Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Wolfsbane (Nightshade #2) Andrea Cremer Published: July 26, 2011 (Philomel) Purchase at: Book Depository, B&N or Amazon Rating (out of 5) 4.5 stars Note: There is no way to write this review without spoilers from the first book. If you haven’t read Nightshade, please read the VBC review of that book instead. Trust me. But I promise not to spoil Wolfsbane at all. Wolfsbane picks up quickly after the crazy... 
For those who missed it last Thursday, I’ve started blogging over at Heroes & Heartbreakers. So far I’ve just been talking about True Blood and my fascination with Alexander Skarsgard. It doesn’t change anything here at VBC, just wanted to let you know I’ll be popping up over there to talk sexy men and such. L.A. Banks has passed away If you missed the news on Tuesday, author L.A. Banks has passed away... 
In an effort to help you keep that to-read list updated, we’ve compiled the hot urban fantasy and paranormal romance releases for July. All dates are U.S. and tentative. We’ve included genre classification with each book: UF is urban fantasy, PNR is paranormal romance and YA is young adult. AUGUST 1 Always a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough (Witch #2) YA Betrayed by Ednah Walters (Guardian Legacy #2) YA... 
Quarter Square (Wild Times #1) David Bridger Published: June 27, 2011 (Carina Press) Purchase at: B&N or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4 stars David Bridger has crafted something refreshingly different with Quarter Square with great doses of escapism, fear of being hunted and a heaping of ‘otherness.’ Our protagonist Joe has just suffered the ultimate shock — his wife in bed with his best friend — and in his... 
Hello there! Jess Haines here. I’m the author of the urban fantasy H&W Investigations series (Hunted by the Others, Taken by the Others and Deceived by the Others). I’d like to take a moment to introduce you to some of the cast—Shiarra Waynest, the lead character, Chaz, her on-and-off werewolf boyfriend, Sara, her business partner, Arnold, a mage who lends her a hand, and Alec Royce, a vampire Shiarra... 
A Hunger Like No Other (Immortals After Dark #1) Kresley Cole Published: 2006 (Pocket) Purchase at: Book Depository, Barnes & Noble or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 3 stars Emma is half-vampire, half Valkyrie. Raised by the powerful warrior women, she was taught to hate vampires and only drink blood out of a glass. At 70, she’s very young for a vampire, and finally decides to search out her father. Her mother... 
In an effort to help you keep that to-read list updated, we’ve compiled the hot urban fantasy and paranormal romance releases for June. All dates are U.S. and tentative. We’ve included genre classification with each book: UF is urban fantasy, PNR is paranormal romance and YA is young adult. JULY 1 Deceived by The Others by Jess Haines (H&W Investigations #3) UF Heartless by Gail Carriger (The Parasol... 
In July, we’ll be tackling Kresley Cole’s Immortals After Dark series with A Hunger Like No Other. Like always, Vampire Book Club readers selected this month’s read and you have great taste. This book has vampires, werewolves and a fated pair in it. A little something for everyone, yes? Have you read the Immortals After Dark series already? That’s OK, re-reads are good for you. First-timers are encouraged... 
Dead to the World (Sookie Stackhouse #4) Charlaine Harris Published: 2004 (Ace) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 5 stars Note: Spoilers lie ahead. Normally, we avoid them like the plague, but it’s just too much fun to talk the finer points of this one. However, we have flagged the big “damn, why’d you tell me” moments, if you want to brave it. I’ve always named Dead to the World... 
Yesterday we kicked off the Alpha Showdown in fine fashion, pitting Wrath from J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series up against Bones from Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series. (We particularly enjoy how many of you are picking Bones based on Chapter 32 of One Foot in the Grave. Worthwhile for sure, but still amusing.) That poll remains open until midnight tonight. However, today we’re moving on... 
