Eli Monpress is brilliant. He's incorrigible. And he's a thief. He's also still at large, which drives Miranda Lyonette crazy. While she's been kicked out of the Spirit Court, Eli's had plenty of time to plan his next adventure. But now the tables have turned, because Miranda has a new job -- and an opportunity to capture a certain thief. Things are about to get exciting for Eli. He's picked a winner for his newest heist. His target: the Duke of Gaol's famous "thief-proof" citadel. Eli knows Gaol is a trap, but what's life without challenges? Except the Duke is one of the wealthiest men in the world, a wizard who rules his duchy with an iron fist, and an obsessive perfectionist with only one hobby: Eli. It seems that everyone is hunting for Eli Monpress.

From Publishers Weekly

In his 13th novel, Aaron (Rappers 'R in Danger) offers more of what his readers clamor for: deceit, drama, ironic plot twists and steamy sex scenes. Danté Garret, a Bronx repairman, has taken over the family business after his father and grandfather die of cancer. Still in mourning, Danté's life changes when first he's seduced by an older client and then falls for Stacy, the niece of another client. But little does he know that his infatuation with Stacy begins to ruin his life. During a trip to Atlanta, Stacy's actions come back to haunt her and almost cause Danté's demise. Although Aaron's latest effort is a quick-paced read with his usual blend of comedy, sex, betrayals and misunderstandings, it suffers from predictable plot twists, thanks to heavy-handed and obvious foreshadowing throughout, and implausible characters. Adding to the frustration is an ending that leaves too many loose ends. (Dec.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

This latest Relentless Aaron work features a contemplative yet somewhat naive young man named Dante, a second-generation maintenance man holding things down with his lady clients in the Bronx. He meets Stacy, who has moved from Atlanta to the Bronx. As they fall in love and Dante is ensnared into Stacy’s personal dramas, they move in with her family in Atlanta. An accident lands him in a hospital, where he suffers amnesia, thus forgetting all about Stacy and the Bronx. In Atlanta, he meets up with the socially powerful lawyer, Ophelia King, who rescues the memory-deprived Dante from the hospital, bringing him to live with her and her daughter, Dancer, in their suburban mansion. Dante acts out old behaviors on a new cast of characters and falls in love with Dancer. However, Ophelia King is having none of that. The action is subdued and a bit unbelievable as Dante winds up with a Stacy he no longer remembers, only to break up with her and become a part-time male stripper, still under the employ of the elusive Ophelia King. The story ends with Dante seeking Ophelia’s help, bumping into walls—literally. This latest Aaron effort may attract his loyal fans. If not, it will definitely be a shelf sitter. --Vanessa Irvin Morris

From Publishers Weekly

After a slow start, debut author Aaron pulls the action together and turns in a romp of a lighthearted fantasy starring an absolutely darling rogue. Eli Monpress is a talented thief with a knack for persuasion and more than his fair share of looks and charisma, and his skill with magic makes him truly formidable. While trying to earn the title of the man with the biggest bounty on his head, Eli kidnaps the king of Mellinor, planning to let him go once the bounty goes up. Then the king's exiled brother pulls a fast one and takes over the kingdom, and Eli must make things right. Aaron's breezy style at times tends toward the farcical and absurd, which may not be what she intended but will keep humor-loving readers looking out for subsequent volumes in the planned trilogy.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Starred Review Aaron’s outstanding fantasy debut is the first in a trilogy about unrepentant thief Eli Monpress, whose goal in life is to amass $1 million in gold. Hoping to accomplish his mission in a hurry, Eli decides to raise the stakes and kidnap a king. He doesn’t realize, however, that snatching the king of Mellinor (an entirely unmagical and rather boring kingdom) will set off a chain of events that will put him in peril from multiple sources, including the powerful Miranda, who is determined to catch Eli. But that’s no easy trick, as Eli is also a powerful magic-user himself; his swordsman-partner Josef carries the legendary Heart of War sword; and their female associate is a demonseed whose powers are terrifying. Fast and fun, Spirit Thief introduces a fascinating new world and a complex magical system based on cooperation with the spirits who reside in all living objects. Aaron’s characters are fully fleshed and possess complex personalities, motivations, and backstories that are only gradually revealed. Fans of Scott Lynch’s Lies of Locke Lamora (2006) will be thrilled with Eli Monpress. Highly recommended for all fantasy readers. --Jessica Moyer

From Booklist

The second entry in the Legend of Eli Monpress series starts up a few weeks after the events recounted in The Spirit Thief (2010) as Miranda arrives home from Mellinor only to be arrested on the doorstep of the Spirit Court. Meanwhile Eli, Josef, and Nico are wandering in the woods, looking for an old friend to make Nico a new coat. The price for the coat sets Eli off on a quest to steal a legendary sword, something that thrills the media-hungry thief. His journey takes him into a remote and strange little kingdom. But he isn’t the only visitor: Miranda is on his tail, and another master thief may be on the scene. What results is a classic fantasy caper novel, boasting a fast pace and a tight plot. Series readers will be fascinated as bits of Eli’s mysterious past are revealed. All in all, this installment, though not quite the equal of Spirit Thief, makes eminently enjoyable reading. The Spirit Eater, third in the series, is due soon. --Jessica Moyer

Product Description

Eli Monpress is brilliant. He's incorrigible. And he's a thief.

He's also still at large, which drives Miranda Lyonette crazy. While she's been kicked out of the Spirit Court, Eli's had plenty of time to plan his next adventure. But now the tables have turned, because Miranda has a new job -- and an opportunity to capture a certain thief.

Things are about to get exciting for Eli. He's picked a winner for his newest heist. His target: the Duke of Gaol's famous "thief-proof" citadel. Eli knows Gaol is a trap, but what's life without challenges? Except the Duke is one of the wealthiest men in the world, a wizard who rules his duchy with an iron fist, and an obsessive perfectionist with only one hobby: Eli.

It seems that everyone is hunting for Eli Monpress.

From Booklist

The third Eli Monpress book delves still deeper into Eli’s and Nico’s backgrounds, integrates unresolved plot elements from the previous entries (The Spirit Thief and The Spirit Rebellion, both 2010), and provides larger roles for previously minor characters, including Alric and the Lord of Storms. All of these elements add complexity as Aaron’s multilayered world comes into clearer focus. Slorn, the wizard who made Nico’s coat, has disappeared, and his daughter has asked Eli to find him. Eli, Nico, and their swordsman partner Josef aren’t the only ones traveling to the far north hunting Slorn: Miranda and Gin are headed there, too, tracking Eli as always but also looking for Slorn. Aaron keeps the series fresh by giving Miranda and Gin smaller roles, while Nico and swordsman Josef both get more space, allowing for additional (and fascinating) character development. Meanwhile, master thief Eli’s usual antics prove as entertaining as always. Through three volumes, the Eli series has established itself as required reading for fantasy fans. --Jessica Moyer

Product Description

With the pressure on after his success in Gaol, Eli Monpress, professional thief and degenerate, decides it's time to lie low for a bit. Taking up residence in a tiny seaside village, Eli and his companions seize the chance for some fun and relaxation.

Nico, however, is finding it a bit hard. Plagued by a demon's voice in her head and feeling powerless, she only sees herself as a burden. Everyone's holiday comes to an untimely close, though, when Pele arrives to beg Eli's help for finding her missing father.

But there are larger plans afoot than even Eli can see, and the real danger, and the solution, may lie with one of his own and her forgotten past.

If only Nico could remember whose side she's on.

BODY AND SOUL

The song. That’s what London constable and sorcerer’s apprentice Peter Grant first notices when he examines the corpse of Cyrus Wilkins, part-time jazz drummer and full-time accountant, who dropped dead of a heart attack while playing a gig at Soho’s 606 Club. The notes of the old jazz standard are rising from the body—a sure sign that something about the man’s death was not at all natural but instead supernatural.

Body and soul—they’re also what Peter will risk as he investigates a pattern of similar deaths in and around Soho. With the help of his superior officer, Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, the last registered wizard in England, and the assistance of beautiful jazz aficionado Simone Fitzwilliam, Peter will uncover a deadly magical menace—one that leads right to his own doorstep and to the squandered promise of a young jazz musician: a talented trumpet player named Richard “Lord” Grant—otherwise known as Peter’s dear old dad.

From the Paperback edition.

**

Review

“A terrific follow-up to [Aaronovitch’s] novel Midnight Riot, the debut of Peter Grant and his own weird London. Grant continues to learn the ropes of magical London, a process that takes him on a trip through Nightingale's haunted past and into some of the most interesting places you won't find on any official tour. Aaronovitch makes the story sing, building momentum until the ending is literally breathless.”  --SF Revu

“A realistic modern-day police procedural populated by increasingly solid characters and written in the same consistently witty style as the first Peter Grant novel [Midnight Riot]. . . . One of the most entertaining books I’ve read in a long time.”  --Fantasy Literature

From the Paperback edition.

Review

"Told in a narrative voice that seasons laconic humour with a dash of cynicism, the novel is fascinated with the geography and history of London. It is a rich formula with a bittersweet ending. Terrific entertainment and ripe for a series." THE DAILY TELEGRAPH "Moon Over Soho is easily as good as its predecessor, but with added jazz. Moon Over Soho is a truly fun read, although it is somewhat darker than its predecessor, and it is also very much an adult book." THE BOOK ZONE "Moon Over Soho is highly readable and hugely enjoyable. Definitely a book not to miss!" LOVEVAMPIRES.COM "The climax is both exhilarating and emotionally affecting, a sign again that Aaronovitch's skills with character will be what bring people back to this series." SF REVIEWS "I'm pleased say I loved this one just as much as the first book, I love Peter's incisive and often humorous commentary on police procedures, London itself, and the fantasy word he now inhabits, it makes the book so much fun to read. One of the other things that comes though strongly is not just Peter's but also Ben Aaronovitch's love of the capital." BART'S BOOKSHELF "I enjoyed Moon Over soho immensely. I look forward to the next installment in Peter Grant's rise to the ranks of professional Wizardry." British Fantasy Society

CSI London, Urban Fantasy-style! My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England. Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden . . . and there's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair. The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos - or die trying.

Review

Praise for Relentless Aaron and his smash-hit novels:

“Relentless is VERY REAL.”—98.7 KISS FM

“A pure winner from cover to cover.”—Courtney Carreras, YRB magazine on The Last Kingpin

“Gripping.”—The New York Times on Push

“Fascinating. Relentless has made the best out of a stretch of unpleasant time and adversity…a commendable effort.”—Wayne Gilman, WBLS News Director on Push

“Relentless redefines the art of storytelling…while seamlessly capturing the truth and hard core reality of Harlem’s desperation and struggle.” —Troy Johnson, Founder of the African American Literature Book Club

“Relentless is seriously getting his grind on.”—Vibe

“Relentless writes provocative stories that raises many questions but presents stories that everyone can relate to.”—Da Breakfuss Club

“Relentless is on the forefront of a movement called street-lit.”—The Hollywood Reporter

“One of the leaders of a ‘hip hop literature’ revolution.”—Daily News

“Self-publishing street lit phenomenon Aaron serves up a smoldering batch of raw erotica and criminality.”—Publishers Weekly

Product Description

Welcome to Fool’s Paradise where the women are devious, the men are ruthless, and the raw, undeniable climate of smut dominates. This is Douglass Gilmore’s kingdom, a family business that grew to become one of New York City’s premier adult clubs. But money, power, and seduction makes for an explosive combination—and something dangerous is about to go down…

The most famous stripper at Fool’s Paradise has been gunned down in the parking lot. Was it a lovers’ quarrel? A rivalry between jealous dancers? Or a deliberate attempt to destroy the man behind the curtain? Douglass has won plenty of enemies in the business. Now, with the cops, the FBI, and the mob at his door, everything is on the line…and Douglass has only once chance to defend the family empire—or lose it all.

1864. London ist eine Stadt im Umbruch. Eine seltsame Krankheit, die einige ihrer Opfer tötet und bei anderen eine Geschlechtsumwandlung auslöst, hat zu gesellschaftlichen Skandalen und Unruhen geführt. Technische Wunderwerke und Katastrophen wie mechanische Kurtisanen, die alchimistischen Feuer Whitechapels, elektrische Kutschen und in der Themse lauernde Säuremonster haben die Stadt unumkehrbar verändert.
Der Adlige Pembroke „Pimm“ Halliday hat einem Hang zur Kriminologie, und nutzt seine scharfe Beobachtungsgabe, um sowohl der Polizei als auch Privatpersonen beizustehen … zumindest, wenn er nüchtern ist. Ellie Skyler ist eine furchtlose Journalistin, getrieben von dem Drang, die Wahrheit aufzudecken, egal wo sie sich verbirgt.
Als Pimm und Skye über eine finstere Intrige stolpern, die den berüchtigtsten Verbrecherboss der Stadt mit dem neuen Geliebten der Königin, dem berühmten Wissenschaftler Sir Bertram Oswald, in Verbindung bringt, bekommen sie es mit der gehobenen Gesellschaft und der Unterwelt gleichermaßen zu tun. Können sie die Stadt vor den geheimnisvollen Ränken eines der größten Monster der Geschichte retten – und dabei den schockierenden Ursprung des Morbus Konstantin aufdecken?