The Taint In The Blood by S.M. Stirling
The 1st in ‘The Shadowspawn’ trilogy by the author of ‘Drakon’, ‘The Domination’ and ‘The Peshawar Lancers’. Adrian Breze isn’t human; he is Homo Nocturnus - one of a race of super-predators who are the source of all myths and legends. Though they are few, the Shadowspawn rule from behind the scenes and kill for fun. Adrian is a recluse who fights against his darker nature.
But now his sister, Adrienne, strikes at him by taking his human girlfriend Ellen. Adrian must save her and Ellen has to survive in Adrienne’s nightmare world. This is good and a supremely enjoyable tale. The Shadowspawn do however bear a certain resemblance to the Draka of ‘Drakon’ and ‘The Domination’.
Best Lines:
“Peasants are boring!”
“Have interesting, sensitive minds to torment and degrade!”
“Option one would be fun for a while, but that devastated wasteland thing, no.”
“You know, he even screams with an impressive vocabulary?”
“Not given to complex verbalizations, shall we say.”
“You’re not still angry with the man for killing us?”
“It was grossly offensive,”
“It’s always been what we’re for.”
~
The Mortal Instruments Book Five: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare
After the awful ‘City of Fallen Angels’, the series returns to form with this entry. The demonic Sebastian has Jace and Clary in his power. Meanwhile their friends try to save them but as rumours of the coming demonic war grow it becomes apparent that much more is at stake. This was a good, enjoyable adventure with a darker tone to it. However the ridiculously chaste relationships, the unhealthily obsessive Clary/Jace love and the constant disrespecting of Jocelyn go on. I do look forward to Book Six however.
Best Lines:
“And when Rebecca comes home and your house looks like the set of The Exorcist? And your mom has no explanation for where you are?”
“Valentine raised an angel in his cellar.”
“She responded with an impressive torrent of filth that involved his sex life with Magnus.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
“For not killing you when you were born,”
“I do love fending off angry Shadowhunters, especially of the possessed variety.”
“Down with Downworlders, kill all recalcitrant Shadowhunters, blah, blah.”
“Let them see me like this. Let them see what you had to do to get me to come with you.”
“Clary responded with an epithet that would have gotten her kicked out of class at St. Xavier’s.”
“If you’re not out in ten minutes, I’ll come in after you. And trust me, you won’t like that.”
“You should be a coat. I should be wearing you.”
~
Sins of the Angel by Linda Poitevin
Book 1 of ‘The Grigori Legacy’ promotes itself as an urban fantasy with angels. It isn’t. It is a paranomal romance, an absolutely awful unreadable one.