Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Ed. note: We loved Andrea Cremer’s YA debut Nightshade so much it made our Best of 2010 list. We’ve noted it is one of the sexiest books without sex we’ve ever read. So, we asked Andrea about that line between sensual and sexual. We think you’ll enjoy her thoughts as much as we did. When Less is More by Andrea Cremer One of the cardinal sins of emerging writers is overwriting. Describing the heck out of... 
This year we fell in love with several new authors, found new series and even decided we could really get into steampunk. We’ve narrowed the list down to these gems. All the books on this list are ones we’ve told friends, family and random people at the bookstore about. These are the books we tell you are musts for your to-read piles. As a matter of fact, print it out and make it a checklist. We were... 
Firelight (Firelight #1) Sophie Jordan Published: Sept. 7, 2010 Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4 stars Often in paranormal romance tales the guy is the one troubled with paranormal attributes. The woman is either human dealing with the fact the guy she’s into is from the ‘other’ world or her paranormal issues are ‘safe’ compared the life-and-death danger that comes with being a...
Nightshade Andrea Cremer Published: Oct. 19, 2010 Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 5 stars I couldn’t put down Andrea Cremer’s Nightshade for more than a few moments at a time. After reading the majority of the 450-page book in a single sitting, I looked at my husband and just mumbled, “Wow.” Following a curious look from my better half, all I could say was Nightshade is by far... 
Ed. note: Enter to win Sins of the Heart (Otherkin #1) or Sins of the Flesh (Otherkin #3), both by Eve Silver, at the end of this post. Can’t wait? Click here to jump down.) Sins of the Flesh (Otherkin #3) Eve Silver Published: Oct. 1, 2010 Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars Eve Silver has officially made my auto-buy list. As I said in my review of the second Otherkin book... 
The Iron Duke (Iron Seas #1) Meljean Brook Published: Oct. 5, 2010 Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars If we were to merge the alpha overtones of Gone With the Wind, the swagger of Sherlock Holmes, the post-catastrophic world of Downside and a bunch of microscopic machines, we would get The Iron Duke. (And, yes, it really is that awesome.) Rhys, known to all those other... 
Yesterday a reader asked us for suggestions of stand-alone novels. Admittedly, we were at a bit of a loss. It’s more common in urban fantasy and paranormal genres in general to be written in multi-book story arcs. Some paranormal romance series are written in the same world, but each novel can work as a stand-alone. There are quite a few series that fall in this category, but two of the most popular are... 
Shiloh Walker weaves strong characters, real romance and fantasy together constantly. There’s a reason her titles will span a full shelf at your local bookstore. Earlier this month, the second book in her Veil series was released. We liked Veil of Shadows (read our review) even more than it’s predecessor Through the Veil (read our review). So, we’re super excited to bring you an interview with the... 
Sins of the Soul Eve Silver Published: Sept. 1, 2010 Purchase at: The Book Depository, eHarlequin or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4 stars Eve Silver doesn’t just paint a pretty picture with her prose. Her descriptions will bring you in to the Otherkin world, will evoke strong emotions. Her words can cut, can overwhelm and can bring butterflies to your stomach. In other words, I love reading her books because... 
Author Alyssa Day was kind enough to share an exclusive excerpt from her upcoming novel, Atlantis Betrayed, with us. The book, the sixth in her Warriors of Poseidon series, comes out this Tuesday, Sept. 7. In this section the hot Atlantean warrior Christophe and an infamous cat burglar called the Scarlet Ninja meet in the Tower of London, the home of England’s crown jewels, and discover they’re after the... 
