How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back-Diana Rowland

How the White Trash Zombie Got Her Groove Back

Diana Rowland

DAW, Jul 1 2014, $7.99

ISBN 9780756408220

Angel Crawford muses that human life was ugly for a white trash junkie like her.  However, as a zombie dead head she is clean; earned her GED; raises her baby Philip; and even earns a legitimate living as a coroner’s morgue assistant and as a lab rat working for Dr. Nikas.  She has come so far Angel considers attending college, a word she thought was a profanity not too long ago.

As she congratulates herself on how far she has come, Angel worries about Philip especially when Dr. Zikas’ untested but needed medical procedure fails to fix an imbalance.  Not long afterward Saberton deploys a new assault, which leads to the kidnapping of zombie Tribe leader Pietro Ivanov, Dr. Nikas and others.  Angel escapes assassination, but knows more killers will pursue her and other still free zombies.  At the same time Saberton uses Ivanov as a pawn to insure his girlfriend Congresswoman Jane Pennington supports certain legislation.  One thing that remained with Angel from her human days is distrust as she wonders who inside her community are quislings selling out zombies and their supporters for blood money.

The latest White Trash Zombie urban fantasy (see White Trash Zombie Apocalypse, My Life As A White Trash Zombie and Even White Trash Zombies Get the Blues) is a superb entry as ethical questions re loyalty vs. perfidy merge with science and gory humor.  Filled with blood, guts (literally and metaphorically) and deep moral existential dilemmas in the bayou, readers will root for Angel as she tries to do the right thing while unsure what that is since personal conflicting needs clash between each person and zombie.

Harriet Klausner

The Fire Rose-Mercedes Lackey

The Fire Rose

Mercedes Lackey

Baen, Jul 1 2014, $18.00

ISBN 9781476736501

In 1905, Chicago heiress and medieval scholar Rosalind Hawkins has no time to grieve the death of her father as she finds herself in financial straits.  With no choices she accepts a position as a governess of Jason Cameron’s children in San Francisco.

However, her new job proves strange since her enigmatic employer has no children or for that matter apparently any family either.  Instead Jason hired her due to her medieval language translation skills.  She translates ancient French texts through a tubular gizmo to him but never sees Jason, who explains to the scholar that he suffered a horrific disfigurement.  Jason conceals from his employee that a spell he cast contained a fatal flaw that leaves this Fire Elemental Master in a werewolf-human abominable convergence.  She is his only hope, but neither expected to fall in love before she saw his visage.

This reprint of the wonderful first Elemental Masters fantasy is a delightful rendition of Beauty and the Beast in early twentieth century California.  The enchanting storyline retains its magic due a terrific cast; starting with the changing relationship between the protagonists enhanced by strong support characters and a natural disaster about to shake the City On The Bay.

Harriet Klausner

The Heir of Khored: Book Three of The Seven-Petaled Shield-Deborah J. Ross

The Heir of Khored: Book Three of The Seven-Petaled Shield

Deborah J. Ross

DAW, Jun 3 2014, $7.99

ISBN: 9780756409210

Nomadic warrior Shannivar of the Azkhantia Steppe joined exiled Prince Zevaron of Meklavar, as each shared in common a loathing of Cinath and the Gelon Empire after this vile ruler led his forces in the violent destruction and brutal annexation of their respective nations.  On their quest to defeat the seemingly invincible Gelon Empire, they fell in love (see Shannivar: The Seven-Petaled Shield).

Although Shannivar prefers to focus (with her beloved at her side) on destroying the Gelon Empire, she must go it alone ever since Fire and Ice liberated from a Far North incarceration turned Zevaron into a minion.  Thus while Zevaron loses focus of the bigger menace by “passionately” concentrating on killing Cinath for murdering his mother and their people, Shannivar confronts Fire and Ice before this malevolence devastates the world in its image.

The third Seven-Petaled Shield fantasy is an exciting fast-paced thriller as the loving partnership appears dead at a critical time when the protagonists need each other.  Fast-paced, series fans will relish this apparent final Good and Evil entry that engagingly ties up the major subplots.

Harriet Klausner 

Shaman Rises-C.E. Murphy

Shaman Rises

C.E. Murphy

Mira, Jun 24 2014, $14.95

ISBN 9780778316916



Cabbie Gary Muldoon calls his friend Joanne Walker the Shaman with the news that his wife Annie Marie is alive in a Seattle hospital. The Urban Shaman is shocked as Annie died long before she and Gary met. She assumes her evil enemy the Master has resurrected her friend’s wife for some nefarious purpose; as her vile adversary probably observed Gary rode with Cernunnos the God of the Wild Hunt.



Thus Joanne and her former boss at Seattle PD and current love interest Captain Mike Morrison head back home to Seattle where their adventures began. Her assumption proves correct as the Master abetted by the Raven Mocker and other malevolencies have begun the final confrontation. Risking her soul, Joanne applies her Shaman skills to attempt to defeat her near invincible foe and his minion in order to save the world.



The final Walker Papers epic (see Mountain Echoes and Raven Calls) is a great good and evil fantasy thriller that enthralled fans who journeyed with the coming of age heroine will appreciate. Going full circle, Joanne prays she proves her worth as her destiny reaches a climatic finish.



Harriet Klausner

Darkness Bound-J.T. Geissinger

Darkness Bound

J.T. Geissinger

Montlake Romance/Amazon Publishing, Jun 24 2014, $12.95

ISBN: 9781477820100



Though she never met an Ikati and based solely on events in Rome, New York Times senior war correspondence Jack Dolan’s column on the "Enemy Among Us" puts fear and anger in the minds of this shapeshifting race. She exposes them as being a deadly threat to mankind. Her muckraking demand for extinction has the shapeshifters going deeper into concealment because they know the humans will stalk them mercilessly. The Ikati also deploy a two-step counterplan to bring a death and destruction offensive to their adversaries who are led by ambitious cold politicians and religious fanatics, and abetted by quislings.



While his species gathers deep inside the Brazilian rainforest, illegitimate outsider Hawk Luna launches step one: the seduction of Jacqueline Dolan in order to blackmail her into writing a friendly retraction article. However he realizes he don’t know Jack when they meet; as she turns out to be a complex flawed individual who touches his heart. Jack feels the same way re Hawk unaware he is one of the dreaded species that her yellow journalism claims needs ethnic cleansing. Soon the pair teams up to prevent a cross species war but betrayals leave both in peril and the world teetering.



The fifth Night Prowler romantic urban (and jungle) fantasy (see Edge of Darkness, Rapture’s Edge, Shadows Edge and Edge of Oblivion) is an exciting action-packed thriller that grips the audience from the onset and never loosens that hold; as danger mounts, and relationships and loyalties change. Series fans will relish this taut drama; while newcomers should start at the beginning as each entry builds up on the previous’ international events.



Harriet Klausner

Vicky Peterwald: Target-Mike Shepherd

Vicky Peterwald: Target


Mike Shepherd

Ace, Jun 24 2014, $7.99

ISBN: 9780425266571



The emperor loathes the Longknife family and prefers every one of them dead. He told his worthless daughter, (whose only use is as a marital commodity) Her Imperial Grace the Grand Duchess Victoria Maria Teresa Inez Smythe- Peterwald, that the family feud was over a century old, but personal since Lieutenant Kris Longknife killed his heir in battle as the latest affront by these upstarts.



When his unwanted daughter failed to assassinate his enemy, the irate Emperor assigns her to serve in the military to learn to be a ruthless killer or die. She developed skills and confidence to be more than a male magnet by observing her adversary and others. Yet ironically Vicky feels safer serving on Longknife’s ship the Wasp than at home especially since the young empress Annah wants her dead.



The first Vicky Peterwald science fiction is an engaging hyper-speed thriller obviously located in the Longknife galaxy. The entertaining coming of age storyline focuses on Vicky’s growing awareness that she can be much more than her father’s pretty pawn if she survives her vicious stepmother’s attacks. Although more a set-up opening act, Longknife fans will welcome this female rival who sees her enemy as a role model. Increasingly Vicky believes she and her gender can be much more than society allows; but also frequently reverts back to her seductive charm persona hammered into her brain all her life (until her sibling died) that is all she is good for.



Harriet Klausner

The Long Mars-Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

The Long Mars

Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

Harper, Jun 17 2014, $25.99

ISBN 9780062297297



Three decades have passed since Step Day occurred. Five years ago Yellowstone began the cataclysmic destruction of Datum Earth. Yet by 2045, there remain seemingly infinite planets making up The Long Earth for US Navy Commander Kauffman and her crew of the USS Benjamin Franklin to visit. Many of these orbs have proven hostile so they proceed with extreme caution.



Stepper inventor Willis Linsay contacts his daughter Sally for the first time in years. He wants Sally to help him search the recently discovered planets of the Long Mars. His stated objective is to find sentient life though Sally wonders if her dad has a hidden agenda.



Joshua Valiente fears hostilities between his people and the Next humans he met in the Long Earth. This brilliant group thinks radically different than Joshua and his peers. They don’t hide their disdain of Valiente and his kin as intellectually inferior, which fills his side with rage towards the Next.



The third Long Earth science fiction (see The Long War) is a fascinating entry that thrillingly widens the Long universe with a wonderful step into parallel Mars. Though the tale comes across as similar to that of The Long Earth, this is an exciting saga.



Harriet Klausner