Can't resist the call of the Sirens
597910
The first volume was better. This one wasn't "bad" and it even had some really great "oh wow" moments for plot and art. But it felt a little inconsistent and suffered some in comparison to Gotham City Sirens One, which had stronger cohesive storytelling. I felt there were loose ends and plot holes in several places, but I know that's at least partly because I've not read some related comic volumes that would fill in some of the blanks, so: forgivable. I do love these characters and overall it was a fun and entertaining read. Bottom line is, if there were more to the series, I'd keep reading.
3025835
This paranormal adventure is one of those stories where we read the first several pages and immediately know we're entering the characters' world in the eye of a powerful storm. Events that changed their lives forever have clearly occurred a while before our arrival into the eerily calm aftermath, but we can feel the winds of change gearing up for another brutal lashing. Siren's Storm creeps along, showing us little by little how Will and Gretchen are coping with the loss of a brother and friend while also strategically creating chain links that begin to fit together and connect events of past and present. Once we follow the chain chapter after chapter we are rewarded with an interesting tie in between the sirens currently plaguing Will's home and those in Homer's epic Odyssey, the unique twist sparking our curiosity as we wait to see how Ms. Papademetriou will merge her mythology with that of the one we know so well.

Will and Gretchen are both perfectly likeable characters, the one-sided romantic current flowing between them wonderfully understated and at times painful to read as Gretchen cannot find her way around the barrier the word "friend" creates between her and the boy she's loved forever. Their general likeability however never grows into anything more, and we read on interested in them but not necessarily fascinated by their interactions nor overly frantic about learning everything we can about each of them. While some characters leap of the page with the strength of their personalities-the sight of their names in ink enough to call forth a detailed profile of them in our minds and cause a corresponding tug on their distinct connection to our hearts-Will and Gretchen remain simply words that never breach the paper separating us to burst into life before our eyes. The potential for an evolving relationship from friends to something more is intriguing though, and might just be the impetus that allows them to grow to be those characters we can see and hear clear as day in future books.

Additionally, sometimes the pacing feels just a touch off as several short scenes are included that don't seem altogether intrinsic to the furthering of the plot. We read close to twenty pages of an old captain's log that relates an encounter with the sirens, and though it's interesting to connect that isolated event with the current happenings, it could have perhaps been done in a more succinct manner in order to leave that extra page time available to answer a few of the rapid-fire questions launched in our direction at the end. For most of the story we're focused on Asia and her unusual abilities, but then suddenly in the last few pages we have the introduction of our true villain as well as the appearance of some inexplicable talents on Gretchen's part. These new revelations add complexity, but they arise quickly and seemingly out of nowhere, leaving us a bit disconcerted since we saw so little evidence of their arrival in the beginning or middle of the tale.

Overall though, the story has great promise moving forward into the next installment, we can only hope we are given some clarity on certain elements to provide us something solid to latch onto to ride out the brewing tempest.

Rating: 3/5
1010450
When paramedics Carly and Aiden are called to a domestic disturbance call, trainee Aiden is sure there will be no issue. After all, his view is that no one ever wants help in these situations. The next night, however, when Aiden is working with Mick, the pair are called back to the same house. What they find there will bring Ella Marconi to the scene for another case of a very Violent Exposure.

In this 4th novel of The Ella Marconi Series, we meet up with an old acquaintance, who this time is taking more of a lead role. Remember Mick, Sophies partner in Frantic? Well, hes back with his own set of worries, albeit none as serious as Sophies. Then there are Ellas own personal problems that have her avoiding going home while also worrying about her parents.

The longer Ella and her former partner Dennis work this case the more intertwined the paramedics become with it, and the more questions are answered, the more loose ends are found. Ella and Dennis must work through all the lies and half-truths of those involved to even come close to figuring out what happened.

Katherine Howell has done it once again. She has managed several different storylines, run them all concurrently and tied them together so they in no way, seem outlandish. She has a way of getting to the heart of all of her characters and making them real people, whether good guy or bad. I am so excited to have found this series.

As I have previously mentioned, it was because Caroline Lee was the narrator of the Frantic audio version that led me to this series and once again she gives an amazing performance for the  Violent Exposure audio version. I love listening to her narrations and when you add such great stories to that, you have a truly winning combination. At night I switched to the Kindle version when hubby was home so he wouldnt hear bits and pieces.

Another great read! See my other reviews on my blog, Propensity to Discuss
1687295
Love, love, love this c.d.  The man is gifted! I first heard "Siren Song" on cable's Soundscapes and fell in love.  Both my husband and I loved the song so we had to get the c.d.  I listened to it over the Christmas season even. It's so easy to listen to as you're doing things around the house. It's addicting.
3910387
The sirens are a lot louder than expected but the microphone doesn't work
3840605
The crashes of the waves are a little more dramatic and loud than I had expected.  Just get about to sleep and BOOM another crashing wave.
1103942
The Darkest Edge of Dawn takes us back to Atlanta where ITF agent Charlie Madigan and her siren partner, Hank, are attempting to rid the city of the darkness that descended at the end of The Better Part of Darkness. Charlie is struggling to balance her chaotic work and home life. Then there are the powers she possesses, but can barely control. Her daughter continues to act out, her ex is still MIA while Rex the revenant resides in his body, and her sister is dependent on Ash, the drug that caused most of the drama in the first book. As if her day to day life isn't crazy enough she also has a serial killer to hunt down.

I really enjoyed reading the newest installment in this fantastic series. I loved book one, but thought this one was even better. In The Darkest Edge of Dawn we were able to skip quite a bit of the world building details explained in book one, and delve into the action. I love Charlie's spunk and consistently sarcastic tongue. Then there is Hank. I'm absolutely enamored by the blue eyed Elysian. We see more of him in this book which is great news for all the siren groupies (like me!). As for things between him and Charlie you don't want to miss the turn of events in The Darkest Edge of Dawn. The author also touches on Hank's past, and the secrets he isn't sharing.

We do catch random glimpses of Charlie's soft side in this book. While most of the time she is in badass ITF agent mode, when it comes to her family and friends her heart is on her sleeve. Her relationship with her daughter, Emma, is strained which leaves Charlie sad and frustrated. She can take down some of the most viscous off worlders, but when it comes to getting her tween to open up it seems hopeless. She's really a fantastic protagonist, and a character whose head I enjoy getting inside.

I felt this book answered some of the questions left hanging after The Better Part of Darkness, but also left us with a few more. This is a great series, and one I recommend to all Urban Fantasy fans.
1116291
Oh. My. God. This book. I have to say, The Angel was a shock. A delicious surprise, which may seem surprising since I've read and enjoyed book one, The Siren. I feel silly for being surprised, but typically, "seconds" in a series tend to be a bit of a letdown. The Angel, though, was not only as good as The Siren, it was beyond incredible. It was a gorgeous piece of work that has left me feeling slightly obsessed with The Original Sinners.

For those who've read The Siren (and if you haven't, please remedy that ASAP.), I'm sure you're dying to know what happened after that sad ending. (Poor Wes. Poor Nora.) The Angel resumes over a year later, but thankfully, Reisz slowly and seamlessly fills in the blanks throughout the story. Nora and Soren are together and happy. But an investigation into Soren's past sends Nora and her new student Michael out of sight, to stay with Griffin. Though she loves Soren and misses him desperately, the time away from him forces, or allows, Nora to rehash her past, and confront unresolved and painful feelings for the love Nora turned away. All the while, Michael, whose desperation pushed him to drastic actions, is finding himself. An eager student, a willing lover, an Angel, this story is as much Michael's as it is Nora's.

What I loved the most about The Angel was the fact that author Tiffany Reisz surprised me on almost every page. I felt that I knew Nora so well, and Wes, to a large extent, and that I had a true grasp on them. Even though I didn't get to know Soren, Kingsley, and Griffin particularly well in The Siren, I dismissed them, particularly Griffin, as easily-pegged characters. Ohhhh, how wrong I was, and I am happy to admit it. What Reisz has mastered is the art of creating fully dimensional characters. Her characters are good (sometimes), bad (a lot of the time), and always so good at being so bad. Take Soren, for example. He's a Priest. A very, very good Priest who has done remarkable things for the Church. And yet, he has broken vows. He's a Sadist. He has been in love with Nora since she was fifteen. He has given the very best parts of himself to the Church, and yet he is the head of the Underground. He's Complex. I also love that characters I originally thought of as marginal, are not marginal in the slightest. Griffin is a character I dismissed as a fun, "fill in" character in The Siren. But in The Angel, Griffin is magnificent, becoming my favorite in the story. And Michael. Who could forget poor Michael? I thought his appearance in book one was a device used to wake Nora up. I never imagined he would play a central role in The Angel. I'm left feeling blown away by these characters.

Speaking of blown away (heh), The Angel is one of the most erotic books I've ever read. Sometimes it was playful, sometimes it was scary, but it was always seductive. Reisz has a remarkable way of writing sexual scenes. Her seduction lies more in the implication than in relying on an actual "description" of the act. The scene works as a whole; the type sheets on the bed, the color of candles lit, the color of lingerie worn, the whisper of a breath on the back of a neck, the placement of a hand, a sigh... It all works beautifully together to create an intensely erotic atmosphere that will leave you feeling heady and completely satisfied.

The Angel has helped secure The Original Sinners series on my "Must-Read-or-I-Will-Die" list. The clever, sharp, beautifully seductive writing; the characters that I love, like, and am terrified of; the story of a group of Sinners, these complicated, worthwhile characters, have all combined in this perfect storm to create what I consider a perfect book. The ending left me crying...on a bike...at the gym. Sad tears? Happy tears? I'll never tell, but I will tell you that I will cut someone to read book three, The Prince.
615698
What I find so satisfying about this series so far is that the books are adventure stories as well as novels of detection. In this book Anna Pigeon has volunteered to be a medical emergency technician treating firefighters in California.

While in camp, Anna and a crew of firefighters are overtaken by a flash fire. The tale of how they cope is riveting. The odd part is that one of the crew members is murdered while taking shelter from the firestorm.

Anna swings right into action investigating. With her tendency to be blunt and intrusive, she winds up offending the innocent as well as alarming the guilty. Anna has never been in a stickier situation.

Happily, FBI agent Frederick Stanton shows up, to help Anna with her investigation via radio communication and to pursue their unconventional romance. I really enjoy watching the interactions of these middle-aged lovers.

The plot of Firestorm is so complex that the reader doesn't have much hope of figuring out whodunit. I'd much rather be surprised anyway. The hidden agendas of the various characters add to the interest of the story. And the fire-ravaged forest with its crashing trees and thermal pools makes for a very chilling landscape.

So this is another winner from Nevada Barr. I'm glad this is a long series with many books to come.
3289042
Sure, we call the male leads in a romance the hero, but these guys are really HEROES.  And they are so wonderfully vivid!

Ari was once a Guardian who his brothers think is now dead.  As a Guardian, he is a descendant of one of the original Argonauts that sailed with Jason.  Each of the heroes have their own unique powers and most are derived from the hero that they descend from.  Ari was once a respected member of the group, until the Sirens killed his soul mate.  Now, he is set on revenge against the whole Siren order - and Zeus and Athena - in vengeance for his lost mate.  But Ari is going a little bit off the rails and Athena and Zeus have decided it is time to have him eliminated.  They chose Daphne - a Siren in training with one glaring flaw.  She can't pass the archery test in order to become a Siren.  So Zeus and Athena offer her a break.  Kill this rogue Argonaut and they will pass her and she will become a full Siren.
Daphne is a special Siren because she is not "enhanced" in any way.  As one of the duties of a Siren is to be able to seduce on command, many of them are physically modified to become more attractive.  But Daphne is part Nymph and so her natural allure is all that she needs. She now needs to assassinate Ari, but she first must discover if he is marked.  And the mark can be anywhere on his body, but will disappear upon death.  So she has to get his clothes off before she kills him to prove that he is in fact marked.  But once she meets Ari, she is surprised that he isn't at all what she expected and she is torn between obtaining her dream of becoming a Siren and following her heart.

As I have stated before, in general, I hate the novella format because it always seems so rushed.  But for once, I felt this novella was just right.  Though it is a short story, it cut to the chase and there was enough action to keep me from focusing on the pace of the romance.  As a result, I found this to be a great, quick read and a great addition to the series.  Since Twisted, I was worried that the series might be over, so to see where this series may be going next was also a great treat!

Ari and Daphne were a great couple and I was engaged with their story from the get go.  If you have never read an Eternal Guardians story before, this is still a great place to start.  It is a brief story that can really give you a great feel for the world and it isn't one that would spoil large parts of the previous story arc for you - since Ari was only a brief mystery til now and not a major player.  And neither was Cerek who is connected to Ari.  So reading this would not affect your enjoyment of the novels and it is a great way to dip your toe in the world to see how you like it.  If you give it a try, I am sure that you will find yourself as hooked on the Eternal Guardians as I am! :)
3865365
I can't stop listening!  This series is seriously addicting!  As if I didn't already appreciate Mercy Thompson's ability to hang strong with some incredibly delicious dominant alpha werewolves, and other things that go bump in the night, Iron Kissed tests Mercy's will like never before; and even under the worst of circumstances, Mercy continues to demonstrate why it is that she has become one of my favorite UF heroines.

In this third installment of the Mercy Thompson Series we get an up close and personal view of the fae world.  The romance department also heats up as Adam's and Sam's rivalry for Mercy's attention reaches an all time high culminating in a surprising but necessary conclusion.

Please note, however, that there are some serious domestic violence issues in this installment (including rape) that while delicately handled by Ms. Briggs (including, which I much appreciated, by avoiding any descriptive detail around the specifics), nonetheless makes the subject matter of this book not suitable for all (eg, young) audiences.

Last, but definitely not least, Lorelei King continues her top-notch narration which is no doubt partly why I have become so addicted to this series.  Each one of the dozens of characters has its own, completely different and yet totally personality/character appropriate voice, which makes listening to this UF gem, like listening to the sound of a high action blockbuster!

Source:  Library loan.
3929879
Another awesome Siren story!! I'm really glad that Nat got her happy ending!!

The "bad guy" of the book is *really* obvious! Still a good read though...

If you haven't followed the Siren series, BUY THE STORIES! They are worth it. There is a little overlap with the Bliss series, but that's a good thing.
4702024
Do yourself a favor and READ THESE NOVELS. Sophia has created a world that is truly captivating and realistic. I found myself devouring the book and wishing it wasn't over, by there's still one more! I can't wait until Siren is released.
4684332
I have read and enjoyed every "in Death" book.  They are so compelling, exciting, and sexy I find it difficult to put them down.

I had to force myself to finish this one.  Nora, I know you can do soooo much better.  If Eve Dallas read this she would turn in her shield and stunner.
2129091
I don't want to sound like a 16 yr old girl swooning over a boy she's now obsessed about; but that's how this series is making me feel. Yet I'm not 16, I'm a 32 yr old woman who is having serous issues here. Now to be fair I get a little antsy when I have to wait to continue this crazy, hyperventilating, harpoon gun of a plot! BUT I understand this new way of creating exciting "can't put down" kinda books that simulate the over growing hordes of worshiped TV shows... I bow and commend you both as authors for venturing into uncharted waters while still maintaining that spark that makes us all get on our knees begging for the next season. Anyone reading this review should STOP READING IT...click the buy it now button for season 1 2 3 and 4 and hunker down for this masterpiece of a thriller and then when you're finished reading those; go ahead and look into "Z2134". Again another series that will take you for a ride very few are brave enough to venture.... go ahead and open that bottle that says "drink me" you know you want to ;-)
520410
The siren is incredibly loud. I believe it would disturb anyone enough to scare them off. The leash is very handy. The product is a little bigger than I would have liked but it's not a problem. I'm very pleased with this product.
3841356
I can't get enough of this series. I have Kindle Unlimited so don't necessarily pay to read these and I feel terribly guilty. I've paid $10 for books I like half as well. As someone who reads about 20 books a month, I can tell you this series is something special.  Great for those who like paranormal romance, urban fantasy and kick-start chick books with the untouchable alpha.

Sirens Song is as witty, interesting and action-packed as its predecessors.  And over far to soon...