Dark Magic-James Swain

Dark Magic


James Swain

Tor, May 22 2012, $24.99

ISBN: 9780765329943



Peter Warlock the renowned stage magician is also a real warlock who conceals his psychic skills from the public. He becomes concerned when he sees a vision of a future disaster in Times Square in which many people will suddenly die. Feeling the need to inform authorities, Peter tells the police, but they ridicule his warning.



With his adept allies, Peter begins a search for who is behind the upcoming disaster. He learns that the Order of Astrum has sent an assassin to kill him and his inner circle of adepts. Though he knows he may die in the attempt to prevent the calamity, Peter risks his life by deploying his talent to save innocent civilians.



Dark Magic is an engaging urban fantasy filled with the paranormal of Manhattan and starring an intriguing hero who is not a 100% percent angelic good guy. The cast especially the adversaries are emaciated caricatures as even deadly Wolfe lacks depth beyond being the cartoonish evil enemy. Still this is an enjoyable fast-paced thriller as the deadly ball drops with time counting down at Times Square.



Harriet Klausner

Changing Worlds: Book 1 of: The Dharalyn Chronicles-Donald Dambois

Changing Worlds: Book 1 of: The Dharalyn Chronicles


Donald Dambois

CreateSpace, Apr 11 2012, $13.99

ISBN: 9781466271111



Her dad Big John Walkerman is very worried about his sixteen year old daughter Danielle who no longer acts like girls her age. He knows the change in personality occurred when her momma Marilyn died in a car accident a few months ago. Though he misses his wife of almost two decades too, Big John has no time to deeply grieve as his children, especially Danielle needs him. Heeding the advice of his sister Sara, Big John decides Danielle needs professional help; he will offer the same to his son Aaron but the lad seems adjusted to the loss of his mom.



However, prayers like those from despondent Danielle often get answered in mysterious ways. Danielle meets depressed Dharalyn just before the latter was dining on the blood of the former’s Gran. While their dangerous adventures together begin in the city with the selling of gems, they become close friends as the human and the vampire hide the vamp’s sustenance need from Danielle’s family and Dharalyn’s species; knowing neither of their kin would take kindly to their being BFFs.



The first Dharalyn Chronicles is filled with action, but driven by the BFFs’ close relationship as two lost souls from polar opposite lifestyles forge a needed friendship at a critical time in their lives. Both are full blooded while the support cast enhances the plot. Fans will enjoy the Changing World of the two delightful Ds as Donald Dambois deftly provides a unique teen lit vampire thriller.



Harriet Klausner

Charmed by His Love-Janet Chapman

Charmed by His Love


Janet Chapman

Jove, May 29 2012, $7.99

ISBN: 9780515150902



Widow and single mom of four young children (Charlotte, Isabel and the twins Pete and Jacob) Peg Thompson needs to earn a living and believes she has a fortuitous way due to a recent earthquake that created an inland sea out of a mountain and made the gravel quarry on her land valuable. Duncan MacKeage (see Pine Creek Highlander saga - Highlander for the Holidays) arrives to lead the construction of roads and bridges using the widow’s gravel.



Duncan enjoys spending time with the four impish heathens and is attracted to their mother. However, Peg knows the family curse leaves men dead so she refuses to get involved with Duncan. The earthquake maker Mr. Oceanus (see Spellbound Falls) encourages Duncan to embrace his magical skills that he has ignored that is if he wants Peg.



The second Spellbound Falls urban fantasy romance is an engaging tale starring an interesting lead couple as she fears the curse will kill Duncan while he fears deploying the magic he left dormant. The kids may be too precocious, but add mischievous fun as fans will enjoy Janet Chapman’s merging of two of her romantic fantasy series.



Harriet Klausner

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar-Kady Cross

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar


Kady Cross

Harlequin Teen, May 22 2012, $17.99

ISBN: 9780373210534



In 1897 Finley Jayne and her “straynge” friends (Lord Griffin King, Sam Morgan and Emily) travel on Griff’s airship Helena from London to New York to help their friend Jasper Renn out of a nasty predicament. Dalton captured Mei Xing in order to get to her boyfriend Jasper, his former felonious associate. The crime king placed a clockwork collar on Mei’s neck so that if Jasper fails or betrays Dalton, she dies as the gizmo will turn into a choker. He orders Jasper to retrieves the parts of a machine if he wants his beloved alive and well.



The English visitors begin a quest to save Jasper while also rescuing Mei. They seek the machine parts and look for a means to rid the clockwork collar from around Mei’s neck without harming her. However within the team emotions run high. Sam may be more mechanical than human but his heart works as he has fallen for Emily who loves him. Griff loves Jasper but fears she will return to the dark side while he falls deeper into his need for the Aether.



The second Steampunk Chronicles historical fantasy (see The Girl In The Steel Corset) is a superb thriller that hooks the audience when the Helena flies over late Victorian Manhattan, which anchors time and place in the Cross alternate world. Action-packed but character driven

as the team struggles with emotions that could betray the mission, teen readers will appreciate the exhilarating The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.



Harriet Klausner

Dark Kiss-Michelle Rowen

Dark Kiss


Michelle Rowen

Harlequin Teen, May 22 2012, $9.99

ISBN: 9780373210473



In Trinity, New York teenage BFFs Samantha and Carly Kessler are clubbing when Stephen Keyes joins them. Sam has had a crush on the hunk seemingly forever. When he asks to kiss her but warns her that his kiss will change her life, she readily agrees. After he says he is sorry kid, he leaves while she faints.



Soon afterward boys hit on her; girls scream at her; and she is always hungry just not for food. The head angel on a heavenly quest Bishop is attracted to Sam who has lost her soul to that kiss. His team consists of two angels (Zach and Connor) who work closely with and against two demons (Kraven and Roth). Their Nightwatchers’ mission is to prevent the evil darkness from devouring Trinity.



The first Nightwatchers’ teen urban fantasy is an exciting twisting thriller which grips readers from that first Dark Kiss until the final confrontation. The cast is fully developed with diverse personalities while the Rowen mythology is intriguing as there are things so wicked even heaven and hell have to team up.



Harriet Klausner

Shadow Bound-Rachel Vincent

Shadow Bound


Rachel Vincent

Mira, May 22 2012, $7.99

ISBN: 9780778313434



Shadow-walker Kori Daniels is Blood Bound to work for the Tower. However, she found a loophole on her oath and betrayed the Boss Jake Tower who almost died because of her actions. He punished her by locking her away in the basement for weeks of torture. Now Jake offers her a deal to get out of the torture cell. All she has to do is persuade Ian Holt the dark manipulator to join Tower; failure on her part means punishing her sister Kenley the blood-binder.



Ian needs to kill Kenley in order to break a binding that is killing his brother. To get to her, he accepts Kori’s invitation to come to the Tower though he has no plan to join this crime syndicate. However, though he distrusts Kori as she is Blood Bound, he is attracted to her and reconsiders his options besides having Kenley or his brother die.



The second Unbound romantic fantasy (see Blood Bound) is an exciting twisting thriller as Ian seeks a third choice re his sibling. For the most part fast-paced though there is a tendency to reiterate the rules of order in the fascinating Vincent mythos in which people are Skilled or Unskilled and the Skilled must belong to a Syndicate or hide. Fans will enjoy this thrilling tale wondering how Ian will handle his deadly dilemma.



Harriet Klausner

Messenger’s Angel-Heather Killough-Walden

Messenger’s Angel


Heather Killough-Walden

Signet, Jun 5 2012, $7.99

ISBN: 9780451237316



Four loyal archangels (Uriel, Michael, Gabriel and Azrael) were rewarded for their faithfulness with the granting of a female archess soulmate. To insure no jealousy occurs amongst the remaining archangels, the quartet is sent to earth to find their soulmate. Their brother, angry Samael leads a revolt against the "old man", but is exiled as The Fallen One in defeat. For too many countless millennia they sought their mate, but now each believes it was a cruel cosmic joke until Uriel meets Eleanore Granger (see Avenger’s Angels).



Like his peers, Gabriel had lost all hope, but now with Uriel’s success has a new belief. He heads to Rodel, Scotland as he has for centuries as a getaway. Only this time in a pub he meets American Juliette Anderson who is researching her doctoral thesis due to a grant from media mogul Samuel Lambent; the same CEO who offered Eleanore a deal she couldn’t refuse. As Juliette struggles with her sanity, Adarian Abraxos want to drink the blood of the four archess.



The second Lost Angels romantic urban fantasy (see Avenger’s Angels) is a fast-paced thriller that is fun because Gabriel is pathetic as a fated lover who does nothing right when he first meets his archess; he fumbles it so badly he needs the evil enemy to serve as matchmaker. Once again the enigmatic Samael steals the show as Mr. Lonely rather than the wicked Fallen One.



Harriet Klausner