16) For Whom the Spell Tolls by H.P. Mallory

The Blurb :

A war between The Resistance and the Netherworld,
A vampire who isn't all that he appears,
And the ultimate price that must be paid.

Dulcie O'Neil thought her luck couldn't get much worse but it's about to get a whole lot worse.

Forced into declaring war against the Netherworld and her father, Dulcie will find herself fighting for everything she believes in. In the process, she'll have to decide whether or not to trust a centuries old vampire, a decision which literally will mean life or death.

Luckily she's got hunky love interest, Knightley Vander, by her side but things get even stickier when she finds herself the subject of multiple men's affections.

My Thoughts :

This author caught my eye a while back and I finally got around to reading some of her work when I started this series, the Dulcie O'Neil series.  Now I have been following this one on Audible and despite the series already being over for a while now, it took some time before this sixth and final installment was available to listen to.  I would love to say it was worth the wait but I think that makes it sound like I loved this book.  Ok it was worth the wait because now it is over and done with but other than that I am not sure what to say about this final episode.

I will start by having a moan about the first half of the book.  It was slow and seemed to drag on forever!  The amount of sexual blah blah blah was overwhelmingly boring and the only thing that stopped me from fast forwarding through it all was because I thought I would miss something important.  What could have been important?  Well Dulcie would go off on tangents and slip in some interesting information.  So I felt I needed to put up with the slow start and keep an open mind.

The second half of the book was more action.  The end was near and it was time to find out how they would win (it was obvious they would....sorry if that spoiled it for you but seriously it was soooo obvious!) and who, if any, would lose their life in the process.  As expected it was very dramatic.  Maybe a little over the top and pulled together so everyone would live happily ever after.  Like a typical end of series book.

All in all I liked the series but definitely preferred the first few books to the last.  Dulcie was nice and her friends were nice when we got to see/hear them.  I thought Knightley was ok but I really enjoyed Bram.  He made things exciting and unpredictable.

Now I am looking forward to finally trying H.P. Mallory's other books.  I didn't want to start another of her series until I was finished with this one.  So hopefully I will have a chance to start one of them soon.  I think I have nearly all of the books saved somewhere or other.

If you like paranormal urban fantasy and don't mind when it gets a little hot and heavy then you will like this one.  You have fairy types, vampires and much more.  Lots of imagination has gone into the concept and it definitely is different.  Worth a try and definitely worth adding to your wishlist for a rainy day.



 

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166) Eleven Snipers Sniping by H.P. Mallory

The Blurb :

All Detective Knightley Vander wants for Christmas is to spend some time alone with fellow law enforcement agent Dulcie O’Neil, a feisty spitfire and the love of his life. But his Christmas wish is interrupted when a sniper serial killer comes to his town of Splendor, California.

Bodies are dropping left and right, and mysterious clues left at each scene lead Knight to suspect every Netherworld creature in town. Things get personal when Dulcie disappears, leaving Knight increasingly desperate to solve the case. Will he and his team be able to unwrap the killer’s identity before it’s too late or will this turn out to be Knight's worst Christmas ever?

My Thoughts :

I haven't finished the Dulcie O'Neil series yet but when I saw this Twelve Days of Christmas novella I couldn't resist getting a copy.  Told from Knightly Vander's perspective this is a short story set in the world fans know and love from the series.  A little Christmas special that takes place after the series finished but it doesn't ruin anything for anyone wanting to spend some of the holidays with their favourite characters.

This was a nice short read with an interesting plot.  I missed some of the more paranormal elements of this series but the mystery and Christmas subject matter made up for the lack of things that go bump in the night.   I enjoyed this short story and also thought it was nice to have the story told from another point of view.  Hopefully there will be more Dulcie short stories in the future.

The Twelve Days of Christmas novellas are definitely worth checking out.  I only read two by authors I already knew and also read another by a writer I hadn't heard of before.  A great way to find some new reading material and also a super way to celebrate your Christmas.  Oh and if you need to meet any reading goals these novellas will help you boost your numbers!

Missed them this Christmas?  Hopefully they will be around next year or keep them on your Kindle for another time.  I would love to see this kind of project happen again in 2014.








 

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105) Malice in Wonderland by H.P. Mallory

The Blurb :

A broken relationship, tarnished with lies and deceit,
A father who wants her dead,
And a shocking surprise that could rock the very foundation of everything she believes in...

Fairy and law enforcement agent, Dulcie O'Neil, has to face the fact that her father, the Head of the Netherworld, is also Public Enemy Number One. In joining a group of rebels who would see her father dethroned, Dulcie will realize just what it means to go against her own blood. Throw in her tattered relationship with Knight Vander and the shock of a lifetime and Dulcie's life just went from bad to worse.

My Thoughts :

The Dulcie O'Neil series has been my experience with author H.P. Mallory and I am beginning to wonder if it was a good place to start.  I have been following the series via audiobook and it seems that the company in charge of getting the books read are taking their time about it.  Book six (which I believe and hope is the last in the series) has been out for a while and still they only just managed to get book #5 onto Audible.  Yes, I could read the books instead, but I have really enjoyed listening to them and once you start listening to a series you just have to keep on.

Anyway, as you may have already guessed, I wasn't too pleased with this book.  After all the waiting and wondering I was left feeling quite disappointed.  The whole time I was listening to the book I felt like giving up and just forgetting about Dulcie and her problems.  Instead I kept going hoping things would be like the good old days again.  Where stuff actually happened and I didn't have to put up with Dulcie's ongoing brain chatter!

Don't get me wrong, there are a few things that happen in this book but it just wasn't enough.  The majority of the book was Dulcie examining everything, in long discussions, with herself, in her head.  It was tiring and boring.  Just going on and on about, maybe this and maybe that or it could mean this or should I do that...it was very close to giving me a headache and I am pretty sure I should have just fast forwarded through these moments and only listened to the 'real story'.

This fifth book was obviously a filler in to spread our things till the next book.  I could have done with some more action and a bit more advancement on the whole story/plot that has been developing and playing out since the beginning.  Why didn't I give up?  Because I already got this far and actually want to know what it all means and how it will all end.  I am sure I have a bit of a wait until book #6 makes an appearance on Audible and by then I may have forgotten just how much I didn't like this installment.  Hopefully the next book will be just as amazing as the first few.

What I am really looking forward to is this series finishing and being able to start another H.P. Mallory series.  I do believe they are quite good and despite my woes with Dulcie I can't wait to see what else the author has on offer.

  

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15) Wuthering Frights by H.P. Mallory

The Blurb :

A father she never knew existed,
An impossible decision that had to be made,
A lie she must keep to herself at all costs,
And the realization that every choice she makes has consequences.

Fairy and law enforcement agent, Dulcie O'Neil, has just discovered that her father is the Head of the Netherworld, and a double-dealing, illegal potions importer. Worse yet, she's now working for him.

Knight Vander, Dulcie's boyfriend and Head of the Association of Netherworld Creatures, is on to her father, but, in the process, will he discover Dulcie's secret? And if he does, will it mean his life?

My Thoughts :

I have been eagerly awaiting the audible release of this fourth part in the Dulcie O'Neil series. After visiting the first three books via audiobook I wanted to keep going along that route. However it seems the rest of the series is taking some time finding its way on to audio. A real pain if you ask me! I have been quite tempted to get copies of the book instead but I already have so much to read (yeah...don't we all!) and liked the narrator so much. Actually it was a little strange listening to this audio book at first because it was the same narrator that read the previous audios I listened to (Aurora Teagarden Series)!

To the story...well it wasn't a bad one. The plot was slightly predictable but the content was good. Actually some parts were very hot and steamy. I don't remember the previous books being so sexy but this one definitely heated up at the beginning and the end. All the characters I have come to know and love all made an appearance but I felt that Dulcie's friends were not around much. I really would have enjoyed getting to know them better.

This wasn't the best book so far in the series but it was still very enjoyable. I don't feel like Dulcie got a very good deal out of this installment and the ending left things, once again, with a cliffhanger. Not much took me by surprise in this one and there were only moments of 'of course' instead of 'I didn't see that coming'. Despite this I still finished the book in record time.

Now I have to wait for book #5 to release on Audio. I refuse to turn to the books but I hope the wait isn't too long. I have to know what comes next and ultimately I would like to see where Dulcie and Knight's relationship ends up. It is taking some pretty heavy bumps and it looks like it is over for the two of them (please post no spoilers if you have read the next two books!) but I am pretty confident that before the series ends they will be living happily ever after.

If you like a nice mystery/romance with a good huge helping of the paranormal then you really should check out this series. I find the concept very interesting with some good use of fantasy creatures. I look forward to seeing what other books this author has to offer but right now I want to get this series finished off. I do wonder what will happen to Dulcie next!


 

148) Great Hexpectations by H.P. Mallory

The Blurb :

Dulcie O’Neil knows she's at fault for failing to arrest a wanted criminal but when her partner gets pinned for the crime, she'll stop at nothing to ensure his innocence.

What Dulcie isn't planning on is a trip to the infamous netherworld where chaos rules.

Between battling the affections of a mysterious vampire, protecting herself from monsters and ensuring the innocence of the one man who would die for her, Dulcie’s trip to the netherworld isn't sunshine and strawberry daiquiris.

My Thoughts :

So I finally got around to listening to the Dulcie O'Neil books and instead of taking a break between then I listened to #1 one, #2 and went straight onto book #3, Great Hexpectations. I don't usually do this but the style, wit and humour the author pours into her books really has me addicted. Despite this third book having some flaws it was still a great story.

So what are the flaws? Well basically the book is all about Dulcie's relationship with Knight. Nothing else really to it. No murders to catch or crazy witches to hunt down. Just Knight I love you and can't live without you. While this is something that needed to happen at some point (like all love interests) I didn't need a whole book based on it. The plot was therefore very weak and practically non-existent.

There was however a few things that made this book and the lack of plot more enjoyable. Mainly the trip to the much talked about Netherworld was a huge surprise and something I hoped would come up sooner rather than later. Dulcie's guide, Bram, as always gave me some laughs and giggles. All these small saviours and interesting twists like Dulcie's wings kept me listening to the story and I was rewarded with a super cliffhanger ending.

Now I saw the ending coming. It was obvious to me who the mystery person was going to be. That he was behind Knight's predicament was a lovely twist and would have me listening to book four right now, if it was available on Audio! Yes book #4 is out already and being a late arrival to this party I am quite upset to see that I have become so invested in the audio versions only to be left stuck at book #3.

Wuthering Heights on my 'to be read' but I am sure I would get to it quicker on Audio. So I will keep hanging out for the audio until I can't resist anymore. I wonder how long I will last?

146) A Tale of Two Goblins by H.P. Mallory

The Blurb :

Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy working in law enforcement for the netherworld. When knight Vander approaches her with a case regarding comatose victims, she agrees to help him, imagining the most difficult part will be combatting her attraction to him.

But, what Dulcie isn’t betting on is the fact that the case becomes personal when she learns all the victims are somehow linked to her.

When her best friend falls victim to the Dreamstalker, Dulcie must do everything in her power to ensure her friend’s survival, including associating with criminals and accepting the fact that desperate times do definitely call for desperate measures.

My Thoughts :

I listened to the first Dulcie O'Neil book the week before last and instantly downloaded the second book. I liked the feel of the book, enjoyed the story and wanted to see what happened next. With some great and wonderful paranormal elements showing their faces in book one I wondered what delights would appear in book two.

Things started getting exciting straight away. With the case being close to home and personal it was interesting to see how Dulcie dealt with everything. The sexual tension between her and Knight and her dealings with the vampire Bram only helped the story flow and keep me addicted.

Once again I was impressed and book three was downloaded before I could stop myself. Not only am I enjoying Dulcie and her antics but I am also feeling quite invested in her relationship with Knight and Bram. I am enjoying the strange and weird supernatural creatures and angles. No fuss and all goodness this is a series I can't get enough of right now.

If you haven't tried H.P. Mallory's work yet then I recommend you do. I left it so long before finally getting to her books and now I am literally kicking myself for waiting so long. I have been missing out and I am sure you are going to see lots of reviews for her books in the next few months. I feel I am going to gobble them all up pretty quickly.

143) To Kill A Warlock by H.P. Mallory

The Blurb :

The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch.

Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in gardens. She’s a Regulator—a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world. When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she’s either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim.

Enter Knight Vander, a sinfully attractive investigator sent from the Netherworld to work the case with Dulcie. Between battling her attraction to her self-appointed partner, keeping a sadomasochistic demon in check, and fending off the advances of a sexy and powerful vampire, Dulcie’s got her hands full. As the body count increases, Dulcie finds herself battling dark magic, reconnoitering in S&M clubs and suffering the greatest of all betrayals.

My Thoughts :

This author and this series has been on my radar for a very long time. I actually got a copy of this book a while ago but it never reached the top of my reading pile. So when I saw the book on Audible I decided it was time to give it a try. Listening to a book while walking to and from work is always good and I would finally get around to starting this series.

To Kill a Warlock is the debut Dulcie O'Neil book and it makes a great first impression. The start of the book had me giggling. No better way to introduce readers to a new character than to change her into an ugly green monster thing. Within a few chapters I was hooked and couldn't stop listening.

The idea the author has come up with is pretty original and her take on the paranormal world is relaxing and interesting. The plot was easy going but very addictive. I really liked the detective work which involved magic spells, visits to a S&M club and various supernatural characters.

To Kill A Warlock didn't feel like it was a debut and the author made a great start to the series. As the cover suggests this a fun book but it can also be serious when it needs to be. As self-published authors go this one gets an A star! I enjoyed the book so much that I already have the second book waiting for me on my ipod. I think I have found a new author to add to my must read list. Such a shame I didn't get to H.P. Mallory earlier rather than later! I have a lot of books to catch up on!