Saying Goodbye to Sookie…With a Resounding Thud?

Sooo, a bit earlier today Pallavi (hey Pallavi) sent over word that a German fan had gotten ahold of an early copy of Charlaine Harris‘ final Sookie Stackhouse novel, Dead Ever After. And, to put it mildly – They. Were. Not. Pleased.

Looks like said reader, in their blind rage, then proceeded to leak the ending online. Being the nosy beast I am, I went snooping and boy, was Pallavi right. The response to Dead Ever After is brutal. I mean truly, truly, epically brutal. I was half horrified, half amused reading the absolutely scathing reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads, since the “fans” held nothing back. Let’s just say that the first two books of the series are sitting on Mount TBR, and I am now in no hurry to get to them. At all.

As much as I laughed reading the reviews, it did make me sad at the same time (even though I haven’t read the books, I am a True Blood fan so I know basic storyline and characters). I really do hate to see a series go out like this – especially since it is one that for many is considered a staple of the PNR/UF genre. Even those who have never picked up one of “our” books often knows Charlaine Harris/Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood. This series was one of the first to bring Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy mainstream, and to go out leaving fans rabidly angry and resentful is a loss all around.

Have you seen any other books draw a similar reaction? I seem to remember something about a Dianne Sylvan book that got readers pretty fired up, and I do know from personal experience that Christine Feehan‘s Dark Predator left a lot of people unhappy and confused (starting with Moi). Has there ever been a book that has actually turned you against a series you followed, or even turned you against the author (like some of the reviewers for Dead Ever After who have vowed to never go near a Charlaine Harris book again)?

New Series Alerts…and a Finale

Hard to believe that it is time yet again for another new series post, and there is quite a few to choose from. For this week, M.L. Brennan is starting her new American Vampire series with the release of Generation V.

Synopsis…

Reality Bites

Fortitude Scott’s life is a mess. A degree in film theory has left him with zero marketable skills, his job revolves around pouring coffee, his roommate hasn’t paid rent in four months, and he’s also a vampire. Well, sort of. He’s still mostly human.

But when a new vampire comes into his family’s territory and young girls start going missing, Fort can’t ignore his heritage anymore. His mother and his older, stronger siblings think he’s crazy for wanting to get involved. So it’s up to Fort to take action, with the assistance of Suzume Hollis, a dangerous and sexy shape-shifter. Fort is determined to find a way to outsmart the deadly vamp, even if he isn’t quite sure how.

But without having matured into full vampirehood and with Suzume ready to split if things get too risky, Fort’s rescue mission might just kill him.…

American Vampire reading list HERE

Another newbie is Alyssa Day‘s League of the Black Swan. The first book is called The Cursed.

Synopsis…

Bordertown private investigator Luke Oliver’s beat is the dimensional fold in Manhattan between the human and supernatural realms. But now a secret from his past—the League of the Black Swan—has surfaced. Because Luke isn’t any ordinary P.I. He’s the Dark Wizard of Bordertown, and he never backs down from a fight.

But this time the fight threatens his life and his heart. Rio Jones, the only woman he loved, needs his help against a deadly menace. Luke pushed her away once before, so she’d never fall prey to the curse that threatens to destroy him. He swore he’d never let her go again.

Luke and Rio, with the help of the newly reformed League, must keep evil forces from taking over Bordertown—all the while battling a passion on the razor’s edge between danger and desire. And going to take everything they have just to stay alive.

League of the Black Swan reading list HERE

The Mist-Torn Witches from Barb Hendee is the first book of her new series, also called The Mist-Torn Witches.

Synopsis…

In a small village in the nation of Droevinka, orphaned sisters Céline and Amelie Fawe scrape out a living selling herbal medicines in their apothecary shop. Céline earns additional money by posing as a seer and pretending to read people’s futures.

But they exist in a land of great noble houses, all vying for power, and when the sisters refuse the orders of a warlord prince, they must flee and are forced to depend on the warlord prince’s brother, Anton, for a temporary haven.

A series of bizarre deaths of pretty young girls are plaguing the village surrounding Prince Anton’s castle. He offers Céline and Amelie permanent protection if they can use their “skills” to find the killer.

With little choice, the sisters enter a world unknown to them — of fine gowns and banquets and advances from powerful men. Their survival depends on catching a murderer who appears to walk through walls and vanish without a trace — and the danger around them seems to grow with each passing night.

The Mist Torn Witches reading list HERE

Jean Johnson‘s Guardians of Destiny series starts with the release of The Tower. I am not quite sure how this one ties into her Sons of Destiny series.

Synopsis…

In a fertile valley undisrupted by the aether-shattering death of the old Aian Empire, the Tower and its Guardians have entertained generations of wealthy mirror-scrying mages while adventurers from around the world risk their lives for fortune and fame. But on the one day the Tower stood unguarded, an intruder tried to seize the magic powering the vast structure. Now, locked out of the Tower’s innermost chambers, Kerric Vo Mos must brave the deadly traps keeping trespassers at bay in order to reclaim control.

Unfortunately, Kerric wields a pen far better than a sword, and the way into the Tower’s sanctum is treacherous. Only the help of an experienced player like Myal the Mendhite can get him to where he must go. But mutual respect will not be enough. Passion must also be employed, along with armor and weapons, as they embark on a perilous quest past monsters, riddles, and other dangers that even the Tower’s most dedicated viewers have never seen before.

Guardians of Destiny reading list HERE

Still on the adult side of things, Katie MacAlister‘s new Time Thief series makes its debut with the release of The Time Thief tomorrow.

Synopsis…

Outcast due to their ability to manipulate time, shunned by the mortal and immortal worlds alike, a Traveller’s life is anything but easy.

Peter Faa is a member of the Watch tracking down a murderer, and unfortunately, all clues seem to point toward his own estranged family of Travellers. Any of his cousins could be guilty, but which one? They’re all experts in the art of stealing time…

After surviving a lightning strike, Kiya Mortenson is determined to get just one thing in her life right. And if that means taking a job as nanny to five pugs on a campsite in the Oregon wilderness, then so be it. It doesn’t hurt that the job comes with some spectacular male eye candy, including her new boss’s gorgeous grandson. If only she didn’t keep having this strange sense of deja vu…

When Peter discovers his own family is stealing time from Kiya, all bets are off. While she may drive him crazy at times, it’s clear that it’s not just lightning that’s creating some serious sparks between them. And he’s not going to let secrets, lies, or a devious murderer keep Kiya from where she belongs: at his side.

Time Thief reading list HERE

This weeks lone Young Adult debut comes from Margaret Stohl. Icons is the first book of the new Icons series. I have been seeing this one all over the place the last few days.

Synopsis…

Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol’s family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn’t know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside — safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can’t avoid.

She’s different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador’s privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn’t a coincidence. It’s a conspiracy.

Within the Icon’s reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions — which they’ve always thought to be their greatest weaknesses — may actually be their greatest strengths.

Icons reading list HERE

And finally, this is the week of the final Sookie Stackhouse novel, Dead Ever After. There is anther supplemental book to follow from Charlaine Harris later in the year called After Dead, but for the most part this is the end for Sookie and the gang.

Synopsis…

There are secrets in the town of Bon Temps, ones that threaten those closest to Sookie—and could destroy her heart….

Sookie Stackhouse finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte’s. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance…and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she’ll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough…

Sookie Stackhouse reading list HERE

So, what are you looking forward to this week? I read the excerpt for The Cursed that was released a while back and it didn’t grab my attention, and Jean Johnson is definitely not a favorite of mine, but I do find myself wondering how Icons will be. Are you going to miss Sookie books, or do you think the time has come to call it quits in Bon Temps?

Cover Lover – 4 New Titles

Looks like there is a few new covers making the rounds, and I raided Goodreads and came up with four. This first one is from the Sookie Stackhouse series from Charlaine Harris, which I thought was ending with Dead Ever After. It turns out that After Dead is actually a supplemental add-on that gives you a character-by-character breakdown of what happened in Bon Temps. After Dead will be released on October 29th.

Jean Johnson‘s second Guardians of Destiny book, The Grove, will be released on December 3rd.

This one is from the new series from Paula Altenburg. Black Widow Demon is the second book of the Demon Outlaws series, and it will be released on November 26th.

And this final one is actually a novella cover. A Desire so Deadly is #2.5 in Suzanne Young‘s A Need So Beautiful series. Look for it in e-book format on July 2nd.

Cover Lover – 10 New Titles

Time for another cover lover post.  This first one is from author Laura Powell and her Burn Mark series.  Witch Fire will be released in hardcover on May 28th.

Well, it looks like this is the end for Sookie and Bill.  And Eric (not handling that part well, though).  Dead Ever After is the final book in the Sookie Stackhouse series from Charlaine Harris, and it will be released on May 7th.

The cover is out for the next book in Sandra Hill‘s Deadly Angels series.  Kiss of Temptation will hit the shelves on March 26th.

I do believe that Dianne Sylvan holds the distinction of being the author with the biggest negative reaction I have ever heard after the release of her last book in the Shadow World series.  Looks like the series is still going on, since Of Shadow Born will be released on March 26th.

Ooooh, Wolf With Benefits!  This next Pride book from Shelly Laurenston will be released on March 26th, and will feature Ricky Lee…and one of those pesky jackals.

To tell the truth, I really didn’t notice a difference between this cover for Sinner’s Heart and the previous book in Zoe Archer‘s Hellraisers series, but at least they have the same theme going.  This one will be out on April 2nd.

I have been trying to track down some info on this author since I first saw these over at Amazon, but no luck yet.  I do know that these next two covers from Cat Devon are part of a vampire trilogy, with Sleeping With the Entity being released on June 4th…

…and The Entity Within quickly following on June 25th.  Has anyone else heard anything about these books or this author?

From the young adult side, I loved the cover for the first book in Jessica Shirvington‘s Violet Eden series, but the last two haven’t quite caught my eye as much.  They are pretty, but they don’t give me the same YA vibe that the first one did.   This is the cover for the third book, Emblaze, which will be released on March 1st.

And finally, the cover for the second book in Amanda Hocking‘s Watersong series is out.  Tidal will be released on April 16th.

2013 Release Dates

Now, it seems so very very odd to be finding new release dates for mid and late 2013 – but then I realize that 2012 is already half way gone.  I really didn’t see that sucker fly by, and time really does move faster the older you get.  Who knew?  Anyways, I thought I would post some of the long term release dates I have been finding…

• Shannon K. Butcher will be releasing a new Sentinel Wars book, Falling Blind, on April 2nd.  No clue who this one is about, but I do hope for Grace and Tor.
• Right now, Thea Harrison is finishing up her fourth (and supposedly final – for a while) Elder Races novella, Hunting Season.  2013 will see at least two full length books – Shadow Game on April 2nd, and a title TBA on November 5th.
• The fourth Iron Seas book from Meljean Brook will be released on September 3rd, and Guardian Demon will be released on May 7th.
• Looks like a long wait after Archangel’s Storm for the next Guild Hunter book.  Nalini Singh‘s next installment will be released on September 3rd. 2013.
• This November, there will be an Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love anthology called The Fangover.  Well, looks like the sequel, Fangover II, will be hitting the shelves next July.
• Night Vision, from Yasmine Galenorn, will be released on July 2nd.  It is the 4th book in her Indigo Court series.
• And the fourth book from Keri Arthur‘s Dark Angels series, Darkness Unmasked, will be released on June 4th.
• The as-yet untitled 5th book from Jennifer Ashley‘s Shifters Unbound series will be released on June 4th, as well.
• Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day and Meljean Brook will be teaming up for an untitled anthology on May 7th.
• Eternal Demon is the title of the 5th Mark of the Vampire book from Laura Wright, and it should be released on May 7th.
• Alyssa Day will be starting a new series, The League of the Black Swan.  The first book, as yet untitled, is due out on May 7th.
• If you are a Deadtown fan, the 5th book of the Nancy Holzner series is listed as a July 30th release.
• The second book from Jill Archer‘s new Noon Onyx series will be released on May 28th.
• The Sookie Stackhouse series is winding down, and it looks like Charlaine Harris‘ lucky number 13 will be called Dead Ever After.  This one should be out next May.
• Born of Fury, part of Sherrilyn Kenyon‘s League series, will be out on April 14th.
• And next April 14th is also the release date for a new Jane True book.  The Nicole Peeler book will be called Tempest Reborn.

 

Cover Lover – 4 New Titles

All credit for these goes to All Things Urban Fantasy, since I nabbed all four of these from there.  The first one is from the upcoming anthology edited by Charlaine Harris, containing short stories from Ilona Andrews, Charlaine Harris, and others.  An Apple for the Creature will be released in hardcover on September 4th.

The second one is from the fourth book in Kristen Painter‘s House of Comarre series.  Out for Blood is an October 30th release.

Sidney Ayers‘ next Demons Unleashed book, Demon to Die For, has been pushed back to a February 2013 release.

And this final one is from Sherrilyn Kenyon and Dianna Love, and there Belador series.  The Curse is due out on September 18th.

This and That…

I am going through all of the authors listed in the series reading list pages, and a few new details have come up (other than the fact that I have OCD issues).

• Jennifer Armentrout‘s third Covenant book, Deity, is up for preorder now at Amazon.  It will be released on November 6th.
• and, writing under the name J. Lynn, Jennifer Armentrout‘s Unchained (the first book of the Nephilim Rising series), will be out on October 16th.
• July 24th is the release date for the fourth book in Laura Anne Gilman‘s Paranormal Scene Investigations series, called Dragon Justice.
• Charlaine Harris will be one of the editors of an upcoming anthology called An Apple for the Creature, due out on September 4th.  It will include stories from Marjorie M. Liu, Ilona Andrews, Nancy Holder and Faith Hunter, among others.
• For the Love of a Goblin Warrior, the third book from Shona Husk‘s Shadowlands series, will be released next January 1st.
• From Suzanne Johnson comes the second book of her Sentinels of New Orleans series, River Road, on November 13th.  It will be followed by Elysian Fields next year.
• September 25th will be the release date for Unleashed, the follow-up to Untamed by Crystal Jordan.
• Looks like there will be a fifth Iron Fey book.  Julie Kagawa announced that The Lost Prince will be released late this year.
• Sherrilyn Kenyon will have two books coming out in September.  There will be a hardcover re-release of Dance with the Devil on the 4th, and the third Belador book, The Curse, will be out on the 18th.

Cover Lover – 8 New Titles

Hm, not really sure what the big thing is with all of the new covers coming out the last few days, but I found a few more to throw on the pile.  The next Queen Betsy book from MaryJanice Davidson, Undead and Unstable, has a fun, funky cover.  This one is due out in hardcover on June 5th.

There is a second MaryJanice Davidson cover out, as well.  This one is called Dying for You, and it appears to be a collection of four short stories.  It is an August 7th release.

I didn’t realize that Kelley Armstrong was ending her Women of the Otherworld series.  Looks like number 13, titled Thirteen, will be the final story.  It will be released on July 24th.

I am not a big fan of Jean Johnson (I wanted to go through the page and kill the “heroine” of her Sons of Destiny series, Kelly), but the cover for The Shifter is not bad.  Not sure if this is connected to any previous books, but it is due out on May 1st.

Number five is from author Dakota Cassidy.  She returns to her Accidental series with the June 5th release of Accidentally Dead, Again.

Charlaine Harris‘ Sookie Stackhouse covers are…different.  I don’t actually like them, but they do stand out, and Deadlocked is no exception.  This one is coming out on May 1st.

The second book from Kylie Griffin‘s Light Blade series now has a cover.  Alliance Forged is due out next fall.

The last one is from Robin D. Owens.  She continues her Celta’s Heartmates series next fall with the release of Heart Secret.  I didn’t even hear about this one before, which means I am way behind.

Last Minute Additions…

Since I try and go so far ahead with the new release info, I wondered if I perhaps missed anything interesting.  So, starting this month, I will be doing a “check back” for the upcoming month to see what I didn’t notice/forgot to add.  I know there are a ton I just didn’t get to, but here is three I added for the month of October…

From Vivian Arend comes a compilation of two of her e-books into print, called Under the Midnight Sun.  It is actually the second print volume in the series, featuring stories #3 and #4.  It is an October 4th release.

Synopsis…

Wolf Games

After seven years of denial, Maggie’s inner wolf is in full revolt. The last thing she wants is a mate, particularly when simply looking at another wolf scares her to death.  Sheer chance puts Erik in the right place to catch the weak and shaky Maggie. With one touch, he realizes the reluctant female werewolf is his mate.  Selected for the premier sporting event for wolves in the north, Maggie will not only have to team up with Erik, she’ll have to face down her fear of wolves. Especially her own.

Wolf Tracks

TJ’s usual laid-back attitude vanishes when he comes face to face with someone he didn’t expect. His mate. His very human mate. If he intends to claim her, he’s going to have to move fast.  Pam is definitely tempted to indulge in some Northern Delight with TJ—temporarily, not forever. In her world, true love is a fairytale that seldom, if ever, comes true.  Okay, so maybe staging a kidnapping wasn’t TJ’s best idea, but at least Pam agrees to his deal. He’s got one week in the wilderness to prove she’s his mate. She’s got one week to discover if forever is possible.

The second one is on the UF side of things.  The second book from J.N. Duncan‘s Jackie Rutledge series comes out on October 4th, and is called The Vengeful Dead.

Synopsis…

Jackie Rutledge just cannot put her past to rest. Her Bureau partner is dead, but not gone. And her sanity is becoming as fragile as her career. Worst of all, a wrenching journey into Deadworld has given her unwanted new abilities – and exhuming memories she hoped to keep buried.

Now a merciless force capable of possessing humans is on a killing spree, destroying the guilty and innocent alike. It isn’t long before Jackie is a prime suspect, struggling to stay two steps ahead of her savvy new partner, and her undead P.I. and paramour, Nick. But to clear her name, she’ll have to take on her greatest challenge yet: confronting an inner darkness as inescapable as the one she hunts – and capable of annihilating more than her soul.

Now, I have absolutely no idea how I missed this one.  None.  But I honestly never even got a sniff of this anthology featuring Charlaine Harris and Patricia Briggs, among others.  Down These Strange Streets is also due out on October 4th.

Synopsis…

All new strange cases of death and magic in the city by some of the biggest names in urban fantasy.

In this all-new collection of urban fantasy stories, editors George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois explore the places where mystery waits at the end of every alley and where the things that go bump in the night have something to fear…

Includes stories by New York Times bestselling authors Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Diana Gabaldon, Simon R. Green, S. M. Stirling, and Carrie Vaughn, as well as tales by Glen Cook, Bradley Denton, M.L.N. Hanover, Conn Iggulden, Laurie R. King, Joe R. Lansdale, John Maddox Roberts, Steven Saylor, Melinda Snodgrass, and Lisa Tuttle.

New Release Info…

In the process of updating the current release dates, I came across a bit more info to be added to the site.

• Allison Pang will release her second Abby Sinclair book, A Sliver of Shadow, on February 28th.
• The fourth book in the Immortals of Annwyn series from Sophie Renwick will be called Bound in Velvet.  Look for it on June 5th of next year.
• Deadly Descendant will be the second book in the Descendants series from Jenna Black, due out on April 24th.
• The Paranormal Scene Investigations series from Laura Anne Gilman will continue this November with the release of the third book, Tricks of the Trade.
• Black Dawn is the title of the 12th Rachel Caine Morganville Vampires book, and it should be out on May 1st.
• This is a long one to list.  Hannah Jayne will release the third book in her Underworld Detective Agency series next May 1st, called Under Suspicion.
• Next up from C.E. Murphy is Raven Calls, part of her Walker Papers series.  It should be out on February 21st.
• From the Phantom Corps series from Lauren Dane comes Captivated.  It is a May 1st release.
• Number four from Lyn Benedict‘s Shadows & Inquiries series will be called Lies & Omens, out on April 24th.
• Charlaine Harris‘ monster hit Sookie Stackhouse series continues next May with the release of the 12th book, Deadlocked.
• The new Devil’s Bargain series from Terri Garey will continue with the release of book two, A Devil Named Desire, next January 31st.
• Angela Knight‘s next Mageverse book will be called Master of Darkness, and is scheduled for next August.
• Reaper’s Revenge, the second book in Sarah McCarty‘s Shadow Reapers series, will be released next July.
• And Alexis Morgan seems to be trying something a bit different.  Next July, she will be releasing My Lady Mage, what appears to be the first book in a new series called The River of the Damned.
• A Hunger So Wild is the title for the second book in Sylvia Day‘s new Renegade Angels series.  It is a late July release.
• Also next July will be the release of Night Forbidden, the 5th book in the Envy Chronicles from author Joss Ware.
• WVMP Radio, the series from Jeri Smith-Ready, continues next October with the release of the 4th book called Lust for Life.
• Karen Chance will also be releasing a new one next October.  Fury’s Kiss is part of her Midnight’s Daughter series, featuring heroine Dorina Basarab.
• Jacquelyn Frank‘s next Three Worlds novel has been pushed back to a late September release.  Official title is TBA.
• The third Alex Craft book from Kalayna Price will be called Grave Memory, and it should be on the shelves sometime next July.
• Next up for Amanda Bonilla‘s Shaede Assassin series is Blood Before Sunrise, scheduled for next July.
• and finally, there is a bit of info coming out for the next Age of Steam book from Devon Monk.  It will be called The Swift, and should be out next July.