Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger

Chicago is a hell of a town, the Sears Tower, bartenders that make killer drinks, and I do mean KILLER drinks. You see Chicago boasts a rare breed of bartender, mixologists who create drinks that help them fight off more than a patron's blues, they literally help keep the demons at bay. In this Chicago any place you find yourself five sheets to the wind you'll find yourself being trailed by tremens who would like nothing else but a drink themselves; your animus steeped in the drink of your choice. After all, even demons need to let loose.

In this unique novel you'll meet Bailey who is just out of college and ready to become the successful business woman who lunches, has pedicures, and runs the world, all at the same time. She's back home and ready to launch her career but in the meantime she needs to make money by being a bar back at her best friend's family bar while she plans her ascent. What she doesn't know is that she is about to become part of the main resistance to an influx of tremens that is building up to inflict itself on unsuspecting Chicago just in time for Halloween. Bailey's life is about to take a swing for a much different path than she thought and along the way she will meet mixologists who call themselves the Alechemists who are trying to attain the ultimate cocktail, a Long Island Iced Tea. This is not your parent's drink but one that will give the one who drinks it ultimate power and could be the only thing to save Chicago.

This book is a fun read, perfect for those just out of school, ready or not to face their futures. The uncertainties, the pressure, and the bumps in the road are all here waiting for you to commiserate over and if you feel like you might need a drink to help you along, let The Devil's Water Dictionary, which the author graciously includes, show the exact recipes the mixologists use to mix up some of the strongest cocktails around. Full of humor this is a great read for anyone. Would fit nicely onto the bookshelf by your Harry Dresden books.

Aleph by Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho is a favorite author of mine. I have read many of his books and have always found them entertaining if not something I would add to my personal library. So why have I given this talented writer only two stars you ask? Well, I thought about how to explain my train of thought with a little analogy. 

If you've ever been introduced to someone at a party who's conversation left you reeling from trying to make heads or tails out of it, then you can begin to picture this novel. The conversation/story pulls you in because you are genuinely interested. But when you try to follow this logically you find yourself getting lost in the attempt. You want to understand but you just can't get a firm grip on what is actually being said/told. The deeper you delve the more you realize you have absolutely no idea whats happening. Every time you find a foot hold you slip again into the unknown.

Now, if you've ever read any of Coelho's works you know that he has a transcendental touch to his stories that evoke the peace and harmony that each of us is searching for. However in this book I couldn't quite click with it since the lyrical sense that he imbues in his books does not come across smoothly but is deterred numerous times by the reader's inability to keep reading without scoffing or just plain gawking at the scenes unveiling before their eyes. Frankly I kept reading because I wanted him to magically pull me through this story into an appreciation of the talent it took to write it. But this time the magic fell flat.

Yet, to repeat myself, this is still one of my favorite authors and I do think that if you are a reader who likes to find themselves in their books this is one you should pick up because it will make you search harder than any self help book out there. Just so you can say, Hey! I get it. If or when that happens just drop me a note. I could always use a little soul growing myself.

Spells of Blood and Kin by Claire Humphrey

I received this as an ARC from the publisher but the review is my own.

Lissa Nevsky has just lost her grandmother and inherited her responsibilities. She has become both feared and respected by her community's members who cling to the ancient beliefs of magical rituals. She is a witch with no friends, a family all but foreign to her and a power that carries great risk. And now she has a new problem, his name is Maksim Volkov and he has come to collect on a debt owed by Lissa's grandmother. However, the price that such an act requires will go against everything that Lissa was taught. But as Maksim fights against a nature so dark its claws can not be dulled by simple folk magic both will come to see that coming to terms with what we will do to survive is the greatest threat of all.

This is a fine introduction to Humphrey's writing style; modern, sharp, gilded with the acid touch of being unlike others. The characters in this story are not just puppets being pulled along with the narrative, they are vicious, snarling, fighting for every step they take and in doing so they ask us to invest in their existence and question ours. 

This is not an easy book to review and there were moments when I felt like there was something missing or I was missing something and I am not the biggest fan of the ending. But having said that, Humphrey's has evoked a story full of tragedy, darkness, and the eternal grasp on hope that humanity clings to. In the end I feel that this is a tale of discovery into the frontiers of human nature and reading it will give you a glimpse of yours. 

The Invisible Library (The Invisible Library #1) by Genevieve Cogman

The Invisible Library lies outside of the numerous realities and harvests dangerous books that need to be kept safely out of the hands of chaos. Irene is a trained spy for the Library and shes good at what she does but when shes sent to an alternate London with a new recruit she realizes she may have been sent into the midst of a wasp's nest. The book she was sent to retrieve has mysteriously disappeared and the other interested parties all swear they don't have it but they'll do anything to get their hands on it.

In a chaos infested world where supernatural creatures and the Fey seem intent on hindering her progress and the sole person she can depend on is hiding secrets of his own, Irene is going to have to trust her instincts and perhaps veer from the only path she has ever known. For the possibility of treachery from within the library seems to be the only answer to several of her questions and the shadow of the one man feared by all Librarians is looming ever closer.

This is a fun, steam punk influenced tour de force and sets a great tone to a new series that will be appreciated by any book lover. If real Librarians were anything like Irene we'd all be headed to our local library at a run. Pick this up and immerse yourself in a good read.

Burned (Alex Verus #7) by Benedict Jacka

I received this as an ARC but the review is my own.

First off the bat, if you haven't read the books before this one, STOP! This is definitely a series that needs to be read in order. Now having got that out of the way, what the hell are you doing here? Go start this series all ready. Diviner Verus is once again the target of his enemies but this time they're not only interested in him and time is running out. As everything he's built up in the last few years is destroyed and all around him are convinced that his destiny is to serve a Dark Mage once again can he save those who matter to him or will it all come down to fate. For fans of this series this is the culmination of everything we've been leading up to. Don't rush through this book, it will leave you on tenterhooks and nobody likes those.

Great urban fantasy series with a main character who is intelligent and witty with an iron core of determination. If you like Jim Butcher's Harry Dresden, prepare to meet his hero.

The Secret Language of Stones: A Novel (The Daughters of La Lune, #2) by M.J. Rose

I received this as an ARC from the publisher but the review is my own.

This is the second novel in the Daughters of La Lune series which was started with The Witch of Painted Sorrows but can be read as a stand alone novel. The first book introduced the powerful witch and famous courtesan La Lune and the history of madness and tragedy which follows the women of her family through the years until we come to Sandrine Salome who proves to be the only one capable of inheriting La Lune's powers and embracing her given gifts. For Sandrine's story this will prove to be a tale of passions unfolding and a young woman's fight to survive a trial of darkness in order to emerge into a strong and powerful witch and woman.

This is about Sandrine's daughter Opaline who has run away to Paris during World War I to escape both her family legacy and a decision which she cannot escape the ramifications of. Although loath to learn more about her family's powers and her own, she is gifted with the ability of creating jeweled talismans which help grieving loved ones left behind find a small semblance of peace. Her ability will set her on the path towards a choice between continuing to ignore her heritage or embracing a love that will test her sanity and force her to confront her fears and embrace what she is capable of. 

Again Rose has created a beautiful love story that is ethereal and touching shadowed by the grimness of ongoing war. The life of this young woman is sculpted by the tragedies she opens her heart too and the deceptions which lie beneath her very feet and by her side. Just as Opaline's talismans give one last glimpse of the dearly departed, the descriptive passages of Paris and Europe during this time will make you appreciate the uncertainty that people faced when each decision made could affect the very lives of countless others and turn the tide of history. Touched with magical realism, historical fiction, and mystery there is something here for everyone who is looking for a great read and is a worthy addition to the bookshelf.

The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro

Once upon a time two warring nations battled each other causing countless bloodshed and endless cycles of revenge and retribution. Then one day a great King rose up and brought peace between these two lands, and history over time smoothed the scars of a turbulent past. A brighter future was available to all and the King and his knights heroes. But this fairy tale ending was not what it seemed for beneath it all lay the foundations of the greatest betrayal of all. For even actions taken with the best of intentions can disguise a horrible truth.

As an elderly couple set out to reach their son in a faraway village they begin to suspect that they have forgotten moments of their lives, and they are not the only ones. There is something happening, something set in motion long ago, in another time, events that still influence people today. Superstitions and magic abound in this world and people fear that which they do not understand nor acknowledge and this is a very dangerous combination when the few that know the truth make decisions based on a deadly need to maintain the status quo.

Written with the grace of the greatest Arthurian legends, this is a story about the devastation of loss. How far would you go to save others, what would you be willing to do for their betterment. Would you be willing to  sacrifice peace of mind if you knew it would bring back what has been lost? Sometimes in the fog of forgetfulness is salvation. The grace in this story is the elegant balance of walking the fine line between the harrowing pain of loss and the healing loneliness of the truth.

There is an island they say where the shades who reside there can pass by each other and never know that they are not alone. But for a few who are blessed the veil may lift and a loved one seen even if only for a short time. Ishiguro is the boatman who delivers you to this island and lifts the veil.