Rising Darkness by Shannon Mayer (Rylee Adamson #9)

5 stars

I love Rylee.  She is a heroine I rarely get annoying with.  Since reading book #8, I had managed to forget that Rylee was pregnant and Liam was dead.  How could I forget this?  I don’t know, but it crushed me once more.  Pamela has been training with Deanna and trying to help those afflicted with the plague with her meager healing skills.  She is resentful that Rylee has been gone for 6 months.  Milly is coming to her in her dreams and feeding this resentment.  Only we know it can’t be Milly, or rather it can’t be just Milly.  Pamela runs away when Rylee returns and Frank follows her right to Milly.  Rylee can’t go after her because she has 4 days in which to find the Destroyer. 

I didn’t read the novella between book 8 and 9 and I think it would have been very helpful.  I got by without it, but definitely didn’t know why Faris was with Rylee, who the Destroyer was and who the new kitty, Peta was.  It becomes clear pretty quick that Liam’s soul is inside Faris (which I would have known had I read the novella I am guessing).  This is causing Rylee quick a bit of confusion. 

As usual there is a lot going on.  Rylee has to find the Destroyer.  Pamela gets her own little storyline as she grapples with her inner darkness.  Liam/Faris have issues (as you can imagine).  And of course there is lots and lots of fighting.  One good thing is that while Rylee is gone she trains with her uncle and is a better fighter than she has ever been.  I enjoyed not feeling like she was so frail all the time.  A lot of time in previous books it feels like Rylee is always just at the point of breaking physically. 

Blind Salvage (Rylee Adamson #5) by Shannon Mayer

5 stars

I’ve been waiting for this book…it feels like forever, but it’s really not been that long.  Just a few months since #4 came out.

This book takes up with Rylee, Liam, Pamela and Alex in London and trying to get back to North Dakota.  As usual their little group runs into problem after problem.  The entire book takes place in about a week.  We get a glimpse into the Orion business.  Rylee acts like a jerk to Liam at times because of this and she is definitely in denial.  Milly is back and seeking redemption.  This is very confusing for Rylee.  She still doesn’t trust Milly.  It is quite a feat that Liam doesn’t kill her on sight.  Rylee has enemies coming out of the woodwork in Farris, Berget, and Orion, however she also has many allies coming out as well. 

I found this book to be one of the sadder installments in this series.  I don’t think I will be able to handle it if my favorite character, Alex gets killed in this series. 

Favorite Quote:

“To the end and back, I will stand with you.”  --Liam

Shadowed Threads: A Rylee Adamson Novel (Book 4) by Shannon Mayer

5 stars


I read the first three books about a month ago so I lucked out that I didn’t have to wait long for book 4, however, now I am not so lucky. The story is far from over and now who knows how long I will have to wait. This is becoming one of my favorite urban fantasy series (behind Ilona Andrews of course). I am really glad that I picked up the first one a while ago.

Summary:

Hmmm, where to begin…

Rylee is still in England. She is staying with Jack (the only other tracker she has ever met), but he is stalling and not teaching her a darn thing. Liam is out there somewhere as a wolf. She needs to find him and bring him back. However, everyone (Jack, Doran, Milly, Faris) say that Liam can’t be brought back. But Rylee still needs to find him. Alex, Eve and Pamela are still there. Will is present in the beginning for a hot minute but disappears rather early. Dr. Daniels brings about more trouble and Rylee has a guardian who is trying to kill her. And by that I mean that he has been bound by magical means and ordered to kill her and he has a one track mind. There is so much more than happens…there are dragons, a vampire nest, Milly continues to be a crazy demented witch, and Berget…Berget is back! Gah!

Thoughts:

I loved everything about this book. I can’t think of anything that I want to change. Oh, wait, I can. I wish the books were longer and that the author could write faster (who needs sustenance and sleep?)

Favorite Quote:

“The devil will tell you nine truths, so that you’ll believe one lie.”

This was something that Giselle (her mentor) used to say to her and it is basically the theme of this book. Whom can Rylee trust?

Raising Innocence by Shannon Mayer (Rylee Adamson #3)

5 Stars

So the fourth book in this series comes out in a couple weeks so I guess I am lucky I picked it up at the right time. I don’t have long to wait to find out more about Berget and Liam.

So at the end of the second book we realize that Liam is now a werewolf. He runs off into the sunset and when book three starts up he is still out there somewhere. Rylee hasn’t heard from him and after telling him that she loves him is being surprising mature about this and just waiting. I think I would be really hurt by this, but she realizes that it isn’t about her, but about Liam and his wolf. The pack that has been after Alex has been missing and Rylee thinks this is because of Liam. She kicked Milly out too and I was soooo glad for that! Get that lady out of there. She is bad news!

Agent Valley has come calling again and wants Rylee to work on a case in London. She declines but her dangles in front of her an opportunity that she thought didn’t exist. Alex and Rylee end up on a plane flying to London three days later. Faris is still after her and both Liam and Milly show up in London! Rylee makes more friends and enemies in this book. I really, really don’t like this Dr. Daniels character. She needs a swift kick in the pants! We finally learn by Giselle was always mumbling about “blue socks”!

Favorite Quote: (Giselle talking to Rylee)

“You are more than a Tracker Rylee, and in some ways, that is the least of your worries.” She took a breath, let it out, took another. “You are touched with the Blood of the Lost.”

What does that even mean? Blood of the Lost? In capital letters? Gah! I can’t wait!

Immune by Shannon Mayer (Rylee Adamson #2)

 4.5 Stars

I finished the first book in the series in two days and promptly went on Amazon and bought the second book.  I am already 70% of the way through the third book before I convinced myself I should get my tuchas in gear and write the review for the this book before I finished the next one and get it all muddled.

All the books pick up right where the previous one left off with many of the problems from the previous books carrying over.  This means the reader need not fret when they finish and have unanswered questions about some of Rylee’s predicaments.

So in this book the Arcane group of the FBI still wants Rylee to work for them and Liam wants Rylee for a partner.  Rylee thinks that Milly and Liam are having a fling, but she is starting to admit that she has a thing for Liam.  Rylee is called onto another Salvage and it turns out one of her old enemies is behind this.  However, Rylee has a bigger problem.  The demon that stung Rylee with its scorpion tail left some venom behind.  This means that although the venom can’t kill Rylee the…side effects that the venom has on other things can affect her (that is all I can say without putting more spoilers in there).  She has got to do something about this venom but every step she takes to remove it puts another obstacle in her way.  Rylee’s friend, Dox, is in trouble and the shamans that were missing in the first book need to be found in this one.  Faris (the vampire that wants Rylee for his unknown nefarious purposes) keeps showing up and Milly is still being…Milly.  I knew I was right not to like Milly in the first book!  She is bad news!  Anyone who doesn’t like Alex is bad news in my book!  Speaking of Alex, I think he might be my favorite character in this series.  He is funny and loving.    

This series reminds me a lot of Ilona Andrews’ Kate Daniels series and if you follow my reviews you know that pretty much anything Ilona and Gordon can write, I will read it and love it!  So you will understand if you know the Kate Daniels series, but both are urban fantasy, both have a unique take on some of the supernatural creatures in the series, and Rylee also has a mysterious parentage and doesn’t quite know what all she is capable of.    Rylee is a loner with dubious social skills, but is an awesome fighter and doesn’t need a man to take care of her. 

Ok, I love this series…read it.  It’s cheap and if you don’t love it then…again, it’s cheap.  The author could use a couple good beta readers and a little more proof reading, but it isn’t bad enough that it bothers me.    

Favorite Quote: this is about Alex:

“Come on,” I grumbled at the weather.  Anger was easier to hang onto than fear.  Better in this case, ‘cause being afraid would only give me more trouble. 

“Come on,” Alex grumbled, shaking a fist at the windshield.  Shit, that werewolf made me laugh.

Priceless by Shannon Mayer (Rylee Adamson #1)

4 Stars

I got this e-book a while ago, but my TBR shelf is as big as a mountain so it has taken me a while to get to it. I was absolutely pleasantly surprised. I think I either got it for free (with an Amazon promotion) or paid $0.99. I scarfed it down in two days! The world building was wonderful and the details were brilliantly fleshed out. As soon as I finished it I went and got the second book.

Brief Summary:

Rylee Adamson is a tracker and she is immune to magic. Ten years ago when she was sixteen, her adoptive sister was kidnapped and never found. Everyone thought Rylee did it…even her adoptive parents! So Rylee has been mostly on her own since that time. She does have a friend Milly, who along with her was taken in by a woman named Giselle. Rylee has dedicated her life to finding lost children. This story picks up with Rylee taking the job of finding a little girl who was taken under the same circumstances as her sister. An FBI agent, Liam O’Shea has been on her trail, determined that she killed her sister for the past ten years and he makes himself a nuisance once again.

Rylee has a werewolf for a pet, named Alex who is one of my favorites. He is so cute and innocent; you can’t help but love him. I didn’t like her friend Milly, but I am guessing that the issues between Rylee and Milly were to demonstrate that their friendship is so strong it will survive anything. Milly just wasn’t very likeable. I had a hard time visualizing Agent O’shea. I have no idea how old he is but he has been following her for at least 10 years. I think I just needed some more descriptions of him to find him the object of Rylee’s desires.

I can’t wait to read the next one. I hope it is as good as this one.