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Old 07-17-11 at 11:19 PM   #183
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Default Sandman Slim - Kadrey, Richard




1. Sandman Slim - James Stark spent 11 years killing monsters in Lucifer's arena for the entertainment of fallen angels, but now he's back in seedy, magic-riddled L.A., trying to avenge his girlfriend's murder and hunt down Mason Faim, the black magician responsible for getting him sent downtown. He meets with some initial success, beheading second-rate magician Kasabian (whose head becomes Stark's smart-mouthed sidekick), but he can't find Faim. Instead he encounters Homeland Security agents, a near-psychotic angel and some odd nonhuman, nonangelic beings called the kissi. Darkly atmospheric settings, such as a posh gentlemen's club where angels are tortured in an attempt to bring about Armageddon, bring this violent fantasy into sharp, compelling focus

2. Kill the Dead - James Stark, antihero of 2009's Sandman Slim, returns in this gritty, over-the-top tale of supernatural mayhem. Having taken his revenge on the rival magician who got him sent to Hell, Stark settles in sorcery-infested Los Angeles and gets a part-time gig with the Golden Vigil, an angelic hit squad of dubious morality that's somehow allied with Homeland Security. He spends the rest of his time as a freelance slayer of monsters. When Lucifer comes to Earth, supposedly to oversee a Hollywood biopic of his life, he hires Stark to be his bodyguard, but something isn't quite right and soon the city is awash in murderous zombies. Stark has to get to the bottom of the mystery or risk being sent back to Hell, along with everyone he cares about. Profane, intensely metaphoric language somehow makes self-tortured monster Stark sympathetic and turns a simple story into a powerful noir thriller.

---------------------------Added 10/18/11-------------------------------



Book #3 - Aloha From Hell - In Sandman Slim Stark came back from hell for revenge. In Kill the Dead he tackled both a zombie plague and being Lucifer’s bodyguard. Once again all is not right in L.A. Lucifer is back in Heaven, God is on vacation, and an insane killer mounts a war against both Heaven and Hell. Stark’s got to head back down to his old stomping grounds in Hell to rescue his long lost love, stop an insane serial killer, prevent both Good and Evil from completely destroying each other, and stop the demonic Kissi from ruining the party for everyone. Even for Sandman Slim, that’s a tall order. And it’s only the beginning. “Don’t compare Kadrey’s prose with Stephenie Meyer’s, or even Joss Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Those works are mere fluffy soap operas next to Kadrey’s writing.”

---------------------------------Added 8/28/2012---------------------------------



3.5 - Devil in the Dollhouse [Short Story] - James Stark, a.k.a. Sandman Slim, has a new job, but being the new Lucifer in town gives fresh meaning to the word "Hell." Especially when he hears of hideous massacres near a haunted fortress out on Hell's frontier. As far as Stark's concerned, the more dead Hellions, the better, but he still has to prove that no one screws with Sandman Slim. And facing creatures so terrible even Hell does not want them is no cakewalk, even for Lucifer.

4. Devil Said Bang - Getting out of hell is just the beginning What do you do after you've escaped Hell, gone back, uncovered the true nature of God, and then managed to become the new Lucifer? Well, if you're James Stark, you have to figure out how to run Hell while also trying to get back out of it . . . again. Plus there's the small matter of surviving. Because everyone in Heaven, Hell, and in between wants to be the fastest gun in the universe, and the best way to do so is to take down Lucifer, a.k.a. James Stark. And it's not like being in L.A. is any better—a serial-killer ghost is running wild and Stark's angelic alter ego is hiding among the lost days of time with a secret cabal who can rewrite reality. Starting to care for people and life again is a real bitch for a stone-cold killer.

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Old 07-17-11 at 11:23 PM   #184
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Default Scarpetta - Cornwell, Patricia




More information about this series can be found here:


1 Postmortem
2 Body of Evidence
3 All That Remains
4 Cruel and Unusual
5 The Body Farm
6 From Potter's Field
7 Cause of Death
8 Unnatural Exposure
9 Point of Origin
10 Black Notice
11 The Last Precinct
12 Blow Fly
13 Trace
14 Predator
15 Book of the Dead
16 Scarpetta


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Old 07-17-11 at 11:27 PM   #185
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Default Secret Histories - Green, Simon R_




1. The Man With the Golden Torc - Readers who recognize the pun on Ian Fleming's James Bond title, The Man with the Golden Gun, will find the secret agent in question has more up his sleeve than a fancy car and some high-tech gadgets in this first of a new fantasy series from bestseller Green (Deathstalker). Meet Shaman Bond, aka Eddie Drood, scion of the ancient Drood family, devoted to protecting humanity from the forces of darkness. Protected by the secret weapon received at birth by all members of the Drood family—a magical gold torc (i.e., a neck ring) that turns into a suit of nearly impervious golden armor—Eddie faces arcane dangers with healthy doses of wry self-confidence and sarcasm. Then the family matriarch sends him on a mission that turns out to be a deadly setup. Declared a rogue, Eddie teams up with short-tempered witch Molly Metcalf to find out why he's been betrayed. This spy yarn is packed with enough humor, action and plot twists to satisfy fans who prefer their adventure shaken, not stirred.

2. Daemons Are Forever - This lighthearted second installment (after 2007's The Man with the Golden Torc) in the adventures of very secret agent Eddie Drood follows the former rogue and reluctant patriarch as he struggles against enemies within and without his temporally extended family. Fighting against the Droods' stiff-necked traditionalists and their previous deals with various devils, Eddie finds ways to combine the magic of his girlfriend, woods witch Molly Metcalf, and cousin Harry's hellspawn half-brother and lover, Roger Morningstar, with the high-tech gadgets of the family Armourer to save the world from an intrusion of the Hungry Gods. Other than some page-long character-developing digressions, the pace is fast and energetic, which keeps attention off the occasional giant plot hole. Green loves the wide-screen splash of cinematic battles against zombie hordes, and genuine traces of tragedy and nobility underlie the nonstop punning banter and pop culture references, lending surprising nuance to this merry metaphysical romp.

3. The Spy Who Haunted Me - Green's bright, fast-paced third Eddie œShaman Bondť Drood adventure (after 2008's Daemons Are Forever) opens with rumors of a traitor undermining the Drood family's efforts to guard humanity against paranormal and mystical threats. Complicating matters, legendary agent Arthur King is dying without an heir. Eddie joins a group of other agents in tackling King's challenge: solve five of mankind's greatest mysteries and learn King's secrets, including the traitor's name. Engaging, well-crafted quests take the team from Loch Ness to Roswell, where Eddie is forced to choose between saving humanity and recovering the information his family desperately needs. Though some supporting characters are clearly meant to be disposable, Eddie makes a likable hero, and fans will enjoy following him through this surprisingly complex mystery.

4. From Hell With Love - This gripping, fast-paced, emotionally intense fourth volume in Green's Secret Histories series (after 2009's The Spy Who Haunted Me) is sure to delight fans of paranormal investigator Eddie Drood and his girlfriend, the fabulously strong and strong-willed witch Molly Metcalf. An insignificant villain, Doctor Delirium, plans to acquire a powerful, mysterious item at a secret sale. This simple event explodes into complexity when someone kills the Drood matriarch and turns Eddie's family into a deadly mob, with horrifying consequences. The real enemy is truly worthy of the Drood clan: a race of immortals who plan to breach the gates of heaven itself. Fans of the series will be delighted by the deft combination of urban fantasy adventure, sharp-edged sarcasm, and treachery upon treachery, which make this installment strong enough to stand alone as a great introduction to Green's work

5. For Heaven's Eyes Only - After the murder of the Drood Matriarch, the family finds itself vulnerable to evil. This time, it's a Satanic Conspiracy that could throw humanity directly into the clutches of the Biggest of the Bads...

--------------------------Added 6/7/2012------------------------------------------



6. Live and Let Drood - The name is Bond, Shaman Bond. Better known as Drood, Eddie Drood Yes, I’m one of those Droods—the family who’ve been keeping the forces of evil contained in the shadows for as long as humans have walked the earth. Recently, I suffered a slight case of death, but thanks to Molly, my best girl (who happens to be a powerful witch), I got over that right quick. Unfortunately, my family wasn’t so lucky. In my absence, Drood Hall was destroyed and all my relatives were killed. Which left me as the Last of the Droods. I didn’t much like being The Last Drood, I can tell you—and then I realized that things weren’t as they seemed. Someone had activated a dimensional engine, sending my Drood Hall off to an alternate Earth, replacing it with a burnt-out doppelganger. My family is still alive out there. Somewhere. And nothing’s going to stop me from finding them…

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Old 07-17-11 at 11:31 PM   #186
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Default Seer, The - Singleton, Linda Joy




1. Don't Die, Dragonfly - After getting kicked out of school and sent to live with her grandmother, Sabine Rose is determined to become a "normal" teenage girl. She hides her psychic powers from everyone, even from her grandmother Nona, who also has "the gift." Having a job at the school newspaper and friends like Penny-Love, a popular cheerleader, have helped Sabine fit in at her new school. She has even managed to catch the eye of the adorable Josh DeMarco. Yet, Sabine can't seem to get the bossy voice of Opal, her spirit guide, out of her head . . . or the disturbing images of a girl with a dragonfly tattoo. Suspected of a crime she didn't commit, Sabine must find the strength to defend herself and, later, save a friend from certain danger.

2. Last Dance - Sabine, the teen whose psychic visions caused uproar at her high school in Don't Die, Dragonfly (Llewellyn, 2004), is back. This time, she travels with her new goth friend to Pine Peaks, CA, to procure an old remedy book that may save her grandmother's life. Even before the trip, a dancing girl named Chloe who falls off of a cliff haunts the protagonist's dreams. Once Sabine and Thorn arrive in Pine Peaks, the haunting becomes more vivid and urgent, causing Sabine to realize that she must help this lonely ghost rest in peace. This diversion has closure by the end, but the original reason for the quest is left open-ended for the next installment. While rather slow at the beginning, the pace quickens after a few short chapters, revealing a novel that is simple yet interesting enough to recommend to reluctant readers. The story itself, as well as most of the writing, is average for its genre, although a few sections are quite poetic and help reinforce the eerie mood.

3. Witch Ball - Sabine is finally starting to feel accepted at her new high school. She's friends with the popular girls and even has a cute boyfriend. But Sabine also has a dark secret-she's psychic, and was forced to leave her old school after she accurately predicted the death of a football player. Volunteering with her friends to help run the psychic booth at their school's fundraising carnival, Sabine discovers too late that the fake crystal ball she meant to bring has been mysteriously switched. In its place is the strange "witch ball" she locked away after her grandmother refused to have it in the house. Now the haunted witch ball's predictions are coming true, and Sabine must solve the mystery before its final prediction-her own death-becomes a deadly reality.

4. Sword Play - "Help her," insists the spirit of Kip, the jock from her old school who died in a car accident. But his cryptic message is the last thing on Sabine's mind as she packs up to move back home. She's not happy about leaving her friends, her boyfriend, and Nona who's gravely ill, but won't dare challenge her mother's orders. Besides, Sabine's also harboring hope that she can become close to her family again.
Reuniting with her fencing club brings back painful memories of getting kicked out of school and betrayed by her former best friend Brianne, now too entangled with her boyfriend to notice Sabine . . . unlike Kip's ghost who continues to nag her about someone in trouble. But Kip died alone, so who needs her help? As Sabine researches the events of that tragic night, she pieces together a shocking revelation-knowledge that leads to a dangerous duel with a surprising foe.

5. Fatal Charm - n this vivid fifth volume of The Seer series, Sabine Rose is reunited with her ill grandmother Nona and her friends at Sheridan Valley. But the excitement of curing Nona-and discovering love with someone new-doesn't outweigh the burden of her father's dark secret: a daughter no one but Sabine knows about. Riddled with curiosity, Sabine uses astral projection to spy on her half sister Jade. And then one night-while out of body-she witnesses a gruesome murder! The victim appears to be Jade's mother, but the next day reveals she is very much alive. Was it all a terrible nightmare? A puzzling psychic message, feelings for two different guys, building resentment towards her father and Jade-it's almost too much to bear. And when the killer from her nightmare turns out to be real, Sabine finds she must open her heart to the person she trusts the least.

6. Magician's Muse - A whisper, too soft to swirl wispy candle smoke, carried across time, beyond life and death—and was heard. “Our bargain is sealed. My secrets will be yours—when the girl dies.” In the thrilling climax to THE SEER series, Sabine Rose’s psychic abilities, sleuthing skills, and courage are pushed to a dangerous edge as she deals with the mysterious disappearance of her ex-boyfriend Josh, a new threat against her boyfriend Dominic, evil magicians (both living and dead)—and a cold-blooded murderer.

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Old 07-17-11 at 11:34 PM   #187
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Default Settling Accounts - Turtledove, Harry




1. Return Engagement - In this well-thought-out alternate history, the first in a new trilogy, Turtledove (_American Empire_) combines elements of the Civil War and WWII with disturbing results. Confederate President Jake Featherstone has launched an undeclared war of revenge on the U.S.A., with Rebel "barrels" (tanks) cutting the nation in half. U.S. President Al Smith doesn't sue for peace as expected, causing unreconstructed Canadians to sabotage the now-vital Northern rail system holding the nation together. Mormon separatists have once more revolted against the federal government, and Louis Armstrong, who has defected to the North, brings with him chilling evidence of the Confederate "population reductions" (genocide) of African-Americans. Turtledove's depiction of how easily the C.S.A. could carry out genocide—and do so with less cost to the conscience than the Germans experienced in the real Holocaust—coupled with the "so what?" reaction of Northerners when this is publicized makes a disturbing commentary on the state of race relations in both parts of our country. While some of the character descriptions are repetitious, the author handles his huge cast with admirable skill. The insights into racial politics elevate this novel to a status above mere entertainment, although it provides that aplenty.

2. Drive to the East - In Turtledove's engrossing second book in the alternate history master's Settling Accounts trilogy (after 2004's Return Engagement), Confederate forces, in an undeclared war of revenge that coincides with WWII, have split the United States from the Ohio River to Lake Erie, but this only stiffens Yankee resolve. Insurrection breaks out in occupied Canada and in Mormon Utah, resulting in harsh reprisals by U.S. troops against civilians, while Confederate President Jake Featherstone pushes for more "population reductions" of freed slaves. As in the previous volume, Turtledove comes up with convincing analogues to events during WWII, such as the Confederate army's Stalingrad-like defeat around Pittsburgh. On the other hand, his portrait of the führer-like Featherstone is less persuasive. The Southern leader shows more courage and flexibility than his model, making intimations of future behavior a procrustean attempt to force him back into a Hitlerian mold. There's enough back story for the benefit of new readers, while established fans, despite the repetition, will find this latest installment thoroughly satisfying.

3. The Grapple - The compelling third volume (after Drive to the East) in Turtledove's third alternate history of WWII series opens with the Confederacy reeling after the loss of their forces in the cauldron around Pittsburgh. The United States is trying to suppress the Mormon rebellion in Utah, while Canadian patriots fight the occupying Yanks to a stalemate. Negro guerrillas who escaped being swept up into death camps authorized by C.S.A. President Jake Featherstone disrupt the rural economy. Meanwhile, both sides work feverishly to win the race to build an atomic bomb. One may question the appropriateness of using the Holocaust as a springboard for an entertainment, but Turtledove convincingly depicts how an American holocaust could well have happened. Some Confederates begin to feel pangs of conscience, just as the U.S. troops who execute hostages among the Mormon, Canadian and Confederate civilians feel nothing but repulsion. While somewhat repetitious and a bit preachy in spots, Turtledove's latest proves that third time is the charm.

4. In at the Death - The Confederacy crumbles in ruins, as Jake Featherstone meets the end he richly deserves. Generals Dowling and Morrell end with the high rank and position their efforts deserve, while Michael Pound recovers from burns received in a well-drawn tank battle, and Chester Martin ends his second war successfully, having kept his platoon commander from killing the whole platoon. On the other hand, the saga's four-contestant nuclear race leaves four nuclear powers still standing at war's end, and both soldiers and civilians contemplating the spectacle with crossed fingers. Moreover, race relations in the defunct Confederacy are horrible, entailing the murder of at least six million "colored," a genocide that dwarfs this-world Bosnia and Rwanda combined. Meanwhile, Clarence Potter, Cincinnatus Driver, and Flora Blackford will be working to heal the malignant scars in Turtledove's parallel continuum, so who can say how the U.S. might emerge? Perhaps into a three-cornered cold war (U.S., Germany, Japan)—if and when Turtledove obliges reader curiosity A conclusion worthy of a nonpareil saga.

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Old 07-17-11 at 11:37 PM   #188
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Default Seven Realms - Chima, Cinda Williams




1. The Demon King - Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can’t sell. For as long as Han can remember, he’s worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They’re clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he’s never been able to get them off. While out hunting one day, Han and his Clan friend, Dancer catch three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. After a confrontation, Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against them. Han soon learns that the amulet has an evil history—it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back. Meanwhile, Raisa ana’Marianna, Princess Heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She’s just returned to court after three years of relative freedom with her father’s family at Demonai camp – riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets. Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name-day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her common sense and new skills for etiquette tutors and stuffy parties. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems like her mother has other plans for her--plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.

2. The Exiled Queen - You can't always run from danger... Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean danger isn’t far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret. Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen. The Exiled Queen is an epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.

------------------------Added 9/18/11-------------------------------------------------



3. The Gray Wolf Throne - Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen. Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it—he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron-hard will to survive—and even that might not be enough. The Gray Wolf Throne is an epic tale of fierce loyalty, unbearable sacrifice, and the heartless hand of fate.

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Old 07-17-11 at 11:39 PM   #189
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Default Shades of Fury - MacKenzie, Kasey




1. Red Hot Fury - Urban fantasy readers looking for something new will thrill to this exhilarating debut, populated with creatures from Greek myth. To end a war between mortals and supernatural arcanes, the Furies stepped in to be peacemakers. Now Fury Marissa "Riss" Holloway helps mortal police in Boston solve magical crimes. When a corpse that looks like another Fury washes up from the harbor, Riss quickly realizes it's a fake and connects it to a recent series of disappearances, but both the police and the Sisterhood of Furies stonewall her investigation. Riss has only one place to turn: her ex, Scott Murphy, a shape-shifting Warhound. As they start to uncover the truth, Scott and Riss also uncover their still-strong feelings for one another. Riss is the perfect urban fantasy heroine--fresh, sassy, smart, and determined--and a cavalcade of fully developed side characters keep this twisty tale moving quickly.

2. Green-Eyed Envy - As a Fury, Marissa Holloway belongs to an Arcane race that has meted out justice since time immemorial. As Boston's chief magical investigator, it's her duty to solve any crimes committed by or against supernaturals. Months have gone by since Riss discovered some unwelcome truths about her past--and managed to stop a supernatural war. Since then things have been quiet. Too quiet. But that all changes when the bodies of Bastai, shapeshifters also known as Cats, begin piling up in Boston's magical underbelly--even though the legendary shifters are supposed to have ninety-nine lives. One common thread ties the victims together: all were old flames of FBI Agent Harper Cruz. And since Harper and Riss's lover Scott Murphy enjoyed a one-night stand before he and Riss reunited, the Fury has twice the incentive to crack the case wide open, before the killer's green-eyed gaze turns in Scott's direction...

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Old 07-17-11 at 11:43 PM   #190
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Default Shadows Saga - Golden, Christopher




Combine a Boston P.I., the Vatican, and vampires, and what do you have? A novel-and a series-that will appeal to fans of Jim Butcher, Charlaine Harris, and Dan Brown.

1. Of Saints and Shadows - In this present-day vampire novel, the vampires, or "Defiant Ones," are being hunted by an ancient Vatican group trained in sorcery who carry out their extermination with sadistic pleasure. Peter Octavian is a Defiant One who has sworn off the "blood song," drinking only hospital discards. For his belief that humans are not cattle, he has been ostracized by his own vampire family, but when he sees the pattern of vampire deaths he tries to gather his erstwhile fellows into a resistance movement. As the Vatican cabal begins its sorcerous attack, most of the Defiant Ones join Octavian in fighting off demons and banshees in a huge clash amid Venice's yearly carnival. The Defiant Ones win the battle, and the novel ends with the beginning of a new era in which vampires and humans will try to coexist in peace. Unfortunately, with the exception of Octavian and a few of his friends (e.g., a charmingly feisty undead Buffalo Bill Cody), the vampires are as unappealing a group of sadists as the cabal. Reasonably entertaining for vampire fans, but perhaps too big a story for one volume; the author might have done better with a continuing series.

2. Angel Souls and Devil Hearts - As the vampires of the world prepare to do battle with humanity, and each other, the possibility of a new life for those that remain is what spurs them on in their bloody quest.

3. Of Masques and Martyrs - Led by Peter Octavian, the Shadows must drink blood. Yet they do not steal life. New Shadows are created only by individual choice. Peace is their only hunger. The minions of Hannibal have a different goal: the enslavement of humanity. They kill for pleasure and for thirst. They indescriminately create more of their own. And they embrace the title of terrible legend: vampire. Shadows and vampires. One and the same. Their war continues...

4. The Gathering Dark - Christopher Golden's long-awaited return to his critically-acclaimed Shadow Saga features Peter Octavian-once a vampire, now a powerful mage-as the only man powerful enough to stop a supernatural armageddon... Once upon a time, the world believed that demons and supernatural creatures were figments of imagination. Then The Gospel of Shadows was destroyed -- the one magical weapon capable of keeping the monsters at bay. Now, the barriers between the human world and paranormal realms are being torn asunder, as beings born of nightmares swarm across the globe. And humanity's only hope lies in Peter Octavian -- a powerful mage who's held in suspicion for once being mankind's worst enemy.
A vampire.

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Old 07-17-11 at 11:46 PM   #191
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Default Shadowdance - Dalglish, David




1. A Dance of Cloaks - Thren Felhorn is the greatest assassin of his time. Marshalling the thieves' guilds under his control, he declares war against the Trifect, an allegiance of wealthy and powerful nobles. Aaron Felhorn has been groomed since birth to be Thren's heir. Sent to kill the daughter of a priest, Aaron instead risks his own life to protect her from the wrath of his guild. In doing so, he glimpses a world beyond poison, daggers, and the iron control of his father. Guilds twist and turn, trading allegiances for survival. The Trifect weakens, its reputation broken, its money dwindling. The players take sides as the war nears its end, and Thren puts in motion a plan to execute hundreds. Only Aaron can stop the massacre and protect those he loves.

2. A Dance of Blades - "Veldaren aches for a purge, and I will be the one to deliver it. Cry out at me if you wish, but it will change nothing. The gold is spent, the orders are given. Let the blood flow." ---- It's been five years since Haern faked his death to escape the tyranny of his father. He has become the Watcher, a vicious killer who knows no limits, and whose hatred of the thief guilds is unrivaled. But when the son of Alyssa Gemcroft, one of the three leaders of the powerful Trifect, is believed murdered, the slaughter begins anew. Mercenaries flood the streets, with one goal in mind: find and kill the Watcher. Peace or destruction; every war must have its end.

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Old 07-17-11 at 11:50 PM   #192
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Default Shadows Inquires - Benedict, Lyn




1. Sins & Shadows - Sylvie Lightner is no ordinary P.I. She specializes in cases involving the unusual, in a world where magic is real-and where death isn't the worst thing that can happen to you. But when an employee is murdered in front of her, Sylvie has had enough. After years of confounding the dark forces of the Magicus Mundi, she's closing up shop-until a man claiming to be the God of Justice wants Sylvie to find his lost lover. And he won't take no for an answer.

2. Ghosts and Echoes - Owner and lead investigator of Shadows Inquiries, Sylvie returns in her second urban fantasy mystery (Sins & Shadows, 2009), this time set on her home turf in Miami’s South Beach. Looking for an easy case after her last investigation turned deadly, Sylvie takes on a series of local burglaries. It seems like a perfect job for a PI who specializes in supernatural work, but soon she realizes that the case is much more complex and dangerous than she envisioned. Meanwhile, she’s agreed to let a Chicago cop hang around with her because he’s possessed by a ghost that’s a little too familiar to Sylvie. The mix of supernatural elements and a real-world setting—Sylvie attempts to keep the magical out of sight of regular people—makes this a good recommendation for fans of Kat Richardson’s Greywalker series (Vanished, 2009) or Seanan Maguire’s new October Daye series

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Old 07-17-11 at 11:58 PM   #193
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Default Shadowspawn - Stirling, S. M_




1. A Taint in the Blood - Stirling (_The Sword of the Lady_) launches a new series with a messy and unappetizing mix of well-worn monster tropes and excessive sexual violence. The ancient, powerful, and sociopathic Shadowspawn have always lived among (and interbred with) humans. When Adrian Brézé, the one Shadowspawn capable of resisting his violent urges, discovers that his ex, Ellen, has been kidnapped by his evil twin sister, Adrienne, he begins a war against his own kind. Adrienne repeatedly rapes Ellen, who endures using psychological techniques she developed during childhood abuse, as she prepares her own political machinations. Stirling hits just about every cliché, from the grizzled vampire hunter and mentor to Adrienne's pathologically devoted servants (who call themselves lucies and renfields). Stirling's prose is competent, but there's nothing new in his story, and few readers will have the stomach for the over-the-top sadism

2. The Council of Shadows - Adrian Brézé defied his own dark heritage as a near-purebred Shadowspawn for years, until his power-hungry sister Adrienne kidnapped his human lover Ellen. Now, Adrienne is dead, and the Council of Shadows is gathering its strength. To stop the Council from launching an apocalypse, Adrian and Ellen must ally with the Brotherhood, a resistance group dedicated to breaking the Council's hold on humankind...by any means necessary. In the coming confrontation, Adrian must fight not only the members of the Council but also his own nature-and, as he will come to suspect, traitors within the Brotherhood itself...

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Old 07-18-11 at 12:01 AM   #194
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Default Shane Schofield - Reilly, Matthew




1. Ice Station - After a team of American scientists at Wilkes Ice Station discover what seems to be a spaceship in a four-million-year-old cavern below the ice, two of the divers disappear while checking out the craft. Lt. Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield and his highly trained team of Marines respond to the scientists' distress signal. By the time the leathernecks reach Wilkes, three days later, one of the scientists has killed another, six more members of the Wilkes team have disappeared in the ice cave and eight French scientists from a nearby station are for some reason at the U.S. base. Would the French government kill Americans to capture a frozen UFO? Probably: six of the French "scientists" turn out to be the members of the French special forces. From that discovery onward, this first novel offers nonstop thrills as Schofield and his team fight for their livesAand for those of the remaining American scientistsAagainst French and British commandos and a secret American spy group; against killer whales and strange aquatic mammals; and against time, for both the French and British commandos harbor "eraser" plans to wipe out all survivors in case of mission failure. Reilly's debut evokes a host of predecessors, including Jaws, The Andromeda Strain, The X-Files and the combat novels of Tom Clancy. It also echoes the work of Ian Fleming, as the outrageously heroic Schofield comes off as less a real Marine than a fantasy action figure on a par with Bond. There's not much that's original hereAeven the set-up is reminiscent of the classic SF film The Thing, about a saucer buried in Arctic iceAbut Reilly doesn't really need to be original, not at the pace at which he whips his story line past readers. Employing crude but effective prose, a nonstop spray of short, punchy paragraphs and cliffhangers galore, this is grade-A action pulp.

2. Area 7 - Matthew Reilly dazzled the world with his electrifying thrillers Ice Station and Temple. And now, Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield returns with his most harrowing and explosive adventure yet. . .AREA 7It is America's most secret base, hidden deep in the Utah desert, an Air Force installation known only as Area 7. And today, it has a visitor - the President of the United States. He has come to inspect Area 7, to examine its secrets for himself. But he's going to get more than he bargained for on this trip. Because hostile forces are waiting inside.Among the President's helicopter crew, however, is a young Marine. He is quiet, enigmatic, and he hides his eyes behind a pair of silver sunglasses. His name is Schofield. Call-sign: Scarecrow. Rumor has it, he's a good man in a storm. Judging by what the President has just walked into, he'd better be...

3. Scarecrow - In the third outing for Shane "Scarecrow" Schofield (after Ice Station,1999, and Area 7, 2002), the U.S. Marine Corps captain is pitted against a colorful collection of bad guys (and gals) as he finds himself one of 15 men who have been put on an international hit list. A shadowy group of billionaires calling themselves the Council have put a price of $18.6 million on the head of each person on the list--literally, as the head must be exchanged for the bounty--and the assassinations all have to be completed within a 24-hour period. Schofield, aided by his resourceful sidekick Gunnery Sergeant Gena "Mother" Newman, must dodge the bounty hunters after his head as well as discover what common denominator binds the 15 men together. This thrill fest is highly recommended for all fiction collections--even the most jaded readers will need to fasten their seatbelts and hang on for dear life.

4. Hell Island - Captain Shane Schofield and his elite team of marines is about to discover . . .There is no hell like a man-made one.It is an island that doesn’t appear on any maps. A secret location where the government conducts classified experiments. Experiments that have gone terribly wrong. . . . When all contact with the mysterious island is suddenly and inexplicably lost, Captain Shane Schofi eld and four crack Special Forces units parachute in. Nothing prepares them for what they fi nd—the island is a testing ground for a deadly breed of genetically enhanced supersoldiers. You could say they’ve just entered hell, but this place is much, much worse. . . .


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Old 07-18-11 at 12:03 AM   #195
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Default Siala - Pehov, Alexey




1. Shadow Prowler - Initially, Shadow Prowler bears some similarities to Tolkien’s trilogy about great evil burgeoning to threaten the order of the world. While well developed, the story is often inconsistently told, jumping from first to third person, sometimes within a single paragraph, which jars the reader and detracts from an otherwise admirable performance. Detailed description abounds as we follow master thief Harold, whose character develops during a great quest to save humanity. The world Pehov conjures is filled with other memorable characters, too, including the king’s court jester, Harold’s old thieving mentor (now a priest), and an elf who looks more like a vampire. Those who like fantasy novels offering ogres, elves, undead creatures, wizards, and the like joined in an epic quest will be delighted once they get past the inconsistent narration, for such genre fodder as pitched battles are described so well that they seem to unfold before one’s eyes

2. Shadow Chaser - Saddened because they have left one of their number in a grave in the wilderness, Harold and his companions continue their journey to the dreaded underground palace of Hrad Spein. There, knowing that armies of warriors and wizards before them have failed, they must fight legions of untold, mysterious powers before they can complete their quest for the magic horn that will save their beloved land from The Nameless One. But before they can even reach their goal, they must overcome all manner of obstacles, fight many battles…and evade the frightful enemies on their trail. Shadow Chaser is a novel of intricate plots, surprising twists and finely drawn characters that will not leave you when you put the book down. Shadow Chaser is truly something different in the world of fantasy, something special; it is something truly Russian, a fantasy that is gripping and haunting, fascinating and imaginative.

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Old 07-18-11 at 12:08 AM   #196
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Default Sigma Force - Rollins, James




1. Sandstorm - Nationally bestselling author James Rollins has transported readers to the dark heart of the Amazon, the bowels of the earth, far below the ocean, and the top of the world. Now he embarks upon his most gripping and terrifying adventure yet: to a nightmare buried beneath a treacherous desert wasteland. An inexplicable explosion rocks the antiquities collection of a London museum -- a devastating blast that sets off alarms in clandestine organizations around the world, as the race begins to determine how it happened, why it happened, and what it means.
Lady Kara Kensington's family paid a high price in money and blood to found the gallery that now lies in ruins. And her search for answers is about to lead Kara and her friend Safia al-Maaz, the gallery's brilliant and beautiful curator, into a world they never dreamed actually existed. For new evidence exposed by the tragedy suggests that Ubar, a lost city buried beneath the Arabian desert, is more than mere legend ... and that something astonishing is waiting there. Two extraordinary women and their guide, the international adventurer Omaha Dunn, are not the only ones being drawn to the desert. Former U.S. Navy SEAL Painter Crowe, a covert government operative and head of an elite counterespionage team, is hunting down a dangerous turncoat, Crowe's onetime partner, to retrieve the vital information she has stolen. And the trail is pointing him toward Ubar. But the many perils inherent in a death-defying trek deep into the savage heart of the Arabian Peninsula pale before the nightmarish secrets to be unearthed at journey's end. What is hidden below the sand is more than a valuable relic of ancient history. It is an ageless power that lives and breathes -- an awesome force that could create a utopia or tear down everything humankind has built during millennia of civilization. Many lives have already been destroyed by ruthless agencies dedicated to guarding its mysteries and harnessing its might. And now the end may be at hand for Safia, for Kara, for Crowe, and for all the interlopers who wish to expose its mysteries, as it prepares to unleash the most terrible storm of all ...

2. Map of Bones - This novel about an ancient secret society and the race to find priceless antiquities is sure to be compared to Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code, but, in every way, it's a much better book. Where Brown's best-seller was predictable despite its compelling premise, this tale is clever and suspenseful. Where Code featured ropey dialogue and assembly-line characters, this one offers (mostly) real people engaging in (mostly) real discourse. Like Brown, Rollins makes the most of a moderately implausible premise, this one requiring that the reader accept the literal truth of a certain allegorical aspect of the Bible. But, as both books prove, a thriller can be as implausible as it likes as long as it is entertainingly developed. Fans of The Da Vinci Code will obviously want to read Map of Bones, but even those who found Brown's opus unpalatable will thoroughly enjoy the taste of this one

3. Black Order - Arson and murder reveal an insidious plot to steal a Bible that once belonged to Charles Darwin. As Commander Gray Pierce investigates, he is soon caught up in a mystery that dates back to Nazi Germany - and to horrific experiments performed in a now-abandoned laboratory buried in a hollowed-out mountain in Poland.A continent away, madness ravages a remote monastery high in Nepal. As Lisa Cummings, a young American doctor, begins to investigate reported atrocities at the monastery, she is suddenly the target of an assassin. Her only ally is Painter Crowe, director of SIGMA Force, now undercover - and already showing signs of the baffling malady destroying the minds of the monks.Now it is up to Gray Pierce to save both Painter and Lisa - and a world in jeopardy . . .

4. Judas Strain - The special-ops trained scientists of Sigma Force battle the criminals of the shadowy Guild in bestseller Rollins's lively third Sigma Force thriller (after Black Order). An ancient and deadly plague, the Judas Strain (which afflicted Marco Polo), has suddenly re-emerged. Gray Pierce, a Sigma operative, and Seichan, a Guild defector, pursue clues to the nature of the plague to the Vatican, Istanbul (with a fine shootout in the Hagia Sophia mosque), Marco Polo's tomb and, finally, Cambodia's Angkor Wat. Meanwhile, Guild members hijack a cruise ship full of plague victims (to provide experimental subjects for the weaponizing of the plague), and Gray's parents are taken hostage (though the senior Grays prove feistier than their kidnappers reckon). Sophisticated the plot isn't, but Rollins includes more than enough action and suspense to keep readers turning pages.

5. The Last Oracle - At the start of bestseller Rollins's rousing fifth Sigma Force novel (after The Judas Strain), the group's leader, Cmdr. Gray Pierce, encounters a homeless man as he's crossing the Mall in Washington, D.C., near Sigma Force's secret lair far beneath the Smithsonian Castle. The man, who's really an MIT neurology professor, collapses in Pierce's arms and dies after passing him a strange coin, thus kicking off a far-flung adventure whose plot threads include the Oracle of Delphi, autistic savant children with strange implants behind their ears, Gypsies, power-mad Russians bent on unleashing enough radioactivity to poison the world, rogue American spy agencies and genetically enhanced wolves and tigers. Lots of absorbing scientific information and tantalizing sentences like With two rifles strapped to his back and a boy and a chimpanzee in tow, Monk marched down the pitch-black tunnel keep the pages flying by.

6. The Doomsday Key - Bestseller Rollins's labyrinthine sixth Sigma Force thriller (after The Last Oracle) offers plenty of intriguing science and history lessons. Sigma Force director Painter Crowe gathers the usual crew—Cmdr. Grayson Pierce; Pierce's best friend, Monk Kokkalis; lumbering Joe Kowalski—to discover why an experimental agriculture site in Africa has been attacked and razed, killing everyone, including a U.S. senator's son. The future of mankind may depend, they learn, on the Doomsday key, a strange substance brought to England long ago by ancient Egyptians that holds the promise of a new and powerful medicine. A few of the book's many highlights include genetic manipulation, traitorous beautiful women, illuminated manuscripts, saints, prophecies, curses and miracles. Rollins deftly juggles all this and more as the Sigma team races from the depths of the Vatican to the outer reaches of Norway toward an explosive confrontation with the shadowy forces of evil known as the Guild.

7. The Devil Colony - From New York Times bestselling author James Rollins comes a novel of boundless imagination and meticulous research, a book that dares to answer a frightening question at the heart of America: Could the founding of the United States be based on a fundamental lie? The shocking truth lies hidden within the ruins of an impossibility, a lost colony of the Americas vanished in time and cursed into oblivion. A place known only as The Devil Colony. Deep in the Rocky Mountains, a gruesome discovery—hundreds of mummified bodies stirs international attention and fervent controversy. Despite doubts about the bodies' origins, the local Native American Heritage Commission lays claim to the prehistoric remains, along with the strange artifacts found in the same cavern: gold plates inscribed with an unfathomable script.
During a riot at the dig site, an anthropologist dies horribly, burned to ashes in a fiery explosion in plain view of television cameras. All evidence points to a radical group of Native Americans, including one agitator, a teenage firebrand who escapes with a vital clue to the murder and calls on the one person who might help—her uncle, Painter Crowe, Director of Sigma Force. To protect his niece and uncover the truth, Painter will ignite a war among the nation's most powerful intelligence agencies. Yet an even greater threat looms as events in the Rocky Mountains have set in motion a frightening chain reaction, a geological meltdown that threatens the entire western half of the U.S.
From the volcanic peaks of Iceland to the blistering deserts of the American Southwest, from the gold vaults of Fort Knox to the bubbling geysers of Yellowstone, Painter Crowe joins forces with Commander Gray Pierce to penetrate the shadowy heart of a dark cabal, one that has been manipulating American history since the founding of the thirteen colonies. But can Painter discover the truth—one that could topple governments—before it destroys all he holds dear?

-----------------------------Added 6/29/2012---------------------------------



8. Bloodline - In a thrilling masterwork that will make you rethink your perceptions of life and death, New York Times bestselling author James Rollins takes you to the edge of medicine, genetics, and technology, revealing the next evolutionary leap forward: immortality. Galilee, 1025. Infiltrating an ancient citadel, a Templar knight uncovers a holy treasure long hidden within the fortress's labyrinth: the Bachal Isu -- the staff of Jesus Christ -- a priceless icon that holds a mysterious and terrifying power that promises to change humankind forever. A millennium later, Somali pirates hijack a yacht off the coast of the Horn of Africa, kidnapping a young pregnant American woman. Commander Gray Pierce is enlisted for a covert rescue mission into the African jungle. The woman is no rich tourist: she's Amanda Gant-Bennett, daughter of the U.S. president. Suspicious that the kidnapping masks a far more nefarious plot, Gray must confront a shadowy cabal which has been manipulating events throughout history...and now challenges the current presidency. For this unique mission, SIGMA is aided by a pair of special operatives with unique talents: former Army Ranger Captain Tucker Wayne and his military war dog, Kane. But what should be a straightforward rescue turns into a fiery ambush and a deadly act of betrayal, as Gray and his team discover that the hostage is a pawn in a shattering act of terrorism with dark repercussions. And the danger is only beginning... Halfway around the world, a firebombing at a fertility clinic in South Carolina exposes a conspiracy that goes back centuries...a scheme that lies within our genetic code. With time against them, SIGMA must race to save an innocent unborn baby whose very existence raises questions about the nature of humanity, asking: Could you live forever? Would you live forever?

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