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Otherworld / Sisters of the Moon #17
Panther Prowling
We’re the D’Artigo sisters: savvy half-human, half-Fae operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. My sister Camille is a wicked-good witch with three gorgeous husbands. Menolly is a vampire married to a werepuma. And me? I’m Delilah, a two-faced werecat and a Death Maiden. While the war in Otherworld is expanding, so is my newly renamed PI business. And my next case is about to make life very interesting…
While waiting for Shadow Wing’s next move, I decide to revamp my ragtag PI agency into the Cat’s Eye Investigations firm. My first client turns out to be our cousin Daniel. During the grand reopening for the Wayfarer, he shows up while being chased by a rampaging ghost. Daniel has procured a rare and valuable sword, and a ring of ghostly warriors comes attached to it. Protectors of the soul trapped within it, the spirits are out to stop anybody who threatens the weapon. As my sisters and I unravel the history of the sword, we quickly realize that the entity locked within the blade is a dangerous king from times gone by—and he’s about to break free and try to recover his crown…
While waiting for Shadow Wing’s next move, I decide to revamp my ragtag PI agency into the Cat’s Eye Investigations firm. My first client turns out to be our cousin Daniel. During the grand reopening for the Wayfarer, he shows up while being chased by a rampaging ghost. Daniel has procured a rare and valuable sword, and a ring of ghostly warriors comes attached to it. Protectors of the soul trapped within it, the spirits are out to stop anybody who threatens the weapon. As my sisters and I unravel the history of the sword, we quickly realize that the entity locked within the blade is a dangerous king from times gone by—and he’s about to break free and try to recover his crown…
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 27, 2015
78 people are currently reading
2245 people want to read
About the author
Yasmine Galenorn
247 books3,472 followersNOTE: I SELDOM visit Goodreads and do very little here. Please see my website for more information on my work: https://galenorn.com
New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and is the author of over 80 books & numerous series, including the Wild Hunt Series, the Moonshadow Bay Series, the Fury Unbound Series, the Otherworld Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, and more. She wrote for trad publishers for 20 years until she went indie in 2016.
She’s also written nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine. Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch and High Priestess. She describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Kirkland, WA, with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her web site at Galenorn.com. Sign up for her newsletter at: http://galenorn.com/newsletter/
NOTE: ALWAYS check the website and blog, and please sign up for her newsletter there to keep current with new and upcoming releases. Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter are NOT viable places to find out all this information.
New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance, and is the author of over 80 books & numerous series, including the Wild Hunt Series, the Moonshadow Bay Series, the Fury Unbound Series, the Otherworld Series, the Bewitching Bedlam Series, and more. She wrote for trad publishers for 20 years until she went indie in 2016.
She’s also written nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine. Yasmine has been in the Craft since 1980, is a shamanic witch and High Priestess. She describes her life as a blend of teacups and tattoos. She lives in Kirkland, WA, with her husband Samwise and their cats. Yasmine can be reached via her web site at Galenorn.com. Sign up for her newsletter at: http://galenorn.com/newsletter/
NOTE: ALWAYS check the website and blog, and please sign up for her newsletter there to keep current with new and upcoming releases. Facebook, Goodreads, and Twitter are NOT viable places to find out all this information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
July 22, 2019
Rating: Four stars
Another fun installment with new revelations and villains, "open" secrets, family meals around the table and on the grill, nasty dark magic, ancient folklore--and Fae- and dragons!
Delilah has come a long, long way from the wide-eyed sweet innocent she once was and that works out well in this book. Her relationship with Shade evolves to another level. Cousin Daniel is turning out to be a revelation. Family secrets and closure happen to make sense of all of the crazy. And I would love to drop kick the Hags of Fate hard in the nunga-nungas for interfering with these gals so much.
I liked this one kicked off with a birthday party for one of the girls. Some of my favorite people, ahem characters, made appearances --such as Feddrah-Dhans the unicorn--while others will be out of the story. Can't wait to get to Camille since she is my favorite.
I wonder if I can skip Menolly's book without getting lost? Aww, well,, guess I will suck it up and skim through what is needed. She is my least favorite and I don't care about her marriage. The coolest thing in her life is Roman and her bar.
Until the next episode...
Another fun installment with new revelations and villains, "open" secrets, family meals around the table and on the grill, nasty dark magic, ancient folklore--and Fae- and dragons!
Delilah has come a long, long way from the wide-eyed sweet innocent she once was and that works out well in this book. Her relationship with Shade evolves to another level. Cousin Daniel is turning out to be a revelation. Family secrets and closure happen to make sense of all of the crazy. And I would love to drop kick the Hags of Fate hard in the nunga-nungas for interfering with these gals so much.
I liked this one kicked off with a birthday party for one of the girls. Some of my favorite people, ahem characters, made appearances --such as Feddrah-Dhans the unicorn--while others will be out of the story. Can't wait to get to Camille since she is my favorite.
I wonder if I can skip Menolly's book without getting lost? Aww, well,, guess I will suck it up and skim through what is needed. She is my least favorite and I don't care about her marriage. The coolest thing in her life is Roman and her bar.
Until the next episode...
February 8, 2015
I would've given it 2 1/2 stars. Galenorn seems bored with the series. Instead of wrapping up the search for the Spirit Seals we are dragged on a filler adventure, one that could've easily been solved in about 20 pages if they had just let the evil Viking go free in the Hags garden. That not one character thought of that blew my mind.
We learn what an incubus and succubus are in this world, but it still hasn't been explained why two people raised in a culture of polyamory can't figure out how to be together. We also finally learn what a Stradolan is, only to suddenly not need the info.
Also the characters start for some odd reason act out of character. Camille out of nowhere and for no reason is disgustingly rude to Shade after he suffers a huge loss. And usually cool and collected Menolly keeps snapping at her wife. The series is creating drama instead of dealing with the issues that need to be resolved.
Galenorn is not releasing any more Sisters books this year, but instead starting two new series. Like I said, I think she's bored. Honestly with the hot mess this series has become I am not really inspired to start another two series of hers.
We learn what an incubus and succubus are in this world, but it still hasn't been explained why two people raised in a culture of polyamory can't figure out how to be together. We also finally learn what a Stradolan is, only to suddenly not need the info.
Also the characters start for some odd reason act out of character. Camille out of nowhere and for no reason is disgustingly rude to Shade after he suffers a huge loss. And usually cool and collected Menolly keeps snapping at her wife. The series is creating drama instead of dealing with the issues that need to be resolved.
Galenorn is not releasing any more Sisters books this year, but instead starting two new series. Like I said, I think she's bored. Honestly with the hot mess this series has become I am not really inspired to start another two series of hers.
July 28, 2021
4/5 ⭐️
That was definitely a rollar coaster ride!!
That was definitely a rollar coaster ride!!
February 22, 2015
Review originally posted on my blog: A Book Obsession..
I've noticed a pattern with this series. I enjoy Camille's installments by far the most, and Menolly's are pretty enjoyable as well. However, Delilah's seem to be very hit or miss for me. I just don't identify with her at all, and despite how long this series has been running, she seems to have made very little progress in character growth. No matter what happens, she just wants to turn tail and hide, and while she doesn't actually do so, the constant inner debate about it has become tiresome and tedious. It seems that any mention of responsibility or "growing" is met with an inner (or outer) debate on how she wishes they could just all escape this. The other two seem to have better accepted their lots in life, so it just rubs me the wrong way that Delilah still has not.
As I said, Delilah's books are largely hit or miss for me, with the "hits" being dependant on a great plot. Unfortunately this time around, the plot just didn't suck me in enough. A rouge sword spirit? It just didn't work as a real threat. Frankly, that's a shame as the result of this showdown may have cost one of the main characters more than any other threat has before. I won't spoil it, but the danger/consequence had the worst lasting impact of anything they had faced, and yet despite all that it barely affected me. Considering what happened, I should have been devastated alongside the characters, but it felt two-dimensional rather than three, and frankly I felt cheated by this. Perhaps it's because they were wishy washy and vague about what actually happened and how permanent it would be. So, I'm left wondering if it's a real consequence or not, overall lessening the impact.
I have to wonder if this series just has been running too long. Granted most times I'm the first to be upset when favorite series end, but this time around I think it might be past due. I just feel like the books have departed so far from the original series ARC, and no longer focus on the spirit seals and the real war that each new installment feels more and more like filler material. Maybe I'm wrong, and once things get back to Camille and Menolly, and hopefully the spirit seals quest I'll enjoy the reads more, but for PANTHER PROWLING, it just didn't work enough for me.
I've noticed a pattern with this series. I enjoy Camille's installments by far the most, and Menolly's are pretty enjoyable as well. However, Delilah's seem to be very hit or miss for me. I just don't identify with her at all, and despite how long this series has been running, she seems to have made very little progress in character growth. No matter what happens, she just wants to turn tail and hide, and while she doesn't actually do so, the constant inner debate about it has become tiresome and tedious. It seems that any mention of responsibility or "growing" is met with an inner (or outer) debate on how she wishes they could just all escape this. The other two seem to have better accepted their lots in life, so it just rubs me the wrong way that Delilah still has not.
As I said, Delilah's books are largely hit or miss for me, with the "hits" being dependant on a great plot. Unfortunately this time around, the plot just didn't suck me in enough. A rouge sword spirit? It just didn't work as a real threat. Frankly, that's a shame as the result of this showdown may have cost one of the main characters more than any other threat has before. I won't spoil it, but the danger/consequence had the worst lasting impact of anything they had faced, and yet despite all that it barely affected me. Considering what happened, I should have been devastated alongside the characters, but it felt two-dimensional rather than three, and frankly I felt cheated by this. Perhaps it's because they were wishy washy and vague about what actually happened and how permanent it would be. So, I'm left wondering if it's a real consequence or not, overall lessening the impact.
I have to wonder if this series just has been running too long. Granted most times I'm the first to be upset when favorite series end, but this time around I think it might be past due. I just feel like the books have departed so far from the original series ARC, and no longer focus on the spirit seals and the real war that each new installment feels more and more like filler material. Maybe I'm wrong, and once things get back to Camille and Menolly, and hopefully the spirit seals quest I'll enjoy the reads more, but for PANTHER PROWLING, it just didn't work enough for me.
December 15, 2015
Tangential. Nothing of note about the spirit seals. Still, I love spending time with these characters.
June 7, 2015
Seventeenth in the Otherworld/Sisters of the Moon urban fantasy/romance series and revolving around the D'Artigo sisters. This story uses a first-person point-of-view with Delilah as the first person.
My Take
I remember when I first started reading this series and Galenorn came up with the nine seals — only six have been found so far. I had thought this was the underlying conflict that would tie the overall series together and that the series would end after nine or so books. As you can see, I was so wrong.
It's a combination of impressed and exasperated that it's seventeen books later…and still going strong. It's frustrating because I can see Galenorn going on until the world comes to an end. Our world, not the D'Artigo world since they can presumably live forever. Or close enough. And as long as the story is running, we'll never find all the seals, we'll never defeat Storm Wing?? The underlying conflict will never come to a close?
The impressed part of me enjoys the ongoing saga. I like the characters, for the most part — except when they are being stupid. And Galenorn does a good job of making the never-ending series of calamities that befall the sisters seem realistic for their lives. I gotta say, Galenorn is good with the show. I can never get through a story without feeling wet, cold, or hungry, lol, as well as feeling the warmth of their extended family's love and support. I do have to qualify this with a reminder that Galenorn is an uneven writer. Some are great, some are so lame that I'm tempted to seek a cure for my OCD-ness about reading a series straight through.
I am surprised that "the collar of the Autumn Lord [is] encrusted with rhinestones". I would have thought diamonds would be more in line with an elemental lord. Another quibble is about Henry Jeffries. I thought he had started working for Camille at the Indigo Crescent, not that he was just a customer?
Whoa. The mystery of why Arial's existence had never been mentioned is finally revealed. Talk about Fate, predestination, destiny…
Roz's and Fraale's curse comes up when she appears. I don't really understand why Galenorn tossed this in. It doesn't appear to add anything to the story except extra pages and a lot of melodrama. Seems Mennolly's marriage is also in trouble. Then there's the hot and heavy affair going on that has Delilah all a'twitter. And I have no idea why it upsets her so.
God forbid, Galenorn miss a topic. Now she's brought in global warming with the Fae campaigning about environmental damage. This should be a future source of fun with the fae getting involved with courts, protests, and habitat protection.
That scene where the house goes wild is not so much scary as crazy. More crazy is how overboard Galenorn goes with all the drama about Daniel's current and past professions as well. The sword also comes in for its share of overdone-ness. The sex, which is always a part of Galenorn's stories varying only in how graphic she gets from story to story, does seem to get into more detail than most.
For all the drama throughout the story, that final ending was rather tame.
The Story
It's the grand reopening of the Wayfarer after events in Autumn Whispers , 14, and the festivities are well under way until Daniel rushes in, waving a sword before he gets thrown across the bar by a Viking.
It's a sword that interests too many people: necromancers, ghosts, and the sword's guardians.
The Characters
The three D'Artigo sisters are…
…half-human and half-Fae and in charge of the Otherworld Intelligence Agency (OIA)-Earthside (in Otherworld, their surname is te Maria). Sephreh ob Tanu is their full-blooded Fae father who is believed to have died two months ago in Autumn Whispers .
Delilah is a busy girl supernatural-wise: a werepanther, werekitty (Tabby), and a living Death Maiden destined to bear the Autumn Lord's child through his proxy, Shade, half-shadow dragon and half-Stradolan (a shadow walker) (they've been together one-and-a-half years). She operates a private investigation agency (when, I don't know), Cat's Eye Investigations. Lysanthra is her sentient dagger. Lash is Shade's sister. His father is on the Jury of the Damned which decides the fates of restless spirits. Misha is a mouse who had helped Delilah. Hi'ran is the Autumn Lord, an Elemental Lord also known as the Harvestman. Haseofon is his temple where the Death Maidens dwell. Greta is Delilah's trainer and the head of the Death Maidens. Other Death Maidens include Eloise, Mizuki, and Fiona. Deliah's dead twin, Arial who shifts into a leopard, also lives there.
Mennolly is short and quite athletic — she was a jian-tu acrobat before she was captured, tortured, and turned into a vampire. She's also the official consort to Roman, the son of Blood Wyne, the vampire queen and Queen of the Crimson Veil. Erin is a vampire Mennolly turned and is considered her "daughter". Mennolly is now married to Nerissa, a werepuma who works with Chase.
Camille is the oldest and a witch and Priestess to the Moon Mother; she's destined to become the first Earthside High Priestess to the Moon Mother. She owns a bookstore, the Indigo Crescent and the Coffee Nook, but Giselle, a demon, runs it. Trillian is Svartan fae, Morois a death-magic-using Youkai-kitsune (Japanese fox demon) and Grandmother Coyote's grandson, and Smoky is a white dragon, a.k.a., Lord Iampaatar, and they are Camille's three husbands. Misty is Camille's spirit cat.
The rest of the D'Artigo household includes…
…Vanzir, who is a dream-chaser demon. Roz is an incubus, and their quarters are in the studio. Fraale is Roz's wife and a succubus. Hanna is their housekeeper (see Hexed: Ice Shards , 9.5). Maggie is their baby gargoyle.
Chase and his baby girl, Astrid, live with Iris, a Finnish house sprite, and her husband, Professor Bruce O'Shea, a leprechaun who is the head of Irish Studies at the University of Washington. They have a baby as well, twins actually: Maria and Ukkonen. The Duchess is Bruce's mother and one of the leprechaun nobility. She's actually quite helpful.
Prince Feddrah-Dahns, a unicorn, and Mistletoe, a pixie, are also considered part of the family, even though they visit infrequently.
Daniel Fredericks is their Earthside FBH cousin who is also an international thief and a former member of the International Security Agency (ISA), an agency specializing in black ops. His sister is Hester Lou. Leif Engberg is the wealthy playboy of a client who owns the sword. Karl was the father who impressed Leif with the need to have his own son so that the sword may always be guarded. Davis Jones wrote the article that initiated the drama.
The Wayfarer Bar & Grill is…
…Mennolly's baby, which has just reopened after a disastrous fire in Autumn Whispers . The kitchen is fab too, and they've skipped the idea of a B&B. Jenny is the head waitress — and she's thrilled to be out of her stepmother's store (see Priestess Dreaming , 16)! Derrick Means is a werebadger and one of the bartenders. Digger, a vampire, is an assistant bartender. Peder, a giant, is the dayshift bouncer. Lucias, Tavah, and Frith are some of the portal guards.
Friends outside the household include…
…Marion Vespa, a Koyanni (coyote shifter) and her husband who own the Supe-Urban Café. Jonas is a werebear. Frank Willows, a werewolf, is the leader of the Supe Militia. Siobhan Morgan is a selkie and married to Mitch, a carpenter. Siobhan has to take over the leadership of the Isle of Man Selkie Pod. Marion is their recently born daughter. Tim Winthrop is a computer programmer and cross-dresser. He's married to Jason Binds who teaches martial arts and is the D'Artigos' mechanic. Wilbur is a necromancer and neighbor who has partnered up with the girls from time to time; Ivana calls him Mad Man. Martin is his dead brother whom he raised as a ghoul. Rhonda and Sandro Lopez are squeaking by with their fruit stand, and that crisis opens another can of possibilities. Carter is a half-demon, half-Titan, a demigod, who has devoted his life to the Demonica Vacana Society. He's fascinated by information. His father was the Titan Hyperion.
Faerie-Human Crime Scene Investigation (FH-CSI) is…
…is the police department that investigates supernatural crimes. Chase Johnson is the now-immortal FBH detective who heads it up. Mallen is the elfin medic, who has suffered his own losses. Aswala is the medic who replaced Sharah, Chase's lover and the current queen of Elqaneve ( Autumn Whispers , 14). Yugi is a Swedish empath.
The Earthside Fae Queen Courts are…
…located at Talamh Lonrach Oll, a.k.a., the Land of Shining Apples. Aeval, the former Queen of Night, is now the Queen of Shadow and Night. Titania was the Summer Queen and is now the Queen of Light and Morning. Morgaine is the third Fae queen, the Queen of Dusk and Twilight. She's also a distant cousin of the D'Artigo girls. Myrddin, the Lord Merlin, was rescued in Priestess Dreaming , 16 and now wields some authority in the Earthside courts. Mordred was Morgaine's son who ran off in Priestess Dreaming .
Ivana, the Maiden of Karsk, is a very scary and powerful Elder Fae who likes "bright" meat, children. She has also helped the girls at various times. A spiritual sadist, she cultivates ghosts in her garden. Feras Dannan is an autumn nymph on the Supe Community Action council who is having trouble with her landlords.
The very wealthy Jay Miles is a necromancer with too great an interest in all the wrong things. He is also a a member of the Loyal Order of Thunderbirds, a group that includes Van and Jaycee (we met them in Harvest Hunting , 8). Unfortunately, he is also a benefactor and a friend to many high society types. The Greenbelt Asylum burned down years ago, but its victims, I mean patients, still haunt the place.
Einar den Blodige, a.k.a., Einar the Bloody, was a cruel, vicious Viking warrior king who was betrayed and yearns to return to ravage the world. Kendell is a local thief on a number or wanted lists who is working with his even more dangerous brother, Aslo Veir.
Iyonah is a nasty witch we first met in Priestess Dreaming . Rataam, a toadsquatter (a mutant version of a goblin), is an unwelcome supernatural as it stinks to high heaven. We won't even talk about the other reasons.
Shadow Wing is the big bad who has been present but unseen from day one. He's a demon lord of the Subterranean Realms who plans to conquer Otherworld and Earthside. Telazhar is his general currently tearing a path through Otherworld.
An FBH is a full-blooded human. The Ionyc Sea is an alternate plane that allows Smoky and Shade to move instantly from one place to another. A devil-wraith eats magic and power and can only be gated Earthside by a powerful ghost controlled by an even more powerful necromancer. Oblition is the total destruction of the soul.
The Cover and Title
The cover is green with a grayed-out green background of a tree-lined path, the rain slanting down with Delilah in her short blonde haircut, brown leather bomber jacket, and blue jeans. She's headed away from us down the path and looking over her shoulder, her dagger, Lysanthra, awash in a lime green glow, reflecting so much light that it highlights her jacket. The author's name and the title use the same white Renaissance-looking font in all-caps at the top and bottom respectively. I do appreciate the series name at the bottom.
The title is about Delilah, for she is a Panther Prowling throughout this story.
My Take
I remember when I first started reading this series and Galenorn came up with the nine seals — only six have been found so far. I had thought this was the underlying conflict that would tie the overall series together and that the series would end after nine or so books. As you can see, I was so wrong.
It's a combination of impressed and exasperated that it's seventeen books later…and still going strong. It's frustrating because I can see Galenorn going on until the world comes to an end. Our world, not the D'Artigo world since they can presumably live forever. Or close enough. And as long as the story is running, we'll never find all the seals, we'll never defeat Storm Wing?? The underlying conflict will never come to a close?
The impressed part of me enjoys the ongoing saga. I like the characters, for the most part — except when they are being stupid. And Galenorn does a good job of making the never-ending series of calamities that befall the sisters seem realistic for their lives. I gotta say, Galenorn is good with the show. I can never get through a story without feeling wet, cold, or hungry, lol, as well as feeling the warmth of their extended family's love and support. I do have to qualify this with a reminder that Galenorn is an uneven writer. Some are great, some are so lame that I'm tempted to seek a cure for my OCD-ness about reading a series straight through.
I am surprised that "the collar of the Autumn Lord [is] encrusted with rhinestones". I would have thought diamonds would be more in line with an elemental lord. Another quibble is about Henry Jeffries. I thought he had started working for Camille at the Indigo Crescent, not that he was just a customer?
Whoa. The mystery of why Arial's existence had never been mentioned is finally revealed. Talk about Fate, predestination, destiny…
Roz's and Fraale's curse comes up when she appears. I don't really understand why Galenorn tossed this in. It doesn't appear to add anything to the story except extra pages and a lot of melodrama. Seems Mennolly's marriage is also in trouble. Then there's the hot and heavy affair going on that has Delilah all a'twitter. And I have no idea why it upsets her so.
A nice, relaxing (and easy) vacation is "a good movie now and then, a bowl of popcorn…some cookies…a hug from our loved ones. Simple joys…[that] can make a world of difference".It's not a complex story — the reactions and dialog are fairly simple, but one with lots of action from lightweight to intense — necromancers, ghosthunting, wild and windy storms, possession, curses, home invasions — and the up-and-down emotions of love, maternal urgings, and too many losses.
God forbid, Galenorn miss a topic. Now she's brought in global warming with the Fae campaigning about environmental damage. This should be a future source of fun with the fae getting involved with courts, protests, and habitat protection.
That scene where the house goes wild is not so much scary as crazy. More crazy is how overboard Galenorn goes with all the drama about Daniel's current and past professions as well. The sword also comes in for its share of overdone-ness. The sex, which is always a part of Galenorn's stories varying only in how graphic she gets from story to story, does seem to get into more detail than most.
For all the drama throughout the story, that final ending was rather tame.
The Story
It's the grand reopening of the Wayfarer after events in Autumn Whispers , 14, and the festivities are well under way until Daniel rushes in, waving a sword before he gets thrown across the bar by a Viking.
It's a sword that interests too many people: necromancers, ghosts, and the sword's guardians.
The Characters
The three D'Artigo sisters are…
…half-human and half-Fae and in charge of the Otherworld Intelligence Agency (OIA)-Earthside (in Otherworld, their surname is te Maria). Sephreh ob Tanu is their full-blooded Fae father who is believed to have died two months ago in Autumn Whispers .
Delilah is a busy girl supernatural-wise: a werepanther, werekitty (Tabby), and a living Death Maiden destined to bear the Autumn Lord's child through his proxy, Shade, half-shadow dragon and half-Stradolan (a shadow walker) (they've been together one-and-a-half years). She operates a private investigation agency (when, I don't know), Cat's Eye Investigations. Lysanthra is her sentient dagger. Lash is Shade's sister. His father is on the Jury of the Damned which decides the fates of restless spirits. Misha is a mouse who had helped Delilah. Hi'ran is the Autumn Lord, an Elemental Lord also known as the Harvestman. Haseofon is his temple where the Death Maidens dwell. Greta is Delilah's trainer and the head of the Death Maidens. Other Death Maidens include Eloise, Mizuki, and Fiona. Deliah's dead twin, Arial who shifts into a leopard, also lives there.
Mennolly is short and quite athletic — she was a jian-tu acrobat before she was captured, tortured, and turned into a vampire. She's also the official consort to Roman, the son of Blood Wyne, the vampire queen and Queen of the Crimson Veil. Erin is a vampire Mennolly turned and is considered her "daughter". Mennolly is now married to Nerissa, a werepuma who works with Chase.
Camille is the oldest and a witch and Priestess to the Moon Mother; she's destined to become the first Earthside High Priestess to the Moon Mother. She owns a bookstore, the Indigo Crescent and the Coffee Nook, but Giselle, a demon, runs it. Trillian is Svartan fae, Morois a death-magic-using Youkai-kitsune (Japanese fox demon) and Grandmother Coyote's grandson, and Smoky is a white dragon, a.k.a., Lord Iampaatar, and they are Camille's three husbands. Misty is Camille's spirit cat.
The rest of the D'Artigo household includes…
…Vanzir, who is a dream-chaser demon. Roz is an incubus, and their quarters are in the studio. Fraale is Roz's wife and a succubus. Hanna is their housekeeper (see Hexed: Ice Shards , 9.5). Maggie is their baby gargoyle.
Chase and his baby girl, Astrid, live with Iris, a Finnish house sprite, and her husband, Professor Bruce O'Shea, a leprechaun who is the head of Irish Studies at the University of Washington. They have a baby as well, twins actually: Maria and Ukkonen. The Duchess is Bruce's mother and one of the leprechaun nobility. She's actually quite helpful.
Prince Feddrah-Dahns, a unicorn, and Mistletoe, a pixie, are also considered part of the family, even though they visit infrequently.
Daniel Fredericks is their Earthside FBH cousin who is also an international thief and a former member of the International Security Agency (ISA), an agency specializing in black ops. His sister is Hester Lou. Leif Engberg is the wealthy playboy of a client who owns the sword. Karl was the father who impressed Leif with the need to have his own son so that the sword may always be guarded. Davis Jones wrote the article that initiated the drama.
The Wayfarer Bar & Grill is…
…Mennolly's baby, which has just reopened after a disastrous fire in Autumn Whispers . The kitchen is fab too, and they've skipped the idea of a B&B. Jenny is the head waitress — and she's thrilled to be out of her stepmother's store (see Priestess Dreaming , 16)! Derrick Means is a werebadger and one of the bartenders. Digger, a vampire, is an assistant bartender. Peder, a giant, is the dayshift bouncer. Lucias, Tavah, and Frith are some of the portal guards.
Friends outside the household include…
…Marion Vespa, a Koyanni (coyote shifter) and her husband who own the Supe-Urban Café. Jonas is a werebear. Frank Willows, a werewolf, is the leader of the Supe Militia. Siobhan Morgan is a selkie and married to Mitch, a carpenter. Siobhan has to take over the leadership of the Isle of Man Selkie Pod. Marion is their recently born daughter. Tim Winthrop is a computer programmer and cross-dresser. He's married to Jason Binds who teaches martial arts and is the D'Artigos' mechanic. Wilbur is a necromancer and neighbor who has partnered up with the girls from time to time; Ivana calls him Mad Man. Martin is his dead brother whom he raised as a ghoul. Rhonda and Sandro Lopez are squeaking by with their fruit stand, and that crisis opens another can of possibilities. Carter is a half-demon, half-Titan, a demigod, who has devoted his life to the Demonica Vacana Society. He's fascinated by information. His father was the Titan Hyperion.
Faerie-Human Crime Scene Investigation (FH-CSI) is…
…is the police department that investigates supernatural crimes. Chase Johnson is the now-immortal FBH detective who heads it up. Mallen is the elfin medic, who has suffered his own losses. Aswala is the medic who replaced Sharah, Chase's lover and the current queen of Elqaneve ( Autumn Whispers , 14). Yugi is a Swedish empath.
The Earthside Fae Queen Courts are…
…located at Talamh Lonrach Oll, a.k.a., the Land of Shining Apples. Aeval, the former Queen of Night, is now the Queen of Shadow and Night. Titania was the Summer Queen and is now the Queen of Light and Morning. Morgaine is the third Fae queen, the Queen of Dusk and Twilight. She's also a distant cousin of the D'Artigo girls. Myrddin, the Lord Merlin, was rescued in Priestess Dreaming , 16 and now wields some authority in the Earthside courts. Mordred was Morgaine's son who ran off in Priestess Dreaming .
Ivana, the Maiden of Karsk, is a very scary and powerful Elder Fae who likes "bright" meat, children. She has also helped the girls at various times. A spiritual sadist, she cultivates ghosts in her garden. Feras Dannan is an autumn nymph on the Supe Community Action council who is having trouble with her landlords.
The very wealthy Jay Miles is a necromancer with too great an interest in all the wrong things. He is also a a member of the Loyal Order of Thunderbirds, a group that includes Van and Jaycee (we met them in Harvest Hunting , 8). Unfortunately, he is also a benefactor and a friend to many high society types. The Greenbelt Asylum burned down years ago, but its victims, I mean patients, still haunt the place.
Einar den Blodige, a.k.a., Einar the Bloody, was a cruel, vicious Viking warrior king who was betrayed and yearns to return to ravage the world. Kendell is a local thief on a number or wanted lists who is working with his even more dangerous brother, Aslo Veir.
Iyonah is a nasty witch we first met in Priestess Dreaming . Rataam, a toadsquatter (a mutant version of a goblin), is an unwelcome supernatural as it stinks to high heaven. We won't even talk about the other reasons.
Shadow Wing is the big bad who has been present but unseen from day one. He's a demon lord of the Subterranean Realms who plans to conquer Otherworld and Earthside. Telazhar is his general currently tearing a path through Otherworld.
An FBH is a full-blooded human. The Ionyc Sea is an alternate plane that allows Smoky and Shade to move instantly from one place to another. A devil-wraith eats magic and power and can only be gated Earthside by a powerful ghost controlled by an even more powerful necromancer. Oblition is the total destruction of the soul.
The Cover and Title
The cover is green with a grayed-out green background of a tree-lined path, the rain slanting down with Delilah in her short blonde haircut, brown leather bomber jacket, and blue jeans. She's headed away from us down the path and looking over her shoulder, her dagger, Lysanthra, awash in a lime green glow, reflecting so much light that it highlights her jacket. The author's name and the title use the same white Renaissance-looking font in all-caps at the top and bottom respectively. I do appreciate the series name at the bottom.
The title is about Delilah, for she is a Panther Prowling throughout this story.
June 7, 2017
Delilah is ready to party – it’s her sister’s Camille’s birthday and Menolly has just managed to re-open her bar; in the lull in the war in the Otherworld they can have a break; a night off
Until their human cousin, Daniel, runs into their bar chased by an angry Viking ghost.
Unfortunately their professional thief relative has acquired a cursed and haunted sword – which comes with a family curse and a whole lot of dangerous haunting and consequences which only his magical cousins are equipped to deal with.
This series is huge. It has run for a huge number of books. It has an absolutely enormous cast of character. It has a huge world setting – several huge world settings. We have several metaplots all running alongside each other, all intertwining and related and touching on each other. And we have three protagonists all with their own lives and conflicts and relationships. We have a household that not only has the three D’Artigo sisters but has Camille’s three husbands, has Menolly’s wife, has Delilah’s husband. We have Hannah and Vanzir and Rozuriel and Iris and her husband and her twins and Chase and his daughter and then the gargoyle Maggie. And all of them have things going on. And this is without looking at Roman, Rozuriel’s ex-wife, Smoky and Shade’s extended families, the fae queens, Morgaine and the whole Arthurian legend group, the various powers of the Otherword and then loads of friends and neighbours dotted around the city…
We have a lot. We have so much. This world is huge and rich and full of lots of important characters each with their own stories and enough details to give each of them a realness and a presence that gives the whole story and world depth
But my gods there’s a lot. And when we were introduced to the sisters’ human family a couple of books ago part of me cringed because there was no need for this to add to this already very full world and these sisters’ already very full lives with very full missions. Especially when it turns out that dear brother Daniel is a master thief ex-special forces magical specialist – which means that’s a whole lot more complexity and storylines and distractions added to what I already a very full series.
Which is the feeling I had through this book – we had Daniel and the sword and Viking ghosts to try and deal with but it felt very peripheral to the sisters’ lives. And we had moderately high stakes to make sure they pay attention to it –but it felt like a distraction because there’s a lot of other things going on. In fact, the attack on their house almost felt like a way to drag them into the story again and make it all feel more relevant to them since we haven’t really built that much relationship with Daniel yet. With Camille’s new role with the Earthside Fae courts and Delilah’s issues with the Autumn Lord which also includes some expanding powers and possible consequences and we have love triangle issues with Hannah and Rozuriel with more looking at what it means to be an incubus since we’ve been mentioning it for a while but never really seen it developed. And there’s some sorcerer following Camille around which is important or worrisome but it’s mentioned at the beginning and we don’t really return to it. We add in a dose of
All this time we still technically have the War in Otherworld and with Shadowing but I think the last time that played a relevant role in the book was in Haunted Moon – book 13; it’s now on book 17. And I get having breaks or occasional distractions but this is a very long deviation from the main metaplot especially since it’s so random, unrelated to that main metaplot and just feeling quite random an inclusion. It also kind of leaves me wondering just how much supernatural activity there can be in Seattle – because these aren’t things specifically targeting the sisters or because of the war – it’s just random supernatural stuff happening in this city ALL THE TIME.
Read More
Until their human cousin, Daniel, runs into their bar chased by an angry Viking ghost.
Unfortunately their professional thief relative has acquired a cursed and haunted sword – which comes with a family curse and a whole lot of dangerous haunting and consequences which only his magical cousins are equipped to deal with.
This series is huge. It has run for a huge number of books. It has an absolutely enormous cast of character. It has a huge world setting – several huge world settings. We have several metaplots all running alongside each other, all intertwining and related and touching on each other. And we have three protagonists all with their own lives and conflicts and relationships. We have a household that not only has the three D’Artigo sisters but has Camille’s three husbands, has Menolly’s wife, has Delilah’s husband. We have Hannah and Vanzir and Rozuriel and Iris and her husband and her twins and Chase and his daughter and then the gargoyle Maggie. And all of them have things going on. And this is without looking at Roman, Rozuriel’s ex-wife, Smoky and Shade’s extended families, the fae queens, Morgaine and the whole Arthurian legend group, the various powers of the Otherword and then loads of friends and neighbours dotted around the city…
We have a lot. We have so much. This world is huge and rich and full of lots of important characters each with their own stories and enough details to give each of them a realness and a presence that gives the whole story and world depth
But my gods there’s a lot. And when we were introduced to the sisters’ human family a couple of books ago part of me cringed because there was no need for this to add to this already very full world and these sisters’ already very full lives with very full missions. Especially when it turns out that dear brother Daniel is a master thief ex-special forces magical specialist – which means that’s a whole lot more complexity and storylines and distractions added to what I already a very full series.
Which is the feeling I had through this book – we had Daniel and the sword and Viking ghosts to try and deal with but it felt very peripheral to the sisters’ lives. And we had moderately high stakes to make sure they pay attention to it –but it felt like a distraction because there’s a lot of other things going on. In fact, the attack on their house almost felt like a way to drag them into the story again and make it all feel more relevant to them since we haven’t really built that much relationship with Daniel yet. With Camille’s new role with the Earthside Fae courts and Delilah’s issues with the Autumn Lord which also includes some expanding powers and possible consequences and we have love triangle issues with Hannah and Rozuriel with more looking at what it means to be an incubus since we’ve been mentioning it for a while but never really seen it developed. And there’s some sorcerer following Camille around which is important or worrisome but it’s mentioned at the beginning and we don’t really return to it. We add in a dose of
All this time we still technically have the War in Otherworld and with Shadowing but I think the last time that played a relevant role in the book was in Haunted Moon – book 13; it’s now on book 17. And I get having breaks or occasional distractions but this is a very long deviation from the main metaplot especially since it’s so random, unrelated to that main metaplot and just feeling quite random an inclusion. It also kind of leaves me wondering just how much supernatural activity there can be in Seattle – because these aren’t things specifically targeting the sisters or because of the war – it’s just random supernatural stuff happening in this city ALL THE TIME.
Read More
October 26, 2015
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: While not connected to the overarching storyline, this book was a fast-paced, entertaining read from start to finish. I did not want to put it down!
Opening Sentence: “Do you think she knows what we’re up to?” Menolly fretted.
The Review:
Life has never been calm for the D’Artigo sisters. After their latest experience, they’re all hoping for some downtime, but fate has other plans in mind. At the grand-reopening of the Wayfarer, their cousin shows up with a very angry Viking ghost in tow. Turns out, Daniel stole an ancient sword that houses a spirit who wants out so he can wreak havoc on the world. While the sisters try to figure out what to do, the sword is stolen again, this time by someone who wants to help the spirit get out. Now, they’re in a race against time and need to find the sword before it’s too late.
I had a little trouble getting into the last book, so I was slightly hesitant about starting this one. Thankfully, my worries were unfounded, as this book starts quickly and never lets up. There always seems to be something going on, and I had a hard time putting the book down, as I constantly wanted to see what would happen next. For the most part, the action in this story takes place outside of the overarching storyline, so it could be read as a standalone if someone new to the series wanted to try it. As someone who has only read the previous two books in the series, this one was probably the most accessible for me as a new reader.
I’ve now been able to read a book from each sister’s perspective, and I would have to say, I think Delilah is my favorite. She was very easy for me to connect to. There is a pretty big development in her fiance Shade’s life in this book, and Delilah’s reaction seemed very realistic, and it made it that much easier for me to connect to her as a character. I’m also very interested to see how this development affects her and Shade’s future.
My one complaint would be that there seemed to be a lot of instances of repetition. For example, it’s mentioned multiple times how Delilah prefers her laptop, but always has a tablet around for convenience’s sake. Not that big of a deal, but it got extremely annoying with each subsequent repetition.
All in all, I was very pleased with this installment of the Otherworld series. After reading three books in the series, it was this one that finally convinced me to go all the way back to book one and see how it all began. I think fans of the series will be pleased with this one, and I for one am very interested to see what’s going to happen next!
Notable Scene:
“Everybody stand back. We can never tell when I have a misfire what’s going to happen.”
Everybody took a big step back, leaving her in the middle of the room, alone. Even Morio winced and edged back.
With a deep breath, Camille held up one hand as she closed her eyes. The prickle of magic began to spin in the air — she was summoning the Moon Mother’s power, calling it into her. I could almost see the shimmering in the air as she let out a long breath and rolled her neck, then brought her head up. As her eyes opened, her violet irises were shimmering with flecks of silver.
Creature of Fae, by name Aslo I call you,
Where are you? Show me the way,
Blood to flesh, an arrow points,
Lady of the Moon, reveal my prey.
As the last word rang out, there was a sudden crash of thunder in the room and a brilliant light flashed out, like a lightning ball, surrounding Camille and temporarily blinding me. She screamed, but in the neon blue glow of the light, I couldn’t see what was happening. The next moment, the room was plunged into darkness, and the jar from someone hitting the floor hard shook the room.
FTC Advisory: Penguin/Jove provided me with a copy of Panther Prowling. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: While not connected to the overarching storyline, this book was a fast-paced, entertaining read from start to finish. I did not want to put it down!
Opening Sentence: “Do you think she knows what we’re up to?” Menolly fretted.
The Review:
Life has never been calm for the D’Artigo sisters. After their latest experience, they’re all hoping for some downtime, but fate has other plans in mind. At the grand-reopening of the Wayfarer, their cousin shows up with a very angry Viking ghost in tow. Turns out, Daniel stole an ancient sword that houses a spirit who wants out so he can wreak havoc on the world. While the sisters try to figure out what to do, the sword is stolen again, this time by someone who wants to help the spirit get out. Now, they’re in a race against time and need to find the sword before it’s too late.
I had a little trouble getting into the last book, so I was slightly hesitant about starting this one. Thankfully, my worries were unfounded, as this book starts quickly and never lets up. There always seems to be something going on, and I had a hard time putting the book down, as I constantly wanted to see what would happen next. For the most part, the action in this story takes place outside of the overarching storyline, so it could be read as a standalone if someone new to the series wanted to try it. As someone who has only read the previous two books in the series, this one was probably the most accessible for me as a new reader.
I’ve now been able to read a book from each sister’s perspective, and I would have to say, I think Delilah is my favorite. She was very easy for me to connect to. There is a pretty big development in her fiance Shade’s life in this book, and Delilah’s reaction seemed very realistic, and it made it that much easier for me to connect to her as a character. I’m also very interested to see how this development affects her and Shade’s future.
My one complaint would be that there seemed to be a lot of instances of repetition. For example, it’s mentioned multiple times how Delilah prefers her laptop, but always has a tablet around for convenience’s sake. Not that big of a deal, but it got extremely annoying with each subsequent repetition.
All in all, I was very pleased with this installment of the Otherworld series. After reading three books in the series, it was this one that finally convinced me to go all the way back to book one and see how it all began. I think fans of the series will be pleased with this one, and I for one am very interested to see what’s going to happen next!
Notable Scene:
“Everybody stand back. We can never tell when I have a misfire what’s going to happen.”
Everybody took a big step back, leaving her in the middle of the room, alone. Even Morio winced and edged back.
With a deep breath, Camille held up one hand as she closed her eyes. The prickle of magic began to spin in the air — she was summoning the Moon Mother’s power, calling it into her. I could almost see the shimmering in the air as she let out a long breath and rolled her neck, then brought her head up. As her eyes opened, her violet irises were shimmering with flecks of silver.
Creature of Fae, by name Aslo I call you,
Where are you? Show me the way,
Blood to flesh, an arrow points,
Lady of the Moon, reveal my prey.
As the last word rang out, there was a sudden crash of thunder in the room and a brilliant light flashed out, like a lightning ball, surrounding Camille and temporarily blinding me. She screamed, but in the neon blue glow of the light, I couldn’t see what was happening. The next moment, the room was plunged into darkness, and the jar from someone hitting the floor hard shook the room.
FTC Advisory: Penguin/Jove provided me with a copy of Panther Prowling. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
January 28, 2015
Daniel is being chased by a rampaging ghost who seems to be after the sword Daniel somehow procured. The D’Artigo sisters must unravel the history of the sword and stop the bloodthirsty spirit inside from breaking free in this exciting urban fantasy.
Delilah has just re-opened Cat’s Eye investigations and Menolly is having a grand re-opening for the Wayfarer, all the sisters want is one evening to celebrate especially as its Birthday! The reader can’t help but get caught up in the fast paced and smooth flowing plot as Daniel crashes into the party while being chased and the strong captivating characters are once again neck deep in trouble and having to fight their way out. On the personal front Shade and Delilah have some serious events to handle as well – ones that impact their very lives.
The well written scenes and details paint vivid images that capture the imagination and bring the story to life while this fascinating world continues to draw readers deeper into the story and ensure that they keep coming back for more. There is never a dull moment as the sisters try to find out just who is behind the theft of the sword and what they are up to and of course that’s not the only trouble the girls face. There is a dangerous storm brewing, things at the Queen’s court are a changing, emotional and drama issues between family members all this while they face the dangerous creatures that the thief throws at them to stop them from stopping him and of course the continuing war with Shadow Wing still looms.
I just love how the D’Artigo sisters and their extended family members continue to hold me spellbound with every story. Each and every story brings more aspects of the sisters’ destiny to light which keeps readers wondering just what fate has in store for them and Yasmine Galenorn continues to add interesting and refreshingly different elements and intriguing characters which adds lots of spice to the story.
- Eva
Delilah has just re-opened Cat’s Eye investigations and Menolly is having a grand re-opening for the Wayfarer, all the sisters want is one evening to celebrate especially as its Birthday! The reader can’t help but get caught up in the fast paced and smooth flowing plot as Daniel crashes into the party while being chased and the strong captivating characters are once again neck deep in trouble and having to fight their way out. On the personal front Shade and Delilah have some serious events to handle as well – ones that impact their very lives.
The well written scenes and details paint vivid images that capture the imagination and bring the story to life while this fascinating world continues to draw readers deeper into the story and ensure that they keep coming back for more. There is never a dull moment as the sisters try to find out just who is behind the theft of the sword and what they are up to and of course that’s not the only trouble the girls face. There is a dangerous storm brewing, things at the Queen’s court are a changing, emotional and drama issues between family members all this while they face the dangerous creatures that the thief throws at them to stop them from stopping him and of course the continuing war with Shadow Wing still looms.
I just love how the D’Artigo sisters and their extended family members continue to hold me spellbound with every story. Each and every story brings more aspects of the sisters’ destiny to light which keeps readers wondering just what fate has in store for them and Yasmine Galenorn continues to add interesting and refreshingly different elements and intriguing characters which adds lots of spice to the story.
- Eva
February 15, 2015
It seems like each book picks up right where the last one left off and after 17 books it's getting hard to believe that the action is that non-stop. What I find funny is that the characters are starting to complain about it too.
Once again it seems like the sisters are becoming more and more important within the Sup world. At some point a book will happen where they won't get some big special power or have a bigger role in the future. This time around both Camille and Delilah found themselves in this situation. I was a bit surprised that some of their team took some hard hits that will affect them in time to come. It remains to be seen how big a role that will play.
Once again it seems like the sisters are becoming more and more important within the Sup world. At some point a book will happen where they won't get some big special power or have a bigger role in the future. This time around both Camille and Delilah found themselves in this situation. I was a bit surprised that some of their team took some hard hits that will affect them in time to come. It remains to be seen how big a role that will play.
June 7, 2017
I really enjoyed this story, but it's *only* getting four stars from me for three reasons.
The first reason is because I only laughed a little on page 167 and I never felt even near tears. . .
But the line that surprised a chuckle out of me? It starts on page 166:
The second reason for my dip in enjoyment is an error. . .a continuity error. :-( Somewhere early in the story Delilah said that they have three spirit seals and Shadow Wing has three. While it's true that Shadow Wing has three, the D'Artigo clan has four: Luke's, Amber's, Venus the Moon Child's, and then the eighth one they found. One is missing and one is yet to be found.
My problem with Delilah's statement comes mostly from the fact that how she said/thought it...it made it seem like there were still three (or multiples) left to find. There is only one spirit seal left to find! Two if you count the one (This happened two or three books ago, I think.)
I was prepared to gloss over the mistake as I was reading, but nothing was ever said to correct it and, instead, it seems to me that in the end it was confirmed that multiple spirit seals were yet to be found. :-(
The third thing that I didn't enjoy had to do with Shade. Specifically, We've learned so little about Shade in the Delilah books that it really feels like maybe the author didn't know so she wouldn't have to explain it to us readers. :-(
What I most liked about this story - the things that save it from being rated lower, in other words - were that we did hear a little - albeit a very little - about Shade's Stradolan side and we learned more about what's in the future for Camille and Delilah. :-)
We were told that (!!!) As far as Delilah goes,
I enjoyed "the villain" in this story, too. Einar the Bloody and his Viking Guardians made for rather entertaining fun to read about. :-)
So this was a fun story, slightly ruined due to the complaints I made above.
But wait! I haven't shared the ending, yet. Let me do that and then I'll be done with this review.
In the end,
Again, this was a fun story. It just wasn't a great one.
The first reason is because I only laughed a little on page 167 and I never felt even near tears. . .
But the line that surprised a chuckle out of me? It starts on page 166:
Wilbur...might be crude and lewd, but he was also ruthless and efficient, even if he did like watching Jeopardy with his brother Martin. The ghoul.*hehehe* :-)
The second reason for my dip in enjoyment is an error. . .a continuity error. :-( Somewhere early in the story Delilah said that they have three spirit seals and Shadow Wing has three. While it's true that Shadow Wing has three, the D'Artigo clan has four: Luke's, Amber's, Venus the Moon Child's, and then the eighth one they found. One is missing and one is yet to be found.
My problem with Delilah's statement comes mostly from the fact that how she said/thought it...it made it seem like there were still three (or multiples) left to find. There is only one spirit seal left to find! Two if you count the one (This happened two or three books ago, I think.)
I was prepared to gloss over the mistake as I was reading, but nothing was ever said to correct it and, instead, it seems to me that in the end it was confirmed that multiple spirit seals were yet to be found. :-(
The third thing that I didn't enjoy had to do with Shade. Specifically, We've learned so little about Shade in the Delilah books that it really feels like maybe the author didn't know so she wouldn't have to explain it to us readers. :-(
What I most liked about this story - the things that save it from being rated lower, in other words - were that we did hear a little - albeit a very little - about Shade's Stradolan side and we learned more about what's in the future for Camille and Delilah. :-)
We were told that (!!!) As far as Delilah goes,
I enjoyed "the villain" in this story, too. Einar the Bloody and his Viking Guardians made for rather entertaining fun to read about. :-)
So this was a fun story, slightly ruined due to the complaints I made above.
But wait! I haven't shared the ending, yet. Let me do that and then I'll be done with this review.
In the end,
Again, this was a fun story. It just wasn't a great one.
February 3, 2015
Daniel is being chased by a rampaging ghost who seems to be after the sword Daniel somehow procured. The D’Artigo sisters must unravel the history of the sword and stop the bloodthirsty spirit inside from breaking free in this exciting urban fantasy. I just love how the D’Artigo sisters and their extended family members continue to hold me spellbound with every story. Each and every story brings more aspects of the sisters’ destiny to light which keeps readers wondering just what fate has in store for them and Yasmine Galenorn continues to add interesting and refreshingly different elements and intriguing characters which adds lots of spice to the story.
See my full review at:
http://paranormalhaven.com/2015/01/re...
See my full review at:
http://paranormalhaven.com/2015/01/re...
March 25, 2015
I'm only still reading these because I finish series that I start....but man these have become dull and a repeated formula of actions. Occasionally there is a slight shift to the order but mostly they feel interchangeable lately. Time for this series to end.
February 9, 2015
Another filler book. I'd probably have given this 3 stars if it wasn't book 17 with still no resolution on the big bad. This story arc is dragging on too long.
February 15, 2019
Panther prowling
I gave this book four stars because I love this series. The sisters are an amazing group of ladies as well as their mates. I am so glad the focus is still on solving mysteries than just fighting the war. I love trying to figure things out, even though I never do. On another note I could really use less of a description of every place they go. It seems like filler to me and why introduce everyone every book. By book 17, the readers should be familiar with the characters in this series. Anyway I look forward to reading the next book and finding out what happens next for the family and friends.
I gave this book four stars because I love this series. The sisters are an amazing group of ladies as well as their mates. I am so glad the focus is still on solving mysteries than just fighting the war. I love trying to figure things out, even though I never do. On another note I could really use less of a description of every place they go. It seems like filler to me and why introduce everyone every book. By book 17, the readers should be familiar with the characters in this series. Anyway I look forward to reading the next book and finding out what happens next for the family and friends.
May 7, 2021
Im always amazed at how well these books are layered upon layers of mythology and fantasy with twists n turns.
Add in the mystery and each books dilemna.
And with the latest books, the new choices being foisted upon the sisters n their honeys.
It should feel heavy. But its done so well your just enthralled.
The ghosts are back. Ghosts are some of the worst bad guys in this series. Doing alot of damage.
And they strike again. Poor Shade.
Camilles news drop was huge
Delilahs power upgrade was a shock
Add in the mystery and each books dilemna.
And with the latest books, the new choices being foisted upon the sisters n their honeys.
It should feel heavy. But its done so well your just enthralled.
The ghosts are back. Ghosts are some of the worst bad guys in this series. Doing alot of damage.
And they strike again. Poor Shade.
Camilles news drop was huge
Delilahs power upgrade was a shock
March 12, 2019
Love this series ! Love this author , amazing series all around close family everything paranormal and exciting. Took a little longer to finish this one cuz I lost my book then had to get a new one :( but I finished it and onto the next cant wait to finish the series and move onto another one of her series I love love love this author!! Love her writing style:) would recommend to other who enjoy paranormal reads :) in my Top 10 series to read!
May 20, 2024
4.25/5
This review is taken from my notes from when I finished the book years ago.
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell. Focusses on Delilah, the middle sister, were-cat/puma and death maiden for the Autumn Lord. The sister's cousin, a thief and former special services agent, needs help. Without knowing it, he was coerced into stealing a cursed sword with the soul of a viking warlord/butcher/madman. He wants out and a necromancer is willing to do it.
This review is taken from my notes from when I finished the book years ago.
Narrated by Cassandra Campbell. Focusses on Delilah, the middle sister, were-cat/puma and death maiden for the Autumn Lord. The sister's cousin, a thief and former special services agent, needs help. Without knowing it, he was coerced into stealing a cursed sword with the soul of a viking warlord/butcher/madman. He wants out and a necromancer is willing to do it.
June 29, 2019
was soll man zum 17. Band einer Reihe noch gross sagen? Galenorns Schema ist bekannt, wird mir aber trotzdem nicht langweilig. Ich greife immer wieder gerne zu diesen Büchern und lasse mich in diese Welt entführen. Die Figuren entwickeln sich und man ist live dabei. Wenn ich es schaffe, 17 Bände durchzuhalten, dann heisst das schon was. Band 18 wartet auch schon auf mich!
May 1, 2018
Panther Prowling
Thing are changing, Morgaine is lost since hearing Mordride is dead and his body is re covered. Shade is hurt and looses half his powers. But Camille and Delilah have need and work and training. I'm eighth century sword was cursed with a sole.
Thing are changing, Morgaine is lost since hearing Mordride is dead and his body is re covered. Shade is hurt and looses half his powers. But Camille and Delilah have need and work and training. I'm eighth century sword was cursed with a sole.
February 23, 2017
Round up to 4.5 stars.
July 14, 2017
consistent
March 22, 2018
Reread and finished March 3, 2018. Actually pretty good, liked this much better, still trying to finish this series.
June 25, 2018
Was good but...
Was a bit slow the first half. Was hard to stick with it. It did pick up eventually and kept my interest.
Was a bit slow the first half. Was hard to stick with it. It did pick up eventually and kept my interest.
July 20, 2018
The soap opera and tabletop RPG mashup continues.
August 18, 2020
Love it! On to the next!
June 24, 2021
Ghost from the past
The sisters lol face drastic changes in their lives. Plus a new threat from the subterranean realm. Then a crazy new fore emerges from the past.
The sisters lol face drastic changes in their lives. Plus a new threat from the subterranean realm. Then a crazy new fore emerges from the past.
July 21, 2024
I always enjoy Delilah’s story. This one felt very true and classic to some of the first books. There are some twists and I hope everything can get wrapped up.
September 22, 2024
3.5-3.75 Stars
May 15, 2018
Okay, I'm simply going to write down my opinion and feelings I had throughout the whole book, this little rant may contain some spoilers.
I did enjoy the start of the book. Everyone was together, the story around the haunted sword seemed interesting, and for some reason I really like Daniel as a character. So far, so good. Then the drama started.
I couldn't care less about the relationship problems of Roz/Hannah, Menolly/Nerissa. Not only that I already have negative feelings about the next Menolly book (when did their relationship go downhill? What the hell is happening here? And why is it such a problem for Menolly if Nerissa sleeps with another men, when she sleeps with Roman all the time????), but so many things happened with other characters that were irrelevant? Also: the logic errors in this book drove me nuts!
Here's a list of things that made me sigh/ roll my eyes/ pissed me off:
- A lot of older characters appeared again. Not that they had anything to do with the plot, they were just there. This is the 17th book. Nobody who read this series from the start remembers them or cares much about them. Just cut it.
- I enjoyed reading about the Devil Wraith (see below) but the whole thing felt completely out of context.
- Shade lost his powers, okay. That's sad. But I did not feel sad because when did he use them anyway? Why do unnecessary things happen to all the characters, it makes the book only longer.
- We get more information about the sword bit by bit. It's slow. It doesn't seem that important because too much other stuff is happening. It's the main plot of this book but it felt like it was just some sort of side quest.
- The storm was used to make the antagonist more powerful and dangerous, but all this stupid storm did to me was screaming about the stupidity of the main characters
- Of course Delilah went out in the storm, alone, just to charge her phone in the car (really??), just to get hit by a branch and then, after being unconscious for an hour or so, totally wants to go out AGAIN to 'save' Daniel... um, what?
- WHY DID THEY KEEP DRIVING ALL THE TIME, ESPECIALLY IN THE FUCKING STORM, THEY COULD HAVE TRAVELLED THROUGH THE IONIC SEAS?????? But sure, I really wanted to read those 5 pages about how they drove around and almost got hit by like, 3 trees (not).
- Delilah sees a ghost and she doesn't know what's happening (really?). Then, she thinks it has to do with her being a Death Maiden. Oh, you THINK so? Of course it has to do with it, dummy.
- All those "I'll tell you later" and secrets and ughhh, save me.
- One of the most annoying things? This. Stating the obvious all the time? Yeah, excactly. Is it annoying yet? I hope so. (I swear, she used this every 5 pages. It made me crazy.)
- There was so much Camille in this book. Was revealing this big thing in this book really necessary? Honestly, I think overall more things happened to everyone else but Delilah, even though it is her novel.
- Yes, something happened to Delilah too, BUT, it just happened between things and that really pissed me off. Her being a Death Maiden is the most interesting thing about her. And what do we get? Nothing. As I said in my review of the last book, it would be really great to actually see the girls in their training. I want to read about Delilah being a Death Maiden, about her training and her work. I mean, she is reaping souls, how cool is that? I want that!
- Again, this book was only a filler. I hope that more happens next book (please!), because this series gets boring. When was the last time they did something about Shadow Wing / the Spirit Seals? 4 or 5 books ago? Jesus. And now they have these big things happening to Camille and Delilah (I'm sure, something will happen to Menolly, too).... It took her so many books and we did not make much progress, how does Galenorn want to wrap this all up?
And here are the reasons that saved the book from 2 stars:
+ I liked the beginning, the talking with the ghosts and the idea of a haunted sword.
+ The Devil Wraith chapters were really entertaining and interesting! I loved reading about it, plus some side characters (which I both like reading about) team up. It was probably the thing I liked most about the book.
+ A (too short!) glimpse of Delilah's Death Maiden abilities.
+ The ending was actually alright, nothing special, but I enjoyed it.
+ It was overall (a lot) better than the book before.
I know there are far more negative things than good things, but as I said, without the drama und unnecessary scenes, I would have liked it more! When I started reading I thought of this book as a 4 stars book, but too many things annoyed me.
I hope Galenorn brings Shadow Wing or the Spirit Seals back and brings this series to an end soon. It's time.
I did enjoy the start of the book. Everyone was together, the story around the haunted sword seemed interesting, and for some reason I really like Daniel as a character. So far, so good. Then the drama started.
I couldn't care less about the relationship problems of Roz/Hannah, Menolly/Nerissa. Not only that I already have negative feelings about the next Menolly book (when did their relationship go downhill? What the hell is happening here? And why is it such a problem for Menolly if Nerissa sleeps with another men, when she sleeps with Roman all the time????), but so many things happened with other characters that were irrelevant? Also: the logic errors in this book drove me nuts!
Here's a list of things that made me sigh/ roll my eyes/ pissed me off:
- A lot of older characters appeared again. Not that they had anything to do with the plot, they were just there. This is the 17th book. Nobody who read this series from the start remembers them or cares much about them. Just cut it.
- I enjoyed reading about the Devil Wraith (see below) but the whole thing felt completely out of context.
- Shade lost his powers, okay. That's sad. But I did not feel sad because when did he use them anyway? Why do unnecessary things happen to all the characters, it makes the book only longer.
- We get more information about the sword bit by bit. It's slow. It doesn't seem that important because too much other stuff is happening. It's the main plot of this book but it felt like it was just some sort of side quest.
- The storm was used to make the antagonist more powerful and dangerous, but all this stupid storm did to me was screaming about the stupidity of the main characters
- Of course Delilah went out in the storm, alone, just to charge her phone in the car (really??), just to get hit by a branch and then, after being unconscious for an hour or so, totally wants to go out AGAIN to 'save' Daniel... um, what?
- WHY DID THEY KEEP DRIVING ALL THE TIME, ESPECIALLY IN THE FUCKING STORM, THEY COULD HAVE TRAVELLED THROUGH THE IONIC SEAS?????? But sure, I really wanted to read those 5 pages about how they drove around and almost got hit by like, 3 trees (not).
- Delilah sees a ghost and she doesn't know what's happening (really?). Then, she thinks it has to do with her being a Death Maiden. Oh, you THINK so? Of course it has to do with it, dummy.
- All those "I'll tell you later" and secrets and ughhh, save me.
- One of the most annoying things? This. Stating the obvious all the time? Yeah, excactly. Is it annoying yet? I hope so. (I swear, she used this every 5 pages. It made me crazy.)
- There was so much Camille in this book. Was revealing this big thing in this book really necessary? Honestly, I think overall more things happened to everyone else but Delilah, even though it is her novel.
- Yes, something happened to Delilah too, BUT, it just happened between things and that really pissed me off. Her being a Death Maiden is the most interesting thing about her. And what do we get? Nothing. As I said in my review of the last book, it would be really great to actually see the girls in their training. I want to read about Delilah being a Death Maiden, about her training and her work. I mean, she is reaping souls, how cool is that? I want that!
- Again, this book was only a filler. I hope that more happens next book (please!), because this series gets boring. When was the last time they did something about Shadow Wing / the Spirit Seals? 4 or 5 books ago? Jesus. And now they have these big things happening to Camille and Delilah (I'm sure, something will happen to Menolly, too).... It took her so many books and we did not make much progress, how does Galenorn want to wrap this all up?
And here are the reasons that saved the book from 2 stars:
+ I liked the beginning, the talking with the ghosts and the idea of a haunted sword.
+ The Devil Wraith chapters were really entertaining and interesting! I loved reading about it, plus some side characters (which I both like reading about) team up. It was probably the thing I liked most about the book.
+ A (too short!) glimpse of Delilah's Death Maiden abilities.
+ The ending was actually alright, nothing special, but I enjoyed it.
+ It was overall (a lot) better than the book before.
I know there are far more negative things than good things, but as I said, without the drama und unnecessary scenes, I would have liked it more! When I started reading I thought of this book as a 4 stars book, but too many things annoyed me.
I hope Galenorn brings Shadow Wing or the Spirit Seals back and brings this series to an end soon. It's time.
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