Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Chilling Effect (Chilling Effect #1)Valerie ValdesPublished: Sept. 17, 2019 (Harper Voyager)Purchase at: Amazon or IndieBoundReview Source: Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Amy Rating (out of 5): 4 stars Captain Eva Innocente has been trying to make an honest living with her crew running small cargo around the galaxy for delivery. Even though it barely pays the... 
Protect the Prince (Crown of Shards #2)Jennifer EstepPublished: July 2, 2019 (Harper Voyager)Purchase at: Amazon or Book DepositoryReview Source: Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review Reviewed by: Amy Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it will reference previous events in the series. If you haven’t yet started, check out VBC’s review of Kill the Queen. Rating (out of... 
Seanan McGuire is a favorite author for much of the VBC staff, both under her own name and under the Mira Grant pen name. (Yep, I’m taking this chance to again recommend everyone check out her Newsflesh series starting with Feed.) Today, though, we’re reveling in her InCryptid books, where cryptozoology is legit and creatures are in need of protection. The latest That Ain’t Witchcraft hit shelves this... 
Need a new paranormal romance fix? Are you there for all the “mine” action of mates? Then today’s feature is for you. We have an exclusive excerpt from Marie Johnston’s Angel Fire, the first in a new PNR series. EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT: ANGEL FIRE BY MARIE JOHNSTON Concentrating, Bryant descended to the human realm. It was a skill he wasn’t granted until he’d become a warrior. His parents posed as missionaries... 
Today’s Win It Wednesday brings some heat with supernatural sexy times from Christine Feehan’s Carpathian series. Avon has been reissuing the earlier books in the series with updated covers (see pic to the right), and it’s a great excuse to dive into these books (or re-read). Luckily, I have a copy of Dark Fire with the updated artwork on my desk waiting for one lucky VBC reader to claim it. Also, in case... 
When it comes to Win It Wednesday, I’m usually trying to find a new, shiny author or series for everyone to discover. Those series that I can wave the flag of book rec on, and get to point the winner to book one in the series. Sometimes, though, you just need the new, much coveted book in a series. When it comes to Anne Bishop, much of the VBC crowd is familiar. You guys loved The Others, and the spin-off... 
Note from VBC: We’re delighted to host the charming Faith Hunter on today’s blog. We love her Jane Yellowrock and Soulwood novels and are incredibly excited for the release of Circle of the Moon earlier this week. Enough of us. Let’s turn it over to Faith: There has been a lot of press about diversity lately, and there needs to be. It’s a small planet and a MUCH smaller nation and way, way too many of us,... 
We love a good fairy tale retelling, and Leife Shallcross’s The Beast’s Heart is that and then some. All the Beauty & The Beast fangirls, this one is for you, because not only is this that story, but it’s from the Beast’s point of view. Swoon! We’ve got one copy of The Beast’s Heart up for grabs for one lucky VBC reader. Read on for the details about the book and how to enter to win! ABOUT THE BEAST’S... 
I’m pretty sure none of the VBC crew have been subtle about how much we enjoyed Jessie Mihalik’s debut Polaris Rising, but in case you missed it: WE LOVED IT AND AMY GAVE IT FIVE STARS. Seriously. In her review Amy actually said: I absolutely loved Polaris Rising from beginning to end. The pacing was spot on with thrilling moments perfectly interspersed with the calmer more contemplative moments of... 
The third book in Chelsea Mueller’s Soul Charmer series comes out in a month. A month, y’all. That’s my book. I always try to be upfront about this part. 🙂 Lost Souls brings a big punch of soul magic and even bigger changes at the Soul Charmer’s emporium. It’s always weird talking about your own books, though, so I’ll tell you that Kelly from Reading the Paranormal says: “Gem City is dangerous and deadly... 
