Review: The Phoenix Illusion by Lisa Shearin

The Phoenix Illusion by Lisa Shearin

SPI Files #6

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigation (SPI) are used to dealing with the weird and the wacky, but even they are stunned when a building from another world suddenly appears on an empty lot in New York. . .

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and it’s just my luck that my birthday party is literally crashed by a building from another planet. And it’s not just any building—it’s my goblin boyfriend’s house from his home world. SPI’s mission, to keep the public clueless about the supernatural, has us scrambling to find who did this and why, not to mention how.

The deeper we dig, the more we realize this incident is the opening gambit to a much larger event. Old enemies have combined forces with an even older nemesis to develop the means to kidnap an entire building and everyone in it. But who, or what, is their ultimate target? Finding out and getting to the mark before they do will require all hands on deck, including some extraterrestrial help from the goblin home world. We’re running out of time, and if we can’t get our act together, we’ll have front-row seats for the end of the world as we know it.

Yet again, Lisa Shearin has knocked it out of the park again with THE PHOENIX ILLUSION. I really love how she seamlessly blends wit and humor right alongside a pretty intense and high stakes plot. I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. This time around Makenna and crew are elbow deep in one heck of rabbit chase after an entire building appears out of nowhere from another dimension. And yet, not matter how dire the stakes got, the book never once lost that feeling of levity. I really enjoy a heroine who doesn't take herself too seriously no matter the stakes, and that perfectly fits Makenna. She's fierce and tough, but she's also not unrealistically powerful, which I appreciate. She's not afraid to step up and do what's needed to be done, but she also doesn't hesitate to let others more powerful than her jump in, instead. She's very level headed, and I love it. Add that to her quirkiness and overall spunk and she's the perfect recipe of a heroine.

I don't think I can quite express just how enjoyable reading this series is. It checks off all my favorites; awesomely high staked plot, check; incredible cast of characters, check; a smoking romance, check; more than plenty hilarious moments, check, check, check. Seriously, if you enjoy a fast paced, fun story full of adventure and a great cast of characters, look no further than THE PHOENIX ILLUSION and the entire SPI series.

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
     All Things Urban Fantasy

Previous Books:
     1. The Grendel Affair
     2. The Dragon Conspiracy
     3. The Brimstone Defection
     4. The Ghoul Vendetta
     5. Myth Manifestation

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Review: The Myth Manifestation by Lisa Shearin

The Myth Manifestation by Lisa Shearin

SPI Files #5

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) protect people from predatory supernaturals. This time, we’re the ones who need protection.

New York is one of the most popular convention destinations in the world—for humans and supernaturals. Every hundred years, rulers of thhe world’s supernatural races come together to negotiate and renew a peace treaty. Meeting in the same hotel are the governors of our world’s goblin and elf colonies. SPI is saddled with the security nightmare of keeping the living delegates alive and the undead delegates from becoming permanently deceased. We’ve got our work cut out for us.

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI. Our security nightmare becomes real when monsters from the delegates’ mythologies begin mysteriously appearing in the flesh to hunt delegates from every side of the debate. And when the hotel gets sucked into another dimension, there’s no escape.

We discover that we’re all pieces in an elaborate and deadly game. A game about to spill out into the real world. Failing to escape is game over and not an option. We have to save the world—but first, wee have to save ourselves.

I know I say this in every time a read a new book in this world, but I absolutely love this series. It's just so much fun, and has a fantastic set of characters in a very rich world. I know every time I pick one of these books up I'm guaranteed an excellent read, and THE MYTH MANIFESTATION was no exception. Of course we have the usual fun from the excellent cast of characters and the bits of snark and humor had me bursting out loud. But this time, the plot really stole the show for me. It felt like a cross between a murder mystery and an escape room, and all the hi-jinx involved there-in. Add that to the fact that all of the very many species in this rich world were all locked in the same place together, and it made for one heck of a read.

I foolishly started this book in the late evening thinking "oh I'll just read a few chapters and then go to bed." WRONG! I wound up staying up until the wee hours just to finish as I couldn't get enough. Let me tell you the next morning came quick on just a few hours of sleep, but it was well worth it. So a word of warning, don't start this book unless you have a solid block set aside as you simply will not be able to put it down. 

All in all I cannot praise THE MYTH MANIFESTATION enough. I loved every single moment of this book and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. I'll be counting down the days for sure! Fans of the series are sure to be pleased!

(Received a copy from the author)

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Previous Books:
     1. The Grendel Affair
     2. The Dragon Conspiracy
     3. The Brimstone Defection
     4. The Ghoul Vendetta

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Blog Tour Release Day Review: The Ghoul Vendetta by Lisa Shearin

The Ghoul Vendetta by Lisa Shearin

SPI Files #4

Men in Black meets Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum in the fourth urban fantasy novel in the series starring seer Makenna Fraser and her fellow agents at Supernatural Protection & Investigation.

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) are paid to keep the peace. But that’s not so easy when an endless evil threatens to tear that peace to pieces...

A vampire gangster’s nephew is abducted off his yacht by a bunch of low-rent Creatures from the Black Lagoon. A slew of banks are knocked over by what looks like the cast of Night of the Living Dead. All of this may seem like the movies, but, I promise you, it’s not.

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and I know the culprits aren’t wearing disguises or makeup. They’re real. Deadly real. Especially their leader—an ancient shapeshifter who leaves a trail of chaos and blood in his wake. Now, he’s taken my partner, Ian—and his intentions aren’t pretty.

The worst part? This is only the beginning...

The beginning of the end of the human race.

This series is so much fun, I absolutely love it. Each book is a solid block of entertainment and THE GHOUL VENDETTA was no exception. There's so much humor between the phenomenal cast of characters despite all the very dark things they have to deal with. This time around was a doozy, and yet the story never once lost that sense of levity that I truly enjoy about it. Mac is fierce, but in a focused little engine that could type of way rather than your typical take no prisoners heroine. Her self deprecating humor mixed in with her determination to serve and protect is a breath of fresh air. You honestly never know what she's going to do next, but somehow she always comes out on top in the strangest of ways. She's unpredictable and admirable, and I just adore her for it. The rest of the characters are honestly top notch as well. From Mac's partner Ian, who is the definition of the perfect supernatural cop, to her mischievous lover, Rake, who is still a mystery, but oh so yummy, and to the rest of the SPI crew, simply fantastic.

Speaking of fantastic, man was the plot behind THE GHOUL VENDETTA one heck of a roller coaster ride. I read this book in one setting because I simply couldn't put it down. With each new release, Lisa Shearin has upped her game and brought higher stakes and bigger character developments, but this one takes the cake. Perhaps it's due to the fact that it hits very close to home for the SPI crew, but it just felt so much more intense. I won't spoil things, but trust me when I say you'll be on the edge of your seat while reading this one!

I couldn't have asked for a more enjoyable read. I truly hope there are many more books in this fantastic series to come!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:


Previous Books:
     1. The Grendel Affair
     2. The Dragon Conspiracy
     3. The Brimstone Defection

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Release Day Review: The Brimstone Deception by Lisa Shearin

The Brimstone Deception by Lisa Shearin

SPI Files #3

Men in Black meets Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum in the new urban fantasy novel starring seer Makenna Fraser and her fellow agents at Supernatural Protection & Investigation.

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) know that fighting evil is a full-time job, especially when a new designer drug—with mind-blowing side effects—hits the streets...

It’s called Brimstone. And after the first few hits, you’ll see every supernatural beast sharing the sidewalk, train, or office with you. After that, you’ll start seeing the really scary stuff.

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for the SPI. And the collateral damage caused by Brimstone is something I’d like to unsee: dead drug dealers missing their hearts—and souls. Because your local pusher doesn’t stand a chance against the new cartel muscling its way into New York. And since the drug can only be produced with magic and molten brimstone fresh from Hell, that means a rift to the underworld is open somewhere in the city.

And when—not if—the cartel loses control of it, well...

It’s going to be Hell on earth.

Makenna and crew are back at it again, and boy is this one a doozy. Considering these events start just two days after the last book's crazy events, it made things even more intense. Sure, crime never takes a holiday, but geeze, at some point a girl needs a break. Well more of a break than forced infirmary visits that is. In fact, it's rather impressive how much character growth and development the author is able to pack into these books considering how frenetic the pacing is and how short the timeline is. I fell in love with Mac even more in THE BRIMSTONE DEFECTION. She's snarky and fun, fierce and yet so vulnerable all at the same time. The dance she and Rake are doing around one another is nothing short of fully amusing. Sure I'd have liked a bit more progression there with the romance part of that, but again given that seriously short timeline, it makes sense to have the bit of a slower burn. Now I just have to wait until next year to see what happens next.

It's a shame this series has only released one book a year as they are incredible reads that as soon as I finish I only want more. They are truly urban fantasy at its finest. There's the incredible world, fantastic characters full of depth, heart pounding action, and so much more. Trust me if you haven't started this series yet, you'll want to move it to the very top of your list. THE BRIMSTONE DEFECTION only serves to further prove that The SPI Files is one heck of a series that is not to be missed. I can't wait for more!

 
(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:
     Vampire Book Club

Previous Books:
     1. The Grendel Affair
     2. The Dragon Conspiracy

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Release Day Review: Night Shift Anthology

Night Shift Anthology

Stories from Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews, 
Lisa Shearin, & Milla Vane

Four masters of urban fantasy and paranormal romance plunge readers into the dangerous, captivating world unearthed beyond the dark...

New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh delivers a smoldering story with Secrets at Midnight , as the scent of Bastien Smith’s elusive lover ignites a possessiveness in him that’s as feral as it is ecstatic. And now that he’s found his mate, he’ll do anything to keep her.

In #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews’ novella,Magic Steals , when people start going missing, shapeshifting tigress Dali Harimau and jaguar shifter Jim Shrapshire must uncover the truth about the mysterious creatures responsible.

From Milla Vane—a warrior princess must tame The Beast of Blackmoor to earn a place among her people. But she quickly discovers that the beast isn't a monster, but a barbarian warrior who intends to do some taming himself.

It’s seer Makenna Frazier's first day on the job at Supernatural Protection and Investigations, and her first assignment is more than she bargained for when bodyguard duty for a leprechaun prince’s bachelor party goes every which way but right in national bestselling author Lisa Shearin’s Lucky Charms .

I don't typically read anthologies unless they are set in worlds that I already read, but I decided to give this one a shot. I'm really glad I did as I have a new series to read, and two of my favorite series have been expanded upon. Definitely a great read for fans of these series, or anyone looking for something new to try out.

Onto the stories:

Secrets at Midnight by Nalini Singh - I'm a huge fan of Nalini's archangel series, but I haven't read anything from her psy series. If this novella is any comparison to the rest of the series, then it seems I have been missing out. Boy is it hot! That being said, I don't think this was really the best place for a new comer to start in the series, because I was more than a little lost as to the world and what was going on outside of the main couple. Even so, an enjoyable read that makes me want to check out the full books.

Magic Steals by Ilona Andrews - THIS novella is the entire reason I wanted to read this anthology. I've been dying to see Jim and Dali's story since their attraction had been first hinted about a couple of books ago in the series. I absolutely loved seeing them together, and Dali is a really interesting character to see inside her head. Now I wish there was going to be a full length from her perspective. Even so, I'm really happy I got to read this story, and see another side to the mysterious Jim.

The Beast of Blackmoor by Milla Vane - This one was a difficult read for me. I just don't think barbarian stories are my thing as I couldn't really get into it. Don't get me wrong, it was sexy, but it was a bit too out there for my tastes.

Lucky Charms by Lisa Shearin - I have to admit that I completely spaced on what this story was until I started it. I absolutely loved the first book in this series, so it was really great to see this prequel story. Now I just can't wait to get my hands on book two as this fun story reminded me just how fun the book was, and how much I loved it. If you're looking for a new urban fantasy read, these are the ones to check out, lots of fun!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Review: The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin

The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin

SPI Files #1

We’re Supernatural Protection & Investigations, known as SPI. Things that go bump in the night, the monsters you thought didn’t exist? We battle them and keep you safe. But some supernatural baddies are just too big to contain, even for us…

When I moved to New York to become a world famous journalist, I never imagined that snagging a job at a seedy tabloid would change my career path from trashy reporter to undercover agent. I’m Makenna Fraser, a Seer for SPI. I can see through any disguise, shield, or spell that a paranormal pest can come up with. I track down creatures and my partner, Ian Byrne, takes them out—usually saving my skin in the process.

Our cases are generally pretty routine, but a sickle-wielding serial killer has been prowling the city’s subway tunnels. And the murderer’s not human. The fiend in question, a descendant of Grendel—yes, that Grendel—shares his ancestor’s hatred of parties, revelry, and drunkards. And with New Year’s Eve in Times Square only two days away, we need to bag him quickly. Because if we don’t find him—and the organization behind him—by midnight, our secret’s out and everyone’s time is up.

I have to admit that when I saw the cover for THE GRENDEL AFFAIR I almost overlooked it as it "screamed" police procedural/sci-fi, which is a really hard sell for me. Luckily I then noticed the author quote from Ilona Andrews proclaiming it to be "urban fantasy at its best." Well then I knew I had to read the blurb and more than likely the book, as she's one of my favorite authors and is very up front about giving out very few book recommendations. After reading this book, I whole-heartedly agree that this is one heck of an urban fantasy read that frankly caught me off guard. Sure there still is the feel of the procedural aspect as it does revolve around an investigative service, but it's paranormal, not sci-fi and I have to admit I wish the cover had more of that look especially since it had a lighter and quirky feel due to the clumsy narrator that was incredibly endearing. You just wouldn't expect that kind of humorous read from such a cover, and I'm a big advocate for the cover matching the content.

Putting the cover issues aside, I really loved this book. Mac's character is awesome. She's so quirky and spunky, yet hopelessly clumsy. It was more than a little hilarious seeing her navigate through everything that was thrown at her, and her reactions had me laughing out loud. Trust me, considering some of the more gruesome aspects of this book, it's a true testament to Mac's character that she was able to keep things so light. The rest of the cast of characters were pretty stellar as well from Mac surly partner, Ian, to her Dragon-in-disguise boss, the werewolf Sasha, I could go on and on. Each one had their own unique personality that really shown through, making for the best kind of read. 

THE GRENDEL AFFAIR hit all my must haves for a great book. (Well all except romance that is, but the rest of the book was more than entertaining to make up for the complete lack.) From laugh out loud humor, to great characters, to an edge of the seat plot, THE GRENDEL AFFAIR is simply not to be missed!

(Received a copy from the publisher)

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Other Reviews:

     Seeing Night Book Reviews

     Urban Fantasy Investigations

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