The Demon Abraxas by Rachel Calish

From the blurb:
San Francisco after dark can be full of unusual sights, but the last thing Ana Khoury expects to stumble across is black-garbed figures carrying a body. Her call to 911 is interrupted by a blow to the head, plunging her into nothingness.

Sabel Young has long been attracted to the impetuous and alluring Ana, but her obedience to an ancient order of witches leaves her with few options for romance. When she realizes that Ana has been taken—and by whom—her very private life and Ana’s normal world collide.

Her orders are clear: Do not get involved with demons. But she can’t leave a woman with no magic in the hands of dark powers that will exploit her body and destroy her soul—especially Ana. With daring and luck she pulls Ana to safety.

At first it appears they have escaped dark magic unscathed. At first…

Review:

Set in modern day San Francisco, The Demon Abraxas tells a tale of demons, demon worshipers, witches, and the woman who gets caught in between it all - Ana Khoury.

I enjoyed the romance between Ana and witch Sabel Young.  They'd been flirting before everything changed, before there was a murder and before Ana got caught up in the demon's plot.  I love that Ana is not helpless nor is clinging onto Sabel for help.  She is fiercely independent and fiery, which makes her a great heroine for this book.

There's lots of juicy sexual tension between the two heroines.  They're also both very independent and strong willed, ensuring that many of the blocks that stand between them getting together are of their own making.

My favourite character was probably Lily, who is half human half demon and bisexual.  Her story was probably the one that drew me the most.  I loved the chapters told from her perspective.  I would have love to know more about her history, her life, and her work.

The demon Abraxas was also an excellent character in his own right.  A difficult thing to depict so well as he rarely is anything close to physical.  However, Rachel Calish brings him to life.

Lesbians? Check.  Bisexual? Check. Demons?  Check. Witches? Check.

A great f/f paranormal/fantasy romance.

More Information:

Title: The Demon Abraxas

Author: Rachel Calish

Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy/Romance
Length: Novel

Publisher: Bella Books

Publishing Date:  Oct. 2013

Type: f/f

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Body Magic by Poppy Dennison

From the blurb:

Sequel to Mind Magic
Triad: Book Two

A pack is only as strong as its weakest member. Rocky Harris knows how the system works. He’s been on the bottom rung his whole life. But when his alpha consigns him to the High Moon Pack to help them improve security, he finds his beliefs not just challenged but outright assaulted.

Cade Montgomery’s confidence took a hit when the pack’s cubs were kidnapped on his watch. He’s prepared to do anything to protect his family, even if it means working with Rocky. Maybe Cade doesn’t trust Rocky, but with the turmoil surrounding pack Alpha Gray’s unpopular decision to break tradition and mate with a mage named Simon, Cade knows more threats are coming.

Then someone declares war on shifters and puts the entire pack in danger. Cade and Rocky will need each other’s strengths to survive the impending battle—and the power of their growing attraction.

Review:

(Read our review of the first book, Mind Magic, here)

Body Magic is the second book in Poppy Dennison's Triad trilogy.  The story follows two couples.  Cade and Rocky are introduced at the new romance for this novel, but a lot of time is also spent focusing on the established couple, Gray and Simon.

Cade is from the High Moon Pack, the pack that we grew to know and love from the first novel, Mind Magic.  Rocky, whom we also know from the first novel, has been brought in as a security expert from an outside pack.  Rocky is not ostensibly a likeable character, and I must admit, when the first chapter focused on him, I was a little uneasy.  

However, seeing things from Rocky's perspective really helped me to have more sympathy for him.

This novel is set right after the first.  Unlike the first novel, Body Magic is less about action and mystery and more about exploring relationships.  Despite the blurb of the book, which makes it sound like the novel is all about Cade and Rocky's romance, the story still hinges upon Simon and Gray and most of the narrative follows them in the lead up to their mating ceremony and Simon's important 25th birthday.  It did feel like it took a while to build up to the action, but I really enjoyed just spending time with the High Moon Pack and Simon, whom I adore.

The stand out character in this novel was actually Cade.  Cade is a biracial black man.  It's great to see in this genre, which is more often than not totally white.  Cade's inner musings on being different and dealing with difference were a very nice addition.  We see a depth to Cade that we didn't in the first novel.  Character wise, Dennison does a fab job with Cade.  School was never his strong point, so he doesn't consider himself smart like college-educated Gray and Liam, however, Cade never comes across as being unintelligent in a hammy sort of way.  His empathy and his loyalty to Gray and the High Moon Pack make him really loveable.

I would have like to have spent more time with Cade and Rocky.  Their romance felt a little thin, comprised mostly of physical attraction and some other inexplicable pull.  Both characters can be quite guarded and suspicious, but I would have like to see them talk more and add a bit more substance to their romantic feelings for one another.

The family scenes with Simon, Gray, Garon, and the new addition, orphan mountain-lion shifter cub Riley are undeniably adorable.  I love them and their family so much.

Body Magic is a solid and sweet second book in the Triad trilogy.  

Visit Poppy Dennison's website

More Information:

Title: Body Magic

Author: Poppy Dennison

Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy/Romance
Length: Novel

Publisher: Dreamspinners Press

Publishing Date: 10 Sept. 2012

Type: m/m

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Mind Magic by Poppy Dennison

From the blurb:

Magical species must never mix. According to the rules, Simon Osborne should ignore the children’s cries for help. After all, they’re werewolf cubs, and he’s an apprentice mage. But for once in his life, Simon breaks the rules and rescues the cubs, saving them from a demon intent on draining them of their magic.

Of course, all actions have consequences, and Simon’s bold move earns him the displeasure of his peers and the attention of the cubs’ alpha, a man named Gray Townsend.

The last thing Gray needs is a mage in his life, but Simon did save his son. Since Simon is now a friend of the pack, Gray doesn’t have much choice about it—or the forbidden attraction that goes along with it. Unfortunately for the alpha, he needs Simon’s help to track down the demon behind the kidnappings—before it strikes again. Simon and Gray must join forces to protect the pack, even as they struggle to resist the temptation that threatens to destroy them both.

Review:

Mind Magic is a charming novel about the importance of family, overcoming social boundaries, and finding love.

Simon Osborne, a mage, through his magic hears werewolf children crying for help.  Unable to ignore them, he interferes and saves them from a demon. When he returns the cubs home, he meets the alpha wolf of the pack, Gray Townsend.  It turns out one of the cubs rescued was the alpha wolf's son, Garon.

Simon Osborne is easy to fall in love with.  He's always trying to do the right thing and he is kind and caring.  Gray could have very easily been a hyper-masculine stereotype, but Poppy Dennison paints him in softer colours, focusing often on Gray's relationship with his son.  This is very touching and sweet and works very well.

Mind Magic is also about finding one place even in the face of social taboos.  If mages and werewolves should never mix, why do Simon and Gray feel so right for each other?  In the face of social constructs, Simon and Gray try to find their own happiness.

What really won it over for me was the children.  Garon in particular stands out as being a stellar character.  He is funny, adorable, and totally lovable and brings out Simon's desires to have a family.

It's great to have a bisexual as one of the main characters in an m/m novel.  Gray doesn't overstate or flaunt it as such, but his bisexuality is simply treated as reality and normal by his peers.  There is no friction between Gray having a son from a one night stand with a good friend and his sudden attraction to Simon.  Garon's questions about the nature of Simon and Gray's relationship are adorable and melted my heart.

Dennison spends quite a bit of time setting up the mythology of this world, and I look forward to seeing how that develops in the other books in the Triad series.

Overall, Mind Magic is a charming novel.

Visit Poppy Dennison's website

More Information:

Title: Mind Magic

Author: Poppy Dennison

Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy/Romance
Length: Novel

Publisher: Dreamspinners Press

Publishing Date: 23 Apr. 2012

Type: m/m

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Review: Wild by Meghan O'Brien

From the blurb:

The only thing that frightens shapeshifter Selene Rhodes more than the full moon is the idea of falling in love.

Selene Rhodes has lived her whole life with a terrible secret: not only can she take the form of any animal at will, but once a month the full moon transforms her into a fierce wolf-creature without a human conscience. Managing her condition means living by a strict routine, and more importantly, abstaining from intimate relationships with human beings. Selene is convinced that love and friendship can only bring her pain.

Forensic pathologist Eve Thomas is well-acquainted with the pain of romantic love. Swearing off relationships after having her heart broken by a cheating ex, Eve throws herself into her work: catching murderers. When Selene comes to her aid after an attack by a masked man in Golden Gate Park, Eve is shocked by how powerfully she is drawn to her mysterious savior.

Shaken by her own feelings for Eve, Selene is even more terrified to realize she isn’t even close to being the scariest monster stalking San Francisco. There is someone out in the city who is killing for pleasure, and his next target is the one woman he thinks might be able to stop him: Eve.

Review:

HOT. Okay, there's way more to discuss, but that's the core message.

This urban fantasy meets lesbian romance is pretty damn scorching. The serial killer on the loose story-line, although hardly unique, is handled well and provided an excellent conceit for the meeting of and initiation of the relationship between Selene and Eve.  They seem to have a mysterious and empathic connection which binds them.

The shifting viewpoints between Selene, Eve, and Kevin are also handled well. I'm usually not a fan of shifting points of view in a novel, but O'Brien does a really great job of making sure she spends enough time in each point of view and it doesn't feel at all jumpy. In fact, as the story lines of Selene and Eve converge, the more streamlined it becomes. The only times I felt it jumped a little was when we were pulled out of the Selene and Eve dynamic to find out what Kevin, the serial killer, was up to.

The plot and subplots are woven together skillfully. The romance, the secrets, the history of the two women are teased out throughout the book in such a way that made me really care about Selene and Eve. The dynamic between Selene and Eve is gripping and thrilling. It's made even more tense and awkward with Eve's ex-girlfriend, Jac, being around.

The stand out element for me is the explosively hot sex scenes. Wow. These are phenomenal expositions of both detail and emotive feeling. O'Brien does a most excellent job of writing sex scenes dripping with sexiness, passion, emotion, and character. Colour me super impressed.

A couple of loose ends bugged me throughout the book.

Selene and Eve's empathic connection is never explained. I understand that this fits in with the theme that not all things can be explained, but there seems to be little reason for a sudden instant emotive connection between the two, which starts precisely when Eve is in mortal danger. I would have like to have seen at least a couple of suggestions as to why that's the case. The empathic relationship is pretty key to the plot, so I'm left a little unsatisfied with the ambiguity.

The other thing that I found a little incredulous (no, not the shapeshifter!) was the fact that Eve never gets curious enough to look at Selene's second bedroom. The second bedroom sports a metal table and restraints to keep Selene from going on a rampage during the full moon.  Eve's an inquisitive person and it seems really weird that she never opens that door. Convenient for the story, but a little out of character.

Other than that, I really LOVED this novel. Selene was particularly interesting. I kinda wish that O'Brien would write a sequel as I would love to spend more time with these characters.

Highly recommended if you like urban fantasy, serial killer stories and earth-shattering hot lesbian sex.

Title: Wild
Author: Meghan O'Brien
Publishing Date: June, 2011
Length: Novel (100k)
Genre: Urban fantasy/Romance
Type: f/f

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