Review: Intangible by J. Meyers

Rated: B+
Author and Title: J.Meyers' Intangible. Here's a teaser:

"It was quiet times like this that she wished she could tell them that she knew what they could do. Knew who they were. But it wasn't entirely hers to tell.
Not yet."

Blurb from Goodreads: 

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift. Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.

Plus: A pretty gripping read, fast-paced with enough action and story. The twins, Sera and Luke, were interesting, though Sera's character gets more prime-time in the book. Intangible's world is one where vampires, fairies and more are on the fringes of society, and at the moment unknown the world at large. I'd be interested in reading a sequel (there were hints at a next book) that dealt with how these paranormal creatures are revealed to the larger audience.

Minus: 

Just a little predictable in the sense that all the characters were who they traditionally are, in paranormal literature. Lilith - Mother of all vampires, a fey called Fey, so on. 
If I had some mad skills at healing or lighting a candle or anything, you can bet that I'd have been checking for limits, starting and stopping at will, minor heals using non-hands, whatever! Sera and Luke don't experiment enough for me.
 
Also, I kept wishing YA books would involve teens talking to their parents a little more. *le sigh*

Quotable paragraph from the book:

"Fey glanced up the street. The siren was getting louder, the ambulance closer. They needed to get out of there before it arrived. Luke was still gazing at the corner where Meghan had disappeared, along with everyone else on the street. Sera, however, was staring at someone farther down the block. Fey turned.
Jonas.
Fey gasped and her eyes widened in alarm. He'd seen it. She was sure of it. Meghan was one of his, and he was staring intently at Sera.
He knew she could heal."

I'd recommend this to: Younger readers or folks new to paranormal stories!
I received an ebook from the author for review

Review: Ember by Kristen Callihan (Firelight #0.5)

Ember, a NetGalley provided novella gets a Grade A review: 

Blurb: "After a fire consumes the Ellis family fortune, the beautiful and resourceful Miranda finds herself faced with an impossible dilemma: enter a life of petty crime or watch her family succumb to poverty. But once her fiancée learns of her descent into danger--and of the strange, new powers she's discovered --saving her family may come at the high price of her heart.

When Lord Benjamin Archer's one chance for redemption is destroyed by corrupt London antiquarian Hector Ellis, he vows to take what Ellis values most-his daughter Miranda. Forced to hide his face behind masks, Archer travels the world hoping to escape the curse that plagues him so that he can finally claim his prize.

But once Archer returns home to London, will it be revenge he seeks? Or will the flame-haired beauty ignite new, undeniable desires?"

Ember is an 8 chapter short prequel to a new series, and has completely caught my imagination. The prequel is set in 1800s London, with rich language and absorbing characters. The story covers two POVs - Miranda (the fire-starter) and Archer (mysterious dark man) - and is the backstory for both characters who the key players in Kristen's Firelight series. I haven't read the series yet, but I'm so going to!
Good: The writing is powerful, and took me straight into Miranda's life. She is forced by her gambler/wastrel father to steal, and in the process Burns an attacker. The author's language uses street London argot, feels authentic!

Bad: Its hard to tell from a short novella like this, but my initial read of the prequel and the first few chapters in Firelight was pretty positive.
Should You read it? 
Yes, and I'd even suggest going straight into the main series Firelight - if the writing is anything as good as the prequel, its a must-read for paranormal & historical romance fans!
 
The novella also comes with decent sized previews of Firelight and Moonglow - the first books in two new series.
Note: This novella was provided for review by NetGalley