Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
I’ve been a long-time fan of Jeaniene Frost’s books. I’ve been a fan of Bones since before Chapter 32. Then there was Vlad. I wasn’t smitten with him until Once Burned hit shelves last year, then I understood why he earned a spinoff series. However, VBC’s Candace has been in love with Vlad since he first stepped on page in the Night Huntress books. She’s dedicated to him. I had to let her write a... 
I’ve had a higher-than-usual number of book recommendation requests on the VBC Facebook page and via Twitter of late. While I can, of course, just point you to the recommendations section, I decided to take a look at the most popular reviews here at VBC. Consider this post your quick access to the books reviews VBC readers found helpful. TOP 10 MOST POPULAR VBC REVIEWS Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris... 
If you’re a regular reader here, you know I value strong world building in novels. I’m more likely to give a book a rare 5-star rating if the mythology for the world feels real. This is especially true when the world is so vivid that the most fantastical elements becomes downright plausible. I need everything to make sense. I appreciate the logic authors put into the rules within their books. Even if they... 
After two weeks of battles we’re finally at the final round of the Alpha Showdown 2012. Vampires, werewolves and faery kings have fallen in the quest for the title of Ultimate Alpha. Only Master vampire Bones from Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series and Curran from Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series have survived the melee unscathed. Now, it’s time for them to enter the ring. Last year, both characters...
The battles have been close — with plenty of smack talk in the comments and on Twitter — but we’ve finally reached the semifinals of the Alpha Showdown 2012. It’s another vampire-on-vampire battle with Jeaniene Frost’s Bones taking on Nalini Singh’s Dmitri. Bones has already taken out witch Rachel Morgan and werewolf Charles Cornick. How will he handle fighting another vampire? Dmitri took out cutthroat...
After a little more than a week of grueling battles, we finally have our first match-up in the second level. Bones straight-up crushed witch Rachel Morgan. Then Charles Cornick took our King Dorian. Will the master vampire sink his fangs into the werewolf? Will being an alpha enforcer make it easy to stake the vampire? As always, that’s up to you. Read the pitches, then make the call. Who should advance...
Round three of Alpha Showdown 2012 brings together our first vampire-on-vampire match. The ancient villain (and now quasi hero) Lothaire from Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series against the Red Reaper, Cat, from Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series. Both have enhanced vampire skills. Hell, Cat sometimes has a heartbeat. Who is quick enough to stake the other? Your votes decide. Also, a quick...
It’s officially time for Alpha Showdown 2012! We’ve pulled together 16 of the most kickass characters from urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels and with your votes placed them into a NCAA-style bracket. Only one will be named champion. Round one brings together a master vampire known for being ruthless with everyone except his wife and a witch who is not to be trifled with (she does have vampires,... 
When I read the first Chicagoland Vampires book, Some Girls Bite, Ethan Sullivan was not my favorite of the guys in the book. It’s hard to believe now, when Mr. Green Eyes is making our Top 10 Swoon-Worthy Heroes for 2011. Still, in the first book I had eyes for Catcher Bell. While Ethan had the alpha mentality readers often go for, Catcher is this blend of powerful and funny that’s just charming. Also,... 
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... 
