3 Reviews for the Price of 1!

I'm going to do a few reviews at once. I've been reading like a fiend for the last week, and want to make sure I let you all know how awesome the last 3 books I read were.

Not only that, but all three authors will be signing here in Houston this Saturday. Gail Carriger, Jaye Wells, and Nicole Peeler will all be at Murder by the Book on Saturday, April 24th at 5pm!

Review 1 - Changeless by Gail Carriger

Changeless is the second book in Gail Carriger's Parasol Protectorate Series. (You can read my review of the first book, Soulless, here.) For those not familiar with the series, it reads like an Austen-esque comedy of manners. Alexia, the heroine, has no soul. She gossips with vampires, is married to a werewolf, and she's still very concerned with adhering to the social mores of her time.

The books are populated with vivid characters. In Changeless, Carriger introduces us to Madame Lefoux, a mysterious inventory with a taste for dressing in men's clothes. Madame Lefoux is easily one of the best characters I've been introduced to in a long time. I would love nothing more than to be able to spend an after with her and Alexia, sipping tea and gossiping.

Changeless finds Alexia leaving London and following her husband to Scotland. A weird plague seems to be infecting the supernatural beings in the area, effectively rendering them human. While Alexia is investigating, she finds herself in the middle of her husband's family and pack drama. Like book one, Changeless is laugh out loud funny and witty. Carriger is great at writing a quick paced, and completely entertaining book that pays homage to classic literature while mixing in the supernatural, and making it feel completely modern at the same time. Blameless, book three in the series, will be out in September, and you definitely be desperate for it once you finish Changeless.

Review 2 - Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells

Jaye Wells deprived me of at least one night's rest. Once I started Red-Headed Stepchild I did not want to put it down. The book grabs you, and doesn't let you go. For starters, Wells has a unique take on the creation of vampires, and their weaknesses. She says it's a mixture of Hebrew Lore, the Bible, and her own twisted imagination.

Wells is extremely adept at setting up her supernatural world. She quickly gives you enough information to shape the world that her characters are living in, and still leaves it open to expand on later. The plot speeds along quickly, but not so quickly that you get overwhelmed or miss important details. She also makes sure to keep the reader guessing as to whether Sabina is fighting for the good guys or the bad guys.

The characters are what really made this book for me. While they're all vampires, mages, or other supernatural beings, they are still dealing with completely human issues. Anyone will relate to Sabina's struggle as she tries to forge her way in the world. Sabina was born part mage, part vampire. She was raised by vampires, but has felt like an outsider most of her life. She's torn between family obligation, her own intuition, and the need to be her own person. Wells makes you care about all the characters, even the secondary ones. Book 2, The Mage in Black is out now. You might as well buy them both, because you'll want to start book 2 as soon as you finish the first one.

Review 3 - Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler

I found out about Tempest Rising when Gail Carriger posted a review that said she and Peeler were queering the genre of urban fantasy. Actually, all three of these authors are working to queer the genre. Each book features gay characters or gay subtext. It's marvelous!

I've also seen a lot of reviews say that if you love the Sookie Stackhouse books by Charlaine Harris, you'll love Tempest Rising. That's probably true. Both authors are writing about characters living in small towns. I actually enjoyed Jane True more than Sookie. Jane, like Sookie is thought to be strange by the citizens of her home town. I felt Jane's isolation more than I ever did with Sookie.

While Jane is out for a swim one night, she comes across a dead body. Before she knows it, she's engrossed in a world she never knew existed, and is learning things about herself that seem too strange to be true. As she starts to make new friends, she starts to regain some of the confidence she has lost. The struggle that she deals with, between dealing with her past and trying to move on is something everyone can relate too.

Peeler has also created a world as vivid as the cover of the book. There's a rich mythology of creatures, each with their own distinct personality. Jane is an endearing character, and as I said, I really felt her isolation, and the internal struggle she deals with while she's trying to heal is very believable.

The book is sexy, funny, well written, and really fun.