Path of Beasts (Museum Keepers #3)

Path of Beasts by Lian Tanner is the third book in her Museum Keepers series. This dystopian series is set around the city of Jewel that contains a museum that changes with the mood of the city and how safe or threatened it feels.

Goldie, Toadspit and Bonnie are back from the city of Spoke. When they arrive back in Jewel and begin to sneak their way to the museum the see a sight that makes them think that all that was gained for the citizens of Jewel has been lost. There are mercenaries on the streets maintaining a curfew. And the Guardians who were disbanded with the end of the Fugleman's reign seem to have returned.

Now the people of the museum will begin a strategy of pranks and trickery to try to weaken the Fugleman's position. But if he finds out the museum is behind the campaign he will use his new cannon on the building - something that the creatures who live in the exhibits would not sit idly by and let happen.

Tanner has created a great series that will be loved by readers from age 10 and up. The Museum Keepers should be on any list of recommended fiction!

Tanner, Lian. (2012). Path of Beasts. New York: Delacourte Press.

The Double Eagle (Tom Kirk #1)

The Double Eagle by James Twining is the first book in his series featuring master thief Tom Kirk.

After a long career as a thief Tom is ready to retire. He plans on moving his father's shop to London and living a life within the law. His last job was to be two parts but he has no desire to complete it.

FBI Agent Jennifer Browne has been doing very little on the job since a shooting she was cleared of two years ago. Now is her chance to prove she is a good agent... A 1933 Double Eagle coin was found in Europe. The Double Eagle was last issued in 1933 and then recalled by FDR. It was thought that there were only three left in existence. Now one is tied to the murder of a priest.

Twining's plot, characters and amazing historical facts will have readers' attention until the last page. This is a great read for fans of history, espionage, heist stories, and thrillers. Read it!

Twining, James. (2005). The Double Eagle. New York: Harper Torch.

Once (Eve #2)

Once by Anna Carey is the second book in her Eve trilogy - a dystopian future that takes elements of The Handmaid's Tale and The Road an adds them to a thrilling and compelling story.

Eve was raised in the School with the other orphaned girls. When she was about to graduate she heard a rumor that they would not be trained for a career in the building across the lake, they would be used to breed more humans to repopulate the US from a plague that had wiped out most of the population. When she confirmed for herself what was going on, she escaped.

Now Eve is living in Calfia - a camp that takes in women who need a safe place to live. But the whole time she has been away from the school she has been hunted by the King's soldiers. As valedictorian she was selected to go to the King of The New America - presumably to give him an heir. When she overhears one of the head women comment that she could be used as a bargaining chip if Califia is invaded, she decides to move on.

Before she even makes it out of San Francisco, Eve is caught by the King's soldier and taken to the City of Sand - the new capital, built where Las Vegas once stood. But Eve is not to be the King's concubine, she is his daughter.

Carey has created a fabulous series in which readers will lose themselves and pace ceaselessly until the next book is published. Read this series!

Carey, Anna. (2012). Once. New York: Harper.

Adaptation

Adaptation by Malinda Lo is new science fiction book. Lo is an awesome writer whose previous YA books have been lesbian fantasy stories while this novel takes place in the near future when something goes wrong with the birds...

Reese Holloway and David Li are in Arizona with their debate teacher. They made it to the national debates but lost last night. Now the three of them are waiting at the airport for their delayed flight. As Reese looks out the window onto the tarmac she sees two birds plummet to the ground. Then, on the news playing in the background, there is word of a plane crash - apparently caused by a bird strike. Soon all air travel is grounded as birds strike other planes.

It looks like Reese, David and their teacher will have to drive home to San Francisco. That night, Reese is driving when they crash due to a bird flying right at the car. When she awakes she is in some kind of hospital and things in the US have changed from what she was used to from before.

Reese and David are driven back to San Francisco, but they don't feel like themselves. And there is now a curfew for the city. Reese's best friend is convinced there is a conspiracy behind the birds and curfew - but he is also convinced that since Reese crashed in Arizona, she must have been in Area 51 - where the government keeps the aliens.

Lo has written an edge-of-your-seat science fiction thriller with great characters who are trying to figure out their changing world. Previous fans will not be disappointed in this new direction - there is still a lesbian love story. There is a rumor that this is the first book in a series...

Lo, Malinda. (2012). Adaptation. New York: Little, Brown and Company.

Black List (Scot Harvath #11)

Black List by Brad Thor is the eleventh book in his Scot Harvath series about a highly trained special forces soldier who has served in many capacities for the United States and is now working with the private military/security company The Carlton Group.

When Scot Harvath arrived at the Paris safe house he was surprised to see a member of the all-female Delta force group The Athena Project - but not nearly as surprised as when someone start shooting at them in the doorway.

Now Scot is on the run. He knows that protocol is to find a way out of France and to a safe location where he can contact Reed Carlton. After contacting Carlton through Skype his hiding place is attacked.

The superhacker known as "The Troll" is on his way to Texas. He has been contacted by one of his few true friends Caroline Romero who works for ATS - basically the computer securities division of the NSA (although technically ATS is a private corporation).

Thor has written a great thriller that will grab readers from page one and not let go until the very last word. Black List is what a military, espionage thriller should be.

Thor, Brad. (2012). Black List. New York: Atria Books.

A Wanted Man (Jack Reacher #17)

A Wanted Man by Lee Child is the seventeenth book in his Jack Reacher series about an ex-military cop who is wandering the United States and keeps stumbling upon scenes where his training and detective skills can be of use.

In Nebraska a man is murdered by two men in black suits. Roadblocks are set up looking for them in a red car. FBI Agent Julia Sorenson is sent to the town where the murder occurred to begin an investigation.

Also in Nebraska, Jack Reacher is dropped off by a driver whose direction is going the opposite of where Reacher is headed. After some time in the cold on the side of a highway, he is picked up by two men and a woman who are headed East. While Reacher is glad of the ride, he thinks that all three of the people in the car are lying about something.

Child has written another exciting thrill ride in this series featuring a great character who makes his own rules to bring people to his sense of justice.

Child, Lee. (2012). A Wanted Man. New York: Delacourte Press.

Eve (Eve trilogy #1)

Eve by Anna Carey is the first book in her dystopian series in a post-plague America in the year 2032. A plague wiped out a huge part of the population of the United States and the New America is ruled by a King.

Eve and other girl orphans are in a school somewhere in the west of the US. They are surrounded by a wall that protects the girls from wild dogs, rebels, and other unnamed dangers. Eve has been at the school since she was five years old and her mother had the plague. Now her class is about to graduate. When they graduate they will be moved across the small lake to join the other graduates.

But the night before graduation, Eve sees a classmate Arden about to try to escape. Arden is convinced that the promised post-graduation life is not what they said it would be. Later that night Eve sneaks around the lake and looks in the window of the graduate center.

What she sees proves that she is not going to be able to study painting like she was promised. Now she must escape and make her way to a fabled place called Califia where they take in strays. But in order to get there she will have to travel hundreds of miles through plague deadened lands filled with rebels, gangs and wild animals.

Carey has written a novel that is a cross between Cormac McCarthy's The Road and Margaret Atwater's Handmaid's Tale. It captures the fear and desperation a post-plague world. Readers will race to the library to find the second book as soon as they finish Eve.

Carey, Anna. (2011). Eve. New York: Harper.

The Key (Magnificent 12 #3)

The Key by Michael Grant is the third book in his Magnificent 12 series about twelve twelve year-olds who will have to save the world from an ancient evil that is about to resurface.

Mack MacAvoy has been traveling the world over to find the other eleven kids who are required to save the world. There are now five of them together and they are on their way to Scotland to find a key that will help them with the ancient magical language of Vargran.

If Mack and friends can get the Key they will travel to France to find more of the Magnificent 12. However, they will have to fight Risky, the evil's daughter, and her henchmen along the way.

Grant has created an adventure series with laugh-out-loud humor that will appeal to a wide audience. People of all ages should read this series.

Grant, Michael. (2012). The Key. New York: Tegan Books.

The Queen's Lady (Lacey Chronicles #2)

The Queen's Lady by Eve Edwards is the second book in the Lacey Chronicles which takes place in the 1580s in London among higher society.

Lady Jane has been married for six months and is now Marchioness Rievaulx. Her father had practically locked her away when she broke her engagement to Will Lacey, but she could not marry the man that her best friend loved. Now she is married to a lovely older man who is like the father figure she never had, but he is dying.

Once her husband dies, Jane will go into service for the queen. It is one of the only safe ways to keep the fortune her husband plans on leaving her without his sons stealing it from her. And at court there is always a chance she will see James Lacey, Will's younger brother. Plus it will give her a chance to see her other best friend, Milly Porter, who is a seamstress in London.

When Jane left Lacey hall six months ago, James decided to join the war effort against the spread of Catholicism. He became a spy in the Low Countries. But as someone who was to be invisible he could do nothing to stop the slaughter he witnessed. Now he is home but haunted by images from the war and his brother has decided to send him to court to join the expedition to the new world.

Jane and James will meet at court, but will the affection they feel for each other be able to overcome their individual and shared pasts? Edwards has created a series that captures 1580s London high society with great characters. This is a fun read that will stick with readers.

Edwards, Eve. (2011). The Queen's Lady. New York: Delacourt.

VIva Jacquelina! (Bloody Jack #10)

Viva Jacquelina! Being the Further Adventures of Jacky Faber, Over the Hill and Far Away by LA Meyer is the tenth book in the Bloody Jack series - an historical adventure series featuring a spunky young woman who refused to follow society's rules about her place.

After escaping from a life sentence to the Australia colony, Jacky and her friends are on their way back to the northern hemisphere. Jacky is ready for a quiet life of sailing. However, British Intelligence has other ideas for her. She is being sent to Spain where the British are helping the Spanish rebels fight the occupying French.

Being that Jacky had already served with Napoleon, she should have some insight into the expected French attack plans. But when her general is relieved of duty and sent back to London, he tells Jacky to make her way to Madrid and spy on the French there.

Now Jacky will find herself in the home of Francisco Goya, the painter, trying to earn back some of the money stolen from her by posing as a model. But as nothing with Jacky is that straight forward, she will have adventures that range from running with the bulls to learning the flamenco to living with a gypsy caravan.

Meyer has created the most delightful character in Jacky and fans will continue to wait impatiently for the next book while occasionally rereading the whole series just to laugh out loud again at her outrageous adventures.

Meyer, LA. (2012). Viva Jacquelina! New York: Harcourt.

Dry Ice

Dry Ice by Bill Evans and Marianna Jameson is a scary thrill ride through environmental terrorism via weather manipulation.

Tess Beauchamp is a weather scientist. She is an expert on the idea of weather manipulation for economic and military gain - a concept that is just a theory, she thinks. Then she is offered a job at the TESLA (Terrestrial Energy Southern Land Array) base in Antarctica - a private instillation owned by Flint Agrobusiness.

TESLA was designed by a fellow weather scientist, Greg Simpson, based on the ideas that Nikola Tesla came up with over a century ago. Now Flint has the technology to make sure their crops around the world are successful. They have also done some work for the US military. But Flint wants to replace Simpson - so badly that they are sending a plane into the Antarctic winter - weeks after the no fly cut off.

But Simpson is not leaving willingly and has build a Trojan horse into TESLA that will set off raging storms the world over. Beauchamp and the crew will have to pull out all of the stops to prevent the weather apocalypse.

Evans and Jameson have created a scary scenario that readers will hope is not scientifically possible. Great, scary thriller.

Evan, Bill. (2011). Dry Ice. New York: Forge.

Close Enough to Touch (Jackson Hole #1)

Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl is yet another great book by a master storyteller.

Grace Barrett can fit everything she owns into one old duffel bag. And she and the bag have just arrived in Jackson, Wyoming. She has a job lined up in Vancouver in a few weeks, but she could not stay in L.A. for one more day. Luckily, a great aunt she has never met has an empty apartment she can use in the mean time.

Jackson is a far cry from Los Angeles and Grace has some adjusting to do. She is used to having her guard up and needing to protect herself from the people around her. But in Jackson, the people are mostly friendly with no ulterior motives.

Cole Rawlins is Grace's new neighbor. He had lived on the ranch he plans to buy someday but lost his place in the manager's house when he shattered his leg and could not ride. Now he is doing physical therapy and praying that he will ride again one day.

Dahl has written a great romance about two people trying to find their places in the world. The characters are great, the setting beautiful, and the story steamy. Victoria Dahl is one of, if not the best, romance writer today. But I have no idea who the people on the cover might be - they are not the characters in the book...

Dahl, Victoria. (2012). Close Enough to Touch. New York: HQN.

The Other Countess (Lacey Chronicles #1)

The Other Countess by Eve Edwards is the first book in her series of historical romance. The books take place in England in the 1580s.

Lady Eleanor Rodriguez, Countess of San Jaime is the daughter of an alchemist. Her father is convinced that with just a bit more experimentation he can turn lead into gold. However, from Ellie's point of view, her father is not only obsessed, he is ruining their lives. At the age of 12, they were kicked out of the Earl of Dorset's house when the Earl died and all his son saw was the money spent on experiments.

Since then Ellie has not had a life that anyone with the title Countess is used to - but then again her title is Spanish and England and Spain are not on the best of terms. After almost four years of living by selling everything they own, including everything her mother left her, Ellie's father has found another noble who is willing to sponsor his alchemy.

When the family they are living with go to court, Ellie finds herself at Windsor preparing for the arrival of the Queen. Nobles from all over England are arriving to pay their respects and compete in the joust. And one of them is the new Earl of Windsor, William Lacey, the man who kicked her and her father out of his house four years ago.

Will is at court to find a bride. His family is slowly recovering from his father's reign, but it takes most of the remaining fortune to appear at court in the latest fashions. He must marry a woman with a large dowry to be able to take care of his family and the people who live on his lands.

Edwards captures the magic and the rigidness of the time period in this historical novel. The characters are well developed and compelling. Readers will run to the library to get the second book in the series as soon as they finish this one.

Edwards, Eve. (2010). The Other Countess. New York: Delacourte Press.

Red Seas Under Red Skies (Gentlemen Bastards #2)

Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch is the second book in his Gentlemen Bastards series about uniquely trained thieves.

Locke Lamora is plotting a new scheme. After fleeing the land of Camorr he has settled, for a time, on the island of Tal Verrar. He has spent the last two years working his way from level to level in the most exclusive casino on the planet - where you must be invited by the owner to move to the next floor.

But now that Locke is getting close to being in position to make his move, he and his friend are kidnapped and taken to the fortress of the Archon. The Archon, who derives his power from the threat of war and is not as popular as he was when the Priori of the city developed his temporary position to fight off pirates, has a job for Locke - and an interesting way to make sure it is carried out.

But can a man who has never been on a ship other than one seasick voyage convince a group of pirates that he is one of them or has Locke met his match in this challenge?

Lynch has created a series that combines fantasy, pirates, thieves, political intrigue, espionage, and more. It is a swashbuckling tale that will have readers tying to guess an outcome that has too many twists to accurately predict. A great read.

Lynch, Scott. (2007). Red Seas Under Red Skies. New York: Bantam.

Shiver Me Timbers!

Shiver Me Timbers! Pirate Poems and Paintings is the latest book of poetry by Douglas Florian, illustrated by Robert Neubecker.

This is a fun and hilarious collection of poems about pirates and the scurvy, rotten ways of pirates. It is definately worth a read.

Florian, Douglas. (2012). Shiver Me Timbers! NY: Simon and Schuster.

The Traitor Queen (Traitor Spy Trilogy #3)

The Traitor Queen by Trudi Canavan is the third book in her Traitor Spy Trilogy.

Relations between the neighboring nations of Kyralia and Sachaka have become strained since the ambassador's assistant from Kyralia to Sachaka was taken in by the Traitors - those who have left Sachakan society due to the rigid class and gender rules. When the assistant, Magician Lorkin, returns to the capital city of Sachaka, the king wants to question him. When he refuses, Lorkin is imprisoned - an act that strains diplomatic relationships.Black Magician Sonea is going to be sent to Sachaka to negotiate Lorkins release - and as his mother she would not feel comfortable leaving the task to someone else.

In the city of Imardin, Thief Cery is in hiding with his bodyguard Gol and his daughter Anyi. When they run out of places to hide from the Rogue who is trying to kill them, they go to a magician's novice for help - Anyi's girlfriend Lilia. She will help hide them while the search for the Rogue continues.

Canavan's exciting conclusion to this series is a great read. I recommend all of her Kyralia books - they are really good. Fans will be waiting impatiently for the next story - and keep fingers crossed that it continues the stories of our favorite characters.

Canavan, Trudi. (2012). The Traitor Queen. New York: Orbit Books.

The Far West (Frontier Magic #3)

The Far West by Patricia C. Wrede is the third book in her Frontier Magic series - an alternative history of the United States where westward expansion was slowed down by the magical creatures already living there.

Mill City is the farthest West city, located on the banks of the Mammoth River. Eighty years ago a group of magicians created the Great Barrier Spell to keep the magic beasts from crossing to the East side of the river from the Great Plains. Though there are now a few settlements past the river, most people would never dream of going beyond the barrier that protects the United States of Columbia.

Eff lives in Mill City with her family. She works for the magic college, mostly with the animals. She has been past the Barrier twice - and due to the discovery of a new type of magical creature on her last trip, the government is going to organize an expedition to map all the way to the Rocky Mountains.The journey will give Eff the chance to continue to use the different types of magic she has learned - possibly in a whole new way.

Wrede has written a series that combines fantasy and magic within the genre of a western. The characters are great, the world is totally believable, and readers will relish finding new creatures with the expedition. This is a unique and enjoyable series that I highly recommend.

Wrede, Patricia C. (2012). The Far West. New York: Scholastic Press.

The Risk Agent (Rutherford Risk #1)

The Risk Agent by Ridley Pearson is the first book in an exciting new series.

Lu Hao has disappeared  -  along with his records of the incentives he has been paying to officials to get a building in Shanghai build by the American company for which he works. Along with him, an American who was following him was taken. Now Rutherford Risk - a company that deals with kidnappings all over the world - has been called. However, private investigation is illegal in China. Even the US Consulate is forbidden from asking questions.

In order to conduct a secret investigation, Rutherford Risk must use people who are not associated with the company. They hire Grace Chu, a forensic accountant and Chinese citizen to look over the books of the construction company to see if any of the people receiving the incentives may have been involved. And John Knox - a importer/exporter who travels to Shanghai often enough as to not raise suspicions - and has special training that will come in handy.

Together Grace and John will have their work cut out for them as they race to find the kidnap victims before they can be disposed of - a risk that became much more likely once the kidnappers took an American. Ridley Pearson's writing and storytelling will keep readers on their toes as he leads them through a high adrenaline race through China - while also showing a glimpse of Chinese culture. Pearson is one of the best writers in the mystery/suspense genre today and fans will love this beginning to a new series.

Pearson, Ridley. (2012). The Risk Agent. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Against the Sun (Raines of Wind Canyon #6)

Against the Sun by Kat Martin is the sixth book in her Raines of Wind Canyon series which started out about brothers who grew up on a ranch in Wind Canyon, Wyoming but has spread to friends of the brothers as the popularity of the series has begged more stories.

Jake Cantrell is ex-special forces now working in personal security. His latest assignment is at Marine Drilling International - an oil company - where he is to meet with a S.E. Dumont about being a body guard while the company negotiates with a Saudi family to make a deal on some drilling equipment.

Sage Dumont is Vice President of Acquisitions and could be promoted if she can secure a deal with the Saudis for a used drilling platform and save the company millions of dollars. Though her grandfather owns the company she has worked her way up from an entry-level position and is not guaranteed the promotion even with the deal.

If Jake had known S.E. was a woman he may have turned down the job. Now he is in charge of security for a woman who is not used to following orders and who does not believe she even needs a bodyguard. While Jake is a professional and will do anything in his power to protect his client this will be the most difficult job he has ever had - protecting Sage, being around her 24 hours a day and keeping his hands to himself.

Martin is a romance writer who creates compelling stories around great characters. If she listens to fans - she will keep turning out book in this series until everyone the Raines brothers ever met has their own book.

Martin, Kat. (2012). Against the Sun. New York: Mira.

The Fallen Angel (Gabriel Allon #12)

The Fallen Angel by Daniel Silva is book twelve in the Gabriel Allon series. Gabriel is an artist whose career was interrupted when his country needed him, and he spent most of his life in the service of Israel's Mossad. Now he is retired and just wants to restore paintings.

He is currently working on a Caravaggio for the Vatican. But when a woman is found dead in St. Peter's Basilica, Monsignor Luigi Donati asks Gabriel to investigate. Donati had asked the woman to catalog the art and artifacts in the Vatican in order to make sure they each had a provenance and there would be no surprises. Just after she called to tell him she found something, she ended up dead.Now Gabriel is pulled back from his retirement and into the center of an international ring of looted antiquities, murder, and terrorism that spans the globe.

Daniel Silva writes espionage thrillers better than anyone else. He is a master of sucking in readers before the first paragraph has been completed. Gabriel Allon is an amazing character that readers would follow anywhere.

Silva, Daniel. (2012). The Fallen Angel. New York: Harper.

The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentlemen Bastards #1)

The Lies of Locke Lamora is the first book in the Gentleman Bastards series by Scott Lynch.

Locke Lamora became an orphan at the age of eight when his parents were victim to a plague that killed all of the adults in their district. When the plague came the city of Camorr imposed a quarantine around the neighborhood - blocking all of the surrounding canals to prevent any escape.

When the quarantine lifted, the Thief Maker went in and rounded up the orphans. His role in the city is to train young orphans in the art of thievery and then sell them to the gangs when they are ready. Soon, due to his plotting nature, Locke is sold to the Gentlemen Bastards.

What follows is a great education not only in how to steal, but how to become other people and fit into any situation. Locke and his friends will be trained to target the upper classes of Camorr - in spite of the Secret Peace that prevents that exact thing.

Lynch has created a dynamic fantasy world filled with rich characters. The Lies of Locke Lamora is like a great heist novel within a great fantasy novel.  

Lynch, Scott. (2006). The Lies of Locke Lamora. New York: Bantam Spectra.

Against the Night (Raines of Wind Canyon #5)

Against the Night by Kat Martin is the fifth book in her Raines of Wind Canyon series.

Amy is looking for her sister who has been missing for a while. She moved from the midWest to California and got a job at the place her sister worked to start searching for her. She now goes by Angel and is an exotic dancer - a far cry from her regular job as a kindergarten teacher.

Johnnie Riggs is an ex-Army Ranger who is looking for a drug dealer. He is at the club looking for the scumbag's girlfriend. But his eyes keep drifting to Angel. Then he finds out the girlfriend is her sister and that she is missing.

Amy and Johnnie will have to work together to solve the disappearance of Amy's sister and capture the guy who may be responsible - while fighting an attraction between them.

Martin, Kat. (2012). Against the Night. New York: Mira.

Vortex (Cutter Cay #3)

Vortex by Cherry Adair is the third book in her Cutter Cay series about three brothers who search for sunken ships and their treasures.

Logan Cutter is on the trail of a ship that was carrying millions of dollars' worth of emeralds. He has done his research and is sure he is close to finding it off of the coast of Peru. If he is successful, it will be the largest prize any of the brothers have found.

But what Logan pulls out of the water is a woman. Not a mermaid, but a woman who was thrown overboard by pirates - who happen to be her cousins. Dani Rosado's family has known about the ship since it sunk. Their great, great, great ancestor created a map of where the treasure wrecked - carved out of an emerald bowl. But Cutter is going after the wrong ship - the main ship was a decoy and the treasure was on the smaller ship, the Daniela.

Now Dani must get Logan to move 500 miles to the South of where he is searching, keep her cousins from stealing the treasure from him when he finds it, and keep herself from falling for him.

Adair's Cutter Cay series is a must read for fans of romantic suspense, or fans of sea stories. Romance or no, I totally want to live on a boat where I can just swim around all day and have a chef prepare my meals!

Adair, Cherry. (2012). Vortex. New York: St. Martin's Paperbacks.