First to Burn by Anna Richland: A very realistic paranormal romance

Army doctor Theresa Chiesa goes by the book. Always. So when she finds evidence that an elite special forces soldier might be lying about his condition to get free rides on the medevac helicopter, she investigates. What she finds is really hot, really built Wulf Wardsen, a man who makes her want to forget that officers aren’t allowed to fraternize with enlisted men.

Wulf is an immortal viking who avoids doctors who might discover his secret. Until he meets Theresa. She smells of citrus and interests him more than any woman in centuries. Enough to start seriously pursuing a viking relic that could give him back his mortality, and a chance at a normal life. But Wulf’s had hundreds of years to make enemies, and now some of them are striking. Wulf relishes the chance to face them again, he just has to keep Theresa out of the crossfire.

There were several things I really liked about this novel - beyond the excellent writing, plotting, and character development. I really love that Richland’s plot is based on the idea that the primary characters in Beowulf were cursed with immortality, and old rivalries carried down through the centuries. This is the only paranormal element to the novel, and it serves not as the focus of the plot but as a catalyst for the characters and plot development. 

I also really liked Theresa’s character. She’s a truly strong heroine, insisting on participating in Wulf’s dangerous exploits and not only serving in the Army but doing so to make a difference. She can handle a gun, take down mortal enemies, and assist in strategic planning. Her character is tested and tried throughout the novel and comes out stronger. (Sorry about that teaser - I don’t want to give away a major plot point!)

If you’re a fan of military, paranormal, or contemporary, realistic romance, you’ll enjoy this unique, well-written novel. I purchased First to Burn on a whim, but will be going back for book two, Second to Lie - I have to find out what happens!

Richland, Anna. First to Burn. New York: Carina Press, 2014. Four Stars.

Mythology is twisted in Jenna Black's Dark Descendant

Nikki Glass, private investigator, is on a date. A really bad date. So when her client calls and asks her to meet him at a cult leader’s house to pick up his brainwashed girlfriend, Nikki ignores her gut instinct and leaps at the excuse to ditch her date. Nikki should have listened to her gut.

When Nikki arrives at the house she puts herself in the hands of men who believe themselves to be immortal, powerful progeny of gods. These psychopaths tell Nikki she’s the descendant of Artemis, and by mowing down one of their merry band of maniacs with her car she’s taken his immortality for herself. Trapped at their mercy in a tiny basement cell Nikki is sure they’re all insane…except that the mortal wounds she incurred in the car accident have healed. Now Nikki has to make a choice, stay with these guys (none of whom she trusts and one of which is actively trying to kill her) or join the Olympians, a group of descendants who want to use her supernaturally powerful manhunting skills (thanks, Artemis) to track down people they want to kill.

This urban fantasy novel starts off with a bang and the action doesn’t stop. It’s an original premise skillfully written, with intriguing characters that engender emotion. For those who have triggers, I should point out that the plot is gritty and violent and occasionally disturbing, but all of these elements are pivotal to the story. If you’re a fan of Jeanine Frost or Patricia Briggs, or badass females, you’ll definitely enjoy Dark Descendant. 

Note: I read the audiobook version of this novel and highly recommend it. 

Black, Jenna. Dark Descendant (Nikki Glass #1). New York: Pocket Books, 2011. Five stars

Teen angst meets trickster gods? That's just asking for trouble...

I had high hopes for this digital ARC (advance reading copy), obtained through Netgalley. The premise sounded amazing: set in modern times, ancient gods were awakened and are a constant threat. Only through the intervention of a small group of people, the Society, and the relics they weild, are the gods and their interfering magic under any sort of control...and that’s all I read before I was intrigued enough to request the ARC. It sounded very Rick Riordan meets Warehouse 13, and I really wanted to check it out. 

The day the gods awoke - no one’s sure how or why that happened - Kyra was forgotten by her parents. While other kids were picked up at school by tearful and frightened adults, Kyra was left alone on the school steps until she finally gave up and walked home, getting lost more than once, to find an empty house awaiting her. Ever since that day Kyra has assumed this was her lot in life: to be the unimportant one, the one who gets left behind.

Soon after that day her mother went mad and her father, a librarian, became even more distant and absorbed in his work. Kyra has done everything she can think of, even staying out all night, to get his attention, but he doesn’t even seem to notice. Coming home in the early hours one morning she’s surprised to find him at home, and even more surprised when he actually seems to have been waiting for her. He’s not angry, but...odd. He tells her that if anything should happen to him she’s to take all the money in the house and run. Then he leaves her - again - for his work. 

This odd conversation with her father is just the start of events that will turn Kyra’s world upside down and inside out. She will discover family secrets that shake her to the core. She will meet gods and tricksters. She will drag her friends, old and new, into schemes and adventures. And she will uncover a plot within the Society that could end the world - one that only she can stop.

The Woken Gods has a lot of potential, but also quite a bit of overwhelming info dump, primarily at the beginning. Instead of world building naturally over the course of the narrative, the first third of the novel gives the reader the back story of the awakening as well as the critical stages of character development. For me it was confusing, and it simply didn't flow well. Once the preliminary groundwork of the plot had been laid and the alternative history set, however, the novel evened out and became very interesting indeed. There were still a few unusual and jarring moments, but overall the remainder proved to be an entertaining tale. 

The ending of The Woken Gods isn’t really “The End” but sets us up for at least one sequel, if not a multi-book series. I’m not overly invested in this tale, but may check out book two just to see what happens.  The author’s first novel, Blackwood, has been picked up by MTV as a series, so I’m sure we’ll be hearing more from Gwenda Bond. 

Note: This review is based on an Advance Reader's Copy, and editing may still be done before this book is published. All of the comments above should therefore take this into account.