KDP, 2011
ASIN: B0053PVW22
Available: Kindle ebook

Lizzie is an addict in an abusive relationship. Abandoned on the street after a fight and attacked, she’s now a werewolf too. Wild is at heart a tale of redemption and the crippling effect abuse has on a person. It’s also a tale of werewolves on the cusp of exposure, fighting not to be defined by the worst and most stereotypical among them.

Lizzie is not the smart ass that readers of urban fantasy have come to expect, and addiction and spousal abuse seem to be among the least accepted issues in urban fantasy fiction. So it’s not surprising that this book has yet to really connect with its audience. But it’s a shame, because it’s very reflective of books of the older version of urban fantasy, like Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause and Nancy A. Collins’ Sonja Blue books. While the popularity of urban fantasy has, in many ways, led to the solidification (and some might say stagnation) of the genre, it’s books like these with a somewhat different tempo, but excellent story lines and writing, that fall through the cracks. Wild is a fantastic book, dark in ways that are somewhat uncomfortable, but ultimately hopeful. Lizzie’s struggle with addiction and self esteem makes it a book that will connect with readers unexpectedly and an excellent addition to public collections.

Contains: drug use, sex, violence, language

Pocket, 2011
ISBN: 1439195870
Available: paperback & multiformat digital

Maggie is the alpha of the pack, and despite kicking some tail to get the position, she finds herself cramped under the pressure to lead not just her people, but her family, into the future. The former alpha, Eli, was caught trying to kill Maggie’s brother, so things are tense in the pack, and a series of mysterious attacks aren’t helping. Neither is Dr. Nick Thatcher, the gorgeous man Maggie finds poking around Grundy, Alaska trying to prove that werewolves are real. But, despite pressure from her family to continue the shape shifter line, Maggie can’t keep her mind off Nick. Her libido, however, is just a distraction when it begins to look like another pack might be trying to take Maggie’s territory from her.

As a lead, Maggie is less fun than Mo, from Harper’s first werewolf book. She’s sassy, though, and a little mean, and a heck of a lot more conflicted. Harper is an excellent writer. She weaves a tale that feels ordinary despite the mystical elements, and integrates pack mentality and politics into the Alaskan wilderness seamlessly. Definitely recommended for public paranormal romance collections, Harper’s werewolf books will also likely appear to urban fantasy fans as well.

Contains: language, graphic sex scenes, some violence

Pocket, 2011
ISBN: 1439195862
Available: paperback & multiformat digital

“Pitch-perfect” is a cliché when it comes to book reviewing, but nothing less describes this fun paranormal romance from Molly Harper. Mo is a woman so desperate to escape her overwhelming hippie mother that she moves all the way to Alaska. She ends up in the tiny town of Grundy, where bears and elk roam, where the whole town (it seems) is looking for a wife, and where her neighbor just happens to be a werewolf. Cooper has a number of secrets of his own, including his lust for the pretty new outsider. Before Mo and Cooper can get together Cooper has to face up to his past, both emotionally and literally.

How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf is a fun book, driven by a lead that’s enchanting, hilarious and stubbornly charming. There’s enough mystery and danger to keep things exciting, but this book shouldn’t be confused with a horror novel or even an urban fantasy. Fun all the way through, How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf hooks its claws in early and drags readers along for an off-beat, wilderness-spiked ride. It’s a highly recommended and quite enjoyable addition to public and paranormal-loving private collections.

Contains: violence, explicit sex

Pocket, 2008
ISBN: 1416567836
Available: Trade paperback (new & used) & multiformat digital

Blood Lite is a collection of humorous horror stories, which more often than not means poking fun at horror tropes. If you’re a fan of Jeff Strand-style stories you’re in luck, because not only is a story by him here, so are 20 other tales of tongue-in-cheek terror.
Standouts include Kelley Armstrong’s “The Ungrateful Dead” about a woman who can see the dead and finds them to be as annoying and pushy as the living; “A Good Psycho is Hard to Find” by Will Ludwigsen, which points out some of the more realistic side effects of surviving a teen psycho murderer; and Jim Butcher’s “Day Off”. Altogether, it’s a very fun and dark collection that’s sure to do well by horror (or dark fantasy or suspense, or whatever we’re calling horror these days) fans. Definitely recommended.
Contains: Sex, language, gore, violence, bad puns

Penguin, 2011
ISBN: 0441020313
Available: Hardback, paperback, new & used multiformat digital

My biggest complaint about the Southern Vampire Mysteries series so far has been the lack of detectiving. Sookie doesn’t so much sneak around to try to find out what’s going on as she ends up sucked into it, often by someone targeting her or someone she loves. But this book is different. The first chapter opens up with someone firebombing Merlotte’s. Then Sookie and Eric have a fight over vampire politics that might just be leading to a break up, and the vampire in charge of the area makes it very clear he wants Sookie, Eric and Pam all dead.

Sookie’s been on the edge of a paranormal burn out for a while, and while she rallied back from being tortured two books ago, she’s lost a lot of her tolerance with people lying and manipulating her, but unfortunately seems to be too weak to actually take control of her own life (and seeing as that life includes fae royalty, alpha werewolves and powerful Viking vampires, it’s not a surprise).
Dead Reckoning has a somber tone, as if Harris is headed for a wrap up of her series. Her strength is still in an amazing level of character building, often in sneaky ways. While before Sookie always seemed to land on the side of happy-for-now it almost feels as if she’s headed for a sad end, an element that will keep readers tuned in for more. Dead Reckoning deserves a spot in public collections not just because of the series’ popularity, but because it’s a good, off-beat tale with a fair amount of re-read value.

Contains: violence, sex, language