Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Last week, I introduced you to new reviewer Amanda. Well, now I’d like to point to you a couple new associate reviewers. I highly recommend you check out Mary’s review of Fury of Fire and Krista’s review of Immortally Yours. Get to know the new folks. I’m excited to have more voices at VBC. Lots of exciting things in the works. Plus, you know, Alpha Showdown nominations are open... 
Beauty Awakened (Angels of the Dark #2)
Gena Showalter
Published: Feb. 26, 2013 (HQN)
Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon
Reviewed by: Candace
Rating (out of 5): 4 stars
Note: Haven’t read the first Angels in the Dark book? Check out the VBC review of Wicked Nights.
Wow.
Beauty Awakened’s tortured hero Koldo made me immediately think of Khal Drogo from Game of Thrones, only without hair. He is... 
Those YA heroes know how to bring us to our knees, so of course we have a few Character Love Letters to those younger book boyfriends. Laura from Little Read Riding Hood is about to convince us all of her love for Raffe from Susan Ee’s Angelfall.
Dearest Raffe,
When I first saw you, fighting with the other angels, I thought you are a god compared to them. I mean it took five of them to take you down!... 
A Shimmer of Angels (Angel Sight #1)
Lisa M. Basso
Published: Jan. 29, 2013 (Month9Books)
Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon
Reviewed by: Jo
Rating (out of 5): 4 stars
When sixteen-year-old Rayna was discharged from the Sunflower Serenity Mental Health Clinic four months ago, she set out with a plan: New school, new job and absolutely no angels. And it seems to be working… Until the new guy... 
Nobody’s Angel (Earth Angels #1)
Stacy Gail
Published: Jan. 21, 2013 (Carina Press)
Purchase at: Amazon
Reviewed by: Jo
Rating (out of 5): 2.5 stars
Kendall Glynn is excited to have her first big story on air, that is until her co-worker tries to strangle his on-air partner then stabs himself in the neck with a pen. When she is attacked again by a stranger who’s eyes have turned the same... 
Every year, I compile the standard year-end best books list—read 2012′s best reads list—and it’s a hard task narrowing things down. What’s harder though is picking the ten heroes from novels published this year to make my annual swoon-worthy list. Last year Eve Silver’s Lokan took top honors and the year before Stacia Kane’s Terrible was causing fevers all over the... 
Rapture (Fallen Angels #4)
J.R. Ward
Published: Sept. 25, 2012 (NAL)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Reviewed by: Jo
Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars
Note: While this review will be spoiler free for this book, there will be major spoilers for the three previous books in the Fallen Angel series. If you’ve not read them yet, you may want to start with the first book Covet.
Minor warning before I... 
Archangel’s Storm (Guild Hunter #5)
Nalini Singh
Published: Sept. 4, 2012 (Berkley)
Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon
Reviewed by: Candace
Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars
I will survive and I will survive whole.
“Three hundred and seven years,”…”that’s how long I survived – I do not want to survive any longer, Mother. I want to fly.”
Lovers united by overcoming loss. Sisters... 
Soul Weaver (Wicked Kin #1)
Hailey Edwards
Published: August 7, 2012 (Grand Central)
Purchase: Amazon
Reviewed by: Jo
Rating (out of 5): 4 stars
Nathaniel is the Soul Weaver, the primary Harvester (a band of fallen angels), charged by hell to collect the souls of humanity’s worst. He walks the earth for thousands of years, reliving the twisted memories of the damned souls he collects, Nathaniel is... 
Wicked Nights (Angels of the Dark #1)
Gena Showalter
Published: June 26, 2012 (HQN)
Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon
Review by: Candace
Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars
She is not like you. She is softer, better.
And wasn’t that ironic? He was the angel, she the human, and yet he was the one in need of pardon.
Zacharel is in charge of an angelic army of misfits. These guys are walking a line. They... 
