Early Review: Deaths Sweet Embrace by Tracey O'Hara

Death's Sweet Embrace
Author:Tracey O'Hara
Release Date: January 25, 2011
Publisher: EOS
Dark Brethren Book #2
ISBN:  0061783145
ISBN13: 9780061783142
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Netgalley.com


After thousands of years of secret conflict, humans and parahumans have reached an uneasy truce. But unspeakable evil now threatens to shatter the tenuous peace.

Teenaged shapeshifters are being slaughtered by a twisted, sadistic serial killer who rips their still-beating hearts from their paralyzed bodies. A task force must be formed to halt the madness—a union of avengers including the vampiric Aeternus, Christian Laroque and Antoinette Petrescu, as well as Kitt Jordan and Raven Matokwe, members of enemy Animalian tribes…and forbidden lovers.

A centuries-old blood feud has divided their peoples—pitting wolf against snow leopard in a battle to the death—and if their passion is discovered it will doom them both. But past hostilities must be put aside in light of the scourge that is now upon them. For the killer they seek is but the first sign of a blossoming terror rising up from their long-buried pasts: the all-consuming nightmare of The Dark Brethren.

Book two in the Dark Brethren series has some of the characters as book one NIGHTS COLD KISS but mainly follows Kitt Jordan an Animalian (shifter). We are taken on a action packed ride trying to solve a string of killings. Kitt is brought into the fold and has to re-visit her past to move on to her future. The story complements book one and continues and builds stronger onto the problem of the Dark Brethren. The plot is entertaining full of twists and turns and moves along with no problems between the slower and faster paces of the book. The relationships built up nicely, and I enjoyed reading about Kitt and Ravens past. I'm not crazy about books that have different character POV's but Tracey O'Hara made them blend perfectly and I am happy to say they didn't get confusing like some books tend to do. If you enjoyed NIGHTS COLD KISS I definitely recommend that you pick up DEATHS SWEET EMBRACE, I'm excited to see what comes next.

I gave it a 4/5 stars

Help Wanted: Graphics!!

As I'm sure most of you can tell I need fun graphics/images for my posts. I dont have any programs to make them myself so I'm asking if any of my fantastic creative followers would like to help me out. I'm in need of a graphic to put with my Week in Review posts, a New Release graphic for my New release Tuesday posts and anything else you think would help spice up my posts. You are more then welcome to add a Made by XX somewhere in the graphic if you so choose. If you would like to help me out let me know. You can email me at UrbanFantasyInvestigations@gmail.com

Week in Review 1/9-1/15

Books Ive Bought/received

I Have had SUPER good book winning Karma lately and a bunch of stuff came this week and mostly all on the same day (Wednesday) It brightened up my mood a tad bit after I found that the snow/ice storm had somehow cracked my car windshield (NOT COOL) :(

*Visions of Magic by Regan Hastings- From publisher for review

*Nightshade by Michelle Rowan- From Publisher for review

*Delirium by Lauren Oliver- ARC- From Shelf Awareness

*Demon Marked by Anna J Evans- ARC- Win from Dear Author  

*Hungry for You by Lynsay Sands- Signed- Win from Nocturne Romance Reads

*Book of Days by James L. Rubart- ARC- Win from LovLivLife Reviews

*Across the Universe- ARC- Win from Frenzy of Noise

*NOW FOR MY BIG WIN, I won a BOX of books from Bradford Literary Agency in a twitter follower contest thing she was having :o I was so excited and here is what Laura sent me.

• Marked by Elisabeth Naughton
• Entwined by Elisabeth Naughton
• Close Encounters by Katherine Allred
• Witch Fury by Anya Bast
• Hotter After Midnight by Cynthia Eden 
• His Darkest Hunger by Juliana Stone
• His Darkest Embrace by Juliana Stone

Books I read

Death's Sweet Embrace by Tracey O'Hara
Minder by Kate Kaynak
Adversary by Kate Kayanak
Burning Darkness by Jaime Rush
Awakened by P.C. Cast
Across the Universe by Beth Revis


Other reviews posted
Secrets of the Demon by Diana Rowland
A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang
Killing Rocks by D.D. Barant
Mercy Blade by Faith Hunter




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* I'm participating in my very first blog hop giveaway. Visit here to enter. Ends 1/17

*New Releases for the week 

* You can still help me win a contest, and have a chance to win yourself PLEASE visit here to read how you can :) ENDS 1/25

*Looking for books to swap? Visit my Book Swap page to see what I have.

*WOW look at all the new followers!! How Exciting, thanks for following and I hope you enjoy UFI.

* I have finally added a Facebook page for UFI. You can visit here, or click on the like button on the left side of your screen to join it. All my posts will post there automatically thanks to Networked blogs sync thing.

* I participated in a special project for the Launch of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis.

*Like what you read? Make sure to leave a comment.

Review: Mercy Blade by Faith Hunter

Mercy Blade
Author:Faith Hunter
Release Date: January 4, 2011
Publisher: ROC
Jane Yellowrock Book #3
ISBN:  0451463722
ISBN13: 9780451463722
Genre: Urban Fantasy


Jane Yellowrock is a shape-shifting skinwalker − and a vampire killer for hire. But lately she’s found herself taking blood money from the very vampires she used to hunt...

Things are heating up in the Big Easy. Weres have announced their existence tot he world, and revived the bitter tensions that run between them and their old enemies: vampires. As a trusted employee of Leo Pellissier, Blood Master of the City, Jane finds herself caught in the cross fire.

When Jane is attacked by a pack of marauding were-wolves, she is thankful for the help of a mysterious stranger named Girrard. He explains that he used to be Leo’s “Mercy Blade,” a sacred position charged with killing vampires who have gone insane. What Jane doesn’t know is why this powerful assassin left New Orleans − or, more troubling, why he’s now returned. It’s definitely not to make Jane’s life easier..

So has many books with cliffhanger endings lately and MERCY BLADE sure didn't want to be left out. I love how the Jane Yellowrock series is based on real world places and times just with the addition of supernatural beings. I enjoyed the storyline and found that everything was paced perfectly. There is a bunch of sexual tension in MERCY BLADE and I'm dying to know what will come of certain relationships. I enjoyed the investigation techniques and procedures that are followed and seem to stick close to real life. The action was exciting and left me on the edge of my seat. Faith Hunter is wonderful about explaining details and it really brings the story together. It seems like Jane is really close to having what she is revealed and It will be interesting to see what happens after that happens. The next book is already named RAVEN CURSED but has no release date yet that I could find.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop

Dreaming of Books Giveaway Hop

January 14th to 17th

Hosted by Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf
& I Am A Reader, Not A Writer

(CLOSED)

Winner will receive

Your choice of ANY 1 book valued Up to $10USD from Book Depository.

*Open to anyone the Book Depository ships FREE to.*

*US residents- I reserve the right to order your book from a US book store*

RULES
1) You MUST Be a Follower!!!
2) It is only open to anyone the Book depository ships to.
3) Fill out the FORM 

Giveaway Ends 1/17 at 11:59pm EST

Winner will have 48 Hours to reply to my email or I will pick another

Winner chosen randomly with the help of random.org

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop

Thank you everyone for stopping by and Follow me if you like what you see!!

Follow Friday 

This weeks question comes from

Annette @ The More You Read, The More You Will Know!

"What makes up your non-human family??"

 

We have NO pets. I have 3 people (2 kids and a Husband) I already take care of and I couldn't imagine adding another. My kids have asked for a dog, fish, and a lizard but we rent and don't want to have to worry about extra deposits and moving with pets. They love playing with other peoples pets.

Book Blogger Hop

This week's question comes from :  Barb who blogs at Sugarbeat's Books:
 

"Why do you read the genre that you do?  What draws you to it?"

I love the imagination, adventure and fantasy that comes along with reading about paranormal creatures and things. Its so easy to get lost in the magical worlds Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance brings. Once I started reading about Vampires, werewolves, etc I just couldn't get enough.

Review: Killing Rocks by D.D. Barant

Killing Rocks
Author:D.D. Barant
Release Date: December 28, 2010
Publisher: St. Martin's
Bloodhound Files Book #3
ISBN:  0312942605
ISBN13: 9780312942601
Genre: Urban Fantasy


FBI profiler Jace Valchek's ticket home from the twisted parallel universe where she's been called to duty hinges on the capture of series killer Aristotle Stoker - and an alliance with a sorcerer known as Asher. The problem: Asher has joined forces with some of the most dangerous creatures Jace has ever encountered. The solution: There is none, without Asher's help. Jace's goal seems simple enough - to get her man, like always. But just hours after she arrives in Vegas, she's abducted...and she isn't even sure who the real enemy is. Now Jace has to wonder if she's the predator or the prey in a very dangerous game that could change not only her fate, but the world's...Meanwhile, a serial killer is still on the loose. And time has already run out...

If you enjoy a book full of Action, Were's, Vampires, Golem's and other supernatural beings you will love the Bloodhound Files. Jace was stolen from her world to an alternate world where Humans only make up 1% of the population. D.D. Barants world building is awesome, I can picture everything she explains with no problems at all. I seriously have no idea what else Jace could go through but I cant wait for D.D. Barant to tell me. In KILLING ROCKS Jace is separated from those she is close to and has to solve the problem with the help of someone (actually a few people) that started the book as an enemy(ies). She finds out more about why she was chosen to be brought to where she is and a little more about the person that brought her there. KILLING ROCKS is full of action and is a very fast paced read. If you are looking for romance this isn't the book for you but you wont be disappointing in the storyline or the characters.

I gave it 4/5 Stars