Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between by J.A. Saare

Rhiannon’s Law, Book 1

Synopsis: One bad corpse can ruin your whole day.

No one knows that better than Rhiannon Murphy.

She left behind the flash and sass of Miami for the no-nonsense groove of New York City, eager for a clean slate and a fresh start. A bartender by trade, a loud mouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance; she managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her—until now.

The deliciously good-looking vampire, Disco, knows her secret. When he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, Rhiannon discovers he’s not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no.

But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it’s only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market. Someone or something is killing vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn’t their first stroll around the undead block.

Review: I was really curious about this novel after all the good things that I had heard and the beautiful reviews that I had the opportunity to read about it. I must say that everyone was loving it. I confess, however, that after having bought the book, it took me some time before starting it. And what idea I had, because the book is like everyone said, very good! I spent a pleasant time with Rhiannon and I already can not wait to read more as soon as possible.

Our young heroine works as a barmaid in an exotic dance bar. She also used to take care of the bothering men and to defend herself if needed to be. But Rhiannon is far from being like any other women, and she keeps to herself her secret. She can see ghosts without really understanding what her gift really means. So when Disco enters in the bar to ask for her help and refuses her refusal, she finds herself embarked on a new world she does not know about. Here she is forced to face necromancers, vampires and other creatures. But all that will change her life forever, far more than she had imagined.

I found the story very interesting and I was curious to see who was behind all these strange murders. The survey is beautifully done and it keeps us in suspense throughout the story. There are many surprises and revelations through the chapters. But that’s not all, and I loved the characters of Disco and Rhiannon. They are different and yet many things unite them. Disco is someone calm and quiet and yet patient when he wants something. Something emanates from him that makes us want to learn more about him and the novel allows us to know a little more about the person he is and has been. Rhiannon is more difficult to define. Under her big mouth, she looks like a fearless person, but in fact, she is very fragile and sensitive. Indeed, she had a very difficult childhood that continually haunts her. I admit that I was really surprised to learn everything by which she had went through and I hope that one day she will have the chance to find her half-sister. But that’s not all, and her gift is something very intriguing, especially when seen in constant evolution. I’m curious to see what will happen after a real workout. The two characters are a very nice couple, though of course, everything is a bit complicated because of their prejudices.

Finally, all this to say that I really loved the story and the novel is a very good first volume. I’m curious about the second that I’m about to order elsewhere. The story has everything, an explosive heroine and hero, an exciting plot and creatures that we would not have assumed the existence. To discover for fans of urban fantasy.

 

4

mellianefini

Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between de J.A. Saare (VO)

Rhiannon’s Law, Tome 1

Résumé (traduction personnelle) : Personne ne le sait mieux que Rhiannon Murphy.

Elle laisse derrière elle l’étincelante et culottée Miami pour la ville magnifique et animée de New York, espérant pouvoir repartir de zéro. Barmaid de métier, une grande gueule par choix, et une nécromancienne, elle a réussi à maintenir son talent astucieux caché de ceux qui sont autour d’elle jusqu’à présent.

Le délicieusement beau vampire, Disco, connaît son secret. Quand il entre dans son bar pour solliciter son aide afin d’enquêter sur les disparitions mystérieuses de ceux de son espèce en ville, Rhiannon découvre qu’il n’est pas le genre de personne qui apprécie la signification du mot non.

Mais dans un monde où les vampires colportent leur sang comme la dernière et la meilleure drogue de choix, ce n’est qu’une question de temps avant que quelque chose de plus grand arrive sur le marché. Quelqu’un ou quelque chose est en train de tuer les vampires pour voler leurs cœurs, et contrairement à Rhiannon, ce n’est pas leur première promenade autour du bloc morts-vivants.

Avis : J’étais vraiment curieuse de découvrir ce roman après tout le bien que j’en avais entendu et les magnifiques avis que j’avais eu l’occasion de lire. Il faut dire que je n’en avais lu que des éloges. J’avoue cependant, qu’après avoir acheté le livre, j’ai mis assez longtemps avant de le commencer. Et quelle idée que j’ai eu, car le livre est comme tout le monde le disait, vraiment très bon ! J’ai passé un agréable moment avec Rhiannon et j’ai déjà hâte de pouvoir lire la suite aussi vite que possible.

Notre jeune héroïne travaille en tant que barmaid dans un bar de danseuses exotiques. Aussi, elle a l’habitude de s’occuper des hommes un peu lourds et de se défendre par elle-même si besoin en est. Mais Rhiannon est loin d’être comme toutes les femmes et elle garde pour elle son secret. Elle peut voir les fantômes sans vraiment comprendre ce que son don signifie. Aussi quand Disco entre dans son bar pour lui demander de l’aide et qu’il refuse son refus, elle se retrouve embarquée dans un nouveau monde qu’elle ne connait pas. La voilà obligée de côtoyer les nécromanciens, les vampires et autres créatures. Mais tout cela changera sa vie pour toujours, bien plus que ce qu’elle n’avait imaginé.

J’ai trouvé l’intrigue très intéressante et j’étais curieuse de voir qui était derrière tous ces meurtres étranges. L’enquête est magnifiquement bien menée et nous garde en haleine tout au long de l’histoire. Il y a beaucoup de surprises et de révélations au fil des chapitres. Mais ce n’est pas tout et j’ai adoré les personnages de Disco, Rhiannon. Ils sont différents et en même temps beaucoup de choses les réunissent. Disco est quelqu’un de calme et posé et pourtant patient quand il veut quelque chose. Quelque chose se dégage de lui qui nous donne envie d’en apprendre plus à son sujet et le roman nous permet ainsi d’en savoir un peu plus quant à la personne qu’il est et qu’il a été. Rhiannon est plus difficile à cerner. Sous ses allures de grande gueule qui n’a peur de rien, elle est très fragile et sensible. En effet, elle a eu une enfance très difficile et son passé la hante continuellement. J’avoue que j’ai vraiment été surprise d’apprendre tout ce par quoi elle avait traversé et j’espère qu’un jour nous aurons la chance de découvrir sa demi-sœur. Mais ce n’est pas tout et son don est quelque chose de très intriguant, surtout quand on le voit en constante évolution. Je suis curieuse de voir ce qu’il en sera après un vrai entrainement. Les deux personnages forment un très joli couple, bien que bien sûr, tout soit un peu compliqué de par leurs préjugés.

Enfin tout cela pour dire que j’ai vraiment adoré l’histoire et ce roman est un très bon premier tome. Je suis des plus curieuse de découvrir le second, que je ne vais pas tarder à commander d’ailleurs. L’histoire à tout pour plaire, une héroïne et un héros explosifs, une intrigue passionnante et des créatures dont on n’aurait pas supposé l’existence. A découvrir au plus vite pour les fans d’urban fantasy.

4

mellianefini

Stacking the Shelves #18



Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga’s Reviews

Between D&R
Grab the Code

Première tombe sur la droite (Charley Davidson, 1) – Darynda Jones
A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper
Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life…and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

Charley Davidson est détective privée et faucheuse. Son boulot consiste à convaincre les morts « d’aller vers la lumière ». Mais ce n’est pas toujours si simple : parfois Charley doit les aider à accomplir quelque chose avant qu’ils acceptent de s’en aller, comme retrouver l’assassin de ces trois avocats. Ce qui ne serait pas un problème si Charley ne passait pas son temps à faire des rêves érotiques provoqués par une entité qui la suit depuis toujours… Or, il se pourrait que l’homme de ses rêves ne soit pas mort. Il pourrait même être tout à fait autre chose…
 Deuxième tombe sur la gauche (Charley Davidson, 2) – Darynda Jones 
Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper Extraordinaire, is back in this sexy, suspenseful novel of supernatural shenanigans When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message. Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do? 
Charley, détective privée et faucheuse, et Cookie, sa meilleure amie/réceptionniste, se lancent à la recherche d’une jeune femme, disparue depuis le meurtre d’une camarade de lycée. Pendant ce temps, Reyes – le fils de Satan ! – est sorti de son corps physique pour hanter Charley afin d’empêcher des démons de s’emparer de la jeune femme et d’accéder au ciel par son biais. Mais Charley pourra-t-elle supporter ses nuits ardentes avec Reyes et ses journées à cent à l’heure sur la piste d’une femme disparue ?
Fourth grave beneath my feet (Charley Davidson, 4) – Darynda Jones

Sometimes being the grim reaper really is that. Grim. And since Charley’s last case went so awry, she has taken a couple months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above. Or at least get dressed. She quickly realizes something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she’s insane. The more they refute the woman’s story, the more Charley believes it.

In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, has been cleared of all charges. He is out of prison and out of Charley’s life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that the city of Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved. Just when life was returning to normal, Charley is thrust back into the world of crime, punishment, and the devil in blue jeans. 

 The Mage (Sons of Destiny, 8) – Jean Johnson

Eight brothers, born in four sets of twins, two years apart to the day–they fulfill the Curse of Eight Prophecy.  Though no longer trapped in exile, their growing family faces new problems.  The worst of those troubles now falls upon the last of the Sons of Destiny.

Hope, Morganen’s foretold bride, has finally arrived on the island.  She hasn’t been telling the full truth about herself, and the consequences will stretch further than even she anticipates.  Just as Morg gets used to Hope’s revelation, new enemies arrive on the Isle, seeking to steal away the brothers’ chances at creating a new nation.  During the attack, an old foe resurfaces and strikes amid the confusion, kidnapping the final bride-to-be.

Either Morg will rescue Hope and help his family complete the Prophecies of the Seer Draganna and the last Duchess of Nightfall, carving a new kingdom in the process…or their enemies will be free to slaughter them all…

 A trace of Moonlight (Abby Sinclair, 3) – Allison Pang

Drinking from the waters of lethe and offering herself up as Faerie’s sacrificial Tithe . . . these just might be the least of Abby Sinclair’s problems. 

Abby’s pact with a daemon—whether or not she remembers making it—is binding, so she’d better count herself lucky that (in the words of a daemon who knows better) there’s nearly always a loophole. But her friends’ reckless attempts to free her, well intentioned though they may be, set off a disastrous chain of events. In no time at all, Abby turns her incubus lover mortal, then gets herself killed, cursed, and married to an elven prince whose mother wants her dead. On top of everything else, she’s lost the Key to the CrossRoads to her mortal enemy, who promptly uses his restored power to wreak havoc on the OtherWorld and put its very existence in jeopardy. Only one person can make things right again, but to find her, Abby must place her trust in allies of mixed loyalties, and conquer her nightmares once and for all.

Dead, undead or somewhere in Between (Rhiannon’s Law, 1) – J.A. Saare
One bad corpse can ruin your whole day.

No one knows that better than Rhiannon Murphy.

She left behind the flash and sass of Miami for the no-nonsense groove of New York City, eager for a clean slate and a fresh start. A bartender by trade, a loud mouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance; she managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her—until now.

The deliciously good-looking vampire, Disco, knows her secret. When he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, Rhiannon discovers he’s not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no.

But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it’s only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market. Someone or something is killing vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn’t their first stroll around the undead block.

Edge of Oblivion (Night Prowler, 2) – J.T. Geissinger
In a dark underground cell, Morgan Montgomery waits to die. A member of the Ikati, an ancient tribe of shape-shifters, Morgan stands convicted of treason. And Ikati law clearly spells out her fate: death to all who dare betray.

But there is a glimmer of hope. Thanks to her friendship with Jenna, the new queen of the Ikati, Morgan has one last chance to prove her loyalty. She must discover and infiltrate the headquarters of the Expurgari, the Ikati’s ancient enemy, so they can be destroyed once and for all. The catch? She has only a fortnight to complete her mission and will be accompanied by Xander Luna, the tribe’s most feared enforcer. If Morgan fails, her life is forfeit. Because Xander is as lethal as he is loyal, and no one—not even this beautiful, passionate renegade—will distract him from his mission. But as the pair races across Europe into the heart of Italy, the attraction blooming between them becomes undeniable. Suddenly more than justice is at stake: so is love.

 Daughter of the Sword (Fated Blades, 1) – Steve Bein

Mariko Oshiro is not your average Tokyo cop. As the only female detective in the city’s most elite police unit, she has to fight for every ounce of respect, especially from her new boss. While she wants to track down a rumored cocaine shipment, he gives her the least promising case possible. But the case—the attempted theft of an old samurai sword—proves more dangerous than anyone on the force could have imagined.

The owner of the sword, Professor Yasuo Yamada, says it was crafted by the legendary Master Inazuma, a sword smith whose blades are rumored to have magical qualities. The man trying to steal it already owns another Inazuma—one whose deadly power eventually comes to control all who wield it. Or so says Yamada, and though he has studied swords and swordsmanship all his life, Mariko isn’t convinced.

But Mariko’s skepticism hardly matters. Her investigation has put her on a collision course with a curse centuries old and as bloodthirsty as ever. She is only the latest in a long line of warriors and soldiers to confront this power, and even the sword she learns to wield could turn against her.

 A Witch before dying (A wishcraft mystery, 2) – Heather Blake

Darcy Merriweather is Salem, Massachusetts’ newest resident Wishcrafter—a witch who can grant wishes for others. While Darcy isn’t able to grant wishes for herself, she does possess a certain knack for solving problems—including the occasional murder…

When Darcy is hired by Elodie Keaton to clean up her missing mother’s disorderly home, the Wishcrafter is certainly up for the task. After all, the motto of her Aunt Ve’s personal concierge service As You Wish is “No Job Impossible.” But beneath the piles of old newspapers and knickknacks Darcy discovers something much more disturbing—Patrice Keaton’s body.

Darcy’s determined to give Elodie peace of mind by investigating her mother’s disappearance and death. Patrice was last seen over a year ago after a fight with her Charmcrafter boyfriend. Was her murder a crime of passion? Or were Patrice’s troubles caused by the Anicula, a wish-granting amulet? Now Darcy has to not only find a killer, she has to find the Anicula— before the power of ultimate wish fulfillment falls into the wrong hands…