Since right now I'm basically just talking to myself, I don't suppose I need to make excuses for taking as long as I have to post my first review. Still, there's no sense in wasting time, so I'll can the chit chat and get on it with it. I know my layout blows, but I'm working on it. Just so you know.
Anywho, let's just put it out there - Ilona Andrews (who is actually a husband and wife team, but for the sake of my sanity I'll refer to them in the singular...) is brilliant. I've loved everything she's written and that's saying a lot. So here's the latest, Clean Sweep, which is the first book in The Innkeeper Chronicles series. Finished it in one sitting the other night. (Kids don't need to eat, do they?)
So from the title and the front cover, you think "broom, cape... must be about a witch."
And I suppose our heroine is, in a way. Dina runs an inn (or in our parlance, a bed-and-breakfast) in a small town in Texas. Sounds quaint, right? Yeah, not so much. The inn is almost sentient and Dina is much more than she appears, even to those of us familiar with the urban fantasy genre. Dina lives quietly, her life revolving around attending to her mysterious, bloodthirsty guest and taking care of the inn until something with wicked sharp teeth and claws starts taking down neighborhood pets. Her strong sense of responsibility, as well as the feeling that the culprit is not just some wild animal, compels her to concern herself with events on behalf of her neighbors.
Enter her hot, ex-military neighbor Sean, who also happens to be a werewolf. (Sigh...I love me a good werewolf...) A typical alpha, he tries to take over and order her about and of course she ignores him and does what she feels is the right thing to do. Dina is not without power of her own and as any woman of spirit would, she resents him not treating her as an equal and shows him in no uncertain terms just how it's going to go down. To further complicate her life, Dina is accosted by vampires also intent on catching the beast (Not to be confused with Beast, capital B, who is Dina's dog and a badass in her own right) for reasons of their own, about which they are not forthcoming. So in the midst of fighting for her life and the lives of her neighbors, she ends up having to keep the peace between an alpha werewolf and a vampire marshal who both want to run the show. You'll see how well that works out for them.
**I wasn't joking about those spoilers now, so don't blame me if you keep reading.**
So here's the twist: werewolves and vampires are not earthly supernatural creatures, they're alien species. What the?! And you know, it's the mark of a great writer that I only paused for a moment to think to myself, "Huh. Didn't see that one coming." before resuming my reading. I mean, I'm already suspending belief enough to believe in witches, werewolves, and vampires, what's a few aliens thrown in, right? By the by, did you see that episode in the 2nd season of Dr. Who, Tooth and Claw? Or the one in the 5th season, The Vampires of Venice? No? Well you ought to, because those creatures are totally where my brain went when I found out these guys were from other planets. But I digress...
Other cool things about this book- it was originally a serial on their blog and it includes original illustrations. I always read like I'm watching a movie in my head, so of course I picture the characters but I have to admit the illustrations are a nice touch. And there's a doozy of Sean in there. Whew! Wouldn't mind being ordered about by him, nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more, know what I mean?
No, this is not exactly like what you might be expecting if you're a fan of the Kate Daniels series, but then her Edge series is nothing like that either. So what I'm saying is The Innkeeper Chronicles is nothing like either of them, save that there is plenty of action, excellent world-building, and strong characters. The only issue I had with this book was that it was too short (It was about 100 pages short of her other novels) which left me with the vague impression that there were a few details missing and too many loose ends that ordinarily would have been supplied and tied up. But then they wrote it on the blog as a serial, so I'm sure that necessitated some changes. Besides, I'll take anything I can get from her. And of course as this is only the first book, I have a feeling we'll get more information as we go along.
So there you have it. My first official book review. If you dig these kinds of books, I invite you to check out my Pinterest board, In Which Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Books are Pinned.
Last but not least, here's the snowy manicure I promised:
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Polish can be purchased here:
Indigo Bananas
Girly Bits
or
Llarowe
disclaimer: all of these books and polishes were purchased by me.
Since Nashville will go nuts at the first sign of a snowflake, I'll be staying indoors, curling up with a good book and a cup of Twinings Christmas tea that I'm hoarding like a little dragon. Sadly the kids have to go back to school Monday, but I have another week off before I begin the last semester of my master's program, which I'm sure will be nightmarish. So I'll be enjoying every last free second before it's back to the front for me. (Why, yes, I have been listening to Metallica's Master of Puppets today. Thank you for noticing.) Stay safe and warm!
Cheers!
TJ
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