The Fairy Godmother (Mercedes Lackey)

In the land of Five Hundred Kingdoms, if you can't carry out your legendary role, life is no fairy tale . . .
Elena Klovis was supposed to be her kingdom's Cinderella -- until an accident of fate left her with a completely inappropriate prince! Determined not to remain with her stepfamily, Elena set out to get a new job -- and ended up becoming the Fairy Godmother for the land.
But "Breaking with Tradition" was no easy matter. True, she didn't have to sleep in the chimney, but she had to deal with arrogant, stuffed-shirt princes who kept trying to rise above their place in the tale. In fact, one of them was so ornery that Elena could do nothing but change him into a donkey.
Still, her practical nature couldn't let him roam the country, so she brought the donkey -- er, the prince! -- home to her cottage to teach him some lessons. All the while keeping in mind that breaking with tradition can land everyone into a kettle of fish -- sometimes literally!
And so begins a whole new tale . . .

This was a fun read.

To Weave A Web Of Magic (Anthology)

These four extraordinary and renowned authors come together with stories of epic romance that live through the ages...of the beguiling and transforming power of beauty...of a woman awakening to the magic she possesses...of a world where human women pursue the love of angels...and of a medieval legend who comes thrillingly to life. Four stories to delight and enchant. Four rare talents destined to weave a web of magic that will leave you breathless...

Patricia McKillip's story of The Gorgon In The Cupboard was a bit too wierd for my tastes. I liked the idea that the artist finally realises that everything isnt always as it appears but could have done without the talking painting. Lynn Kurland's The Tale Of The Two Swords was very enjoyable. I think she should make this story into a full novel because I want to know more of what happens.

Sharon Shinn's Fallen Angel is definitely different from anything I've ever read. I'm not sure if I liked it or not. It is difficult to wrap my mind around this different world of angels living among us as just another race but I did like the characters.

An Elegy For Melusine, by Claire Delacroix, broke my heart. I hated the ending but liked the story up to then. I have heard a different version of this same story somewhere else.

Killing Moon (Rebecca York)

Private investigator Ross Marshall has a special talent for tracking--a talent that has helped him locate missing persons when the police's trail has gone cold. Now his current case has led him to a body buried in an isolated rural area--and a serial killer who is looking for a new victim. But while gathering evidence for the police, something goes very wrong...

The last thing genetic researcher Megan Sheridan expected was to discover her client shot and unconscious. Ross Marshall had requested her lab to run genetic tests on him, but instead of taking a blood sample, Megan found herself tending his wounds. Although frightened by the secrets she knows he is hiding, Megan is compelled to him by a force she cant explain--or resist. Ross tries to deny the ancient instincts clamoring for him to take Megan as his mate, for to do so would sentence her to a lifetime of sorrow. But now Ross has an even more urgent reason to stay aweay from Megan: The killer that he'd been hunting has turned the tables--and is now hunting him...

Took me a while to get into this one. It has a lot more crude language & images than I would have preferred but if you can get past that it has a good story.

Dagger-Star (Elizabeth Vaughan)

Elizabeth Vaughan delivers a tale of daggers and destiny with a cold and beautiful mercenary known as Red Gloves, and Josiah, a lone fighter emerging from the torched fields and razed farms of his homeland. All Josiah knows about the mysterious woman is her dagger-star birthmark, a sign that she is destined to free the people from a ruthless usurper's reign of terror.

Not a great read but I could read it more than once. I had a hard time clicking with the main character.

Shades of Gray (Pamela Carrington Reid)

Fighting her way through the chaos of her family's dysfunction, Samara Danes has immersed herself in a promising photography career. She sees no need to love or be loved. Then Adam Russell arrives in Samara's hometown on Australia's Gold Coast. Years ago, it was Adam who introduced her to the art of photography and opened her eyes to the wonder of the world. She in turn opened his heart to the truths of the gospel. Now can the older man's kindness, wisdom, and strength help save a family that teeters on the brink of dissolution? Are Samara's strong feelings for Adam more than just friendship and gratitude? With tender insight, gifted LDS author Pamela Carrington Reid explores the dynamics that stretch fragile relationships nearly to the breaking point. Shades of Gray is a richly crafted novel, genuinely moving and compelling-a tribute to the healing power of the gospel, where the lines of love are never blurred.

I thought this was a good young adult love story.

Upon the Mountain (Gale Sears)

World War I is raging in Europe. As America is drawn into the bitter conflict, Nephi Erickson comes to believe enlisting with the Marines is not only his duty, but also his best chance at making some much-needed money. He feels he has failed in his promise to care for his wife, Alaina, and their small daughter, Katie. As he leaves their tranquil Salt Lake City hillside home for a barren battlefield where disease can be as deadly as the enemy, Nephi has no idea that Alaina is carrying their second child-a child he may never see.
With her husband half a world away, Alaina derives some solace from the fact that her younger sister, Eleanor, lives nearby. Nineteen-year-old Eleanor-the only woman studying medicine at the University of Utah-is soon immersed in researching treatments for the influenza pandemic ravaging the world, a scourge that will soon touch her life all too closely. An unforgettable historical drama of innocence lost, of memorable characters struggling to hold on to truth and meaning in an age of turmoil, you'll be captivated by Gale Sears' poetic weaving of time, place, and powerful emotion.

I loved this story, but I had a hard time following it in the beginning. I feel that the author tried to cram too many different life stories into a too short of a book.

Tapestry Of Spells (Lynn Kurland)

Sarah of Doire, daughter of the village witchwoman, knows two things: Her brother has embraced the dark arts, vowing to destroy the Nine Kingdom; and she doesn't have the power to stop him. Now, even though she fears the quest will reveal the secret she's kept all her life and spell her doom, she must risk everything to thwart his plans--unless she can find aid from a man who knows too well the power of magic, whether used for good...or ill.

After seeing his entire family slain by his father's arrogant misuse of magic, Ruithneadh of Ceangail buried his own power and swore never to use it again. But when Sarah arrives at his door, desperate for his help, he finds himself thrust back into a life full of enchantments and peril. He knows the quest will be dangerous, but he has no idea the journey, the woman who accompanies him on it, and the truths he uncovers are capable of shattering his soul and unraveling the entire fabric of the Nine Kingdoms...

A Nine Kingdoms novel.

This was a good story. It took me a bit to truely get involved with these characters but then I was hooked and very disappointed that the book ended when it did...especially how it ended leading into the next book. I'll definitely be reading the next one when it comes out.