Ghost of a Chance (Karma Marx Book 1)

I really enjoyed this book far more than the rest of the Dragon series....... Which is not to say that I didn't like the rest of the series, but I LOVED this one.

I really enjoyed seeing the softer side of Baltic. The love that Baltic shares for Ysolde is a true love story that has left me wanting many more books about the Light Dragons.

I have always loved Katie MacAlister and this book is just one more reason why! Great story, romance, and laugh out loud funny. Jim is hysterical! If you've never read the other dragon books you will be confused, so you should start at the beginning with the Aisling Grey series. I can't wait to read the next book!

I loved the book - really enjoy the characters and how they are developing but please please please write faster - it's hard to wait so many months between installments to find out what is going on in this world.
Kellie Verrelli

I read “Ghost of a Chance” when it was published in February 2008 under the name Kate Marsh aka Katie MacAlister. I didn’t like it - now it see it’s back under Katie MacAlister’s name.

What I don’t understand is why most of the reviews for “Ghost of a Chance” are actually reviews for “Love in the Time of Dragons” which has nothing to do with “Ghost of a Chance”.

As I recall “Ghost of a Chance” received very few reviews or votes. Looking at this page I see 78 reviews, most of which belong to “Love in the Time of Dragons” and not “Ghost of a Chance”.

Technical glitch – the store please fix. Thank you.

MacAlister's Dragon books get better with each one, and "Love in the time of Dragons" is BY FAR the best. I laughed so hard, I cried. The romance scenes, while not as plentiful as in the Aisling/Drake or May/Gabriel books, are super steamy. Tully/Ysolde is a great heroine (much less whiny than Aisling was in her books), and Baltic is INCREDIBLY hot. The best part is that Katie Mac finally starts filling in some of the holes that she's been laying since the begining (while leaving lots of new ones, of course). If you haven't read any of the dragon books, you definitely want to start from the Aisling Grey, Guardian novels to really understand this one. Once you get here, you'll be VERY glad you did.

I love the Aisling Gray series from Katie. This is officially a novel of the Silver Dragons, but Aisling, Drake, and Jim the demon all make appearances.

The new characters of May and Cyrene are likeable. Gabriel, one of my favorites of the Aisling series, really gets to shine in this book.

The book focuses on Gabriel and May, but also forwards the story of the black dragons and Drake's brother, Koysta.

Overall, a very solid entry into the dragon world from Katie MacAlister.

Karma Marx is a transmortis anomaly exterminator (or ghost eliminator) and married to Spider, a serial cheater and absolute cad. She works for the League of the Otherworld because she has a "wergeld" to work off. The wergeld (debt) happened when she was 6 and unable to control her power. She also has to take in a 15 yr. old foster polter, Pixie, while doing a favor for her husband so he will grant her a divorce.

Adam, who's house was taken from under him by Spider, is also a polter who is involved because it is his wards that Karma must remove as a favor to Spider. Most of the story takes place after Spider, his business partner Meredith and wife Savannah, Adam, his wards, Karma, Pixie and her father are all trapped in Adam's house after he "seals" it. No one can leave. Shortly thereafter, Spider is murdered and Adam and Karma must figure out "who dunnit" before the seal breaks in less than twelve hours.

The premise is very old school mystery (Hercule Poirot) however, I couldn't get around Pixie's sulking and changing her name every other paragraph while exclaiming "Deus" in every sentence. We see familiar themes with the Akashic League, the Otherworld, and Abaddon.

If this becomes a series, I would probably give the next shot a try, but I would be wary.

I love paranormal romance, but this is really awful writing. The relationship between the heroine and her love interest is forced and superficial. It moved too quickly to be either believable or enjoyable. There is no such thing as sexual tension in this book, which is what makes romance novels good.

I like how Katie macAlister writes. However, I forgot that she doesn't end her books but continues the stories of the same characters in another book and then another book and I hate that. Her first group of books 4 in all (I think) were all about Aisling and Drake falling in love, fighting, breaking up and getting back together, over and over. I prefer to have a good story and an even better ending. Unfortunately you won't get that here since this is the same as before, great story but you don't know how it ends since it doesn't and continues in another book and then possibly another and another and ... . . . . ..

This was a really fun take on poltergeist lore. I really liked Karma and her quirks and twitches. I really liked how distinct all the other characters were, too. A lot of times when you have a mystery, only the protagonist has any real depth, but that wasn't the case with this one. They all had their own problems and personalities and weren't just window dressing as you guessed the killer in chapter 6 and are now just waiting for confirmation that you were right. Each character really has its purpose. And you probably didn't guess the killer in chapter 6. Or if you did, then you also already had talked your way out of thinking that was the case by the end.
One thing that I really liked, and I can't really explain why, was the idea of the poltergeist stones being caused by excitement. That was a neat idea! There's a lot of fun details like that in Katie MacAlister's lore. I like to see what she comes up with like that. It's just fun!
I tried not to guess the "bad guy" on this one because I always try to solve the mystery first, and I just wanted to enjoy the story this time. I love this author, so I was ready for a no-brainer. Unfortunately, or really rather fortunately, that didn't end up happening. I was sucked in immediately, and was right there with Karma trying to figure things out. I loved every minute of the ride, too! I had my suspicions for each character, and I kept reading for confirmation or for something to disprove my theory. It was great!
Without giving the plot away, if you're looking for a quick summation of how this story will read (because I realize the above is really jumbled. I am just still kind of worked up, you know?), Think of the fun of the movie "Clue" but a bit darker (but not as dark as most paranormal books go, which was a nice change), throw in some more humor of the "wait, did that just happen?" variety, add a dash of "I wasn't expecting that" and a tiiny pinch of "well, of course, it was" into a pot, add a plot twist right before putting the lid on to simmer, and you'll have it. But think better than my description. I can't give better than that without giving too much away.
In all, this was a great escapism read. I really hope to find more Karma Marx in the future! Please let this one come back in a set of her own!

Love in the Time of Dragons

By: Katie MacAlister
5 stars
Reviewed by:Angels
Format:Kindle/Paperback//Audio/

Published: Signet
Source:Purchased Gene: Paranormal Romance

Blurb

Tully Sullivan is just like any other suburban mom—unless you count the days every year that she zones out and turns base metals in to gold. Those are weird.

And now she’s woken up in a strange place surrounded by strange people who keep insisting they’re dragons—and that she’s one too. But not just any dragon. She’s Ysolde de Bouchier, a famed figure from dragon history.

Tully can’t shape-shift or breathe fire, and she’s definitely not happy being sentenced to death for the misdeeds of a dragon mate she can’t remember. All Tully knows is that she wants her son back. So she’ll have to find a way to solve the crimes of a past she has no memory of living…

Our Review

I have to say this is one of the funniest books I ever read.Tully Sullivan is living with a family and is going to apprentice school to learning how to become a powerful mage. One day out of no-where a handsome devil shows up at her parents house and the next thing she knows she waking up a week later in a strange place people telling her she is Ysolde and that she is a silver Dragon and her warrior husband is Baltic one of the most powerful Dragons of all time. She thinks she landed in a funny farm . She is not a Dragon she keeps telling them she is married to a man named Garth and has a son Brom and she is an apprentice to a mage.But, Tully learns later on that the family who she thought was hers was indeed protecting her for her real mother who gave birth to her.

Baltic and her hook up but, she has no recollection of him.The sparks fly though from there very first kiss . Slowly things start coming back little by little she is having recollections in her dreams she is dreaming about her one true love Baltic.But she is married and has a family.Now she has two husbands and one very pissed off warrior/dragon once he learns of this. But, to Baltic he is nothing but, and usurper!

These two had a love that crossed time and found one another again. Something to be grateful for. Baltic is being accused of wiping out eighty something blue dragons and Yosolde is being held responsible for her mates transgressions.Things are not what the seem and the need to unravel this mystery together. Tully /Yosolde needs to learn who she is where she came from before all is lost again which has just been found.

This was a light heart-felt romance. I found the character's to be engaging and tons of fun. Ysolde sense of humor was contagious.I practically laughed throughout this whole book.Baltic was engaging med evil warrior with archaic beliefs with a wife who is living in the modern times. As you can imagine they butt heads quite a lot and the scenes on the pages doing so are just hilarious!This is part of a series and I am looking forward to the next book in the series coming out in May.It was a fun journey that Tully took us on learning how to be a dragon as she knows nothing of being one all the while never giving up her current thought that she is just good old Tully the mage's apprentice and not a very good one.....

Exploring another corner of the world of sexy dragons, guardians, demons and such from her Aisling Grey series, Katie MacAlister brings a new pair to the spotlight. Playing with Fire is the first in a new series starring the yummy silver Wyvern Gabriel as he joyfully discovers his mate, the woman who can share his dragon-fire in doppelganger and demon-bound thief May. Gabriel and May are not Drake and Aisling, so even though we pick up pretty much at the end of Holy Smokes (Aisling Grey, Guardian, Book 4) -- and the background plot continues the confrontation between the Gabriel's Silver dragons and Drake's brother's Black dragons -- this series has a different enough feel that it is not a rehash.

May is something we haven't seen in yet in MacAlister's otherworld. May was created by a demon lord from her naiad "twin" Cyrene's shadow in exchange for her sister's "common sense", as a doppelganger this gives May the ability to shadow-walk to become almost invisible in the shadows which is quite useful her "career" - May is bound to the former silent film-star demon lord who created her, and forced to obey his commands to steal for him. May meets Gabriel when she stumbles onto Drake's estate while attempting to return a stolen item that had put a price on her head. Quite by accident Gabriel discovers that May is a wyvern's mate and seeks to claim her. The ever sensible May tries to refuse Gabriel, knowing the danger the demon poses - May has spent her life avoiding relationships knowing that should she take a lover the demon lord who wants May's body would likely order May to kill her lover. But Gabriel assures May that dragons are not so easy to get rid of and of course Gabriel is totally irresistible, so May lets Gabriel claim her in a fiery joining that literally burns up the sheets. But all is not smooth sailing for May and Gabriel, May will have to outsmart the demon lord or risk an eternity in Abbandon to avoid betraying Gabriel when her demon-lord commands a theft of a powerful artifact that will put all the dragons under the demon lord's control.

Gabriel is not as reserved as Drake or as controlling, so I enjoyed his relationship with May more than Drake's with Aisling. I liked that Gabriel was more willing to defy dragon etiquette and express his delight in his new mate and that he was unable to act with restraint in their romantic encounters. Also Gabriel's willingness to support May as she has to handle some dangerous situations in the book, trusting in the competence of his mate, and his willingness to place May's need to save her kidnapped sister over his need to acquire an object important to his Sept makes Gabriel a much more appealing love interest than Drake.

Much of the cast that we've grown to love from the previous books Drake, Aisling, and Jim are back in supporting roles. Since May isn't MacAlister's normal angsty impetuous heroine, Cyrene along with the ever irreverent Jim, the demon in dog form, serve to bring some of MacAlister's trademark zaniness to the story. Playing with Fire was a fun read setting up for more of Gabriel and May as they have some obstacles ahead of them as the story continues with Up In Smoke: A Novel of the Silver Dragons before they get their happily ever after.

In the first installment of the silver dragon series, I was happy to see Gabriel, the silver wyvern from the green dragon series. He was a very memorable character in that first series. Gabriel oozes sex appeal, which and seeps off the pages. The descriptions of him bring him perfectly into the mind's eye. I liked the in depth look into the silver dragons, and luckily we get some explanations of Gabriel’s actions from the previous series. I was as enchanted with him in this book as I was in the others.

May is a fabulous character. Her uniqueness will captivate the reader, and leave them wanting more. The idea of the a shadow world of the regular world, and the fact that May can traverse between the two is very interesting. The interaction with her twin is laughable;, May makes a wonderful "keeper" for Cyrene.

I was of course thrilled to see the my favorite demon in a Newfoundland suit, Jim, back and as funny as ever. I would read any book he was part of. Ms. MacAlister has done a nice job on her second series.

I've always had a thing for dragons, from fearsome Smaug in J.R.R. Tolkien's THE HOBBIT to the flying serpents of Anne McCaffrey's Pern novels, from the Inheritance Trilogy (ERAGON, et al.) by teenage phenom Christopher Paolini to Robin McKinley's resonant DRAGONHAVEN. Not to mention HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (although I haven't read the books, the movie version's lead dragon is infinitely endearing).

But I'm talking dragons born out of huge eggs, dragons with scales and tails, wings, horns, and teeth. Big. Fierce. Fire-breathing. In Katie MacAlister's world, though, dragons only intermittently (usually when fighting) display these characteristics. They look human, they act (more or less) human, and in the case of Baltic --- the wyvern, or leader, of one sept, or tribe, of dragons --- they are endowed with absolutely magnetic sex appeal.

The heroine, and Baltic's soul mate, is named Tully --- or is it Ysolde? She is the married modern mother of nine-year-old Brom --- or is she actually a dragon princess many hundreds of years old who has died and been reborn at least once? Well, she is both these things. Tully (I'll call her that for convenience) has been plagued by what she calls fugue states or dreams, but these, it soon transpires, are really memories of an earlier life in which she and Baltic were mated. Long story short, when Tully's past smashes up against her present-day existence, she has an identity crisis, Baltic returns from the dead (yeah, him, too), and genre-bending high jinks ensue.

The alternate universe in which LOVE IN THE TIME OF DRAGONS takes place will already be familiar to loyal MacAlister fans, for it has been constructed systematically over a number of books dealing with various hues of dragons (each sept is a different color and nationality). To novices like me, it took a little getting used to (a glance at the author's website, [...], will help to orient you), but it's clear from the start that two things make this author's fantasy creations more pleasurable and inventive than most: her sense of humor and her spirit of sexy (very sexy) fun.

Fantasy can get wearisome if it is unremittingly grave. Although I adore serious sagas like The Lord of the Rings, even Tolkien gave us comic relief (mulish dwarves, feckless hobbits), and it's nice to encounter a book that sets out to be amusing. MacAlister likes to tweak the staples of sitcom drama with weird magic: Brom is a normal kid, except his hobby is mummification; when Tully becomes Baltic's mate, Brom gets a dragon stepfather, a paranormal variation on the blended family; Jim, a Newfoundland dog with a wisecracking verbal style, is actually a demon; Tully is distressed when it turns out she is 300 years old and Baltic (since his rebirth) only 39. And my personal favorite: Tully insists on catering the dragons' sárkány, or formal conference, and threats and negotiations are spliced with random comments about the array of trendy goodies --- tapenade, arancini, cherry mini-scones, lemon sorbet --- on the table. It's as if Gandalf showed up on "Top Chef."

The cover art --- a muscular male torso emblazoned with a dragon tattoo --- is a clue that this book is x-rated. If the Twilight series is like an extended necking session, Baltic and Tully's love scenes make the case for unbridled lust. It's surprising just how prim a lot of fantasy and sci-fi is. In Star Wars I loved Carrie Fisher's earphone hair and Harrison Ford's slightly oafish derring-do, but their relationship wasn't exactly steamy. The chaste, spiritual romance in Tolkien and Harry Potter's teenage flirting aren't adult material, either. Here, the sex is, well, fiery. In fact, given the dragon participants, sometimes real flames are involved. Talk about burning love....

Clearly, LOVE IN THE TIME OF DRAGONS will have sequels. It is the first in a series devoted to the light dragons (meaning they encompass all colors), a new sept founded by Baltic and Tully, and, as always, the different factions are at war. Will Tully find a way to give peace a chance? With Baltic as a role model, will Brom grow up boy or dragon? Will Baltic and Tully find even more interesting positions in which to make love? Stay tuned.

Take one woman who exorcises haunted houses, a cheating husband , poltergeist and more and put them all together in a house and the chaos begins. There is a great compilation of characters in this story. I enjoyed meeting Karma she is a strong person and is ready to live her own life. Her story is an adventure full of great characters and fun. Adam the poltergeist and the young girl ; Pixie add a nice dimension to this story. This is a fast paced and engaging read that gives you a unique look at the paranormal world. The mystery and the characters in this book will keep you entertained all the way to the end and have you wanting to come back for more.

I enjoyed this book a lot. The dialog especially is snarky and flowed well. I laughed out loud more than once. While this is said to be the 1st book of the series I feel like I was dropped into the middle of things and things happened before the start that if I had known would have made it all make a bit more sense. Even with that it was a great time and I am looking forward to reading much more by this author.

First Chapter Impression?
First off, this book sounds interesting. Twins, and one is a naiad. I had to look this up: its basically an elemental being, a water nymph according to one dictionary I looked at. This is described later, but I just didn't know in the beginning. In this case, her name is Cyrene. The other twin, May, is a cat burglar - and not a naiad. She seems very street smart. Cyrene - not so much. Cyrene seems like a bubbly valley girl. Interesting to see they are immortal.

More thoughts? At first, Magoth seems kind of sexy. I wonder if he is actually an evil demonlord, or just downright misunderstood?

Moving on...

Gabriel, he is the wyvern (another term I had to look up - two legged dragon with wings) of the Silver Dragons Sept. He is described as having a goatee and dreadlocks, and very sexy with a silky voice. However, I can't help but picture him as Bruno Campos for some reason. I think this is cause of the vampire in Twilight with the dreads. I don't know, its my own wierd association. But the author's description is wonderful, you instantly get the impression that he looks like the human version of a dragon.

Ok, so that's all in the beginning of the book, my first impressions. Wrongo!!!!!! Some stuff I was dead on with, like Cyrene being kind of bubbly and not so much street smart. As it turns out, May is a doppelganger created from the image of Cyrene. Cyrene gave up a personality trait to create her - common sense. This is clearly evident right off the bat!

As I've stated time and again, I don't like to give up spoilers. Even if you try not to read them, inevitably you do. Some people like the surprise.

May gets herself into a bit of trouble, and while trying to get out of it, she and her twin meet a group of dragons (enter Aisling Grey). I haven't read the Aisling Grey series (YET!!!) so this was my first introduction to Katie MacAlister's dragons, guardians, demons and mages...

I had just finished reading book #1 of the Dark Ones series from the same author, and I thought this may follow the same formula. This is definitely not the case! This book makes me say "Screw vampires, I want a dragon!!!" And this is coming from a girl who has spent nearly $500 in the past to put together the perfect vampire costume. My only wish is that I had realized that it would be tied in with Aisling Grey, and I could have read that series first. Minor thing to deal with.

Later on, after its discovered that May is in fact supposed to be Gabriel's mate, and he explains the importance of mating after May tells him she is bound to the demonlord, Magoth... well ladies, he is an alpha among alphas. An absolutely wonderful quote to show his immediate devotion, "His eyes promised so much. 'I will move the heavens and earth if you so desire.'" How freaking wonderful is that?!?! It's pretty wonderful! And then when this doppelganger and this Silver Dragon commence with the nakedness.... let's just say they are definitely going to need to invest in fire extinguishers! The lovin' scenes were very hot without being overly graphic. If you are after a novel that overuses all the sexual words, this isn't it. But you definitely feel like you are right there in the moment. But more important than the sex, you really feel Gabriel's devotion, and you are just waiting for them to profess their undieing forever and ever love for each other.

Then we come to the trouble in the book, the issue we have to overcome for our heroes to be together. I really don't know what to say without giving away too much... Watch who you trust, trust those you don't know if you can, keep an eye on your group at all times, and believe in....everything :)

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. I read through it like it was on fire, no pun intended! And I am so glad it is not 2008 (when it was published) so I don't have to wait for #2. I just have to find it! There is a cliffhanger, as with all books in a series and as soon as I publish this review I am going to look up where I can get #2, Up In Smoke

Katie MacAlister is known for her Aisling Grey, Guardian, series which is an enjoyable, if at times rather over-the-top, group of books. 'Playing With Fire' is the start of a new series, the Silver Dragons, although most of the characters are familiar from the other series. This means that readers who are new to this author might find themselves rather lost because of the large cast of characters, many of whom are barely introduced, and the continual references to events that have happened in the Aisling Grey books.

Initially this book started out with our heroine, May Northcott, in the middle of an attempt to steal an artefact. She is a thief who has to work at the bidding of her master, the demon Magoth. May has some rather unusual characteristics as she's a doppelganger, created from her sister Cyrene but with the ability to almost disappear, to 'shadow walk'. Doppelgangers are very rare so few know much about them and their abilities, thus May's success as a thief. However at the beginning of this book when May steals the requested artefact she also takes something else, something very valuable, which starts a whole host of problems. May very quickly has a price on her head and decides to return the extra item. In doing so she runs into a whole bunch of strange people including the dragon Drake, Aisling Grey, the demon dog Jim and another dragon, Gabriel Tauhou, leader of the Silver Dragons.

When Gabriel discovers that May is his mate he doesn't realise what her being bound to the demon Magoth means. As they try to work out who has stolen an artifact, as they have to rescue various members of their group who are kidnapped and as old Dragon politics seem to be coming back to haunt them, Gabriel and May have to see what they can build together, despite May's fears about Magoth. Gabriel might also have to choose what is more important to him - May or his band of dragons.

This was one of those stories where it's never clear where the plot is going but the ride is enjoyable. The variety of characters adds to this book, although as previously mentioned they could also be a problem for new readers. May is an interesting heroine with some un-heroic moments, a ridiculous sister and a sinister and yet also slightly laughable demon master. However a big disappointment to this reader was that the book didn't end with any great resolution - many of the plot threads weren't wrapped up and there was a major element of the main story that was not completed. It's clearly a precursor to the next book but this reader would have appreciated more of a close to this particular novel.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

Playing with Fire
Reviewed by Fran (Under the Covers Book Blog)

If you like your paranormal romance with a good dose of intrigue but a heap of a lot of fun, then you HAVE to read the dragon books by Katie MacAlister. I do want to point something out. This is book one of the Silver Dragons, however the first series you should read is Aisling Grey, then you can move on to the Silver Dragons. This will help you best enjoy the plot.

Now that being said I will spend a little bit of time on the main couple here. The Wyvern of the silver dragons, Gabriel, is a model looking, sexy and smooth as hell, dreadlocks wearing hunk of a man. He is also a healer. We first met him in the Aisling Grey series where he might've done something to not endear him to some of us. However it's now his turn to find a mate.

Of course, these wyverns can't find normal mates. There always have to be something special about them. May is a doppleganger, but she is also in the service of a Demon Lord as a, well, thief. Because she has the ability to shadow walk he assigns her the task of stealing for him an ancient dragon relic.

Gabriel and May make an amazing couple and I like them better than Drake and Aisling. They're so hot together they will burn down the house! Ummmm I meant that literally. Dragon fire can be quite dangerous, so proceed with caution. ;)

Silver dragons, black dragons, green dragons, demon lords, everyone seems to be after this artifact. While May is trying to follow her orders, and deal with her new mate, she might have to avoid capture by the supernatural authorities. And then we come to my favorite part of this book.

Let me introduce you to this little guy right here. His name is Jim! He's not really a dog, even though that's the form he prefers, he's a demon. He's bound to Aisling but he's oh so very present in this book as well. For this I am most grateful. This series wouldn't be the same without him!! This is the guy that will have you cracking up with his one-liners. You will love him!

Be warned there's a bit of a cliffhanger at the end of this book, no HEA. Their HEA, as it was with Aisling, is over the course of their series. There are only 3 books in the silver dragons, so I won't have to wait much. ;)

Some of Jim's quotes:

"What's the silver dragon element? Earth?" Jim's face screwed up as it thought.
"Ohh man, that means he's going to want to do it outdoors all the time. Buck naked in the wilderness!! My advice is to take sunscreen and bug spray and maybe a spatula or something, to dig the sand out of your butt crack in case he takes you to the beach."
"Jim!!! I'm so sorry, it knows better than to offer unwanted sexual advice."

"You don't often get to see a wyvern claiming a mate. It's better than Skinemax. Is there going to be an encore? If there is, can you hold off until I make some popcorn?"

I have mixed feelings about this one. Overall the story was good, the banter between the characters was humorous, and I was kept interested in how it would all be resolved. But the writer must have ADD, because the story was all over the place and I am not just talking about how she kept switching between time periods (often without any warning she was doing so). There were issues introduced but not resolved and then never mentioned again, things in the past were alluded to but not explained, and there was not a good background given on many of the secondary characters even though they were part of the story throughout the book. The story was not resolved in the end as it is the first in a series (and I usually love series') but I felt this first book was only a teaser to get you to read the next ones. Even in a series I prefer the stories to be a bit more self-contained.

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Tully Sullivan is surrounded by crazy people. She wakes up after a 5 week slumber with people telling her she is a dragon. Are they crazy or what. She is a middle aged wife and mother who is a mage apprentice. She would know if she is some legendary dragon. Wouldn't she?

Baltic is the dreaded and feared Wyvern of the black dragons. At least he used to be until he died. Now he is just dreaded and feared simply because he is dead. That and the fact that he seems to pop up and disappear as no other dragon can do and he leaves a trail of bodies behind him. Is he really alive or is he just the ghost of the once great and powerful wyvern.

LOVE IN THE TIME OF DRAGONS is the first book in the light dragons series. Although this is a new series it, like all the other dragon series, tie together so it is best to read the books from the first green dragon book, YOU SLAY ME. The hero in this book is anything but a hero. He is the ex-wyvern of the black dragons. He slayed hundreds of dragons in the wars, and is even currently responsible for dozens of deaths in present day. He had no equal and nothing could take him down. That is until the death of his beloved mate Ysolde. It was her death that caused him to get a moment of weakness and ultimately he paid in his life. That was hundreds of years ago, so how is it that he is alive and kicking now?

Tully Sullivan, mage apprentice, has mysterious dreams. In these dreams there is one who is so dark and mysterious he feels so real. But she is not scared of him. She has moments in time where she passes out, often for weeks at a time. But her memory seems to falter. Could these dreams be memories coming back to the surface? Who is this mysterious man and why does she have a connection to him when other people seem to even curse his name?

This is the book I have been waiting for! Katie MacAlister has outdone herself. Each of her books seem to be better than the rest but this one is by far my favorite. Of course when the next one in the series comes out I will probably think that one is the best too.

Baltic is a hero unlike any of our other heroes. Drake is a grumpy dragon set in his ways, Gabriel is a loving and kind dragon, and Baltic is a bad boy. He never tries to make excuses for his actions and he never apologizes for them. He has a lot to atone for and he is willing to. He steps up and takes on the role of father quite well. In fact that is a part that I did not really like. He went from complaining about Tully's son to the next page making him call him dad. I just expected a little more resistance.

Tully, or Ysolde, is completely opposite of Baltic. She is just a big mess. I am still not sure why she passes out for weeks at a time, but I am hoping that the other books will explain that. She also went from thinking everyone was crazy, to thinking she was crazy, to all of a sudden accepting it all. She is a big mystery but I am sure each of the books in this series will help to reveal a little more about her. Brom is a character that I think has more to him than meets the eye. I am expecting a big surprise by the end of the series.

Overall this book was great. There is very little I think I would change. I am so happy that Mrs. MacAlister keeps all of her past characters involved in her current books. I am thinking that each dragon set will end up having a series. The Blue dragons will be interesting, and the red dragons are completely mysterious but the black dragons are a group that I am dying to read about. Kostya is a character that seems has yet to be fully developed. He is an active part of these books, after all he was Baltic's second in command and best friend, and I hope his character keeps revealing more of himself. One thing Katie MacAlister does is keep you wanting more.

Katie MacAlister is the author of several paranormal, historical and contemporary series. She even has a young adult series that she writes under the name Katie Maxwell. To find out more about her and her amazing books please visit her website at [...]

Jennifer
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
April 2010

Tully Sullivan had her annual fugue too early this year. She is fortunate that kind Londoners looked after her while she slept away a month. Still somewhat rattled, she misses her beloved son Brom, but not her husband Gareth.

Tully understands magic exists as she is an apprentice mage. However, even she is taken aback when she awakens from a fugue state surrounded by angry dragons; as everyone knows these beasts are mythical. However, her denial ends quickly when she learns they believe she is Ysolde de Boucher, the mate of the deadly black dragon Baltic. As his dragon spouse, she will be executed for his crimes against dragonkind and mankind. Tully has no time for execution as her son awaits her back in her realm. She figures step one is escape; step two is to beat the fiery snot out of her dragon mate wyvern the terrible Baltic; and the final step return to Brom. Instead she finds herself investigating crimes and Love in the Time of the Dragons.

This first Light Dragons fantasy is an amusing lighthearted frolic held together by a female who has no memory of ever being a dragon in her past lives. Tully the terrific makes the tale fresh and exciting, as she follows her steps only to run into one fiasco after another especially once she meets Baltic the bad. Fans of Kate MacAlister's Silver Dragons will not see chocolate in the same way while appreciating the escapades of heroic Tully as she wanders the Dragon landscape she believes she has only seen in her dreams.

Harriet Klausner

Originally posted at: [...].

This is a twisted tale of a woman who thinks she knows who she is and ends up finding out that the facts of her life are a lie and her true love is a monster.

Tully is a wonderfully crafted character. She's warm, funny, and loyal, and has a knack for being the goose that lays the golden egg. Someone wants her to remain ignorant. Others demand she remember things that truly must come from a horror story and all Tully wants to do is get back to being an ordinary mom. Instead her mettle is tested when she slowly comes to terms with the truth of her life and has to battle mistrust, hate, diabolical machinations against her and the realization that she really does have a true love. Through it all she's a loving mom but even that relationship is a surprise for a reader. And I have to say, when she meets Baltic, things totally get interesting.

I'm not sure what Baltic is. He's both good and bad and a whole lot of puzzle. He certainly loves Tully - that I never doubted. But dragon politics being what they are, the man is stubborn, arrogant, wily and totally hot. There's this scene where Tully tells him about one of her sexual fantasies that had me snickering. In fact, it's brought up again in a few well-timed places that kept me giggling and grinning from Baltic's reaction. Honest, that had to be one of the funniest moments in the entire book and Ms. MacAlister knows how to effectively milk a joke for all it's worth and I enjoyed every moment.

There are plot twists and turns that kept me riveted. New characters that fascinated and old ones that allowed for a feeling of continuity and community for readers and fans of Ms. MacAlister's dragon books.

This book stands alone just fine and enjoyment does not require having read any previous books, but it sure wouldn't hurt.

The big revelation creates more questions than answers for me and ends up being a perfect hook for the next book. There is no way I'm going to miss it because I've got major curiosity invested after this story. The happily ever after is bittersweet because their future isn't going to be all flowers and wind chimes. There's a wild storm coming and I can't even imagine how Ms. MacAlister is going to have these two lovers weather it, but I've got my ticket for the ride and I can't wait. Awesome story and a definite recommend from me.

I happened to read this book first in MacAlister's dragon series and fell in love. I have never laughed has much as much with any other books as I have with these dragon books. From Ysolde remark about Baltic's man parts looking angry to Baltic's masterful driving in you will have a great laugh. However, if you read this book I recomend you read it at home or a place where nobody will notice you. You would be surprised the looks you get from the people around (ask the people at Target). I still get those weird looks. Well anyways I highly recommend however, start with «You Slay Me» first that way you get to know the characters and their histories better. I promise you this the books just keep getting better and better. Oh, and Katie MacAlister, if you are reading this keep up the good work I found this book at Target while I was at lunch. Your book is what I like to call a happy accident. I ended up finding a favorite new author in doing so. Thank you.

May is a Shadow Walker and a notorious thief. Created to be the clone of a na-aid, Cyrene, she often seems more vibrant than her "twin." Perhaps this is why fate has dealt her this hand, to be the mate of the wyvern of the Silver sept of Dragon, Gabriel. She never planned to fall in love with anyone, she doesn't like romance and all that stuff. Besides that, she has to avoid a demon lord, a blackmailer, and the law of the Otherworld. But, she can handle dragon fire and Gabriel is certainly agreeable, even though May tried to steal from him. The fate of the world and the hearts of two lovers are once again bound in this latest adventure in Ms. Macalister's exciting realm.

***** Elevated to primary player status, Gabriel is truly the star he was always meant to be. Fans of the Aisling Grey books will be thrilled to finally see him get his due, and have no fears, Aisling, Drake, and Jim are significant co-stars in this. I did miss our favorite cabbie, but am sure we have not seen the last of him. If you love your daring deeds liberally sprinkled with good humor, then this is a perfect read. *****

Amanda Killgore for Huntress Reviews.

Tully Sullivan is Dr. Kostich's apprentice, a mage-in-training who got dragged into the Dragon's conflict at the end of Me and My Shadow. Except, she's not a mage. Five weeks after she first arrives at Drake and Aisling's house, she wakes up as a guest in Gabriel's London house. She has no idea what has happened, and does not understand why everyone seems to be insisting that she is Ysolde de Bouchier, Baltic's mate.

But Ysolde doesn't remember this-- in fact, she doesn't remember much at all, so it's very hard for her to accept any of this. And once Baltic figures out that she's back, things will never be the same for her again.

The drama which has been building, all the intrigue which has left us wondering as we've read the last seven books has hit a crescendo with this book. Questions are (at least in part) answered, while yet more arise. By the end of the book (which is somehow shocking and expected simultaneously) you're questioning nearly everything which the characters have taken for granted thus far.

The wait for the next book is going to be killer.

Originally posted on [...]

Sometimes, in order to enjoy a book, it's necessary to suspend disbelief. For Ghost of a Chance, I'd recommend tying disbelief to a construction crane, and hauling it up about 13 stories, where it can dangle overhead while you enjoy this completely delightful mystery.

Karma Marx cleans houses for a living. Only there's not a mop or a spray bottle of vinegar to be seen. Her work is a little more specialized. She rids houses of otherworld spirits. According to the instructions given to her as a transmortis anomaly exterminator, she's supposed to banish intruders to the Akashic Plain, where they will suffer perpetual torment. But Karma, being a kind soul, has only been able to bring herself to impose the banishment once or twice, to really nasty beings who had it coming.

She sneaks the other miscreants home with her. She has an obsessive-compulsive Russian domovoi (a house spirit). She keeps an agoraphobic Roman goddess of door hinges and thresholds in the pantry, a vegetable spirit in the lettuce keeper, a bunch of imps who should be in the silver drawer but aren't--and a husband who will hit the roof if he finds any of these unwanted house guests.

Said sleazy husband makes Karma an offer: rid a house he's just bought of its current infestations (it's reputed to be the most haunted house in the Olympic Peninsula) and he won't contest the divorce that Karma so desperately wants. Simple enough, except . . .

The two-hour job turns into a lock-down. A malevolent (or is he?) poltergeist named Adam Dirgesinger, seals Karma, a sulky Goth teen-ager, and assorted spirits and humans, in the house. They're all going to be there for twelve hours--except the ones who turn up dead, of course.

Ghost of a Chance is part locked-house mystery, part romance, and part screamingly funny look at a world where Karma's lettuce bin talks back to her. By the end of the book, you'll be willing to believe that Karma's world is the real one and ours is ho-hum by comparison. But take heed: this book is like popcorn. You won't be able to stop with just one Kate Marsh/Katie MacAlister/Katie Maxwell.

by Sharon Wildwind
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

This latest book by Katie MacAlister, will take you on a trip to the paranormal world of ghosts, poltergeists, unicorns, imps and spirits. Karma our heroine, is a cleaner. A cleaner of houses, meaning if you need a ghost removed from your house, who you gonna call? Karma! In order to get a divorce from her cheating, slimy husband, Spider, Karma agrees to clean one last house for him. The house has a previous owner, Adam , whom Spider has cheated out of his home. Adam is angry and seals the house for 12 hours in an attempt to get his house back. Trapped in the house with a cast of colorful characters, Karma must help solve Spiders murder, before th 12 hrs are up.

I think MacAlister should stick with romance if this experiment in mystery writing is anything to go by. It wasn't that bad, but the search for the killer went around in circles, and even when the supposed killer had been pegged, the twist in the end made it completely meaningless. A good mystery isn't supposed to leave out huge chunks of a first person narrative. That just makes things doubly suspicious from the start.

Another thing that was annoying was the deep leap into the Otherworld. I've read and am familiar with the Aisling Grey/Dark Ones universe, but the polters weren't really well explained, and Karma stopped a number of times during the story to wax exposition. Why not explain it at the beginning to get it out of the way? Suffice to say, I probably won't be reading this book again, but it wasn't a bad way to spend an hour or two.

I borrowed this book from the on-line library because it looked interesting. It starts off with a girl named Ysolde in a different time period and a man named Baltic. Then we jump ahead to present day. A lady named Tully wakes up from a dream and told that she is a resurrected dragon in human form.
This is the first dragon/ fanasty book that I have read in over 20 years and there are many terms that I was unfamiliar with. A few times I had to put the book down, and do a goggle search on the words and dragon legends. I wished there could have been a list in the back of the book with some more information. That is the only reason I gave this book 3 stars. I think that the author is very talented though, and will borrow other books by her.

While spellbound to the demon lord Magoth, naiad Cyrene created her doppelganger twin May Northcott to take some of the demands off her. Due to her connection to Cyrene, May is also obligated to Magoth. The demon uses her to steal valuable magical objects.

While on a mission for her liege, she is caught in spite of her skills to hide in shadows. Gabriel Tauhou of the Silver Dragons learns she is his soulmate when she survives his fire. However, although she desires the hunk, who somehow always sees her; she has other horribles besides her heart to contend with. Her twin worries that May is in menopause since she is no longer fun to be with; a powerful outraged mage has invoked the Otherworld law and set a price on her head for her head; a black dragon demands fiery satisfaction from an affront he accuses her of doing; and finally Magoth owns her.

HOLY SMOKES this Aisling Grey sidebar romantic fantasy will have readers rooting for the heroine who lands in more fiery situations than a fire spirit. The story line is fast-paced as May proves she can play lead instead of third fiddle. Fans of the series will enjoy the first feature length Silver Dragons tale as Kate MacAlister proves her skill as a magician when PLAYING WITH FIRE, she places Aisling in a secondary role yet enchants her audience.

Harriet Klausner

Playing with fire was one great book. I loved being able to see myself in the main character's position, as like I was in the story right along with her. Both of the main characters just pull you in and makes it very difficult to put the book down. I loved being able to pick up the book and get sucked back into the world of the characters when they both have so much going on. It's really interesting reading how the female main character feel's being pulled in two directions trying to decide if she should be with the mane male character or her creator the one who made her. All I could think about was what's going to happen next and when the next book is going to come out.

I hope that enjoy her book as much as I have.

I discovered this book and really wanted to read it, since I love dragons. Also, this is my first book by Katie MacAlister and I've heard great things about her books.

Tully Sullivan is a normal woman, she's married and has a nine years old son, but she sometimes goes into a fugue, sleeps for weeks and her mind travels back to Ysolde, a seventeen years old girl. It's because of this fugue that she finds herself at a dragon's house. They kept telling her she is one of them, but she doesn't believe it. Except, what about Ysolde? Was that really her?

I wouldn't have known Ysolde and Tully where the same person. They were completely different. Tully is kind of dumb, let her husband call her stupid bitch and accept that he treats her badly . Instead, Ysolde is brave and more interesting.

Baltic, Ysolde / Tully romantic interest is sexy and strong, but I don't know why I didn't totally liked him. He was kind of funny sometimes, and I also prefer the past Baltic from the present.

Sometimes, the mind time travel and dream sequences appeared suddenly and were confusing, but after reading for a while I got to understand what was going on. Still, I felt as if this book wasn't the first of a series. I don't know if this book is related to another series from the author, but I understand it's the first one of the Light Dragons series.

But, I got to say that the plot was so revolt that it was kind of funny. Dragons, demons, magic and more, this book has it all. Also, I was laughing a couple of times, but sometimes thought the humor wasn't appropriated for me. For example, Tully's son, Brom, kept talking about his mother's boobs and I wasn't comfortable with that.

Overall, Love in the Time of Dragons is the kind of book I can't say I liked it but also didn't hated it. I think it has a good plot, and maybe the next book would offer more explanations about the dragons.

Like MacAlister's previous books, I liked this one a lot. The author has a great ability to create humorous dialogue and situations. Even though I have more of a fondness in my heart for the Ashling stories, that didn't diminish my enjoyment of this one. The only thing I found a little out of step with the previous books I'd listened to was the cliffhanger style ending of this one. Now I'll need to get to the next book sooner than I'd originally anticipated! The narrator of this Silver Dragons series is the same one who narrated the Ashling (Guardian/Green Dragon) series - and once again, she did an excellent job. She's got a great talent for distinctive character voices and inflections. Love her stuff.

Love Katie's writing and her 'Dark Ones' novels. These 'Light Dragons' books bring a whole other complicated richness, to the table. Baltic is the tavern all others fear, but in the past he loved her. Has that love changed?

Another terrific Katie book! Tons of twists and turns and you won't want to put it down. I stayed up all night reading it in one session. Whew! Very tired today, but have to say it was worth it. Katie introduces a new way of seeing poltergeists and it's great. Lots of character development and interactions. Adam and Karma make a great team in this paranormal murder mystery. Katie still brought in the funny with lots of lol moments and great side characters. Thanks again Katie for a great read!!!

Katie MacAlister never disappoints. This is a re-release of an older book, so it feels new. I got started with Katie's Dragon series, and have slowly been making my way through her other books. In her Beloved series, she puts a fun spin on ghosts, but this book is even better. It makes me sad that I missed all these books!

In this book you are introduced to Karma Marx, who is a cleaner of transmortis anomalies, which I come to think of as otherworldly entities. Along with learning about all of the transmortis anomalies within the book, you are introduced to characters such as an angry teenager full of angst, a cheating husband named Spider, and a quirky father. Karma definitely has her hands full in this book but it is wonderful watching it all unfold.
Like all of Katie MacAlister's books, I thoroughly enjoyed Ghost of a Chance. I loved to read about yet another view to a side of the Otherworld that we have not seen in her other books. Ghost of a Chance is full of mystery and secrets. I would definitely recommend this book to any fan of Katie's books or anyone who enjoys and interesting mystery.

We were introduced to her dragon series with the Green sept - now in this continuation of the series we meet the Silver sept and their wyvern Gabriel Tauhou. May Northcott is the heroine, but not your typical heroine --- she's a doppelganger (moves in shadows)thief who was bound to the demon lord Magoth when she was created.

Do not want to say more for it was said already. This is the best of the series to date. This book grabbed me from the first chapter. Gabriel is the opposite of what Drake is. We meet a more laid back easygoing wyvern than from the previous books. We meet all the characters from the previous books that we love. There are moments in this book that will have you LOL at the slapstick antics that reminded me of the keystone cops.

Gabriel is the kind of hero that is totally hot in that he let May handle some things her way while showing his support in her judgement. To me the drawback to this book is that I must wait till fall to buy the next book.

5 stars excellent addition to this series. GOOD JOB katie