Erin Kellison and Walt Longmire's 4th book

Shadow Bound
Author: Erin Kellison

Blurb: Kellison's debut, a blend of suspense and paranormal romance, follows Adam Thorne as he attempts to unravel the mystery of the wraiths, possessed humans who feed on human souls. Desperate to free his brother from possession, Adam follows a flimsy lead to half-Fae Talia O'Brien, a young woman with a newly minted doctorate, a mysterious past, and magical abilities that stop wraiths in their tracks. As the wraiths pursue Talia, determined to destroy her in retribution for her father daring to love and impregnate a human woman, Adam tries to protect her and understand her powers, and finds himself falling in love. Fast-paced without being frenetic, interesting and entertaining if not particularly challenging, this tale deftly avoids romance cliche's while delivering plenty of action.

Review: Zombies who eat souls instead of brains? That’s what the “wraiths” in this book brought to mind, although the wraiths are neither mindless nor dead. Just 'not dead' and soulless. Which is, to my way of thinking, probably more horrible than zombies. As the primary “bad guys” the idea of them prowling the streets is rather gruesome.

The “good guys” are suitably outnumbered, outgunned, and shit out of luck. All the stuff you need for a great good vs evil fantasy.

With a fair amount of running away, a few stand-up-and-fight scenes, and the confusion of lack of knowledge, Kellison builds suspense and creates the perfect set up for her unusual ending. This was a good, fast read, that held my attention and interest.

A good book, a fun weekend read. I’m not sure if you should start it on a weekday as your bedtime reading, unless you have great self-control. You may find yourself up late to finish it!

FREEBIE ALERT; Click on the link quickly, it's being offered for free. I don't know how long the freebie will last, so grab it while you have a chance! (If you search by her name, you will see she has a couple of titles for free or for $0.99. Snap 'em up!)



Another Man's Moccasins: A Walt Longmire Mystery (Walt Longmire Book 4)
Author: Craig Johnson
Blurb: In Kindness Goes Unpunished (2007), Absaroka County, Wyoming, Sheriff Walt Longmire took a road trip to Philadelphia. In a sense, he’s on the road this time, too, but his traveling takes place inside his head, after the discovery of the body of a young Vietnamese woman prompts memories of Walt’s first homicide investigation as a marine in Vietnam. It isn’t just the victim’s origins that send Walt down a nightmare-cluttered memory lane; found with her belongings is a picture of another Vietnamese woman, who looks strikingly like someone Walt knew very well more than 40 years earlier. Juxtaposing the current investigation against flashbacks to Vietnam, Johnson is able to reveal several new layers to the fascinating character of the aging, kindly, homespun sheriff and his best friend, Henry Standing Bear, who served with him in Vietnam. This series has distinguished itself so far with its rich portrayal of human relationships and daily life in small-town Wyoming. Those characteristics are well in evidence here, but the addition of the vivid and powerful Vietnam scenes provides a welcome jolt of frisson.

Review:  Wow, this was a fairly grim book. Johnson uses flashbacks to discuss Walt Longmire’s history in Vietnam. It’s interesting reading the background to Longmire, it’s a great window into his psyche, and it’s tied in perfectly with the present-day murder mystery that Walt is attempting to solve. But it’s still pretty grim reading.

While all wars are pretty ghastly, Vietnam had its own brand of shame, but Johnson is good enough not to mention that. He covers the war from the perspective of those who were in it, mired in the muck and blood and lunacy of power-hungry despots divorced from the reality of their desires. It is gripping and realistic telling.

The present-day mystery is so seamlessly woven into the flashbacks that at times you get the sense this is one tale in the telling, not two. Brilliantly written, with an excellent resolution. While it is a bitter swallow, I think this is one of the best books I’ve read in this series so far.