The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber

The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker by Leanna Renee Hieber
Review copy provided by Leanna Renee Hieber

Author Web Site

PJVs QUICKIE POV: Never has a title so conveyed the essence of a book, like The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker. Long and to the point, the title is exact in it's representation of the novel, because it is a strangely beautiful tale. The novel is a Victorian era paranormal, with all the tid-bits that keeps us para junkies begging for more. A must-read for paranormal and/or historical fans, Strangely Beautiful is a perfect blend of Victorian style writing, hauntingly, dark paranormal aspects and sugary romance. 

REVIEW:  Victorian London is haunted, protected only by The Guard, six friends that were thrown together in youth with a great mission. Their leader is Alexi, a man that has found no peace since he was in-trusted with his cause. The Guard search for a Prophecy, told to them by a goddess that has never reappeared since that first night they discovered their powers. The Prophecy is a woman, to bring their ranks to seven, and Alexi believes to fall in love with.

Enter Percy Parker, albino beauty and raised strictly in a Catholic convent.  She has been sent to the Athens School, where The Guard preside over, to further her education in a very progressive way.  Co-ed institutions are rare in the Victorian age, and educated women are not regarded well, so Percy has resigned herself to being alone, but with her passion of learning, satisfied in that regards. All Percy's thoughts of being alone go out the window, when she first spots her professor, Alexi Rychman.

As questions are asked and hell (not really hell, but something to the side) itself is being split open and released, Percy is being thrown into a world of spirits, gods, goddesses and past lives that will flip her world upside down.  All she wants is to be loved and not stared and whispered about, what she gets is a terrifying glimpse into what could be apocalyptic.

This book is a lot to digest in so very short of pages.  If it wouldn't have been such a pretty day, I would have read it in one sitting, but pretty days call for Zoo visits and snow-balls, so I had to interrupt my literary devouring and split it in two.  I stayed up into the wee hours to finish. It was that good. Surprisingly also, since I'm usually not a big fan of Victorian historicals...which I might have to revise, since the last one I read, Souless, also knocked my socks off.  Maybe this genre is my new thing. Maybe I shall by a corset. At least the women's timidity is called for in these antiquated settings.

I highly recommend this book, one of the better adult paranormals I have read in awhile. I will be moving on to The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker which releases this month on the 27th. Can't wait.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Adult topics, but nothing overtly sexual (passionate kisses) or violent that a mature teen couldn't handle. Fans of The Parasol Protectorate, will enjoy, though it does not possess the wittiness of Carriger's writing.

Related Books:

Follow Friday Week 3

BLOGS I STALK...IN THE URBAN FANTASY / PARANORMAL REALM

PJV's Week 3 Follow Friday.  I'm hitting the "C"s & "D's" since I've skipped a week because of my 9 to 5. OMG I was sequestered in a hotel downtown kissing clients booties. Fun.

If you would also like to do a Follow Friday you are more than welcome to grab the button above. It doesn't have to be parablogs.

C - not many...
Candace's Book Blog ~Follow~  

D

Dark Faerie Tales ~Follow~
Darkly Reading ~Follow~
DemonLover's Book Reviews & More ~Follow~
Diary of a Amateur Vampirologist ~Follow~

 If you start with a "C & D" and I missed you, or I'm not on your happy Google Follower list...let me know. Shout out in the comments - I can't follow if you don't introduce yourself!

XOXO

Shadow Blade Blog Tour

Shadow Blade by Seressia Glass
Review Copy Provided by Pocket Books

Author web site

PJV's Quickie POV: Started off with a bang and ended with a fizzle. Shadow Blade had the potential of greatness...but then it drifted and I lost interest. This really upset me, because I was really enjoying the beginning.


Review: Kira is a Shadowchaser. She was abandoned by her adoptive parents after she almost killed their daughter on accident. When Glass introduced Kira and her powers, ROGUE from X-Men popped into my head. Kira can literally suck the life out of people as she reads all of their past deeds.

When her handler is killed by a seeker demon after leaving her with a 4,000 year old dagger, Kira swears revenge and goes on a break neck adventure to get revenge on her handler's killer. She gets derailed very quickly as she comes into contact with a Nubian warrior that claims he is the dagger's rightful owner.

It was when Mr. Nubian showed up that the book went to Hell in a hand-basket.  Kira went from this strong kick butt character to an unsure, softie, all contemplative because she can finally touch someone and I could have been like "Oh that's ok," if maybe they would have had a bit of sexual tension, but I found Kira showed more interested in the demigod companion than she did the Nubian. Which was odd.

The writing was excellent though. Ms. Glass has a great voice and Kira's character was well developed in the beginning. There was a lot of interesting back story, with a lot of African mythology references, which was interesting, since this is not an area I'm that familiar with (always got sidetracked by those pesky Greeks).

Recommendations: Adult, urban fantasy readers.

Other Tour Participants:
Pam’s Private Reflections: http://hip2bhomeschooling.blogspot.com/
The Cajun Book Lady: http://thecajunbooklady.blogspot.com/
Book, Books Everywhere: http://bookbookseverywhere.blogspot.com/
Book Junkie: http://myfoolishwisdom.blogspot.com/
I Heart Monster: http://www.iheartmonster.com/
Carol’s Notebook: http://carolsnotebook.wordpress.com/
My Guilty Pleasures: http://www.mgpblog.com/
The Neverending Shelf: http://www.theneverendingshelf.com/
The Bibliophilic Book Blog: http://www.bibliophilicbookblog.com/
Chaotic Book Obsession: http://chaoticbookobbsession.blogspot.com/
Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm: http://fayeflamereviews.blogspot.com/
Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
Jeanne's Ramblings: http://www.jeannesramblings.com
Books Gardens & Dogs: http://maryinhb.blogspot.com/
See Michelle Read: http://seemichelleread.blogspot.com/
The Wayfaring Writer: http://moonsanity.blogspot.com/
Jen’s Book Talk: http://jensbooktalk.blogspot.com/
Pick of the Literate: http://bookrevues.blogspot.com
Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
Booksie’s Blog: http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
Temple Library Reviews: http://templelibraryreviews.blogspot.com/
The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object: http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/
Dan’s Journal: http://grumpydan.blogspot.com/
Cheryl’s Book Nook: http://cherylsbooknook.blogspot.com/
I Heart Book Gossip: http://juniperrbreeeze.blogspot.com/
Geek Girl Reviews: http://www.geekgirlreviews.com/
All Things Urban Fantasy: http://allthingsurbanfantasy.blogspot.com/
Vision Quest Fail: http://visionquestfail.blogspot.com/
Wendy’s Minding Spot: http://mindingspot.blogspot.com/
Readaholic: http://bridget3420.blogspot.com/
Eclectic Book Lover: http://www.eclecticbooklover.com/
Parajunkee’s View: http://parajunkee.blogspot.com/
You Wanna Know What I Think?: http://www.kballard87.blogspot.com/

and Falling, Fly by Skyler White

and Falling, Fly by Skyler White
Review copy provided by author.

Author's web site.

PJV's Quickie POV: Unique.  If I could sum up this book in one word, that would be it. The tone, the setting and the characters are all unique creations by this new author, Skyler White. The tone/voice is the first thing you notice, imagine if an early American author were to have written a paranormal romance. The rich language usage, and intense symbolism, combined with the hints of steampunk and dark sexuality make for a great read, if a little more highbrow than your usual PNR.

Review: Olivia is a fallen angel of desire, damned. A vampire now, forced to take, feed off the desire and fear of others, but never feel it herself. Olivia has been on a quest, a quest for love and redemption, a way to get her wings and return to Heaven. Dominic O'Shaughnessy is a neuroscientist, on a quest of his own. He is plagued by memories, memories of lives that he might have lived, but he can't have lived them, according to his scientific brain,  so they must be delusions.

Both their quests lead to the Hotel of the Damned.  A strange place where the Reborn and the Vampire try to find peace in the comfort of other like themselves, others who are damned by the choices of their forebearers, of themselves, or just by happenstance.

This novel is little pieces of everything.  There are hints of steampunk in the depths of the Hotel of the Damned, with churning gadgets and spinning dance floors idly mentioned.  It is a little bit of romance, with the main characters finding love, and the focus might be on that pursuit of love, but so much more is going on than the romance.  It is a smidgen of horror, with the vampire sisters of Olivia fully showing the darkness that she could be.  What it is in it's entirety is a dark paranormal novel that tries to answer the question What is desire?

I really enjoyed this novel, and while it rehashed a common theme; vampires are actually fallen angels, it wrapped it in a very different package.  The character development was spot on, I felt I really knew these two creatures by the time the novel ended.  World building was also well done, the Hotel was such a monstrous construction it was as if it was it's own world in itself.  My problems with the novel weren't much in comparison to excellence of the novel, but they did have a detrimental effect, because at the end of the book I was ready for it to be over. It was like a busy vacation, full of sight-seeing, hiking, tours, etc., you loved the experience but when the five or seven days are over, your ready to head home because it was so tiring.  This is what this novel was for me, it was a very tiring ride.

I mentioned the tone of the novel and the uniqueness, and while enjoyable by the end was wearing me out.  Then during the climax the POV shifted back and forth quickly that I became confused at some point.  The end just raced on and on until I think I was out of breath...a great ride, but phew I'm pooped. So, definitely a must read...just wear comfortable shoes.

Recommendations: Adults that enjoy Urban Fantasy and Dark Paranormal will enjoy this novel.  I do not recommend for introduction to the genre or for younger readers.

The Mark by Jen Nadol

The Mark by Jen Nadol
ARC review copy provided by Other Shelf Tours

Author web site

PJV's Quickie POV:  Quick PJV fact, my first year of college I went through like ten majors, psychology, ancient history, philosophy, english, and then finally landing on Fine Arts.  This book gives a quick touch on most of my college obsessions, which is one of the reasons I liked it; probably more than I would if it didn't cover those topics.  Most of the books I read usually have a bit of action in them, a climatic end, a little kung-fu - or maybe some other kind of action *leering mischievously*.  This book wasn't one of them, it was mostly an internal struggle and self-discovery novel, which is usually something I don't read, therefor the - if it hadn't covered topics I was interested in, I probably would have become easily bored and pushed it aside.  That being said, the novel kept me engaged because of it's interesting mix of philosophy and psychology and the focus on decision making and the ubiquitous question of Fate.

Review: Cassie Renfield (every time I read her name I thought, Dracula) is afflicted with a unique psychic ability, which she just comes to realize the depth of in the beginning of The Mark. She can see a halo around a person if they are destined to die that day.  It is a grizzly talent, worsened when she sees the mark on her grandmother and guardian - and knows there is nothing she can do.

Forced from her home and city because of guardianship issues, she finds herself in an unfamiliar city. She is inundated with feelings of loss, guilt and confusion, but most of all loneliness. Her new found Aunt, Drea, is inattentive and usually not even there.  Cassie fills her hours by exploring her "gift", taking philosophy courses and working at a coffee shop.  A love connection, based on lies and half-truth forces her to rethink her outlook on the "gift" she possess.  It also awakens her to the mystery that is her life, and the lies that she was raised on. Who is Cassie Renfield? is the main theme of the novel and the path that you take throughout it's pages. It is a slow path through the molasses that is Cassie's life, but it is stuffed full of brain stimulating questions, the main one that niggles at the back of your brain...If you knew someone was going to die that day, would you tell them?

There are a few things that might turn a reader off on this book, the first being the lack of action.  Yes, this a paranormal novel, but it is more of a teen self-discovery, it is a journey through the life of a grieving child on the brink of adulthood.  Added to that tumultuous time she is in possession of a very disturbing ability. Most of the action occurs in Cassie's head.  I enjoyed it, but fans of kick-butt action might get bored. Second item up for debate, the love affair with the college boy Lucas. It is not your fairy-tale love story, it is real world joining of couples. It begins with lies and misunderstandings.  The relationship is full of uncertainties and some using, this book is not a romance novel.  Love is never even mentioned.  Don't expect to enjoy birds and bees in this novel. The third and final problem readers might have would be the anti-climatic ending, I thought the ending was fitting, it went hand in hand with the rest of the novel and the final sentence of the book was epic, especially to a closet Socrates fan girl. I'm going for a 3.5 rating, because while not my favorite it was worth the time and made me think.

Recommendations: YA book with big girl thoughts. Adults and teens alike should read.  There might be some big girl language in the pages, but nothing that struck me as lewd. She also has a big girl relationship with Lucas, but nothing is described, the author doesn't even detail any kissing.

Blue Aspen by Tenaya Jayne

Blue Aspen by Tenaya Jayne

FYI: I am giving away my copy of this book at Blog with Bite. Enter Here. Contest will be ending today (Dec. 12th) Copy was provided by the author for review.

Synopsis: When seventeen-year-old Dulcee Elders' mother embarks on a road trip from their home in California, Dulcee knows something odd is about to happen. Her suspicions are confirmed when they arrive at Uncle Jack's house outside of Durango, Colorado. Without another word, Dulcee's mother is gone, and Dulcee faces life with her reclusive and wealthy uncle in a looming rural mansion.

Dulcee has suffered from insomnia ever since her father died more than ten years ago. But once at home at Uncle Jack's, inexplicably Dulcee now can sleep; sleep brings not only strange and intricate dreams, but a dream lover. For now, Vincent Sands is only the silhouette of a man, but when Uncle Jack leaves town for business, Dulcee's dream world and reality collide. Once she is alone, the silhouette is no longer content to remain only in her dreams.

When Dulcee is asleep, Vincent can give her anything she wants, even the ability to talk to her dead father. Inevitably, Vincent must leave when Uncle Jack returns. Dulcee experiences the high price of loving Vincent-an addiction rivaling that of any hard-core drug. Desperate to bridge the gap between them, Dulcee faces a crucial decision that carries irreversible consequences.

Review: Based on the synopsis of this book and other reviews, I actually am disappointed in myself for just not getting into this story. I want to give my honest thoughts on this book, though. So here goes. The plot lines on this tale are original.  It is always interesting to delve into the insane's POV. But, when you are dealing with a mentally challenged protagonist - their actions just don't make sense. Cause they are crazy.  So, the whole time I'm thinking "Um, chick, you really don't want to do that." It got so frustrating that I just couldn't relate to her.

To top it off the narrative tone of the book was very dry.  It was almost done in a sing-song alienesque kind of voice, that had me picturing Optimus Prime meets Julia Child.  Bizarre.

Then with the introduction of Vincent the story line gets even more bizarre. This guy just pops up, throws and evening gown on her and they are in love.  Then they sprout wings and make-out until she turns beautiful. Any other day I might have been all about this one.  But it just struck me wrong. Then there was supposed to be this whole suspense thing kickin' through the entirety of the book.  It was almost too much. Hints and clues and such until the final reveal in the last sentence. I won't give it away but it just left me with a "huh?" and not an "Oh!"

Good points of the book, the concept was good - and I really wish I hadn't been thrown off by the narration - because this book would have been great. It was a very well thought out plot and the characters had depth and you could feel the darkness surrounding them.  The editing was very well done, also. The author's style was also enjoyable.  Her words painted a picture and I hate creeping back to that tone, but if wasn't for that narrative style I would have really gotten into the book. Because of that I'm looking forward to reading this author again, hoping that the next book takes a different approach.

Obviously, though it does appeal to others based on good reviews the book is getting elsewhere.  So go enter the contest - and if you win let me know what you think.

Under the Dome by Stephen King

Under the Dome falls flat, during the entire 1000+ pages I felt as if I, myself was sipping on stale air.

I haven't read a King novel in a long time.  It has at least been a decade.  King will always remain in my heart as the novelist who popped my paranormal cherry.  It was 6th grade and I read IT to the horror of my deeply religious teacher, who couldn't believe that I was reading the book, and thought I was just showing off by bringing the book to "free time". (Catholic School K-12) The man actually gave me a test on the book to prove that I was lying and as unintelligent as he assumed I was.

Since then I sucked down every King novel that was in our local library, and The Stand still remains as one of my top 10 favorite books in existence. Yet, with maturity comes changes in taste and my tastes moved away from Mr. King's novels and onto others.  With his release of Under the Dome I thought it might be the time to go back and sample Kings writings. Especially since I had a 50% Off coupon from Borders.  (Yes I bought this sucker with my own money)

I think I picked the wrong novel to make my way back into King's macabre world. This novel can't even compare to some of his earlier writing. It had everything that makes King's writing memorable and epic: witty dialog between characters, the intense action sequences, death and destruction, larger than life villains and troubled, soiled and touching good guys/girls.

Yet, there was a lot of undesirables in this novel also.

For one there were way too many characters. There was an index!  I was completely lost during half the book as the POV shifted and it took me almost a page to figure out who this person was.

Secondly, there was too much foreshadowing within the novel.  So much so, that when the climax hit, I was just basically like "Oh ok, well finally." No surprise, just grisly teeth grinding as I read through the graphic depictions of people's deaths.

Next I also thought the characters were a bit off.  Sometimes they just didn't act like themselves.

Lastly, it was just too much.  Too much book for me.  Too many characters, too much description, too many plot lines that were way too hard to follow.  I skimmed a lot through this book.  Half this book could have been cut out and it would have been much better. There was also tons of plot threads that didn't match. Bigger the author - the more the editor gets scared of them, huh?

Oh, and on a personal note - mom always tells me not to discuss politics and religion in polite company.  This book was choked full of political references and religious stereotypes.  It was very obvious which way King's political beliefs fell, and his stereotyping of right-wing crazies was insulting at some times. I've really had enough of actors and singers getting political - there is nothing like going to a concert and hearing a singer blab about this and that political agenda.  I really don't want to read it either. But that is just this reviewers opinion.

Fans of King will probably enjoy this.  For me, well it was just pretty stale - like that old pack of cigarettes that you find in your coat pocket when you pull it out for the winter.  Eureka! Look what I've found - until you smoke it.  You get the nicotine kick - but it just tastes like chicken poop.

The Queen's Bastard by C.E. Murphy

Author Spotlight C.E. Murphy

For today an tomorrow I will be reviewing first in series books by author C.E. Murphy.  I enjoy her books - even though the tend to get mediocre reviews.

Author Bio from Amazon:

C.E. Murphy was born and raised in Alaska and has since moved to her ancestral homeland of Ireland. She lives there with her husband, a chef, and three very spoiled pets. 


She's a full-time writer. Thus far her plans to take over the publishing world are proceeding apace.




Spotlight Book #1:

The Queens Bastard (The Inheritors’ Cycle, Book 1)

Set in an alternate reality of Elizabethan Europe, The Queen’s Bastard highlights the life of Belinda – The queens bastard and trained assassin. Magic, death and court politics, this book drips full-bodied, lusty appeal.

Belinda, while a strong, death-wielding assassin, is basically a slave to the system she was bred into. She has been raised in total ignorance of who she is. She has been taught to act a certain way, believe a certain belief system and follow her Queen with blind faith. She kills indiscriminately and has very little remorse over doing so. In fact, Belinda shows very little feeling what-so-ever. She is just a tool.

When Belinda is given an assignment to infiltrate the elite of a neighboring enemy country, Belinda is given the opportunity to behave differently then she is used to. Her usual roles have been those of the servant class, on missions of assassination. This role is that of a spy and for that she has to get close to her targets, befriend them and wait for word. She is not used to this role and in so doing, her feelings, which she has pushed to the side as meaningless become more and more apparent. Belinda begins to care for the people she may have to kill.

Along with her realization of the magnitude of emotions, Belinda also realizes that there is something quite different about her, something that gives her the ability to blend into the shadows and become the perfect assassin. Belinda is witchbreed and she is not the only one of her kind.

This is a very different read than my usual modern books with bit, but I do recommend it for those interested in historical dramas and the paranormal. There are some explicitly violent and sexual scenes in this book. Overall the book was good and kept my interest. I do plan on picking up the second novel when I get a chance.

Check back tomorrow for the review of C.E. Murphy’s Heart of Stone.

Bitter Night by Diana Pharoah Francis

This is the first Diana Pharoah Francis that I have had the pleasure to read, and I was not disappointed. Bitter Night packs a punch that had me riveted page after page. In fact as the book ended the only disappointment I had was the fact that I would have to wait for the next installment.

Max, is one of the toughest heroines I have run into in a long time. Look-up tough as nails chick in the dictionary and next to it will be Max. In a drinking palooza with her college roommate Max made a life-changing decision. Give up her humanity for eternal life and eternal servitude to a witch. Embrace power like no other, superior strength, senses and the ability to heal quickly - and all you give in return is your freedom. Bound to a witch named Giselle, Max is forced by magic compulsions to do her bidding, from investigating signs of magic, to killing people for her.

As Max is sent to investigate a murder that is about to take place, she stumbles upon something much bigger than she expected. Her world is about to be torn asunder and plunged into war - and now all that she has known and everything she has believed is about to change.

This novel is a fresh take on urban fantasy. A fresh look at the world of witches and their familiars. I highly recommend this book to urban fantasy lovers who like a lot of action - with just a smidgen of lusty thoughts. The tone is very similar to Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thomas series - except Max is in control instead of lost in a world of overly aggressive and take-charge men. When I grow up, I want to be Max. Unfortunately I would look really bad as a blond.

Stuffed full of blood and gore, nothing explicit though, Bitter Night is one of the best books I have read in awhile.

Read an excerpt...

Author Profile:

Diana Pharaoh Francis has written the fantasy novel trilogy that includes Path of Fate, Path of Honor and Path of Blood. Path of Fate was nominated for the Mary Roberts Rinehart Award. Her latest series is The Crosspointe Chronicles. They include The Cipher and The Black Ship. Her next book, The Turning Tide, will be available in May of 2009. Diana teaches at the University of Montana Western. For a lot more information including where to go to read her blog, maps of her worlds, updated news, and other odd and fun tidbits, go to www.dianapfrancis.com.

Wicked (Witch & Cursed) by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié

Dark and full of shivers, this book is a perfect precursor for the Halloween season! Pick it up and get your pointed hats out of the closet, I recommend this book to witch lovers, adult and teen alike. Just settle in a for a long ride, because its a hard read, but worth it in the end.

This book was much darker than I expected for a YA novel and from the beginning I must say that I do not recommend this book for younger teens. I don't believe in eradicating sexuality or darker subjects for a teens reading repertoire, but some of the subjects touched on, should be kept for an older audience, 16+.

The book starts with tragedy, as the scene Holly Cathers is introduced in, is where her entire world is shattered with the death of her parents and her best friend. Forced from San Francisco, she accompanies her aunt, whom she has never even heard of before, to Seattle. There she meets her twin cousins, Amanda and Nicole and is introduced to the world of witchcraft as strange occurrences start happening around her.

As more and more tragic happenings occur in her life, Holly and her cousins begin realizing that their life is not their own and they are actually stuck by fate in a battle between witches and warlocks that dates back centuries.

I found myself drawn into the dark depths of this novel.  It was almost a love/hate relationship.  The characters weren't lovable, they weren't cute and fuzzy, in fact I don't even know if I liked them - which is very different for a YA novel. The character of Holly is broken and unsure, she believes she is the tragic heroine that is destined for impending doom.  Because of her grief and almost self-hate it is hard to relate to her, but she becomes memorable and strong, which brings about respect, if not like. The characters of Amanda and Nicole are both characters to be pitied.  Amanda becomes the better liked because of her transition from innocuous to powerful...and Nicole is almost just secondary vapid fodder, so nothing really strikes you as relatable. She is the crutch that keeps the cousins from becoming all powerful too soon.

The Devereux men are almost too evil.  Their embracing their heritage so easily lends them to demonic status and not human.  One of the things that  I did not like about the book was how it focused on Michael Devereux so much, I could have used a lot less of him - because he was just too grimy for me.


The book is non-stop action, one thing after another after another.  The attacks on the cousins are so intense that you almost find that you can't put the book down, because you are always in the middle of an action sequence or flash back.  Which leads me to the hardest part of this book, and the reason I gave it a lower ranking that I would normally.  The constant flash backs are very confusing - and the embodiment of the ancestors had this reader confused as to who was driving... I was lost to whether Holly and Jer were reincarnations of their ancestors, or were they just stuck in the same pattern...destined to repeat fate.

If you can get by the POV switches, it really is a good book.  The writing is excellent and the storyline is unique and fast paced. The authors did a good job of tackling so much material without being bogged down in lengthy descriptions and side plots. I also really enjoyed that their is no discernible line in the sand between good and evil. 

If you enjoy yur paranormal dark, this is the book for you.