The Great Geek Manual

Book: Night Myst
ISBN-13: 978-0515148145

Author: Yasmine Galenorn
Series: Indigo Court, Book 1
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Release: June 29, 2010
Length: 352 pages (Hardcover)

Rating: D- (50 / 100)

Verdict

Night Myst is a distinctly amateur novel that bumbles through the forms and tropes of the urban fantasy genre without ever slowing its breakneck pace to allow readers a single moment of authenticity. All things considered, this book belongs on the shelf with Harlequin’s worse romances, not among in the fantasy aisle. Avoid it.

Pros: Fast pace. Mercifully short.

Cons: Shallow character development. Complete lack of emotional impact. No suspense or suspense. Forgettable characters.

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Book: The Reapers are the Angels
ISBN-13: 978-0805092431

Author: Alden Bell (Joshua Gaylord)
Publisher: Holt Paperbacks
Genre: Horror / Suspense
Release: August 3, 2010
Length: 240 pages (Paperback)

Rating: A (100 / 100)

Verdict

The Reapers are the Angels is a deeply moving character study of a young girl surviving on her own in a relentlessly bleak post-apocalyptic landscape as she grapples with her own darker nature. Bell weaves a haunting tale that packs an astonishingly powerful emotional punch for just over two hundred pages.

This is easily the most literary zombie novel you’ll ever read, and it’s certain that it will come to be regarded as a classic of young adult literature. Go buy it.

Pros: Beautifully written. Highly literary. Plenty of suspense.

Cons: Too short.

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Book: Waking the Witch
ISBN-13: 978-0525951780

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld Series, Book 11
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release: July 27, 2010
Length: 320 pages (Hardcover)

Rating: C- (65 / 100)

Verdict

It may be the eleventh book in the Women of the Otherworld series, but Waking The Witch is satisying read that stands well on its own. Kelley Armstrong has broken the urban fantasy mold with a novel that features both an intelligent mystery and a kick-ass female protagonist who doesn’t constantly find herself embroiled in situations beyond her control, doesn’t need rescuing, and (most refreshing) doesn’t obsess over men. Free of both negative female stereotypes and gushing romances, Waking The Witch is a solid blend of fantasy and detective novel that both male and female readers will enjoy.

Pros: Excellent characters. Very solid mystery. Refreshingly little romance.

Cons: Unsatisfying magical showdown. Villainous plan turns out to be uber-weak. Bad cliffhanger.

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Book: The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: Seance for a Vampire
ISBN-13: 978-1848566774

Author: Fred Saberhagen
Series: The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Publisher: Titan Books
Genre: Mystery
Release: June 22, 2010 (Rerelease)
Length: 192 pages (Paperback)

Rating: C (70 / 100)

Verdict

Despite a bizarre premise, Seance for a Vampire is a light, fun read and one of the more entertaining titles in the increasingly popular “mash-up” genre. If you’re a fan of mash-ups like Seth Grahame-Smith’s Pride and Prejudice and Zombies or the original Sherlock Holmes stories, this book is worth picking up. It helps to read The Holmes-Dracula File first, though.

Pros: Original premise. Entertaining.

Cons: Lack of clear Holmes twist. Distracting shifts in narration. Inauthentic language.

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Book: Enter If You Dare!
ISBN-13: 978-1893951631

Series: Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Publisher: Ripley Publishing
Genre: Non-Fiction / Trivia
Release: August 10, 2010
Length: 256 pages (Hardcover)

Verdict

Enter If You Dare is pure eye candy, cover-to-cover. Great for trivia buffs, kids, and frequent users of Delicious, Digg, and Reddit who want to take their Twitter-portioned entertainment offline. Perfect for break rooms, coffee tables, and, yes, even bathrooms.
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Book: Magic Bleeds
ISBN-13: 978-0441018529

Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels, Book 4
Publisher: Ace
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release: May 25, 2010
Length: 384 pages (Paperback)

Rating: B- (80 / 100)

Verdict

Ilona Andrews has topped herself yet again. Magic Bleeds is the best entry yet in the Kate Daniels series.

Though the series isn’t in the same league as giants of the genre like Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, it is still a great bit of casual reading, being one of the best urban fantasy series out there featuring a female protagonist. And, while the series is often characterized as paranormal romance, Andrews keeps the romance low-key enough to avoid alienating male readers who pick up the books for their excellent action sequences.

Pros: Excellent dialogue. Snarky humor. Good action sequences. Satisfying payoff on story arc. Interesting magic system / setting.

Cons: Plot is a bit short and shallow. Feels like sword and sorcery.

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Book: Dead in the Family
ISBN-13: 978-0441018642

Author: Charlaine Harris
Series: Sookie Stackhouse, Book 10
Publisher: Ace Hardcover
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal Romance
Release: May 4, 2010
Length: 320 pages (Hardcover)

Rating: C- (65 / 100)

Verdict

Sookie Stackhouse remains one of the most likable characters in either the urban fantasy or paranormal romance genre, but the series is beginning to loose its appeal as its books transition from urban fantasy stories centered around murder mysteries into a soap opera centered around the emotional drama of the protagonist’s love life. Male readers beware, the vampires of Harris’ world share more in common with Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight saga than with any urban fantasy series.

Pros: Great characters. Very atmospheric setting.

Cons: The series is evolving into a soap opera.

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Book: Changes
ISBN-13: 978-0451463173

Author: Jim Butcher
Series: The Dresden Files, Book 12
Publisher: Penguin Group
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release: April 6, 2010
Length: 448 pages (Hardcover)

Rating: A+ (110 / 100)

Verdict

The aptly-titled Changes is the best book yet in The Dresden Files, which is, without question, abso-freaking-lutely the best on-going fantasy series being released today. Butcher delivers action, adventure, and pathos in perfect balance, punctuated by hilariously absurd comedy.

If you aren’t already reading this series, run, don’t walk to the nearest bookstore. But reader beware! These novels are HIGHLY ADDICTIVE.

Pros: Excellent character development. Excellent action sequences. Big reveals. Rib-cracking comedy. Absolutely phenomenal cliff hanger.

Cons: The only real downside to the Dresden Files is that they eventually end. The wait for the next book is going to be torture.

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