Tales of the D'Artigo Sisters

By some interesting twist of fate, I just read two Yasmine Galenorn novels at the same time:  Shaded Vision and Crimson Veil.  Both are novels in the "Otherworld" series, and Shaded Vision comes in the series before Crimson Veil.  I listened to Crimson Veil in audio book form and read Shaded Vision in book form.  The narrator of Crimson Veil is Cassandra Campbell and she did a wonderful job with bringing the characters of the story alive.  The D'Artigo sisters are three half-Fae, half-human ex-operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency.  Camille is a witch, Delilah is a werecat and Menolly is an acrobat turned vampire. The sisters have been charged with finding seven spirit seals and keeping them away from a demon lord.  In Shaded Vision, the sisters are trying to find an arsonist who keeps bombing supernatural businesses such as the Supe Community Council and several vampire bars.  In Crimson Veil, the sisters are trying to stop Lowestar Radcliff (the demon in charge of a supernatural corporate power grab) from awakening Suvika, the lord of vice.  Both stories are full of complex characters and it is enjoyable reading (and listening to) how they interact with each other.  The novels are wonderful paranormal stories with romance and fantastical creatures thrown in the mix.  I do suggest you read the books in order as the events of each book build upon each other.  

                                        

Yasmine Galenorn Strikes Again!

I will forever be grateful to my co-worker, Denise, for introducing me to the world of Yasmine Galenorn! I just finished reading the seventh book in her "Otherworld Series" and I enjoyed it as much as I have the other six. The latest book in this series is titled Bone Magic, and it follows the lives of the D'Artigo sisters, three half-fae, half-human women who work for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency and live on Earth. Mennolly is a vampire, Delilah is a shapeshifter who shifts into a cat and Camille is a witch who serves the Moon Mother. Every book focuses mainly on one sister and Bone Magic's focus is on Camille. I recommend reading the books in order, as many of the story elements build on each other, especially the relationships between the sisters and their various human, demon and fae family and friends. The sisters face intense peril as they fight against the demons threatening to take over Earth and the other forces determined to rip apart the fabric separating the Otherworld and Earth and wreak irrevocable damage. The action in Bone Magic is intense and there are plenty of good and evil characters running loose. Each sister has to face her own trials and tribulations and life does not always work out easily for them. I truly enjoy reading these books because they showcase a world that is different from ours but entirely believable. I also found out some other news---Yasmine Galenorn is currently writing a new series involving vampires that will be published later this year! For more information on this author, check out her web site at http://www.galenorn.com/.

A Dash of Rosemary and Rue

Seanan McGuire begins her October "Toby"Daye series with a bang! Rosemary and Rue is a tense, involved urban fantasy suspense story filled with all sorts of creatures, human and fae. October Daye is a half-human changeling and former private investigator. The premise of the story is that the Faerie world did not disappear but went into hiding and continues to exist parallel to our Earth world. When the Fae and Earth worlds collided, changelings were born. Half-humand and half-fae, these creatures are outsiders from birth and fend their lives fighting for the respect of their immortal pureblood relatives. Toby has spent her whole life trying to fit into either the human or faerie world and has failed in relating to either one. She wakes up from a fourteen year old curse spent as a fish, and retreats into the "normal" human world, giving up all her friends, relatives and her private investigator business. The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose, one of the secret regents of the San Francisco Bay area pulls Toby back into the fae world. Right before her death, Evening binds Toby with a curse and she is forced to investigate and find Evening's killer or risk death herself. This is a great book, full of mystery and a great story. Most of the story is spent setting up the history of the series, but it is worth it to read the story. Toby is a tough heroine with a stubborn streak and armor she wears to hide her self from everyone else. This book is the first in the October Daye series and I know that I am looking forward to reading more about this character.