Reading Challenge

I'm joining the With All My Soul reading challenge at Fitshun

http://www.fiktshun.com/fiktshun/2013/02/19/with-all-my-soul-mini-reading-challenge-sign-ups/

Before I Wake (Souls Screamers Book 5)

	Title: Before I Wake (Soul Screamers Book 5)
	Author: Rachel Vincent
	Date Published: 6/26/2012
	Pages: 344
	Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
	Format Read: eBook on Kindle app for iPhone
	Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible
Rating

Before I Wake (BIW) is the 5th book in the Soul Screamers series. Kaylee Cavanaugh is a Bean Sidhe (Ban Shee) and she sings for the souls of the departed so that they can be collected and recycled. In BIW Kaylee is rejoining the world of the living, because not even being dead can keep you from attending school! Hellions are wearing the souls of some of the people that Kaylee has already sung for during their last moments, and using those souls to walk around and murder people on this side of the fog. By wearing their skins, the hellions and demons on no longer bound to the Netherworld. Avari, a hellion who wants Kaylee's pure soul more than he has wanted anything in a long time, will use the souls of some of Kaylee's friends as his facade to get close and torture her while he steals more souls to torture in the Netherworld.

While Kaylee is fighting Avari, she is getting even closer to her grim reaper (and fellow bean sidhe) boyfriend Tod. Kaylee's ex is having a hard time coming to terms with Kaylee and Tod's relationship, maybe because he is Tod's brother, or maybe it is because he was accused of killing Kaylee (before she was reinstated into her body). The main reason that Kaylee was reinstated was to be part of the reclamation department, reclaiming lost and stolen souls. Being reinstated to her body has allowed Kaylee a chance to continue to protect her loved ones from Avari and other hellions, but will it be enough? Can she be a girlfriend, a student and a reclamation worker?

Deadlocked: Southern Vampire Mysteries (Sookie Stackhouse) Book 12

	Title: Deadlocked: Southern Vampire Mysteries (Sookie Stackhouse) Book 12
	Author: Charlaine Harris
	Date Published: 05/01/2012
	Pages: 327
	Genre: Paranormal Romance
	Format Read: HardCover
	Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible
Rating

In this 12^th installment of Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Mysteries Series (also known as HBO’s True Blood series) Sookie has got her hands full. Eric is visited by King Felipe to look into the disappearance of some loyal vampires. During his visit a shape shifter is killed on Eric’s lawn, and Eric and Sookie are the prime suspects in her murder. While Sookie is trying to figure out who framed her and Eric for murder, she is also trying to find a missing friend, get used to the fact that her Great Great  Grand Fairy Uncle Dermot (who looks alarmingly like her brother Jason) and  is living in her attic, while Claude (her now Fairy God Father) and Great Great Great Grandfather King Niall, look into who put a curse on Dermot and caused the death of her parents. Sookie has also come into possession of a cluviel dor, a fairy gift that allows its possessor one wish, a wish that someone is willing to kill for?

While I am a fan of Harris’ work and of the series, this book seemed to move a little slow. Once you get into a series that has 10 or more books, it becomes a bit redundant and slow. I have to say that I was surprised by the ending. I also thought what Sookie chose to do with the cluviel dor.

Cerulean Sins (Anita Blake Book 11)

	Title: Cerulean Sins (Anita Blake Book 11)
	Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
	Date Published: 2003
	Pages: 405
	Genre: Paranormal Romance
	Format Read: Hardcover (pulic library loan)
	Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible
Rating

Anita has come into her own as a Federal Marshall in this installment of the series. She needs those credentials as she becomes entangled in not only vampire politics but international espionage. She is being tailed by a group of internationally known spies. Belle Morte, part of the Vampire Council and former lover to Asher and Jean Claude, has sent representatives to test the relationships at play between not only Anita and Jean Claude, but Asher as well. Anita doesn't have time to deal with this new level of complexity, because as usual, she has to solve human murders by paranormal forces as well.

Can Anita keep all of her people safe, and not compromise her morals? Will she be able to find the international spy who seems out to kill her before she gets killed herself?

Narcissus in Chains (Anita Blake Book 10)

	Title: Narcissus in Chains (Anita Blake Book 10)
	Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
	Date Published: 2001
	Pages: 424
	Genre: Paranormal Romance
	Format Read: Hardcover (public library loan)
	Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible
Rating

Anita and gang are back in this 10th book of the Vampire Executioner. Anita, Jean Claude and Richard answer a distress call that some of her wereleopards are in trouble at a local S&M club. They decide to put forward a united front, and in doing so decide that it is time to "marry the marks" that bind them together in hopes that it will make them stronger.  As Anita works to save her wereleopards, she is clawed by one of her wereleopards. This clawing could cause her to become a shifter herself.

While Anita is recovering from her clawing, it turns out that her pack has brought in someone to apply for the role of pack leader, Micah, a wereleopard Nimir-raj. Luckily, Micah is able to help Anita overcome her wounds, and seems to want to do whatever it will take to be the alpha in Anita's wereleopard pack, and whatever else she wants or needs him to be, regardless of the cost.

Anita has her hands full, because her wereleopard that attacked her is being accused by Richard's werewolves of killing her (even though she is technically alive, she is dead to them since she might become a wereleopard).

Will Anite be able to get everyone to work together for a common cause? What is the deal with Micah? And why would anyone want to attack her wereleopards to begin with?

Obsidian Butterfly (Anita Blake Book 9)

	Title:  Obsidian Butterfly (Anita Blake Book 9)
	Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
	Date Published: 2000
	Pages: 386
	Genre: Paranormal Romance
	Format Read: Kindle Book (public library loan)
	Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible
Rating

In this book, Anita does some traveling. Anita travels to New Mexico to help Edward solve some paranormal murders. This book was very intersting in that it did not focus on Richard or Jean Claude and their interactions with Anita, but rather on Anita and her abilities as she looks into these murders with Edward.
Edward and Anita are not only solving murders, but there are victims as well. Victims who have been skinned and somehow managed to survive. She turns to the Master of the City for help, and learns much from Obsidian Butterly, who is an Aztec priestess turned vampire. Anita learns that there is some ancient power that is coming back to life, but that is not the only thing she needs to be worried about. Edward's other friends who have come to help solve these murders are just as scary as the powers that they are working against. Someone doesn't want Anita and Edward to stop these murders and prevent the darkness from coming. Will Edward and Anita be strong and smart enough to figure things out before the power grows? Can Anita work her own magic, without the bond of Richard and Jean Claude to assist her?

Blue Moon (Anita Blake Book 8)

	Title: Blue Moon
	Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
	Date Published: 1998
	Pages: 418
	Genre: Paranormal Romance
	Format Read:Kindle Book (public library loan)
	Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible
Rating

In Blue Moon the unconceivable has happened, Richard has been accused of rape. Anita learns of this and rides to the rescue to clear his name and set him free. There's just one problem, Colin, Master Vampire of the area has denied Anita, Jean Claude or any of their people entrance into his lands. If they ride in to help Richard it will be seen as an act of war. Anita's loyalty does not allow this to detour her and heads to help. Asher, Damian, Jason, Cherry, Nathaniel and Zane go with her as bodyguards. When the entourage arrives, the sherriff gives Anita the impression that they should leave town, and take Richard with them. Anita arranges for a lawyer to meet with Richard, and she learns that he has been "auditioning" new lupas for the pack. While he has slept with other women, he did not sleep with the one who accused him of rape. On the way home, Jason and Anita are jumped by some local rough boys and are held for questioning.

Things of course, are never easy for Anita as the girls that Richard has been "auditioning" keep popping up, none of them happy to see her. The local pack isn't as welcoming as they would hope, one of their own sets up Anita's wereleopard Nathaniel to be infected by a rotting vampire. Aher and Damian save Nathaniel, but it becomes vampire life or death for Damian, Anita has to heal him. Using the power from the triumvirate she is able to do so. Anita meets with Colin and his local vamps in the werewolves' area of power. They are ambushed, outnumbered 100 to 8! Anita uses her necromancer power to protect them, which releases Raina's spirit and kills all of the vampires at the same time.

Anita's powers continue to grow, she continues to fit with Richard, and against the lust and love she continues to feel for him. Raina marks her as someone that a member of the pack must possess and its a werewolf fight to claim her as their own.

Can she keep Richard and the pack safe? Can they all return to Jean Claude in one piece? Will she be able to resist Richard and not be possessed by another pack member?

Burnt Offerings (Anita Blake Book 7)

	Title: Burnt Offerings (Anita Blake Book 7)
	Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
	Date Published: 1998
	Pages: 392
	Genre: Paranormal Romance
	Format Read: Kindle Book (public library loan)
	Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible
Rating

In Burnt Offerings, Anita finds herself facing the vampire council that has come to look into the demise of Mr. Oliver, a member of the council. Richard is another state pursuing his Master's Degree and the wolves are until the rule of Richard's new second Sylvie. Sylvie, and most of the werewolves are no fans of Anita's... they see Anita's choice of Jean Claude over Richards as a betrayal, and that it lead to Richard's being broken. They are also extremely upset that she is the Lupa (female leader) of the pack, and a human.

The vampire council arrives, without prior notice and begins to make strong statements. They believe that the triumvirate that Anita, Richard and Jean Claude have created is too powerful to be allowed to coninue. They have come to kill. They begin by torturing not only Jean Claude's vampires, but the werewolves, and other were creatures, such as Rafael the Rat King. This type of action will not be tolerated by Anita, and she works to quickly free and regain control of her people.

However, the radical vampire groups have other ideas. Humans againts Vampires (HAV) begins to set fire to known vampire establishements. Anita is asked to go into the basemement of a burnt church to try and save the vampires inside. They are in their coffins, but firefighters are fearful that the roof will collapse before nightfall and that they will perish to the final death in fire. Anita asks the council, and the lead representative, The Traveler (because he can take over any vampire's body) to aid in the rescue.

The Traveler does eventually help with the rescue, but feels that for this service, Anita owes him a debt (even though she was trying to save his vampire people).
What will Anita be willing to pay for The Traveler's aid? Will she be able to save all of the people that look to her and Jean Claude for protection, the vampires, the werewolves, the wereleopards, the humans? Who is setting the fires, and why?

The Killing Dance (Anita Blake Book 6)

	Title: The Killing Dance (Anita Blake Book 6)
	Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
	Date Published: 1997
	Pages: 400
	Genre: Paranormal Romance
	Format Read: Kindle Book (public library loan)
	Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible
Rating

In The Killing Dance, Anita Blake Book 6, Anita is once again the target. The book starts off with a nice dinner party that Anita is attending with Richard (her werewolf boyfriend) being interrupted by a call from Edward (a fellow vampire hunter). Edward informs Anita that a hit has been taken out on her life. He himself was offered $500,000 to take the job but turned it down because they are friends. He knows with a price tag that high it will be picked up and Anita will be a target. Edward says he is heading to town to help act as a body guard, but to lay low until they can be sure she is safe, which means tracking down where the money is coming from... no money, no assassination.

Things are also getting more complicated in the pack during this book. Anita and Richard constantly argue about the need to kill Marcus so that Richard may become the official pack leader. Anita continues to date both Richard and Jean Claude at Jean Claude's insistance. Meanwhile, across town someone is killing vampires and taking their hearts. There is never a dull day for Anita.

Even though Anita is engaged to Richard, she is constantly finding herself between the two men in her life, and one time as she stands between them and touches them both a power runs through all three of them. What is this strange power that happens when the three are together? Can they use it to help Richard gain control of the pack? Who put out the hit on Anita, and why?

The ending will surprise you!

Bloody Bones (Anita Blake Book 5)

	Title: Bloody Bones (Anita Blake Book 5)
	Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
	Date Published: 1996
	Pages: 336
	Genre: Paranormal Romance
	Format Read: Paperback
	Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible
Rating

In Bloody Bones, Anita is called to a rural mountain area to raise zombies that are over 200 years old so that they can very their surname. If they belong to a particular family, a developer will not be able to build his multi-billion dollar hotel and spa, if they don't then the developer is free to proceed. While Anita is looking into the heritage of these zombies, killings occur in this area as well, vampire killings. Since Anita is the regional vampire executioner, she works with local authorities to find the vampire responsible for these recent murders. Anita quickly gets in over her head with not only vampires, but fey and a boogeyman! She has to contact Jean Claude for his help. There are soon some small vampire wars for power going on between Jean Claude and the local Master of the City. It seems that everyone wants Anita's necromancer power and blood. Will she be able to keep herself and her friends safe this time?

I enjoyed this quiuck read. This whole series has been good so far, and I don't want to put the books down. I'm really glad that this series was recommended to me!

The Lunatic Cafe (Anita Blake Book 4)

	Title: The Lunatic Cafe (Anita Blake Book 4)
	Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
	Date Published: 1996
	Pages: 369
	Genre: Paranormal Romance
	Format Read: Paperback
	Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible
Rating

In The Lunatic Cafe Anita is looking into the disappearance of several shapeshifters. She has somehow managed to become entangled in pack politics involving Richard (her science teaching boyfriend) and Marcus (the leader of the pack). As if being the new chew toy for the were pack wasn't bad enough, Gretchen, one of Jean Claude's vampires is after her as well. Gretchen is jealous of Jean Claude's feelings for her, and even though Anita insists that she does not want him, Gretchen still feel Anita needs punishment! Anita agrees to date Jean Claude and give him the same opportunity she has given Richard to win her heart, though she only does this to keep Jean Claude safe.

With shapeshifters going missing, violent shapeshifter videos being sold, and Jean Claude pressuring her for kisses, how is she supposed to get her work done and save the day?

Another fast paced read from Hamilton! Ready to start the next book tomorow! :)