10 Persephone’s surrender by Selena Kitt (2009; Phaze Books) retells the classical Greek myth of the virgin goddess of spring, Persephone, and her abduction by the god of the Underworld, Hades. In the myth, Persephone grows out of her role as queen of the underworld to become a powerful and mysterious goddess. In Kitt’s uncensored version, Persephone is irritated by her mother Demeter’s restriction of her and her negative view of men, both human and divine.
From the depths of the earth arises Hades, also known as Aidon. He lifts Persephone into her chariot and takes her into the hauntingly enchanting splendor of her underworld realm, the land of the dead. In his mind, this is a perfectly acceptable arranged marriage, a deal between Aidon and Zeus, Persephone’s father. Persephone feels a mixture of fear and attraction to the handsome, amber-eyed god. A thoroughly modern twist on an ancient fable.
9. from dead to worse by CharlaineHarris. A lot happens in this book (including Alcide’s ascension to leader of the Shreveport pack and the appearance of a new fairy), but the whole effort is pretty disjointed. Sookie is more fickle (she’s suddenly interested in Calvin Norris and Eric, not so much Alcide and Quinn), and there’s a noticeable lack of romance. Interesting, but not the best of the Southern Vampire series. On the other hand, Bill seems to want Sookie back… could the long-awaited reconciliation be in the works?
8. dead after dark by Sherrilyn Kenyon, JR Ward, Susan Squires, and Dianne Love. The four stories in this collection are highly entertaining. The best of the best is “The Story of Son” by JR Ward. It’s not part of your Black Dagger Brotherhood story, but it’s excellent, with a truly captivating heroine and a darkly romantic, tragic hero, a bit like Z in the Brotherhood. (And he is my favorite). This is my first time reading from the other authors, but I will certainly want more in the future thanks to this introduction. All the stories could have the theme “They came from different worlds”. Very spicy stories, very diverse, all very good.
7. dead is the new black by Marlene Perez. Ever since the days of Scoobie Doo, teens have wondered if the adults were conspiring to get them. And you know what? Sometimes they are right. Daisy Giordano is not only a resident of the peculiar town of Nightshade, but also the only “norm” in a family of psychics. When the girls from Ella’s high school start turning up undead, she and Ella’s best friend Ryan must get to the bottom of this mystery. Is a vampire on the loose? Could it be Nurse Phillips, or maybe Miss Foster, the head cheerleading coach? Daisy may not have the special powers of her mother and her sisters, but she is smart, curious, and most of all, determined. If anyone can get to the bottom of this, it’s Daisy.
6. The Beauties from Hell by Jackie Kessler. There are many reasons to love the beauties of hell by Jackie Kessler (Zebra Books, 2007). One is her heroine, Jezebel, who is literally a cloven-footed demon spawned in the depths of hell. When Hell undergoes a change in management, the succubus Jezebel is forced to abandon her career of seducing the souls of mortal men and become a nightmare. Jezebel does not adapt well to change, fleeing the lake of fire to become mortal. And, since mortals have to pay the rent, she becomes a stripper.
Lacking a soul, Jezebel certainly doesn’t plan on falling in love. Still, when she meets Paul Hamilton, she’s more fascinated by him than an ex-demon should be. Paul is beautiful, to be sure, but with his “poet’s eyes” and broken boxer’s nose, he’s also a sweet, sensitive soul.
Other characters in this book are also well written and interesting. There is Daun, the incubus. He gets his own book from him, hotter than hell, two more volumes in Kessler’s Hell on Earth series. Then there is Lucifer himself, who has given perhaps the most sympathetic and romantic performance since Milton’s Paradise Lost. I was pleasantly surprised by Kessler’s reinterpretation of Lucifer.
Another wonderful surprise awaiting readers of Hell’s Belles is the music. Kessler livens up Jezebel’s strip club with the classic Melissa Etheridge, the new INXS (“Pretty Vegas,” with lead singer JD Fortune), The Bloodhound Gang and, best of all, a U2 medley of “Desire” and “Mysterious Ways”. He wanted to put a five dollar bill in the pocket book to tip the DJ.
A fellow reviewer the beauties of hell I found the ending “a little easy”, but I disagree. The ending brought tears to my eyes, with its poignant mix of sadness and hope. I highly recommend it the beauties of hell to all lovers of paranormal and fantastic romance.
5. The singular exploits of Wonder Mom and Party Girl by Marc Schuster. First rule of parenting: don’t use drugs in front of your children. Especially if you’re the only PTA member managing the school’s Just-Say-No program.
Audrey Corcoran is shocked when her husband of ten years leaves her for a much younger, thinner woman named Chloe. Desperate not to lose her young daughters like she lost Roger, Audrey decides to get in touch with the fun side of her. Her adventures lead her to try cocaine, against her better judgment. In this tragicomic novel, Audrey faces life on and off drugs.
It always amazes me a little when a male author paints such a moving and realistic portrait of a woman’s life. Scott Simon did it for Irena Zaric, 17, in pretty birds, and Marc Schuster does it for thirtysomething Audrey Corcoran. Thanks to Desperate housewives, the secretly drugged suburban mom may be something of a cliché, but Schuster never allows Audrey’s life to become a caricature or a morality play. He just gives her 292 pages to be Wonder Mom & Party Girl herself, and readers will be thankful for that.
Four. Happy Hour at Casa Dracula by Martha Acosta. Completely nice. In this witty novel, Acosta creates a wonderful heroine in Milagro de los Santos. Mil, as her friends know her, wants what all girls want: to be taken seriously as a writer, to live in a rat-free apartment, and to maybe find a fabulous guy she can get serious with. That guy is definitely not her ex, Sebastian, the hot writer. of the day (of the day?) who is sitting on top of a pile of dark secrets. Oswald arrives, who may be a vampire, and whose secrets may or may not be of the dark variety. Beautifully written, funny, and romantic, this is a real winner.
3. Raven Woman and Mud Girl by Victoria Selene Skye Deme. The author is, I believe, the illegitimate son of Sylvia Plath, Barbara G. Walker (who wrote the wonderful Women’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets) and American Indian writer Louise Erdrich. Raven Woman and Mudgirl it is a too short collection of poems full of myths and folklore. The theme, in general, is the reconciliation of the old dichotomy of female archetypes: is a woman a sweet-faced angel or an angry bitch goddess? In Skye Deme’s poems, she is daughter, lover, monster, and more. These are big poems for such a small and deeply satisfying book. My personal favorite is “Dreary Summer Day”. What sounds like something perfectly mundane is actually a beautifully spun vampire tale.
two. The prestige of Christopher Priest. First, you have to watch the movie, which stars Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale as a pair of warring stage magicians. It’s kind of a steampunk thing, where early 19th century technology meets late Victorian/Edwardian era. AFTER you’ve seen the movie (and drooled over your choice of Jackman, Bale, Scarlett Johannson, or David Bowie), read Chris Priest’s amazing book, which struck me as even stranger than the movie.
1. gone to earth by Jeffrey B. Allen. With its edible, fantastical fairytale scenery, bizarre descriptions, and heartfelt emotion, this is simply a great read for older kids, teens, and adults who love fantasy novels. Full of magic and adventure.