Urban Fantasy

The weather may have turned chilly, but vampires, demons, werewolves, and other paranormal creatures continue to be hot with readers, as this crop of winter urban fantasy reveals. [For more urban fantasy, see Simon R. Green's The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny, reviewed in this month's sf column.—Ed.]

Abandoned when her mother was committed to a psychiatric institution because she saw demons and dared to speak about it, 18-year-old Emme was shuffled through the foster-care system until she eventually fled an abusive home and began living on the streets. In this sequel to The Exorsistah, Emme can't find her mother, and her feelings for a handsome young man confuse her. Like her mother, Emme, too, sees demons, and she knows that she's destined for a higher purpose—she just needs to figure out what that is. Emme's unwavering faith in the face of her experiences isn't always realistic, and she carries more burdens than most adults, but the problems she faces with family and relationships will resonate with younger readers. VERDICT Christian teens, fans of African American fantasy, and adult readers of YA fiction who are interested in the supernatural but who don't wish to step out of their spiritual comfort zone may enjoy Emme's quest to find her mother—and herself.

Themed, multiauthor urban fantasy anthologies are becoming as commonplace as cover models with lower-back tattoos, so there's nothing unexpected about the tattoo-based theme of this anthology. What is unexpected is the outstanding quality of the four novellas here. The standout, Yasmine Galenorn's "Etched in Silver," follows Camille D'Artigo on a manhunt for an abusive killer, but the darkness of her journey is tempered with a healthy dose of humor, sensuality, and clever dialog. Marjorie Liu and Eileen Wilks revisit characters from their ongoing series, and Chance continues a story begun in an earlier urban fantasy anthology. VERDICT The novella format gives the authors freedom to be inventive, and the theme is well suited to the genre. Readers who enjoy paranormal romance or urban fantasy with strong romantic elements will be drawn to this collection, which also serves as an excellent gateway to these authors' other works.

Gin "The Spider" Blanco is no stranger to murder. After her family was brutally killed, she lived on the streets of the Appalachian town of Ashland, until Fletcher Lane, owner of a local barbecue joint and professional assassin, took her in. Gin's ability to harness the power of stone, combined with Fletcher's training, make her a deadly opponent. When Fletcher is brutally murdered, Gin vows revenge. As her investigation uncovers a conspiracy that could destroy her hometown, Gin finds herself uncontrollably attracted to the hot cop handling the case. VERDICT The combination of humor and brutality can be jarring at times, but the fast pace, clever dialog, and intriguing heroine help make this new series launch by the author of the "Bigtime" paranormal romance series (Karma Girl, Hot Mama, Jinx) one to watch. For readers of paranormal romance.

New York City is under siege—demons are taking over, causing mayhem and destruction. When mild-mannered college student Gabriel Redfeather comes into possession of an ancient artifact, rumored to be a biblical weapon of great power, his life is changed. Gabriel teams up with warrior woman De Mona Sanchez and mysterious ex-cop Rouge to help clean up the streets. VERDICT In this gritty and dark debut, Gabriel's Clark Kent-ish story line is intriguing, but it's obscured by too many characters and a muddy, difficult-to-follow plot—both of which would have been better suited to a lengthier novel. If future titles in this series are more focused, this could develop into an interesting story.

In the second novel in Hunter's new paranormal series (after Skinwalker), vampire hunter Jane Yellowrock is still in New Orleans, recovering from her previous encounter with a rogue vampire. Beast, the big cat who shares Jane's consciousness, is ready to hunt and mate, and Jane has a difficult time controlling her wild side. Fortunately, there's a new problem to investigate—someone is violating age-old vampire rules, wreaking havoc with the already-tenuous clan structure in the Big Easy's overcrowded vampire underworld. The problem quickly becomes personal when Jane's witch friends are abducted to power the vampire rituals, and Beast's power, strength, and skill help Jane hunt down a cold-blooded killer. VERDICT Jane Yellowrock is one of the most intriguing new heroines in urban fantasy, and Hunter skillfully doles out tiny pieces of Jane's backstory to keep readers coming back for more. Mystery and action are at the forefront here, but the romance from the first book continues to build slowly. Readers eager for the next book in Patricia Briggs's Mercy Thompson series may want to give Faith Hunter a try.

Esther Diamond (Disappearing Nightly) is having a difficult week. The Off-Broadway show she's acting in is closing, and she just witnessed a murder at her waitressing job at a Mafia hangout in Little Italy. Before "Chubby" Charlie Chiccante died, he told Esther that he had seen his doppio, a perfect double and a portent of death. Soon, döppelgangers are plaguing New York's mobsters, their hangers-on, and their enemies, and Esther, lured in by her friendships with the local wiseguys and her budding relationship with a cop in the organized crime unit, finds herself in over her head. Fortunately, her friends Max, a 350-plus-year-old sorcerer, and Lucky Battistuzzi, an aging hit man, can help her stop the person behind the döppelgangers. VERDICT Fans of Charlaine Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series will appreciate this series' lively heroine and the appealing combination of humor, mystery, and romance.

In this third installment of Summers's ongoing series (Red, Scarlet), lovers Morgan Hunter and Gina "Red" Santiago are outlaws on the run through a desert wasteland, with only their vampire friend, Demery, to assist them. The price on their heads makes them a valuable prize, and their enemy, Roark, hopes to hunt them down and destroy them. As the two struggle to survive both the inhospitable environment and hostile natives, their relationship continues to transform. Meanwhile, other relationships heat up, including a passionate (and risky) affair between a vampire and a member of the International Police Tactical Team. Summers sprinkles her story with numerous sex scenes and plenty of action, but readers unfamiliar with the two earlier books about Red could find themselves lost. VERDICT Fans of erotic paranormal romance (Lora Leigh, J.R. Ward) might enjoy this dark, postapocalyptic fantasy, but the books should be read in order for best effect. [Summers participated in the urban fantasy panel at LJ's 2009 Day of Dialog at BookExpo.—Ed.]

Werewolf radio host Kitty Norville is back—and this time, she's agreed to appear in a reality TV show about supernatural phenomena. When she and her costars—including a magician, a were-seal, psychics, and vampires—arrive at a remote Montana hunting lodge, they discover that someone who knows their weaknesses is hunting them. With its rapid-fire dialog and action-packed plot, Kitty's latest adventure is sure to please fans of the series and might bring some new readers on board. VERDICT The seventh entry in Vaughn's top-notch paranormal series (Kitty Raises Hell) is as strong as ever. Readers of Kim Harrison's "Hollows" series and Jim Butcher's "Dresden Files" will appreciate Kitty's sarcastic wit, ingenuity, and independence.

Human-demon hybrid Allay lives a comfortable life. Her job as a bartender suits her demon side well—like most demons, she is an emotional vampire who feeds on humans' feelings, both good and bad. When her demon friend, Shock, is attacked and left for dead, Allay's investigation leads her to a massive demon conspiracy and puts her in the path of Theo Ram, a tough-guy bodyguard with a closely guarded secret. Wright, who has written several Star Trek novels, writes with plenty of finesse, introducing a world very much like our own, with the addition of centuries-old demons who crave our strongest emotions. VERDICT The combination of social commentary on the power of religion in contemporary society, a sensual romantic subplot, and a protagonist whose dual nature causes a moral dilemma that could kill her start this promising new series on a high note.