Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Poison Promise (Elemental Assassin #11) Jennifer Estep Published: July 22, 2014 (Pocket Books) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: Copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Amy Rating (out of 5): 4 stars Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it will reference previous books in the series. If you haven’t started yet, check out VBC’s review of book 1,... 
Masquerade (Blue Bloods #2) Melissa de la Cruz Published: August 10, 2009 (Disney Hyperion) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review Source: purchased Reviewed by: Mary Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars At the end of the first book in the Blue Bloods series, Schuyler’s dying grandmother charges her with tracking down her grandfather and enlisting him in the fight against the silver bloods (evil vampires) who... 
Alterant (Beladors #2) Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love Published: Sept. 27, 2011 (Pocket Star Books) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: purchased Reviewed by: Jill Rating (out of 5): 5 stars Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it does make references to previous books in the series. If you haven’t started yet, check out VBC’s review of book 1, Blood Trinity. Poor Evalle has... 
Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1) Patricia Briggs Published: Jan. 31, 2006 (Ace) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: purchased Reviewed by: Jannelle Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars While Mercy Thompson spends her days keeping to herself and repairing old cars (preferably of the German variety), she is not your typical VW mechanic. Mercy Thompson is a walker with the ability to shift into a... 
Shaman Rises (The Walker Papers #7) C.E. Murphy Published: June 24, 2014 (Harlequin Mira) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: Provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Krista Rating (out of 5): 4 stars I have been with Joanne Walker since the beginning back in 2005 with Urban Shaman. And it definitely has been a long journey. With Shaman Rises The Walker Papers... 
Sinner (Wolves of Mercy Falls #3.5) Maggie Stiefvater Published: July 1, 2014 (Scholastic Press) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Amy Rating (out of 5): 4 stars Despite my still unclear feelings on the original end of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, Forever, one thing was always clear: Cole and Isabel’s story... 
Better Homes and Hauntings Molly Harper Published: June 24, 2014 (Pocket) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for and honest review. Reviewed by: Jo Rating (out of 5): 4 stars A fun mixture of flirty, snarky chick-lit and old school gothic ghost story, Better Homes and Hauntings has a little bit of everything to satisfy a wide variety of tastes.... 
The Magicians (The Magicians #1) Lev Grossman Published: August 11, 2009 (Viking) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: purchased Reviewed by: Amy Rating (out of 5): 3 stars Quentin Coldwater is a brilliant soon-to-be high school graduate and he’s exceedingly unhappy with his life. Ideally, he would be able to live in Fillory, the fantasy world of his favorite books. Fillory is a place very... 
The Wizard King (Heart’s Desire #3) Dana Marie Bell Published: June 17, 2014 (Samhain) Purchase: Amazon Review source: purchased Reviewed by: Amanda Rating (out of 5): 4 stars Note: While this review is spoiler-free, it does assume you’ve read the other books in the series. Gareth Beckett’s about to be crowned king of the wizards, and he could care less. All he wants is for his mate to come home, but... 
Scorched Erica Hayes Published: May 22, 2014 (HarperImpulse) Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon Review source: copy provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Jill Rating (out of 5): 4 stars “My name is Verity Fortune. I’m not a bad person. I don’t deserve this.” This is this litany that gets Verity though nine months of physical and psychological torture in an insane... 
