Tuesday, November 8, 2016

Release Day Review: Belle Chasse by Suzanne Johnson

Title: Belle Chasse
Author: Suzanne Johnson
Series: Book Five in the Sentinels of New Orleans
Published By: Tor Books (November 8, 2016)
Source: ARC Copy Provided by the Publisher (in exchange for an honest review)
Genre: Urban Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 Stars!


Book Description:
With the wizard-elven treaty on the verge of collapse, the preternatural world stands on the brink of war. Unless former wizard sentinel DJ Jaco manages to keep the elven leader, Quince Randolph, focused on peace and not personal matters.

With no one on the throne, Faerie is in chaos, with rival princes battling for power. The still-undead pirate, Jean Lafitte, is building his own army of misfits, and DJ—stripped of her job and hiding in the Beyond to avoid the death sentence handed down by the wizard Council of Elders—can’t get anywhere near her beloved New Orleans or her significant something-or-other, Alex.


It's time to choose sides. Friends will become enemies, enemies will become allies, and not everyone will survive. DJ and her friends will learn a hard lesson: sometimes, even the ultimate sacrifice isn’t enough.










I am an urban fantasy junkie, I admit it wholeheartedly, but when it comes to really good, well written, well told UF with characters that I absolutely adore, I become a fan girl and the Sentinels of New Orleans, is one of those series that from book one, has made me a fan.

From the characters to the setting, this book stands out and makes it worth the time to try. With sexy (undead) pirates, alpha shape shifters, wizards, vamps, and almost everything else, it is just one of those series that hooks you from the very first chapter and will refuse to ever let go and with this being the last book, how was I ever expected to say good bye? Are endings ever anything but bittersweet?

In this case, no, they are not. This was bittersweet but in the best way possible. We get all the things that have made us fall in love with the series over the course of the releases and then some.

Johnson’s writing, her characters, the arc in the plot, it all doesn't disappoint. It reminded me all over again why this has been a favorite from the beginning and why it will continue to hold a special place in my top ten favorites of the genre. It truly was bittersweet to say goodbye to these characters. 

**Edited to add that after  writing the review, I was able to speak to the author about her book and she informed me that this is not the last book in the series, which, I have to admit, with the ending, makes so much more sense and so I adjusted my rating because of it. Also she said there  is a possibility for a spin off series as well! I'm super excited about this you guys! So fans of DJ and gang, hang in there, more is yet to come!





*All thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the author or publisher. I was not compensated for this review.*

37 comments:

  1. That does sound good even though I don't usually read that sort of book.

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    1. It is such a fun UF series, if you ever do want to try it, I cant' recommend this one enough!

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  2. Oh just saw this on Coffee Kim's site Kindlemom you both like it and it looks good. Thanks! Happy Election Day!

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  3. Oh wow, this sounds like a great read. I'm a bit fascinated with UF and this one is definitely worth a try!

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  4. Ali, how funny is this: Both you and Kimba reviewed this book on the same day, with the same rating! My bloglovin email was so confusing to me at first. :)

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    1. LOL! I love it when that happens Tyler, not the confusion but the same reviews. ;)

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  5. I have one of her books which I picked up at the bargain bin of my bookstore. I didn't realize it was a part of a series so now I'm hunting for the rest of the books. Anyway, I'm glad this book hit all the UF/PNR spots for you, Ali. And I hope you'll continue to enjoy the rest of the books in the series!

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    1. I really hope you find them Joy because this really is a favorite and one I think you would like as well. ;)

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  6. Ali, this is not the final book. There was a misprint on the ARCS. There will be one more!!

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    1. I know, I just talked to the author about it so I edited my review but thank you so much for letting me know too Kim!

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  7. Nice review, thanks. I'm a big fan of The Sentinels of New Orleans series. Hope you all go out and buy the book. You will be in for a great read.

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  8. Nice review, thanks. I'm a big fan of The Sentinels of New Orleans series. Hope you all go out and buy the book. You will be in for a great read.

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  9. This series has intrigued me, and I am also a huge fan of UF. Thanks for the awesome review and note at the end! Any kind of fantasy will always remain my favorite, so thanks for sharing.

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  10. I'm glad to hear this isn't the last one for you! I really do need to read more UF. I used to read a lot when I reviewed for Romantic Times Magazine.

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    1. It is such a fun genre, one of my favorites to read which is funny because a few years ago I never even heard of it let alone tried it.

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  11. This sounds like a great addition to the genere, I'm definitely adding to my TBR! Tori @ In Tori Lex

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  12. Belle Chasse is such a satisfying read. It is engrossing, enticing and leaves you clamoring for more! Looking forward to the next book in the Sentinel series.

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  13. Dang it, girl. You are tempting me hard. I'm still not totally back to UF after burning myself out on it but you really really make me want to try this series out. And yay for another book coming along for yall :)

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    1. Do it do it do it. LOL! So seriously, I really hope when you are back in the mood for this genre you do give it a try, it really is so much fun. ;)

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  14. so cool that this series is still going so strong, it looks like an excellent UF, I really need to open book 1, I think I have it. also, awesome to hear more is coming!

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    1. Oh I really hope you give it a try, it really is worth it to start a new series.

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  15. I've had my eye on this series as both you and Melliane both love it!! I'm so glad that the author still has more to come and I'm thrilled that this was another great read. Great review Ali, and thanks for the author info. :)

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    1. Thanks Kim and if you try it, I really hope you end up loving it as well!

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  16. I need to get back on this series! I love it so much. Scared about the bittersweet ending though.

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    1. Definitely get back into it and I only thought is was bittersweet because I thought it was the end but I guess there will be more books. ;)

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  17. I want to read this! I need to get out of this funk and read good books again!

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  18. I couldn't put this book down, this is such a fantastic series.. This is a lot of action and this book is full of intrigue. The characters are really interesting and I love reading about them. I cannot wait for the next installment in this fantastic series.

    Penelope
    Ketterman Rowland & Westlund

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