Review of Nadia Lee's The Last Slayer

Title: The Last Slayer
Author: Nadia Lee
Publisher: Carina Press
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley
Publication Date: December 26, 2011
Rating: 4 out of 5

Nadia Lee’s The Last Slayer is a fun novel in a new Urban Fantasy series that leans more towards the Fantasy side of UF. I had a hard time rating this book at first, because I really loved it, but I felt there were a few issues. That said, Ashera del Cid, the eponymous last slayer, is a likeable heroine with a mysterious past, and the world she inhabits will draw you in from the first page.

When the book begins, Ashera del Cid is a very homely demon hunter, killing succubi and incubi who attack humans in their dreams. Ashera was abandoned as a baby and was passed from foster home to foster home until she was rescued by Jack, her current boss and foster father. His daughter Valerie (who’s a real looker) is Ashera’s best friend, and from the beginning Ashera makes it clear that she’s the best demon hunter employed by Jack and has no regrets about not being as beautiful as Valerie.

Ashera’s life suddenly takes a turn for the worst on her birthday when she’s tricked by a succubus and “marked”, then attacked by wyrms. None of this makes sense to her, and when the dragonlord Ramiel appears and tells her that he’s sworn to protect her, she’s even more confused. Ramiel escorts Ashera to another dimension, and she has to learn to defend herself from other dragonlords while fighting a sizzling attraction to Ramiel as well.

There were so many things to love about this book. First, Ashera is a terrific new urban fantasy heroine, very kickass and extremely capable. She faces several formidable enemies, undergoes a dramatic transformation, and learns just enough about her past to drive a weaker woman nuts. Even though it’s mentioned early on in the novel that Ashera is ugly, I actually forgot until reminded later in the book, because I was so intrigued by her story.

Second, I absolutely loved the world building in The Last Slayer. It was creative and fascinating, and we learn just enough about the culture surrounding the dragons and the dragonlords that our interest is piqued without the information becoming overwhelming. My favorite has to be the little household wyrm, Toshi - very funny! I also like that we learn about this new world through Ashera’s experience. While this leaves us with a lot of questions at the end of the book, the story arc in this novel is resolved.  

My main quibble is with the character of Ramiel. The chemistry between the hero and heroine is smoldering, but I was never fully convinced of Ramiel’s interest in Ashera. The two spend some time together, but there are some serious trust issues between them, mainly because Ramiel seems determined not to tell Ashera things she needs to know. Also, part of her transformation leads to Ashera’s questioning Ramiel’s interest in her, with good reason.

Overall, this was a great first book in the series! I had a hard time putting it down, and that’s always a big plus. I definitely recommend this one, especially if you’re a fan of fantasy.

Early Review of Anthology Supernatural

Title: Supernatural

Authors: Larissa Ione, Alexandra Ivy, Jacquelyn Frank & G.A. Aiken

Publisher: Zebra Books

Formats: Mass Market Paperback & eBook

Source: Purchased

Publication Date: August 30, 2011

Rating:  3.5 out of 5 stars

My trip to Target on Friday night was a fruitful one, as I snagged a couple of books that aren’t supposed to be released until this coming Tuesday. Supernatural is one of those , and I was excited to see it on the shelves, because I didn’t know the authors were releasing this anthology until I read a review at The Fiction Vixen last week. I’ve read and enjoyed books by all these authors, but my favorites are easily Larissa Ione and G.A. Aiken, and their stories in this collection are also my favorites. I feel like this is one of the stronger anthologies I’ve seen lately, as all four of the novellas are well done.

My only criticism of the collection as a whole is of the cover. When I saw the early review of Supernatural at Fiction Vixen, I assumed that the book was either self-published or only being released in eBook form, because the cover is NOT attractive. I was stunned (but in a good way) when I saw in Target in mass market paperback. Hopefully the cover won’t turn you off, because these four authors have written engaging novellas that fit in nicely with their different series.

Larissa Ione “Vampire Fight Club” Set in the world of Ione’s Demonica and Lords of Deliverance series, this is my overwhelming favorite of the stories. Nathan Sabine is a daywalker, a vampire who can walk in the sun. He runs Gladius, a blood arena for supernaturals, and when a hyena shifter dies in the arena, Nate thinks nothing of it. Unfortunately for him, the hyena survives his trip to Underground General long enough to tell his sister Vladlena (Lena) Paskelkov the name of the vampire club Thirst, the front for Gladius. Lena goes undercover at the club to avenge her brother, but she and Nate find themselves fighting their attraction to one another. The first few pages into the novella I wasn’t sure how it fit into Ione’s series, but that was quickly resolved and the rest was smooth sailing. Ione mentions in a short note to the reader that we’ll learn more about Nate’s Daywalker state in future Lords of Deliverance books. I can’t wait!

Alexandra Ivy “Darkness Eternal” I’ve read several of Ivy’s books in the Guardians of Eternity series, but it’s been a while and I’m not caught up on the series, so this novella was at times a bit difficult to follow. However, I enjoyed the story of Kata, trapped in a dark room for over 200 years by her evil vampire sister Marika. Kata’s daughter, Laylah, has convinced the vampires that Kata must be rescued, and the vampire Uriel does just that. When Uriel finds Kata, they learn that the two will need to travel to hell to save her life. While Kata has no desire to spend time with a vampire after being imprisoned by one for centuries, her time with Uriel convinces her otherwise. This was the most convoluted of the novellas, no doubt because I’m a little out of touch with the series.  

Jacquelyn Frank “Kane” This novella takes place at the same time as Frank’s first book in the Nightwalkers series, Jacob, my favorite in the series. Unlike Ivy’s novella, however, you can easily follow along without having read any of the series. Kane is a mind demon, and Jacob’s younger brother. When Kane begins to stalk a human woman, Corrine, and then uses his abilities to manipulate minds to talk to her, demon enforcer Jacob intervenes, as demons are strictly forbidden from touching humans. Unfortunately, it turns out that Corrine is part druid, and Kane’s touch has begun the imprinting process, which requires that the two remain in contact to exchange energy. Kane’s enforced absence nearly kills her, but the two are reunited in time to save her life. My only complaint about this novella is that almost the entire story takes place in bed, with the two conversing. It drags a bit, but if you’re a fan of the series, you’ll enjoy learning how Kane and Corrine met.

G.A. Aiken “Dragon on Top” Shelly Laurenston writes about dragon shifters under the pseudonym G.A. Aiken, and her books always crack me up. This novella focuses on dragon shifter Ghleanna the Decimator, sister to Bercelak the Black. As a member of the Cadwaladr clan, Ghleanna is majorly kick-ass, but she’s recently been dumped by a less than worthy dragon, and she’s been wallowing in self-pity ever since. When Ghleanna’s sister-in-law, the queen of the Fire Dragons, decides to send negotiator Bram to arrange a treaty with the Sand Dragons, she decides that Ghleanna should accompany him. Bram has had a crush on Ghleanna for centuries, but she barely notices him, and she’s not thrilled to be babysitting another royal dragon. Bram manages to win her over, though, and the two make an interesting pair. You don’t usually see a beta male in the role of the hero, but Bram is a great example of one and a real sweetheart. Ghleanna is pretty rough and tumble, and the interaction between her and her brothers is a hoot. I think you can read this story without having read any of the books in the series, but you’ll definitely enjoy it more if you have.

Here There Be Dragons

Recently I’ve read several fun new releases featuring dragon shifters, so I thought I’d do a quick review of some dragon themed books. I have to admit that years ago it never would have occurred to me to read books about werewolves, much less dragons, but I’ve really enjoyed them. These authors have created intriguing fictional worlds and it makes for some great escapism. Check them out!

Thea Harrison’s Dragon Bound

I found this novel to be really clever. The author has used several familiar tropes (shape-shifters, mates, the fae) in creating her fictional world, but she puts a spin on these to create new and captivating characters. These characters are really appealing, which for me absolutely sells this book, and I can’t wait until September when the second novel of the series is released. The heroine of Dragon Bound, Pia Giovanni, is blackmailed by an ex-boyfriend into stealing from the most powerful dragon in the world, Dragos Cuelebre. He’s a Wyr, a shape-shifter, and Pia is half-wyr. Pia and Dragos meet because she steals a penny from his horde. In one of the many humorous moments, Dragos reads the note she left apologizing for the theft: “I’m sorry I had to take your penny. Here’s another to replace it.” Dragos hunts her down and discovers her to be as intriguing as her note. Over the course of the novel the two fall in love, and the sparks between them fly. The novel is action packed and sexy, plus full of surprises. Late in the novel we learn exactly what Pia’s other “half” is, and the wonder that the other characters experience at the revelation is almost equal to that of the reader. This jaded reader was certainly surprised, and that is unusual these days. I highly recommend this one!

Keri Arthur’s Mercy Burns

This is the second novel in Keri Arthur’s Myth and Magic Series, and the first novel of hers that I’ve read. The protagonist, Mercy, is half human and half dragon, and she’s helping a friend discover what happened to her sister. Unfortunately, Mercy and her friend are attacked and the friend does not survive. Mercy persists in looking for the truth behind the murders and discovers a conspiracy that could change the dragon world forever.

This wasn’t a bad novel; it just didn’t grab my interest the way the others did. Mercy’s character has experienced considerable abuse at the hands of the dragons because she’s “draman” (half human, half dragon), and she talks a lot about that abuse. Unfortunately I felt that the world of the dragons was a little underdeveloped. I would have liked to have seen one of the dragon communities that Mercy talks about, not just see her interact with other dragons in the human world.  She is aided in her search for answers by a dragon called “Muerte”, and we learn a little about his role in the dragon world, but I just wasn’t drawn into their relationship the way I was with the other books. I might check out the sequel at the library, but I’m not sure I’d purchase it. In fact, I didn’t even realize this was part of a series until the very end, and after reading reviews of the first novel, I’ll definitely be skipping it.

Allyson James’ Firewalker

Allyson James has two series about dragon shape-shifters; this one is the second in her Stormwalker series. Ms. James also writes historical romances under the name Jennifer Ashley, which are a lot of fun, so if dragons aren’t your thing but velvet and lace are, check her out! I read Stormwalker some time last year, but I didn’t realize that the sequel was out until I saw it at the library this weekend. This is actually better than the first book, and I enjoyed the first one considerably. Janet Begay, the heroine, is a stormwalker. She can channel the power of storms, but (spoiler alert) in the first novel we learn that her mother was literally from hell and Janet has inherited her mother’s powers. Janet’s boyfriend, Mick, is a dragon shapeshifter, and he was ordered to kill Janet to prevent her mother from ever escaping hell, but clearly decided not to comply with his orders, since we have a sequel. In this second novel, Mick is facing the consequences of his decision and Janet is fighting the growing power within her.

I really like how Ms. James uses Native American mythology and dragon lore in this novel. The character of Coyote is, as he should be, quite the trickster, and the dragons are really snooty. Janet and her magic mirror supply this urban fantasy (can it be urban fantasy if it’s in the desert?) with its required snark, and are just a lot of fun to read. Janet grows as a character in this novel, learning about her powers but also figuring out that she does in fact possess the strength to control them. I’m looking forward to future installments of this series, and I’m not sure I could have said that after the first book in the series.

G.A. Aiken’s Last Dragon Standing

As much as I loved Thea Harrison’s Dragon Bound and continue to re-read it, G.A. Aiken’s Last Dragon Standing is far and away one of my favorite shapeshifter books. G. A. Aiken is actually the pseudonym used by Shelly Laurenston when writing her Dragon Kin series, and I love to read her books because they are so very, very funny. This particular novel features the beautiful and spoiled dragon princess Keita, and how the author can take a stunningly beautiful spoiled brat and make her so very appealing is proof of the author’s skill. Keita is unabashedly self-centered, but as the hero Ragnar learns, Keita’s narcissistic tendencies are exaggerated for effect. In fact, she uses her over the top personality and good looks to spy for her country and protect the throne, despite Keita’s complicated relationship with her mother, the dragon queen. Ragnar is a Lightning dragon from the north, while Keita is a Fire dragon from the south, but somehow they manage to get together despite Ragnar’s superiority complex and Keita’s fear of commitment. This novel is the fourth novel in Aiken’s Dragon Kin series, and several of the characters from previous novels make appearances. You don’t have to have read the others to follow along, but you’ll definitely enjoy this more if you’ve read the others first. The relationships between the dragon family members make this series a hoot, and I highly recommend it.