Fantasy and Vampire Book Club discussion

The month for Halloween is here so here is a little Halloween creature challenge.

Of the 10 creatures below, either choose one or one of each, and see how many books you can read.
1. Ghosts
2. Witches (Druids, and other magic users)
3. Fae/ Fairies
4. Vampires
5. Devils/ Demons
6. Werewolf (incl. Shifters)
7. Zombies/ Ghouls
8. Dragons
9. Gods/Goddesses/deities (angels)
10. Others not above but not psychic since that is not very Halloweenie since you couldn't wear a costume, examples being... Djinn, Gargoyle, Leprechaun, Gnomes,...

So the challenge is to read either one category and read as many as you challenge yourself, which would work well with a series, or read one and only one of each category, as many as possible, 10 being the most books possible.

2 books- Joiner -Thanks for joining, which did you enjoy
4 books- Weekly -Great job, one a week
6 books- Rocker -OMG your a Halloween rocker
8 books- Crazy -into the Halloween craze
10 books- Zombie reader.

Please list your books so we can see what you liked. You can choose to use a challenge widget or not but please comment here so we can see what you favorite Halloween character is.

I'm going for one of each. Will post books later.

I'll bite... (get it.. LOL). I say 5.

okay I'm in!!! I'm going to do one of each.. now the hard part is picking the books that fit the challenge...
1- -Believe, Mia Fox-
2- -Chasing Magic, Gena D. Lutz.-
3- Ever Shade, Alexia Purdy
4- -Cazadora, Julia DeBarrioz-
5- The Darkest Night, Gena Showalter
6- Wolf Haven, Ambrielle Kirk
7- -Bad Blood, Nicky Peacock.-
8-Arkadia, Dzintra Sullivan
9- -Goddess of the sea, PC Cast-
10- -Stone Guardian, Danielle Monsch-
my list to read so far... will update again soon.

I'm in and going to try one of each sounds fun can't wait

lol, I never thought I would strive for the title Book Zombie. :) But here we go!

I have no idea what Zombie book I'll try. I may try the BOM nominated of Alice in Zombieland though it is YA. I've read all of My Life as a White Trash Zombie series and Angel really became likeable and I ended up liking/loving the series. If you haven't tried it, it is quite fun. I may try for a book that the Zombie/Ghoul is a secondary character. Jeannine Frost has those in the Cat and Bones series Halfway to the Grave.

Tentative
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. OK this is pushing the shifters and probably should be put as other, but she does shift.
7.
8.
9.
10.

So I have everything lined up for this challenge, I think, except...Dragons. Any recs, friends?

Wow... LOL! I am going with Son of Stan/Grim Reaper x2 or 3, Ghosts and Magicians x1, and Demons! YAY!

Here is my list:

Finished book the first book for this challenge, Priceless by Shannon Mayer. I am counting this under #10, for although it does feature witches, vampires, and demons, it also includes many other supes, including Ogres, Harpies, and Unicorns! :)

I really enjoyed this book, it was excellent and I devoured it quickly. Shannon Mayer is an indie author, and I think her work is stronger than many of the popular traditionally published Urban Fantasy authors. This book features a full cast of intriguing characters, a heroine who is a bad-ass monster hunter who saves snatched children who is likeable, yet not perfect, and a premise that is quite original without being unrecognizable. I can't wait to read the next installment!

Alex the "pet" werewolf is adorable without being a cliché. He adds a lot of humor and heart to the story, and Rylee has some great one liners too. One of my favorites:

Bad guy: "You will not come for the girl. She belongs to us."
Rylee: Well, I can't do that. How do I know you aren't molesting her, or worse, making her into the next Martha Stewart?"

4 Stars, a very good read!

Going to start with feyland by Anthea Sharp book 1 here I come good luck everyone and haunting reading

Just finished Fourth Grave, in the middle of Hawley Book, and starting Fifth Grave. My reviews are available :)

Finished second book, Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews . Counting this under #6, shifters.

So at first I was like, were-hyenas, okaaaay....

But, in the end I enjoyed this book very much, it was fun and I was surprised by the complexity of the plot and characters, it definitely was not what I expected. It touches on Egyptian and Norse mythology, among many other things. This was my first foray into Ilona Andrews' work, and it was a good start. The love story was sweet, sultry, even funny, without being sappy. The main character, Andrea, is a true hero. I look forward to reading more by this author.

I listened to the audio version. The narrator is OK. She does very well with the other characters voices, particularly Raphael and Kate. Unfortunately she makes Andrea, the main character, who is tough at least on the exterior, sound like a wilting flower. It turned me off in the first few chapters, but I'm glad I stuck with it.

okay slow start to my challenge...3 down 7 to go
finished Bad Blood by Nicky Peacock (zombies)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...#
Chasing Magic by Gena D. Lutz (witch)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...#
Cazadora by Julia DeBarrioz(vampire)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...#

Finished my third book yesterday, Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh . Though it also features vampires, I'm counting this for #9, angels.

I feel like I've finally found the holy grail of vampire series! Nalini Singh, where have you been all my adult life? I don't give five stars lightly, but this is the first urban fantasy I've found that didn't leave me wishing for something more in the areas of plot or language or romance. The prose reads like poetry without being pedantic. The content is intelligent, interesting, culturally savvy, and no-holds-barred sexy. I also love her use of angels as ethereal beings without the book being filled with--pardon me but I'm going to say it--biblical hooey.

Maybe this is a book that centers on monsters and angels, but Singh understands humanity so very well, and makes for a super compelling read. It tells the story of a vampire hunter, Honor, who was taken by rogue vampires and abused in a basement for months before being rescued. This is the story of her triumph over her fear and her captors, with the help of Dmitri, a handsome, deadly, and infuriating thousand year old vampire who's never allowed anyone into his heart since the death of his wife, until now... I won't spoil it for you, but I highly recommend the read!

Though this is book 4, it is the first I've read, and it stood very well on its own. I intend to devour the rest of the series now.

I also listened to the audio version. In the first ten minutes I felt like the narrator sounded like a smug cat, but her style soon lent very well to the characters. A+.

Omg one of my favorites for everything author, series, lead male. You really should read them all and Nalini Singh has the Psy-Changling Series as well. Good luck with the challenge..

Tracy wrote: "Omg one of my favorites for everything author, series, lead male. You really should read them all and Nalini Singh has the Psy-Changling Series as well. Good luck with the challenge.."

I intend to! Who needs sleep anyway? Haha. Good luck to you too!

Julia wrote: "So I have everything lined up for this challenge, I think, except...Dragons. Any recs, friends?"

Hmm, well I really liked G.A. Aiken's Dragon Kin starting with Dragon Actually. Very fun, surly dragons, crazy ferocious woman, no pansies here. It is really Fantasy Romance, quite funny. G.A. Aiken is Shelly Laurenston of the Pride series.

Then the first book in Thea Harrison's Elder Races main character is a dragon shifter. Total PNR. Dragon Bound

The Pern series is a oldie but goodie, scifi/fantasy with a little romance thrown in. Dragonflight

Other Dragon books
Deborah Cooke's Dragon Fire series Kiss of Fire has been recommended to me.

Also I'm am planning on Naked Dragon by Annette Blair (Works Like Magick #1)

Hope that helps.

@Tracy -Psy-changlings are in my top 5 Fantasy books.

Amyiw wrote: "Julia wrote: "So I have everything lined up for this challenge, I think, except...Dragons. Any recs, friends?"

Hmm, well I really liked G.A. Aiken's Dragon Kin starting with [book:Dragon Actually|..."

Nice! They all sound like fun, I'll pick one. Thanks so much! :)

Fourth book down! Broken Soul by Faith Hunter . Counting as # 4 , vampires.

I loved this book, I really give it 4.5 stars, just shy of perfect, but there’s not a way to do that here… :) Jane is a true hero and bad a$$ who always comes just shy of dying in order to vanquish evil. I kind of view Faith Hunter as the heir to Anne Rice’s New Orleans/vampire fiction crown, for I haven’t found anyone who writes a better fangy fic in NOLA. She has a way of melding fantasy and history that makes it all feel quite real, and I always crave more! The climax is a battle of epic proportions, and the epilogue left me feeling all warm and fuzzy inside (I mean, doesn’t the thought of Bruiser in jeans and Western boots just for Jane curl YOUR toes? :)

I was delighted we got to see more of Gee DiMercy (the birdseed scene was brilliant, lol!) and also that Ms. Hunter mentioned la destreza, a style (the true style!) of Spanish swordsmanship, even if a Mithran version of it. So many authors describe fencing in such terms as “so she drew her sword and they were like clang clang and off flew his head”—so I appreciated the extra detail very much. :)

I had a couple problems with the book though, which I detail at length in my full review.

I'm six books in and all my books have been different from the ones I picked except Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland. I avoided both of her series because demon summoner cop didn't sound up my alley and Zombie red neck even less so. So I was challenged in a recommend challenge the White Trash Zombie books and was incredibly surprised. Well once again, she has made me a believer. I might not have loved it like the Zombie series but it was really good. It has the police investigation going on and the Demon influence question, which until close to the end I was with out a clue, just along for the ride. At the very end, I felt like she suddenly could quite see what was in front of her and could predict the last step. My only problem with it. I loved the Doc at the morgue. He reminded of the one at in Zombie. You can tell the write worked there at one time or another. I'll definitely be continuing. 4 stars upper side.

@Julia I put down Yellowrock after book 3 but have been meaning to get back to it. A number of friends are suggesting I do. My biggest issue was the flip-flop on the relationships and the triangle, quadrange, pentangle relationship(s). I never knew where she really wanted to be or to who she really might.... well that was the dragging part to me. Rick and the shapeshifters was the loosing point. I hear it is all cleared up in Broken Soul.

Still on Hawley's.. Slow read... But finished and started

Amyiw wrote: "I'm six books in and all my books have been different from the ones I picked except Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland. I avoided both of her series because demon su..."

I have to give these White Trash Zombie books a try, lol! Sounds like fun.

As far as Yellowrock...yeah, everything you said. The character is great, but the relationship quadrangle gets frustrating. The author kinda cleared it up in Broken Soul, but the way the author went about it was still a let down, really, considering the time fans have invested in the series... I rant in my review, so I'll spare you here. haha. :)

But...that's not to say it's not a good series. I enjoyed it more than most others, for sure. I still recommend reading it.

Just finished the fifth book, Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews. Counting it for #2, witches.

This was a fun and cute book, I enjoyed it cover to cover. Dina Demille is a special kind of witch, an innkeeper, a witch charged with providing a safe haven for supernaturals as they come and go on Earth. It has a bit of a star wars feel to it, which was fun and new in this genre far as i know, and I won't spoil why. Inn keepers are usually neutral, but Dina gets wrapped up in defending her home town from a supernatural baddy, and gets tangled up in a vampire/were wolf love triangle besides. Good fun, though it didn't really blow my mind, it was pretty tame. I give it 3 stars.

So I tried to post twice and it didn't accept it. What a total waste, swallowed my whole post. :-(

So I finished The Graveyard Book and the beginning was slow but interesting, like little glimpses, the climax was really good (it finally comes together), then the end was a bit disappointing. 3-3 1/2 stars. (view spoiler)[ I understand he grows up and needs to leave his childhood behind but wow, lose all that you know and love at 15. All your family, his being the beings of the graveyard, becomes lost to you and you are literally on your own at 15. Sounds like some male centered religious cult, not a loving graveyard family. (hide spoiler)] So that was my GHOST

For VAMPIRE I finally read Raphael, which is a great read. I am already on book two. She is a former cop, private investigator and no stupid things that she doesn't figure out happens. I love smart.

So now I'm almost through with my DRAGON book, which I kept as my original Naked Dragon which I'm glad again to finally get to. I will change my Angel to the next book in the series, Bedeviled Angel as the book is one of those quirky fun reads, this one kind of in between Shelly Laurenston's Pride and Lynsay Sands Argeneau Vampires except a bit more fanciful with little sprites and dragons, and alternate shores. Still not at the end but really liked it so far.

So just the Angel/God, Zombie/Ghoul and Other to go. I have decided to read Mean Ghouls, as it is on my TBR with my child. It is for preteens. I could put Darkness, a genetic science experiment, for other, but it doesn't seem too Halloweenie though he definitely looks different.
What I read
1. Ghosts The Graveyard Book
2. Witches Passion Untamed Heroine is a mage/witch of nature
3. Fae/ Fairies House Rules Fairies play a big role.
4. Vampires Raphael
5. Devils/ Demons Mark of the Demon
6. Werewolf (incl. Shifters)Rapture Untamed
7. Zombies/ Ghouls
8. Dragons Naked Dragon
9. Gods/Goddesses/deities (angels)
10. Others

Julia wrote: "Just finished the fifth book, Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews. Counting it for #2, witches.

This was a fun and cute book, I enjoyed it cover to cover. Dina Demille is ..."

Haven't read Ilona Andrew's Cleen Sweep yet but I've loved her other books so it is a TBR.

Amyiw wrote: "So I tried to post twice and it didn't accept it. What a total waste, swallowed my whole post. :-(

So I finished The Graveyard Book and the beginning was slow but interesting, like..."

Wow! I'm impressed by your list! ::High five:: Just added Raphael to my "Want to Read" list, it sounds great!

Julia wrote: "Amyiw wrote: "....High five:: Just added Raphael to my "Want to Read" list, it sounds great! "

I just finished Jabril and think it was maybe a little better than Raphael. Same two characters and it rounds it out in the end. Definitely a new series.

I'm over 1/2 way through the angel book, Bedeviled Angel, 2nd in the works like magic, and am disappointed. The first was great but this one seems all disjointed and doesn't flow. It makes it so the main characters have no chemistry for me. Slow reading for me. I'm on the 2 in the Demon series of Kara Gillian,Blood of the Demon and am really enjoying her again.

Just finished Stone Guardian by Danielle Monsch, an enjoyable read with lots of paranormal creatures, glad I chose gargoyles.. it really was something different.
so with Believe by Mia Fox and PC Casts' Goddess of the Sea, Done! that's six down hmm can I get the rest done in October ? maybe I bit off more than I could chew...

Tracy wrote: "Just finished Stone Guardian by Danielle Monsch, an enjoyable read with lots of paranormal creatures, glad I chose gargoyles.. it really was something different.
so with Believe by Mia Fox and PC C..."

Oh my gosh, you've read so many other books this month too! I think you get a crown no matter what! :)

Julia wrote: "Tracy wrote: "Just finished Stone Guardian by Danielle Monsch, an enjoyable read with lots of paranormal creatures, glad I chose gargoyles.. it really was something different.
so with Believe by Mi..."

Thanks Julia,
I did take a week off work to go on holiday, ended up having a seized engine half way to my destination so I had 12 hours of nothing to do but read followed by 3 days stuck at home with no car again plenty of time to read in that few days!!! What can I say but I love reading! And I don't sleep much!! Lol

Tracy wrote: "Just finished Stone Guardian by Danielle Monsch, an enjoyable read with lots of paranormal creatures, glad I chose gargoyles.. it really was something different.
so with Believe by Mia Fox and PC C..."

So far I have enjoyed my gargoyle books. They are different. I know, I have a Fairy Godmother story of Monsch to read, which was a freebee at one time.

Looking through your books, it looks like you have 7 done, which ones are you missing?

I still have to finish Zombie and Other. I have a children's book and a erotic short picked out for both.

OK putting Carniepunk: The Sweeter the Juice as my zombie book. I've read 5 of the stories and a few of them involved Zombies. Cannot say I particularly like this one but but it was the one most involved with the zombies. The Kevin Hearne Iron Druid story was good (had some zombies), the Caroline Crane story I liked the best, and the Delilah Dawson Blud story was good up to the ending, bunch more.

I decided that I am going to put in Darkness from New Species as my other. He is DNA mix humaniod with cat, contemporary erotic paranormal. I also read Smiley today which is the same series but he is DNA mixed with primate (Planet of the Apes anyone?).

So that will finish me out, yea!

OK.. Still on , I just can't get into it. Finished and in the middle of .. So not sure if I met my goal or not... LOL

Finished Wolf's Haven still need to do Fae and Demon... Been a big month however I will read them...