mad_about_books's review
5.0
As promised in my review of SHADOW SIGHT, I immediately dove into the holiday novella "Blood and Mistletoe." I am really impressed with the research E. J. Stevens has done into the lore of monsters and fae. One of the things you can do when you read on Kindle is look up any word or phrase with which you are unfamiliar. I will confess that, although I am an avid reader of genre fiction, and have been for more years than I care to count, some of the names of creatures have been entirely new to me. They are NOT new to dictionaries and Wikipedia. In addition, this piece provides a pronunciation key and a description of all the beings about which she writes. I really wish more writers in the realms of fantasy and science fiction would do the same.
In "Blood and Mistletoe," we learn more about our heroine and her closest associates in Harborsmouth. Once again, our psychic detective is on the case, and on the side of good and justice. I am loath to give details about Ivy Granger because that would be a major spoiler that you, the reader, need to uncover for yourself. Would it be telling to say that she is not exactly what she seems?
In "Blood and Mistletoe," we learn more about our heroine and her closest associates in Harborsmouth. Once again, our psychic detective is on the case, and on the side of good and justice. I am loath to give details about Ivy Granger because that would be a major spoiler that you, the reader, need to uncover for yourself. Would it be telling to say that she is not exactly what she seems?
chllybrd's review
4.0
The Demon attorney is back and with him he brings Ivy a new lead that puts her on the path of a very old and dangerous being who is killing faeries. BLOOD AND MISTLETOE gave us a nice peek at how things are going in Harborsmouth since SHADOW SIGHT ended. There was a good amount of action with a fast paced but detailed plot. Unfortunately we don't get much of Ivy with her new beau so I think we need an extra dose in book 2 when it releases, but there is a neat little scene at the end of the book that I'm sure you will enjoy that involves them.
Steven's has done a fantastic job with bringing her world to us. It is full of different creatures and she has a great way with details. I still have plenty of questions running through my head regarding Ivy and the series so I will definitely stay on track to read book 2, GHOST LIGHT.
Steven's has done a fantastic job with bringing her world to us. It is full of different creatures and she has a great way with details. I still have plenty of questions running through my head regarding Ivy and the series so I will definitely stay on track to read book 2, GHOST LIGHT.
audiobookmel's review
4.0
My review and an extended sample of the audiobook are posted at Hotlistens.com.
This is a cute short story that is set during Christmas, but isn’t really a Christmas story. Yes, it takes place during the holidays. Yes, there are gifts exchanged. That is pretty much where the holidays end.
Our demon lawyer friend (that sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it, it kinda is), Forneus returns with another case for Ivy and Jinx. Something is killing fae. The only thing that is in common, is that the victims are fae. Ivy needs to figure out who and why these deaths are happening. Ivy takes on the case as she doesn’t want people killing a bunch of fae in her town.
This is a short story, at a little over two hours, but it is a full story. We get to spend some time with some of my favorite characters in Kaye the witch, Marvin the teenage bridge troll and Hob the Brownie. There is even some appearances by Ceff, the Kelpie king and Ivy’s boyfriend. It was a great listen to fit in between some of my other listens. I do think you can go on to book two if you aren’t a fan of novellas, but this is a fun read that adds some depth to the secondary characters.
Narration
Blood and Mistletoe is the first book that I’ve listened to with different narrators the way this one was done. I have listened to different narrators that changed with chapters, but this one changed with sentences. That was a little jarring to me. The narrators were great, but everytime a male characters spoke, we went from a female to a male narrating. This was completely new to me and I don’t think it is something I would search out for. I did eventually get used to it, but I wouldn’t say that I’m a fan. I would be willing to listen to either narrator if they read the entire book. I would also mention that I like the narrator who does the full length books better for this series. This is a case of just not my style of narration.
I like to thanks E.J. Stevens for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
This is a cute short story that is set during Christmas, but isn’t really a Christmas story. Yes, it takes place during the holidays. Yes, there are gifts exchanged. That is pretty much where the holidays end.
Our demon lawyer friend (that sounds like an oxymoron doesn’t it, it kinda is), Forneus returns with another case for Ivy and Jinx. Something is killing fae. The only thing that is in common, is that the victims are fae. Ivy needs to figure out who and why these deaths are happening. Ivy takes on the case as she doesn’t want people killing a bunch of fae in her town.
This is a short story, at a little over two hours, but it is a full story. We get to spend some time with some of my favorite characters in Kaye the witch, Marvin the teenage bridge troll and Hob the Brownie. There is even some appearances by Ceff, the Kelpie king and Ivy’s boyfriend. It was a great listen to fit in between some of my other listens. I do think you can go on to book two if you aren’t a fan of novellas, but this is a fun read that adds some depth to the secondary characters.
Narration
Blood and Mistletoe is the first book that I’ve listened to with different narrators the way this one was done. I have listened to different narrators that changed with chapters, but this one changed with sentences. That was a little jarring to me. The narrators were great, but everytime a male characters spoke, we went from a female to a male narrating. This was completely new to me and I don’t think it is something I would search out for. I did eventually get used to it, but I wouldn’t say that I’m a fan. I would be willing to listen to either narrator if they read the entire book. I would also mention that I like the narrator who does the full length books better for this series. This is a case of just not my style of narration.
I like to thanks E.J. Stevens for providing me with a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
mardr216's review
4.0
This novella follows Shadow Sight in the Ivy Granger series. Ivy is a psychic private investigator and she's determined to keep her city safe by protecting both humans and the paranormal. With the holidays upon them Ivy is determined to unravel a new mystery. With some of the fey being killed she must hurry and find out what's happening and stop it before more fey are killed.
I found the story to be good with a good amount of action, mystery and suspense. Ivy is a great character that's brave and with her psychic abilities it gives her an edge, although it comes with a dangerous price. The magical aspect is creepy and twisted yet I found interesting and creative especially when dealing with the fey. I really enjoyed the novella and recommend it. The story is easy to read, fast pace and although short it keeps you captivated. Loved the ending and it's a great way to prepare for the next book. Will be looking forward to the next installment.
I found the story to be good with a good amount of action, mystery and suspense. Ivy is a great character that's brave and with her psychic abilities it gives her an edge, although it comes with a dangerous price. The magical aspect is creepy and twisted yet I found interesting and creative especially when dealing with the fey. I really enjoyed the novella and recommend it. The story is easy to read, fast pace and although short it keeps you captivated. Loved the ending and it's a great way to prepare for the next book. Will be looking forward to the next installment.
traditionson's review
3.0
A short and dark tale that was interesting with the elements of Yule. The twisted turns of the relationships within the tale made it a disturbing read at times. I enjoyed it but found it short if a little lacking at times. I would have loved to see less paranoid worrying that was already well set and more into the world of the fae which is being talked about. Even so am really looking forward to reading more.
bookbitereviews's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this prequel. It was a very nice addition to the Ivy Granger series. I loved how cohesive all of the characters personalities stayed and absolutely loved Ivy as always. I really do hope that something ends up forming between Jinx and Forneus, but who knows if Ivy will even let that happen. I think the story was extremely fitting especially for the season and I absolutely loved how grotesque it was. I cannot wait to see what book two has in store for us.
see_sadie_read's review
3.0
A cute little holiday short, continuation of the series. I liked Ivy's sarcasm and her friends. The narration was fine too. I don't know that I saw the need for both a male and female narrator though. There were so few male lines and no, single male character, that whenever Browne popped up I found it disruptive. He did a fine job with it (as did Mason), but personally I'd have preferred just one of them. But overall I was happy enough with the story and performance.
Note: I received this as a gift.
Note: I received this as a gift.
laffingkat's review
4.0
This is a winter holiday-themed novella in the Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective series by E.J. Stevens. This story falls between the first and second books, although it is written so that it could be enjoyed on its own.
This was a quick, fun read. I really enjoy the character interactions and humorous dialog in this series. The mystery is creepy and sometimes bloody, but the author does a nice job relieving tense scenes with moments of levity. In addition to the humor, I loved the gift exchanges in this story. Marvin’s gift to Ivy was thoughtful and kind and very useful. Ceff’s gift was also clever and sweet and very romantic.
There is some violence and gore, some sexual suggestiveness that never gets explicit, and some mild swearing, but it’s generally terms like “Mab’s bones” or “Oberon’s eyes,” which I found amusing.
I really appreciated the narration by Melanie A. Mason and David Wilson Brown. Their performances were well paced and easy to understand, and I enjoyed the character voices.
If you enjoy snarky urban fantasy, I recommend this book and the entire series, as well as any of Ms. Stevens’ other books in this setting. They all make great choices for listening.
I purchased this book on Kindle; I was later given a free copy of the audiobook by the author and volunteered to provide an honest review.
This was a quick, fun read. I really enjoy the character interactions and humorous dialog in this series. The mystery is creepy and sometimes bloody, but the author does a nice job relieving tense scenes with moments of levity. In addition to the humor, I loved the gift exchanges in this story. Marvin’s gift to Ivy was thoughtful and kind and very useful. Ceff’s gift was also clever and sweet and very romantic.
There is some violence and gore, some sexual suggestiveness that never gets explicit, and some mild swearing, but it’s generally terms like “Mab’s bones” or “Oberon’s eyes,” which I found amusing.
I really appreciated the narration by Melanie A. Mason and David Wilson Brown. Their performances were well paced and easy to understand, and I enjoyed the character voices.
If you enjoy snarky urban fantasy, I recommend this book and the entire series, as well as any of Ms. Stevens’ other books in this setting. They all make great choices for listening.
I purchased this book on Kindle; I was later given a free copy of the audiobook by the author and volunteered to provide an honest review.
kristen's review
3.0
Blood & Misteltoe is melting pot of paranormal creatures . I haven't read the first book in the series as I just picked this up for some holiday reading. EJ Steven's has created a world that is reminiscent of Dresden Files, Kate Daniels, & Jane True. Ivy herself is somewhat likeable and hopefully will become more independent as the series progresses. Throughout this novella she was picking up the phone looking for someone else to help save the day. The ending fell a little flat and was then wrapped up with an epilouge. I prefer to read a story and not a summary of events so this was a little disappointing. Was it worth the $1.99? Sure. Will I read is again? No. Will I try other Ivy Granger books - sure, but I'll tackle some other things on my shelf first.
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