Review: Fire Burn and Caldron Bubble & To Kill a Warlock

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble (Jolie Wilkins - Book 1) by H.P. Mallory

Publication Date: October 2010
Publisher: Self Published
Format: E-book (NOOK)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN-13: 29400011812651
ISBN: 0011812656

(Received for review from the author)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Smash Words

PLEASE NOTE: Debbie's Book Bag will no longer offer purchase information, details or any other information from or pertaining to buying from Amazon! I will not post reviews on Amazon or continue to participate in their associates program. I cannot support a company that would actively promote the explotation and abuse of children for financial gain or any other reason. I will be posting on this topic later today.

Excerpt: Click HERE!

Synopsis (Author's Website):

A self-deprecating witch with the unique ability to reanimate the dead. A dangerously handsome warlock torn between being her boss and her would-be lover.

A six hundred year old English vampire with his own agenda; one that includes an appetite for witches. The underworld in a state of chaos. Let the games begin.

Life isn't bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn't have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.

Enter Rand Balfour, a sinfully attractive warlock who insists she's a witch and who just might turn her life upside down. Rand hires her to help him solve a mystery regarding the death of his client who also happens to be a ghost. Jolie not only uncovers the cause of the ghost's demise but, in the process, she brings him back to life!

Word of Jolie's incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wild fire, putting her at the top of the Underworld's most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous oh-so-sexy vampire and her warlock boss, Rand.

To Kill a Warlock (Dulcie O'Neil - Book 1) by H.P. Mallory

Publication Date: October 2010
Publisher: H.P. Mallory
Format: E-Book (NOOK)
Genre: Paranormal Romance
ISBN-13: 2940011812644
ISBN: 0011812648

(Received for review from the author)

Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Smash Words

Excerpt: Click HERE!

Synopsis (Author's Website):

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 can be a 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 on 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 is either deported back to the Netherworld, or 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.

Author's Website: www.urbanfantasynovels.com/index.php

Thoughts:

When I was asked by author, H.P. Mallory to review both of her books, Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble and To Kill a Warlock, I was excited because as many of you know I love a good paranormal book from time to time. Both books are very well done and self-published by the author. I love the covers and found them to be quick, well-paced reads. Mallory has an affinity for giving the reader paranormal characters that are not only fun to read, but well written.

In Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble we me Jolie Wilkins a witch with a very uncommon gift, the re-animation of the dead. When Jolie teams up with Rand to try to figure out a whodunit involving his ghostly client she soon uncovers more than she bargained for. With re-animated ghosts, vampires and a few witches and warlocks to boot, this book is full of great paranormal characters getting involved in some very hairy situations.

In To Kill a Warlock, Dulcie O'Neil is up to her neck in hot water. A powerful vampire is dead and she was the last one to see him alive. Being a Netherworld law enforcement agent this might not seem too weird until Dulcie is assigned another agent to work with her on the case. Dulcie has to fight her attraction to Knight in order to keep her attention focused on the case. It's either deportation, finding the killer, or becoming his next victim for Dulcie.

I enjoyed both books as I tend to like paranormal story lines. I did however feel bogged down with too much action in certain places. It seemed that so much was happening in a very short amount of time it was hard to keep everything in perspective. But, this only happened a couple of times and I was able to overlook it an really enjoy each story line. Both books are Book 1 in a series, so we are definitely going to see more of Jolie and Dulcie.

Jolie and Dulcie are both great characters and different in their own ways. To me Jolie seemed the more docile of the two. Dulcie being an agent seemed to have a harder edge, though both characters could easily kick some paranormal butt. The action and mystery to the plot of each book, added to the paranormal romance made for a great combination. The supporting characters, Rand and Knight were both hunky and brought some swagger to the books, along with the wayward demons and vampires along the way.

I recommend these books to paranormal enthusiasts and those looking for a good weekend read. I liked them both and look forward to seeing what else H.P. has up her sleeve in her next releases.

Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble and To Kill a Warlock are both available NOW from your favorite booksellers.

(I urge you to consider carefully where you buy your books in light of recent events!)

I'm giving both books 4 out 5 apples from my book bag!




H.P. Mallory is an urban fantasy and paranormal romance author who lives in California with her husband and 16 month old son, Finn. She describes her books as campy, sexy, scary and humorous and loves anything that goes bump in the night!