Guest Post: A Review of The Banshee's Walk

Today Maria Schneider is stopping by to talk about one of her favorite series. I first met Maria on an Urban Fantasy forum and we quickly found that we liked a lot of the same books. We don't always agree, but I enjoy talking about books with her no matter if we both loved it or not. I've also really enjoyed Maria's Moon Shadow series and her Fantasy shorts.

I've got the Markhat books on my list. Here's why Maria thinks you should put them on yours:

I'm not a loyal series reader. I'll generally read one or two and then wander off. So, what makes me stick with a series???

From crucial to important: Characters that grow and change. Humor. A natural progression of events, and plotting that consistently keeps me interested in the story.

What series has all that?? Frank Tuttle's Markhat series. I just finished The Banshee's Walk, which is book five in the series. Some of the early novels are fairly short--long enough to satisfy and nary a word of filler. The characters are people you want to spend time with. With each book, the plots get more detailed and Markhat is endearing, witty and at times, quite hilarious.

There's a bathing/dressing room scene in The Banshee's Walk that I can TOTALLY see in my head, and it makes me chuckle out loud. I'd have liked to be a fly on the wall for that one!

It's not all fun and games. Markhat is a finder, which is sort of a private investigator in a fantasy/urban fantasy setting. The books have great atmosphere; many of the tales involve traditional ghost stories. Dead Man's Rain in particular is one of those stories where you can't wait to see what happens next...and there's these spots where chills run up and down your spine. We're talking old fashioned spookiness, not horror and gore. We're talking the kind of story where you light a fire in the fireplace on a cold and gloomy night and read aloud to your kids, and then later they wake you at 3 in the morning to investigate a very suspicious noise against the window pane.

Recent Reads - Fantasy & Romance

I have a couple of UF reads, as well as the third in a Romantic-suspense trilogy.

Grave Dance (Alex Craft #2) by Kalayna Price

I was trying to figure out my next read and I tried the opening chapters of a couple of different books. Then I popped this one open and the next thing I knew I was halfway done. I love it when a book just sucks you in. I'm talking about a book 2 here, so if you haven't read Grave Witch yet, stop here. And then go get it because this series is very good.

Alex is dealing with all of the revelations that happened in book 1. A lot of the book deals with her family's secret heritage. On the romance front, she is unsure what to do about Death, who loves her, but, well, he's Death so how is that going to work out? And Falin has disappeared without a word. Then there is a problem with a bunch of feet that have been discovered, so it looks like a serial killer is on the loose. Add in the unwanted attention of the Faerie courts and Alex is in over her head in no time.

Interview with Amanda Carlson

I've talked about my friend, Amanda Carlson, before. She has a new series debuting this year with Orbit and I am so thrilled I can barely find the right words to use. I've grown to love Amanda's characters since I got my first glimpse at this world she's created. And now, finally, everyone else gets to read about them too.

Blooded: A Jessica McClain Novella was released yesterday and it gives you a little prequel to the action-packed werewolf goodness you'll get with Full Blooded out this September. Here's my take on it:

I had a lot of fun reading this novella. I like shorts, and I've read my share of "prequel shorts" - the little intros to give you a taste of a new series. This is one of my favorites because I am an action-junkie and there is A LOT of action packed in here. You also get a good picture of the dynamics of the world Jessica lives in, and a good intro to the supporting characters.

Her schedule is pretty busy these days, but Amanda is here today answering some questions. And away we go:

Interviews...

I am finalizing my post for tomorrow - an interview with a debut author. This will be my second interview - the first one being with the wonderful Carolyn Crane.

I'd like to do more interviews. Who would you be interested in learning more about. Can't promise that I can get them to talk to me, but I will try my best!

Also, are there any questions you want answered in particular?

You can leave a comment or send me an e-mail (kindleaholic at gmail dot com). Either way works for me.

Happy Easter!

For those of you celebrating today - hope you have a wonderful holiday!

I am ensconced with Peeps and chocolate. The kids ate chocolate for breakfast and are now bouncing off the walls, but life is good.

Head on over to Stellar Four for some very Geeky Peeps.