Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
![Auction: Signed set of Dark Mission novels from Karina Cooper and Character Name [Books Fighting Cancer]](http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1315196419l/11597240.jpg)
If category romance and urban fantasy had a baby, Karina Cooper would be its proud mama. I fell head-over-heels for her Dark Mission novels, and now you have the chance to not only get signed copies of the first three books, but the highest bidder will also get a character named after them in the fifth Dark Mission novel. The highest bidder will take home: Signed copy of Blood of the Wicked (VBC review)... 
Thanks to everyone who provided feedback and suggestions on yesterday’s captcha-related post. I am going to look into utilizing additional spam filters before considering bringing back captcha. Also, did you know Alpha Showdown 2012 starts on Monday? It does. And it will be epic. Have you started placing your bets? Excerpt from Karen Mahoney I enjoyed The Iron Witch and The Wood Queen by Karen Mahoney,... 
As you may have gathered from my early review of Karina Cooper’s All Things Wicked (which hits stores today), I’m a bit enamored with her Dark Mission series. She has the attributes I look for in all my favorite authors: precise writing, remarkable character development worth getting invested in and both creative and gritty world-building. So, of course, I had to pick her brain on just how New Seattle was...
All Things Wicked (Dark Mission #3) Karina Cooper Published: Jan. 31, 2012 (Avon) Purchase at: Book Depository, B&N or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 5 stars Note: While this review is free of spoilers for All Things Wicked it makes references to people and places from the prior two novels. If you’re new to the series, please read our review of Blood of the Wicked. The more I read the Dark Mission series, the... 
In an effort to help you keep that to-read list updated, I’ve compiled the hot urban fantasy and paranormal romance releases for January 2012. All dates are U.S. and tentative. I’ve included genre classification with each book: UF is urban fantasy, PNR is paranormal romance, F is fantasy and YA is young adult. JANUARY 1 A Demon Does It Better by Linda Wisdom (Demons #2) PNR Hold Me If You Can by Stephanie... 
Last year, I listed 10 of the most delicious heroes from novels published that year. You guys liked it quite a bit. As such, I bit my lip and narrowed down the giant list to give you the Top 10 Swoon-Worthy Heroes from 2011 novels. To make my life easier, I excluded YA novels here because you’re all going to get nasty in the comments. (It’s OK, we’re all friends here.) Also, if you need more suggestions,... 
Lure of the Wicked (Dark Mission #2) Karina Cooper Published: June 2011 (Avon) Purchase at: Book Depository, B&N or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars I’m convinced Karina Cooper named her heroine in Lure of the Wicked as a bit of an homage to Mae West. Naomi West is a woman who knows how to hold her own with the boys and flaunts it. She’s a talented missionary –think of her as a Black Ops marine, except... 
It’s that time again. I spent far too much time attempting to whittle down the 100+ books reviewed on VBC this year to the absolute best. So, as those Amazon and B&N gift cards start rolling in, just use this list as your shopping guide. I personally promise the extreme awesomeness of all the novels listed below. Also, at the very end you’ll see the VBC Readers’ Choice winner (which allowed me to leave it... 
I’m guest posting today over at Random House’s new romance community blog, Romance at Random. If you’re a paranormal romance reader interested in trying the urban fantasy genre, I give four series that are the perfect way to test out the genre, as they have great romance subplots and sexual chemistry. I have to say, I wrote the Romance at Random post a few weeks back, but if I were to write it today, I... 
Blood of the Wicked (Dark Mission #1) Karina Cooper Published: May 2011 (Avon) Purchase at: Book Depository, B&N or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 5 stars Those who read this blog regularly know I flit back-and-forth between obsessions with urban fantasy titles and paranormal romances. I like darkness and grit. I love sizzling chemistry. And, above all else, I love seeing realistic characters, especially... 
