking down rogue Shifters, Seneca Thomas is the best of the best. As an elite member of the secret government agency XCEL, her mission is to apprehend those of the alien race who have viciously murdered humans. Not as easy as it might sound when the aliens are able to replicate human DNA and hide amongst the native population. Of course, Seneca has a few tricks up her own sleeve. Her Native American heritage lends her the ability to distinguish Shifters while they are in human form and force-shift them at will, making her every evil Shifter’s worst nightmare.

After her partner Riley is slaughtered during a raid, Seneca is horrified to discover that XCEL is adopting a new approach to countermand the rising number of agent deaths. Seneca comes face-to-face with her new partner, Max Dempsey, who is fiercely driven, mysterious and intensely sexy.

And a Shifter.

For Max Dempsey, XCEL and Seneca Thomas are a means to an end. Driven by cold vengeance, he has only one thing to live for: to find the Shifter who betrayed his people and murdered his wife. A mission made much more difficult now that he has a partner who doesn't trust him. It's a small price to pay for XCEL’s intel, which will no doubt help him zero in on his target.

Like it or not, Seneca and Max need each other. When an enterprising Shifter puts a price on their heads to fuel his own agenda, no one can be trusted and their lives are thrust into chaos. The only way out is to acknowledge the emotions simmering between them and to put pride aside and work together.

Despite my love for science fiction, I find that I don’t usually gravitate towards sci-fi paranormals. Aliens rarely snag my interest, though there are a few exceptions (what I wouldn’t do for a ride in the TARDIS!) When I read the brief on C.J. Barry’s Body Master, I assumed that the shape shifters were magic-based beings like most books I’ve previously read. Boy, was I surprised when I started reading!

Pleasantly surprised!

Let me start out by saying C.J. Barry hooked me at the first chapter. Right out of the gates, Barry takes you on a non-stop thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat. In fact, in my fervor to discover the next exciting twist, I often had to force myself to read more slowly to keep from missing things. The book is shorter than most, and there were times when I wished for more plot and character development, but I never felt that the story was considerably lacking. I am definitely excited for the next installment of the Body series and can happily say I will definitely be picking up more sci-fi paranormals from here on out.

~Jenn Colman Tokuda

Guest Review - - Running Scared

Running Scared
The Sentinel Wars - Book #3
Shannon K. Butcher
Publisher: Onyx
Release Date: May 4, 2010

Lexi Johns is waiting. Waiting to be taken by the very beings from whom she has spent a lifetime running. The tingling of awareness grows more intensely every day, and the mark the Sentinel warrior Zach left on her skin burns as he closes in. Every instinct in her screams for her to run, but she has no choice but to stay and let him take her.

As far as Lexi is concerned, the survival of the human race depends on her being captured by the Sentinels. If she manages to infiltrate and destroy their stronghold, Lexi will succeed in freeing her brainwashed friends, avenging her mother, and finally being able to live out her life in some semblance of peace. Luckily, she has the assistance of her mother’s friend, Hector Morrow and his radical group, the Defenders of Humanity, who are hell-bent on the total destruction of the Sentinels and their monstrous pets, the Synestryn.

Zach has to find Lexi if it is the last thing he does, and it will be if she slips through his fingers again. She is his match. The only female who can channel the power building in him and prevent the destruction of his soul. Catching her proves to be the easy part. The hard part is convincing her that everything she believes about him and his race is untrue. The Sentinels are actually one of the three races responsible for protecting humans from the evil Synestryn. Unfortunately, they are fighting a losing battle. The Theronai, warriors of the Sentinel race, numbers are dwindling and their defenses are being torn down faster than they can rebuild. Their whole race needs Lexi and the magic she could wield with Zach’s power.

Once sequestered in the secret Sentinel base, Lexi’s whole world begins to unravel. Everything she was taught about the Sentinels is contradicted, and Lexi finds that she is faced with the most important decision of her life. Does she continue down the path she has always led, or does she surrender herself to the unquestionable connection with Zach and the unwavering love and trust he is offering her.

Running Scared is fast-paced, action-packed, and a wonderful third installment for Shannon K. Butcher’s The Sentinel Wars series. The world that she has created is refreshing, creative, and completely captivated me with its originality. Her imagery is fantastic, and her characters are rich, dynamic and deliciously flawed. Running Scared, as well as Burning Alive (Book 1) and Finding the Lost (Book 2), were books I couldn’t put down. I highly recommend them to anyone who loves paranormal, urban fantasy, or just a fabulously written book. The only thing that would have made it perfect for me was if a glossary was included. It took me a while to remember what everything was!

~Jenn

Guest Review - - The Irish Duke

The Irish Duke
By Virginia Henley
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Release Date: March 2, 2010

When nine year old James Hamilton, Marquis and future Duke of Abercorn, first laid eyes on the beautiful and fiery Lady Louisa Russell, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, he forfeited his heart. He was so taken by her that he immediately asked for her hand, and Lady Louisa dismissed him like only a seven year old could. Her heart belonged to dance and the stage. Marriage was certainly of no interest to her.
Ten years later, Louisa is on the cusp of her introduction into society and being the image of her beautiful mother, she certainly has no shortage of suitors. None of whom she could care a fig about. Even though she has resigned herself to the fact that a future career as an actress and dancer is wholly impossible for someone of her rank, she refuses to relinquish the freedom she so enjoys to any man. Lady Lu’s desire to be her own woman is not the only thing that keeps her as far from the altar as possible. Beneath her dark beauty and resolute assuredness lies a deeply rooted fear - a fear that will surrender her to a life of spinsterhood despite what emotions the devilishly handsome Abercorn might stir in her heart. When a scandal erupts, Louisa’s loyalty to her family forces her into the arms of Abercorn, where she must face and conquer her personal demons or lose the one man she might ever truly love.

Ten years has done nothing to douse the torch Abercorn has carried for Lady Lu. Her beauty and innocent grace utterly captivates him, and when he finds himself at Worburn Abby for summer, he sets on his quest to claim her for his bride. He slowly but surely infiltrates her defenses, discovering Louisa's true inner beauty and falling more deeply in love than he had ever imagined. Despite the shock and disappointment of the scandal that forces Louisa to marry him, he takes it as an opportunity Louisa would never have afforded him otherwise and is determined prove their love could be one for the ages.

Personal Notes: One of the main reasons I chose The Irish Duke was because of the historical connections. I am a huge history nerd and nothing attracts me more than fiction based on actual people. I have a deep respect for Virginia Henley for taking on this task, if for nothing else than the sheer amount of research it must have taken to write this book. In this respect, she did not disappoint.

That being said, I felt the story only scratched the surface of the characters and never really delved into the depths of their psyches, which made it difficult to truly invest myself in them. I have no doubts that Virginia Henley is a fabulous writer and that she poured a lot of love and emotion into The Irish Duke, which with the level of historical fact involved was surely a monumental task. However, it unfortunately fell short of my expectations. It has not, however, turned me off to her other books. I still look forward to many of her stories to come!

~Jenn Colman
 Guest Reviewer