Jen's Review: "Any Given Doomsday" by Lori Handeland

Liz Phoenix has always been a little different. But when she discovers her foster mother near death, Liz comes to find out just how different when she's thrown into a paranormal world she never knew existed. And how prominently she fits into that world.

This is the first book in Lori Handeland's new series, The Phoenix Chronicles. These books follow Liz as she comes to terms with her new life, exploring her new powers, and saving the human world from destruction. Book two is scheduled for release in mid 2009.

I won this book in an ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) drawing on Library Thing. It was my first full length Lori Handeland novel. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. The publishers aren't marketing the book as romance, where in the past her books were. I always get a little nervous when an author deviates from the genre he/she gained their fan base. But I think there's enough "romance" --perhaps not in the traditional sense, seeing as there isn't a happily ever after --to keep fans happy.

I like this world Lori created. She pulled paranormal creatures from a variety of cultures to spin a unique world. And the character of Liz is unlike any I'd read before. She's thrown into this bizarre world, has this totally unique role and is so unsure of herself, stumbling through her new role in life, yet she deals with it with sarcasm and trial and error. I think it was the sarcasm that won me over. A word of warning though. If you have a weak stomach when it comes to blood and gore, you're forewarned.