Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: City of Night

City of Night by Dean Koontz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

New Orleans, Dean Koontz's City of Night. Home of the blues, jazz, and Anne Rice's vampires. And Victor Helios (nee Frankenstein). Police Detectives Carson O'Conner and Michael Maddison have encountered Victor's latest attempt at creating life, and with the help of Frankenstein's original monster, now calling himself Deucalion, they managed to stop (or at the very east slow down) Victor's run at world domination. (See book 1: Prodigal Son)

While Victor has managed to create life from lifelessness, he also restricted them by making them subservient to him, and unable to hurt themselves or Victor. He is the master, and all must obey. But some of his creations are self-destructing. And some are changing.

At the end of book 1, Deucalion, Carson, and Michael chase after one of these changelings, only to have it disappear into the city. Now they must find it and any others who might be out there, while trying to expose Victor's ultimate plan. And Victor, who has been oblivious to the changelings until now, must try to learn why his perfect creations are going so very wrong. Events are spiraling quickly out of control. We can only hope that our heroes can save the day, New Orleans, and the world.

This 2nd volume of Dean Koontz's Frankenstein series was co-written with Ed Gorman, an incredible thriller/horror writer in his own right (click on his name to learn more about him). Between the two of them they have continued Frankenstein's legacy and actually managed to make us feel sympathy for Victor's monsters. Victor remains, however, the quintessential villain, and readers will have no trouble rooting for our heroes in their quest to stop his machinations. This is another excellent tale and a fabulous continuation of the series. Stay tuned for my review of book 3: Dead and Alive.

Cross posted at Sleepless eReader. Comment here or there.

The Friday 56: Deadly Desire by Keri Arthur

1. Grab the book nearest you. Right now
2. Turn to page 56.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of this blog.
5. Post a link along with your post back to this blog.
6. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

Today, my closest was Deadly Desire by Keri Arthur. This was #7 in her Riley Jensen Guardian series, and I loved it—both the series and this particular book.

Hell, we cleaned up the rogues, and that had once been the council's job.

Jennifer Rardin 1965-2010

Jennifer Rardin, author of the popular Jaz Parks series, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, September 20. You can learn about her on her web site at http://jenniferrardin.com/. My sincere condolences to her family and friends. Rest in peace, Jennifer. We'll miss you.

Dean Koontz's Frankenstein: Prodigal Son

Prodigal Son by Dean Koontz

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has to be one of the spookiest stories I've read in a long time. Dean Koontz and Kevin Anderson have taken the classic Frankenstein story and continued it into the modern day. In other words, Victor Frankenstein is still alive. When our heroine, Carson O'Connor, a police detective, stumbles across evidence of Victor's current experiments, she opens up a kettle of fish that puts her, her partner, and her family in peril. Cue the cavalry! But, surprise! The cavalry is none other than Victor's original monster. The monster calls himself Deucalion now, and no one is more surprised than he that Victor has managed to survive all these years. Deucalion teams up with Carson and Michael Maddison, her partner, to try to stop Victor's evil machinations before the city goes straight to hell in Frankenstein's handbasket. If you enjoy your stories complete with evil mad scientists bent on world domination, you can't go wrong with Prodigal Son, the first in Koontz's Frankenstein series. Stay tuned for a review of Book Two: City of Night.

Link to where you can buy the eBook

Marta Acosta's The Bride of Casa Dracula

The Bride of Casa Dracula by Marta Acosta

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book 3 of Milagro De Los Santos' adventures pulls you in from page one and doesn't let you go until you turn the last page. I was so absorbed by the book that I read it in one sitting.

At the end of Midnight Brunch, Oswald proposes to Milagro. Cheers are heard across the land. Except for inside the Council. Or from his Mother. Oh, and Ian isn't very happy about it, either. But, our Milagro knows what she wants and is determined to get it. So she dutifully heads off (alone—Oswald has to work, of course!) to the east coast to meet with the Council and get their approval. She arrives at the hotel to find her reservation has been cancelled and her college friend Toodles is down with the flu. Then, in a shocking turn of events (she said knowingly), Ian just happens to be in the city as well. He comes to her rescue (again) by providing a place to stay and taking her out for supper. Fortunately, Ian's new girlfriend Ilena is there, so Milagro is not about to jump all over him (even though she really wants to). When she returns to Casa Dracula, it's with the news that the Council is still deliberating and they want her and Oswald to practice celibacy until the wedding, which is not for 3 more months! Oh, and they want her to swear loyalty and fealty to the Vampire Nation and renounce the USA. O.o

You've got to wonder how Milagro gets herself into these fixes. Needless to say, she is very unhappy about the whole celibacy thing. And there's no way she's going to give up her American citizenship. And really, this kind of stress is the last thing she needs, what with her writing career going nowhere fast and poor Daisy, her beloved dog, dying. But she soldiers on, because that is what our Milagro does, and even though fate seems to keep shoving her back two steps for every three she takes forward, she is bound and determined to make this wedding come to pass. Or is it fate? Some of these supposedly coincidental coincidences seem awfully convenient. And the more they happen, the more it appears that poor Milagro has gone 'round the bend.

I thoroughly enjoyed this instalment of the Adventures of the Miracle of the Saints at Casa Dracula. Marta Acosta has proven yet again that she knows what she is doing—and that's write an engaging, funny, appealing, and memorable romantic comedy. This series is a definite keeper.

A Gentleman's Duel - Vancouver Film School

This is absolutely brilliant!

Scott Nicholson's Kindle Giveaway Blog Tour

KINDLE GIVEAWAY BLOG TOUR

Author Scott Nicholson and Amazon are giving away two Kindles as part of his fall book blog tour from September through November. A Kindle DX will be given away through the participating blogs, and a Kindle 3 will be given away through the tour newsletter. A Pandora's Box of free ebooks will be given away through Nicholson's "hauntedcomputer" Twitter account. No purchase necessary, and the contest is international.

"The digital era coincides with Act II of my career," Nicholson said. "The Kindle has broadened many people's horizons and given readers more power than ever, and this is an opportunity to celebrate them and the book bloggers who spread the word."

Nicholson is author of 12 novels and five story collections, as well as four comics series and six screenplays. His paranormal thrillers The Red Church, Drummer Boy and Speed Dating with the Dead have all hit #1 in the Kindle "Ghosts" category, and his new releases are the sci-fi thriller Forever Never Ends and the multiple-personality romp As I Die Lying.

As a bonus, if Nicholson hits the Top 100 in the U.S. or U.K. Kindle Store during the tour between Sept. 1 and Nov. 30, he will give away an extra Kindle 3 through the blogs. Sign up for the newsletter at scottsinnercircle-subscribe@yahoogroups.com to get daily links to the participating blogs. Winners will be selected at the Watauga County (NC) Public Library in December. Co-sponsored by Kindle Nation Daily and Dellaster Design. Details at www.hauntedcomputer.com.

Kelly Gay's The Darkest Edge of Dawn

The Darkest Edge of Dawn by Kelly Gay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charlie Madigan must now face the consequences of what she wrought in The Better Part of Darkness. Her daughter has turned the hellhound into a pet. Her partner Hank's voice mod is fused to his throat restricting his siren power in a way that was never intended. And her ex-husband's deal with a revenant has just added another level of stress into her life. Because, not only has darkness fallen over the city (and everyone is blaming her for it), but her DNA is slowly being re-written, and no one has any idea what the end result will be (except Kelly Gay, hopefully!). Oh, and her sister Bryn is now involuntarily addicted to ash, the off-world drug of choice. Charlie certainly has her work cut out for her in this, the second book in the series.

Ms. Gay has done a fantastic job with this book. I zoomed through the story and can't wait to see where she will take the characters next. In this installment we learn a little more about ash and how it affects humans, as well as about the history of the Adonai and Charbydons, and—holy smokes!—if she continues Charlie's evolution in this direction...eek!

I loved this story. Way to go, Kelly!

Marta Acosta's Midnight Brunch

Midnight Brunch by Marta Acosta

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Milagro de los Santos is feeling left out because boyfriend Oswald is keeping secrets. True, they are family secrets, and Oswald's family of not-vampires have accepted Milagro into their home (and hearts), but she's feeling insecure and thinks that if only Oswald would include her, she would be much more sure of their love. In the mean time, Oswald is trying to juggle a demanding career, a demanding family, and a demanding girlfriend. He's understandably frustrated and lashes out at the one he loves the most—Milagro.

Milagro meets more of Oswald's family at a dinner party celebrating the birth of Oswald's cousin Sam's daughter. Sam is married to Winnie, Oswald's ex-fiance, whom we met in Happy Hour at Casa Dracula. After sneaking a peek at the secret family ritual she was not invited to attend, Milagro runs off to the city feeling more insecure than ever. While there, she meets up with one of the previous night's dinner party guests, who seems quite willing to tell Milagro anything and everything she wants to know about the secretive clan. Little does she know that he has much more than talk on his agenda...

Book 2 of Marta Acosta's Casa Dracula series doesn't disappoint. Milagro worms her way deeper into our hearts by proving to be vulnerable, sweet, funny, and loyal. Marta's characterizations are totally believable and we find it easy to like, or despise them, as the case may be. The storyline at the desert spa is fabulous and you can just see Milagro getting herself into this kind of fix—and getting herself out of it again. In the end, we are left with a more self-assured Milagro—one we will certainly keep rooting for as her adventures continue.