Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Earlier this week, Amy reviewed The Dastardly Miss Lizzie. Steampunk goodness with fascinating character dichotomy is always a win, which is why we’ve been hooked on the Electric Empire series since day one. If you’re eager for more of Viola Carr’s series, you’re in luck. I have one copy of the just-released The Dastardly Miss Lizzie set aside for a lucky VBC reader. If you want that reader to be you,... 
It’s been a hot minute since we gave away a young adult book in Win It Wednesday. I didn’t forget about everyone who loves their YA fixes (myself included!), and I have an excellent book for you this week: Glitter by Aprilynne Pike. Despite the name, don’t expect Mariah Carey at all. We’re talking Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette. Royalty going drug dealer in a dystopian setting with bonus points for... 
I am all kinds of nerdy excited for the television adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods. It’s not just the cast, which includes Ricky Whittle (a.k.a. Lincoln from The 100) as Shadow Moon and Ian McShane as Mr. Wednesday. The look, the feel, the timing is right for a revisit of this great fantasy novel. Not too long ago, I did a re-read of American Gods on audio. It has a full-cast recording, and was,... 
Yesterday the 25th Argeneau book came out. Yes, twenty-five books in a vampire romance series. What’s better? They are enjoyable as stand-alones, and in smaller arcs (we’d suggest reading books 23, 24, and 25 together, for example). And VBC’s Amy gave Immortal Unchained a big thumbs up yesterday in her review. We love the way Lynsay Sands combines humor and heat to keep us hooked on these books. So, we’re... 
How many of you have read the Hollows series by Kim Harrison? It’s a great urban fantasy series, and actually one I found got stronger and stronger the longer the series ran. With that in mind, I have a copy of Ever After by Kim Harrison. It’s the 11th novel in the Hollows series (sometimes you’ll see it called the Rachel Morgan series, too), and is from another expanding point in the series. We’re... 
Win It Wednesday just got legit double awesome. (That’s a thing, right?) March is just flying by, which means it’s time for the annual call for nominations for Alpha Showdown. And since it’s also our giveaway day, I’m bribing you to give me your nominations with the chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card. This is our seventh year bringing you the Alpha Showdown, and it becomes more fun each time. It’s your... 
Last week we diverged from our weekly contest in the name of delving into the insanely awesome new-release schedule. You’re all still in reading comas aren’t you? Well, since we were off a week, I figured we needed a pretty stellar giveaway for the return of Win It Wednesday. How’s about an advanced reading copy of Seanan McGuire’s Magic for Nothing? It’s the latest in her InCryptid series and released... 
I’m in the mood for an unconventional urban fantasy, so for this week’s Win It Wednesday I’m giving away a copy of Linda Grimes’ In a Fix. Jo has reviewed this series (now at book 4), and has loved the unique twists in the books. In a Fix is the first in the Ciel Halligan series, and here’s a snippet from Jo’s review for convincing: This book had me in stitches, the unique premise lending itself perfectly... 
Tomorrow’s Thanksgiving here in the United States, and that means the end of the year is just around the corner. (Did it sneak up on anyone else?) The VBC team has been hard at work determining which books will make our Top 10 list for 2016. While we finish duking it out, I want your input. Which books would you put on the list? Our editorial team will still narrow our picks to the ultimate top 10, but... 
I’m always looking to add new books to dive into headfirst. I know you are, too. (That’s why we’re friends.) So how about I giveaway one of those books to a lucky reader? Rachel Vincent has been an auto-buy author for me for quite some time. She knows how to balance an engaging plot, character development, and the emotional suckerpunch that serves a purpose. Menagerie explores humanity in an utterly... 
