RBA’s Best Reads of 2008: The Yearbook Edition (Part 4 of 4)

Can you believe we are (finally!) at part 4 of my Best Reads of 2008? Here’s the relevant stuff I said in the previous posts:

• I thought I’d have a little fun, and do this in yearbook “Superlatives” style.
• These books weren’t necessarily published in 2008. They are books I read this year.
• If some of my reviews sound familiar, it’s because I’ve borrowed shamelessly from my previous posts.

This week has been:

• Part 1-Romance
• Part 2-Speculative Fiction & M/M fiction
• Part 3-YA & Mystery
• Part 4-Urban Fantasy & Dark Fantasy

Today is very loosely the best Urban Fantasy and Dark Fantasy I read in 2008.

Best Mechanic… Mercy Thompson Iron Kissed (Mercy Thompson series, book 3) by Patricia Briggs This series is one of my favorite all-time series. I love Mercy. She is unique among UF heroines in that, while she does have supernatural abilities (she’s a coyote shapeshifter,) she’s definitely not an ass-kicking tough girl. Mercy is very “normal,” busy with her garage (she’s a VW mechanic) and living in her mobile home with ex, Sam, and next door to alpha wolf Adam. Book Descripton at Amazon: When her former boss and mentor is arrested for murder and left to rot behind bars by his own kind, it’s up to shapeshifting car mechanic Mercy Thompson to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not. And she’ll have to choose between the two werewolves in her life-whether she wants to or not. This book is the best yet, in a really great series.  Iron Kissed really shows how resilient she is, even in the face of some pretty horrific events. And, she had great taste in werewolves.  I’m really looking forward to re-reading the entire Mercy Thompson series before book 4, Bone Crossed is released in February, so everything will be fresh in my mind. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out the incredible art of Don DosSantos, cover artist for the Mercy Thompson series. I’d be willing to bet you will recognize more than a few of his book covers. He also has a wonderful detailed pdf file that takes you thru his step-by-step process for creating the Moon Called cover. I love how he depicts Mercy as a “real-shaped” woman (with curves), and not a twig. Patricia Briggs’ site. Iron Kissed excerpt.

Prom King… (…of the beasts): Curran Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews I really liked the first book in the Kate Daniels series, Magic Bites, which I read in 2007. But, I LOVED Magic Burns.  Here is the description from the author’s site: Down in Atlanta, tempers — and temperatures — are about to flare… As a mercenary who cleans up after magic gone wrong, Kate Daniels has seen her share of occupational hazards. Normally, waves of paranormal energy ebb and flow across Atlanta like a tide. But once every seven years, a flare comes, a time when magic runs rampant. Now Kate’s going to have to deal with problems on a much bigger scale: a divine one. When Kate sets out to retrieve a set of stolen maps for the Pack, Atlanta’s paramilitary clan of shapeshifters, she quickly realizes much more at stake. During a flare, gods and goddesses can manifest – and battle for power. The stolen maps are only the opening gambit in an epic tug-of-war between two gods hoping for rebirth. And if Kate can’t stop the cataclysmic showdown, the city may not survive… Kate is tough and snarky (but not obnoxious about it.) Atlanta, in the midst of a magic flare, is a fascinating depiction of a world gone awry. And Curran is awesome: alpha (he is after all a shape-shifting lion who isalpha over all the shifters), compelling, and damn funny. The chemistry between Kate and Curran sizzles (though is still unresolved.) My favorite scene is when Curran feeds Kate the soup, and Kate learns the significance of that simple act. So understated, but such a satisfying scene. In Magic Burns, too, we see another side of Kate. A little more nurturing, as she cares for a girl caught up in the drama of the stolen maps. Ilona Andrew’s website and blog. Magic Burns excerpt (scroll down.)

Biggest Drama Queen… Dante Valentine The Dante Valentine series by Lilith Saintcrow The first book in the series, Working for the Devil really knocked me out. The world that Lilith Saintcrow built was so complex and detailed. It’s a dystopian future, full of demons, vampires, and magic users. Dante Valentine is a necromance, someone who communicates with the dead. She is deeply spiritual, ascribing to an ancient Egyptian belief system (the society is interestingly very pantheistic) and also deeply damaged. She has been abused as a child, and she was violently attacked by Vardimal Santino the demon who murdered her lover. When the Devil sends his right hand, the demon Japhrimel to Dante’s door, her life is irrevocably changed. Here is the book description for book 1, Working for the Devil from the author’s site: Necromance-for-hire Dante Valentine is choosy about her jobs. Hot-tempered and with nerves of steel, she can raise the dead like nobody’s business. But one rainy Monday morning, everything goes straight to Hell. The Devil hires Dante to eliminate a renegade demon: Vardimal Santino. In return, he will let her live. It’s an offer she can’t refuse. There’s just one catch. How do you kill something that can’t die? Japhrimel is a another one of my “literary crushes.” He’s not just any demon, but Lucifer’s right-hand and enforcer. He’s the guy who all the other demons are afraid of. He is given the job of helping Dante capture Santino, and I loved reading what happens between them. The first 2 books were amazing. But, the more I read of the 5 book series, the more frustrated I became with Dante. She is so damaged, and continues to make decisions based on her f*cked-up-ness. She doesn’t really grow over the series, and those around her are forced to accommodate her actions and behavior. She kept reminding me of that friend (everyone has one) who constantly makes messed up decisions in their life, calls and tell you about them, and then goes off to make more. You might love them, but sometimes, you just want to smack them. However, the series is still one of my fave reads this year. I was just so fascinated by LS’s world, Dante and Japh. It read like pulp fiction (in a good way!), where you just had to keep turning pages to see what happens next. Lilith Saintcrow’s website and blog. Working for the Devil excerpt. (This is a “Browse Inside” widget.)

Most Likely To… Cast a spell on you: the Black Jewels world The Black Jewels Trilogy by Anne Bishop This trilogy was another one where the world just sucked me in. Complex, dark, and violent, I was a little overwhelmed by it when I started reading it, but it was so worth sticking with. Description of book 1, Daughter of the Blood, from Amazon: Seven hundred years ago, a Black Widow witch saw an ancient prophecy come to life in her web of dreams and visions. Now the Dark Kingdom readies itself for the arrival of its Queen, a Witch who will wield more power than even the High Lord of Hell himself. But she is still young, still open to influence-and corruption. Whoever controls the Queen controls the darkness. Three men-sworn enemies-know this. And they know the power that hides behind the blue eyes of an innocent young girl. And so begins a ruthless game of politics and intrigue, magic and betrayal, where the weapons are hate and love-and the prize could be terrible beyond imagining… Carolyn Jean’s The Thrillionth Page, Kati’s Adventures in Katidom, and Katibabs Babbling About Books and More do some great reviews. Be sure and check them out! This was another series that I binged on. It took me a week, but I read the 3 books back to back to back. At the end, I was emotionally exhausted, but in a good way. The story is so captivating. The relations between men and women are so fascinating—when they are “healthy”. When the male relationships go wrong, they are hair-raising, so say the least. Someone I really loved in this series is Surreal. She is the reason I originally read the trilogy. I first read about her in Powers of Detection, an anthology with a short story featuring the former prostitute/assassin. Anne Bishop’s site. A couple of honorable mentions. A few excellent series’ had installments in 2008, but just missed my list: Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire series, book 8 ) by Charlaine Harris Outlaw Demon Wails (Hollows series, book 6) by Kim Harrison Personal Demon and Living with the Dead (Otherworld series, books 8 & 9) by Kelley Armstrong and Sunshine (a standalone which I wish was a series) by Robin McKinley.

Well, 2008 was a great book year for me. Lot’s of new authors that I’ll keep reading: Lisa Kleypas, Stephanie Laurens, Ann Aguirre, Josh Lanyon, Nalini Singh. Great new (to me) series: Bay City Parnormal Investigations, Sunday Philosophy Club, Dante Valentine, With or Without. Discovering (or re-discovering, as the case may be) new genres: romance, M/M, science fiction/romance.

Were there any new reading discoveries you made in 2008? What are you looking forward to in 2009?

Happy New Year!