Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
Twice Bitten (Chicagoland Vampires #3) Chloe Neill Published: July 2010 (NAL) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars Note: This review is spoiler-free, however it does reference events of the previous novel Friday Night Bites. If you haven’t read the second Chicagoland Vampires novel, continue at your own risk. Chloe Neill knows how to get me all riled up. The woman writes... 
Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles #1) Kevin Hearne Published: May 3, 2011 (DelRey) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 5 stars Diving into the world Kevin Hearne crafted in Hounded was a treat. When you read as much urban fantasy and paranormal novels as I do, you tend to find commonalities constantly. But Hounded felt completely fresh with twists on magic and mythology that demanded... 
[Ed. note: In case you missed it, we had a blast reading Tessa Adams’ first Dragon’s Heat novel Dark Embers. You can read our review here.] Thank you, Chelsea, for having me here today! I really appreciate the chance to guest blog about a topic that is near and dear to my heart—why shifters are so appealing in paranormal romance ☺ We all know vampires are hugely popular, and have been for forever, but in... 
Last week we asked for your help in assembling the ultimate urban fantasy starter kit — those books that are musts for the genre. And, wow, did you ever have suggestions. We loved it. (And we know we weren’t alone in adding tons of great books to our to-read list.) From the quintessential Charles de Lint to Kim Harrison and Rachel Vincent to Jaye Wells and Nicole Peeler. You were all over the place, and... 
Magic Bites (Kate Daniels #1) Ilona Andrews Published: 2007 (Ace) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars In Magic Bites’ Atlanta magic is everywhere. And so are the shifters and the vampires. The Order keeps the peace on the magic end, but Kate Daniels would rather not deal with them. Despite her formidable magic abilities, Kate works as a mercenary instead. Doing jobs for... 
Crux (Southern Arcana #1) Moira Rogers Published: 2009 (Samhain) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4.5 stars Fate sent Mackenzie to New Orleans. After five states and a month of running from an ex and his goons, she lands a job at a bar for a pint-sized sweet woman who can’t help but worry about her new hire. Quickly Mackenzie finds a couple werewolves and one very sexy mage... 
Hunted by the Others (H&W Investigations #1) Jess Haines Published: May 2010 (Zebra) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4 stars The first few chapters of Hunted by the Others had me thinking this was going to be a cute, light urban fantasy. Two friends doing paranormal investigations. Quickly, though, the heroine Shiarra has enemies coming at her from all sides. She’s going to have... 
Under Wraps (Underworld Detection Agency #1) Hannah Jayne Published: March 1, 2011 (Kensington) Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 3 stars Under Wraps is urban fantasy lite. There’s a life-or-death element, bad guys, mystery and an intriguing world where few humans know of the vampires, werewolves, etc. living alongside them. The difference here is our main character isn’t your... 
You know we loved this month’s group read, but we’re pretty sure the discussion is going to be fantastic. Andrea Cremer’s Nightshade has some great substance for us to talk about — the way she created the pack, strong women and mostly the big division between those who think Ren is ideal and those of us who adore Shay. Even in our love triangle discussion post, we heard from those who didn’t get the... 
Kiss of Darkness Loribelle Hunt Published: Jan. 24, 2011 (Carina Press) Purchase at: Amazon for Kindle Rating (out of 5): 3.5 stars Kiss of Darkness has the elements so many of us enjoy: a love story to get wrapped up in, missions with certain death and plenty of supernaturals to cover your favorites (vampires, werewolves, demons). I owe Loribelle Hunt a thank you for a mental escape in her paranormal... 
