Musings on the Written Word

Firebird

2008-05-18T11:33:00.002-04:00

Book 11/25

Mercedes Lackey's Firebird

After enjoying Ms. Lackey's The Black Swan as much as I did, I couldn't pass up Firebird as soon as I saw it. While I have never seen the Firebird Ballet, I have heard the majority of the score, and I was curious to see if I could read a retelling of the story to suit the music. As usual, Ms. Lackey did not disappoint me.

The book is a beautiful tale, and it never takes the path you would expect in a fairy tale. Ilya is hardly a faultless hero, and his mistakes are thrown at him again and again. It's debatable that he's a stereotypical hero from "low" origins, simply because of his treatment by his family, but it came across as fresh, to me. Rather than being looked down upon by everyone, he enjoys a fairly comfortable life - and not the life I expected when I read the opening of the first chapter. I thought I was going to be bored by a pathetic, quiet protagonist fighting for everything he could get; it was a pleasant surprise to find that I didn't entirely like Ilya's character.

The plot itself was woven nicely, giving all of the characters - save perhaps the Katschei - a chance to be given flesh and movement. Only the Katschei is completely incapable of moving between good and evil equally well, which was a disappointment; pure evil is always a lacking foe. While her own story is overshadowed by Ilya's, even the Firebird is granted a "humanity" of flaws and desires. It was also nice to see the animals behaving as animals, rather than adopting anthropomorphic qualities, as I see in the Heralds Ms. Lakcey created. Their behaviors don't change, simply because they cna speak with Ilya.

To be honest, I was afraid the ending was going to be lacking. Titania was just too much a stock princess in peril, and I was afraid that Ilya would end up with the typical storybook ending of love everlasting with a beautiful, perfect princess. Ms. Lackey surprised me, though, in that final section of the last chapter - to the point that I had to go back and re-read the opening, as I was afraid I had missed something. While I wish there had been a little more substance to the ending and the romance, I was happy to see that, even as a Hero, Ilya was capable of mistakes.

A beautiful story, and I'm glad I didn't hesitate to snatch a copy from the shelves.

Eternity Row

2008-05-04T14:54:00.002-04:00

Book 10/25

S.L. Viehl's Eternity Row

This must be a record of some kind - a review not only posted in a reasonable amount of time after completion of the book, but a review posted the same day as that event! However, I wouldn't get too comfortable with this idea - this is most likely a fluke.

I have been really disappointed with the last few StarDoc books, to the point that I had considered stopping the series. However, it seemed a terrible waste to leave off before reading my signed copy (I actually believe Rebel Ice is the next book in the series), so I gave Ms. Viehl one last try, and I'm grateful I did. Eternity Row was everything I could have hoped for, and my biggest complaint is with whoever was charged with the editing.

Cherijo was the character she began as, complete with her sarcasm, wit, and flaws. She made mistakes, and she made assumptions she couldn't always support. At the same time, she was every bit a physician, concerned with healing her patients. The addition of her vow to keep her promises - however reluctantly she meant them - elevated her in my eyes and redeemed her past behavior. I was afraid the addition of Marel might have swayed her, but it didn't change her - beyond the expectations one should have for a character who is suddenly a parent of a young child. She was the character I admired once more, and even Reever unbent enough to become sympathetic. Which is why I cannot completely condemn the addition of Marel to the mix, as I chalk a resumption of his humanity to her presence.

The plot made sense, and the various hanging threads were all explained and woven nicely together at the end - what more could one ask for? Yes, I am slightly biased by the fact that there was not a cliffhanger tacked onto the end of this book, but it was also nicely handled. Ms. Viehl's creativity in the simultaneous problems of Taercal and Oenrall was fantastic, and something I hadn't considered. I had had my theories regarding the connection between the two, but I was on the wrong path. It was nice to be pleasantly surprised, rather than guessing the answer chapters ahead of the revelation. It was also an interesting juxtaposition - on a number of levels - and my only hope is that the situation between Dhreen and Ilona will find some conclusion down the road.

Every previously-introduced character grew new facets, while remaining true to their selves. And, of course, I was pleased to see the continuation of the feline family...though I would like to think, as a doctor, that Cherijo would be smart enough to have her own pets neutered/spayed - for their own health, if nothing else. However, I have to admit that is a bias that comes from working in the animal medical world, as opposed to the human medical world. Deciphering Marel's pathos was annoying at times, not to mention confusing, but I was able to muddle through. I have my own suspicions as to her ability to always be where she isn't meant to be, but I'm hoping Ms. Viehl isn't taking that obvious route. I would be nice to see Marel as just an ordinary child, with an ordinary child's ability to get underfoot at the worst opportunities.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable read, from the beginning, and it was returned me to the fandom of StarDoc. At least until I read the next book.

Sense and Sensibility

2008-05-04T10:06:00.002-04:00

Book 9/25

Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility

This was the story - the language, the plot, the characters - that I had originally hoped for and expected when I decided to begin reading Ms. Austen's works. While Northanger Abbey was very sweet and an enjoyable read, the lack of character depth and the frequent absence of dialogue was a disappointment. Sense and Sensibility was a complete opposite and had everything I could have hoped for.

Once again, the sweet reasonability and reality of the characters and their challenges and rewards was refreshing. Even though I haven't studied the age or its customs, it was obvious what manners were expected, and what social norms and requirements were expected of men and women of various classes. Ms. Austen took a sweet, simple story of finding one's true love and put it through the twists, turns, and falls that exist in the every day. After my disappointment with Marina's spontaneous love in Mercedes Lackey's The Gates of Sleep, it was a comfort to fall into the misery of Marianne and the troubled mind of Elinor. The two sisters' desires were so simple, and yet both of them suffered horribly in the pursuit of those dreams. They were subjected to a roller coaster that anyone who's experienced rejection or disappointment could sympathize with.

Ms. Austen's characters step out of the real world, and they have simple faults, and they receive rewards that are just - or not. This is the first book I've read where a character who deserved nothing less than tragedy was actually rewarded beyond their original expectations. Lucy is able to manipulate everyone to achieve a goal even higher than what the reader is led to believe she desires. I have to admit, I was angry that such a horrible person could be gifted so, but this often happens in the real world. The reality Ms. Austen captures in the guise of fiction is a revelation after reading so many works of fiction where people are, really, inhuman in their habits or characters. Meanwhile, Elinor has to earn her own happy ending, suffering quietly while Marianne wastes away in her depression. She is the typical older sister, expected to shoulder the burden of protecting and comforting her siblings and promoting their interests ahead of her own.

The story is simply a tale of the sweet reality of love, and every facet that it can capture. Every character has flaws, every character - with, perhaps, the exception of Lucy - learns and changes, and every ending is thoroughly earned. My only true complaint is Marianne's own marriage; there was no dialogue or explanation given for her change of mind. She transformed from someone who ridiculed the very idea of someone being paired with such a man to accepting his hand. It was confusing to see that, and it almost appeared as if she simply gave up and accepted her only option. With how her character had been set up, prior to that, I was disappointed. I wanted to see a full recovery for Marianne, the rebirth of a fiery phoenix from the ashes of regret. The quiet acceptance of, essentially, second place (if he could have even qualified for that position) was a let-down. Yes, he deserved the ending, but it seemed less-than-happy for Marianne. It would have been nice if Ms. Austen had shown the growing affection, or at least dictated the quiet acceptance of an unavoidable fate. It diminished the strong passions of Marianne, and I think that was unfair to her character; she deserved much better.

All in all, though, I loved the book - and I am not a fan of romantic stories. It was refreshing to see genuine love and its trials, though, and I look forward to reading the rest of my collection.

The Gates of Sleep

2008-05-04T09:51:00.002-04:00

Book 8/25

Mercedes Lackey's The Gates of Sleep

This is the third in the Elemental Masters series (second, depending on the source you check, as The Fire Rose frequently gets missed); this particular book retells the tale of "Sleeping Beauty." As usual, Ms. Lackey manages to add a new finish to the story, taking it in a new direction. Unfortunately, it wasn't as new of a finish as I had originally hoped, and it was a little bit of a let-down after my enjoyment of The Serpent's Shadow.

Marina is a change from what I've come to recognize as Ms. Lackey's leading lady - rather than striking out as an individual, bucking tradition, challenging the social norms, etc., Marina is a stereotypical girly-girl fascinated by the latest fashions and trends. That was a disappointment, for me, because it made her seem - to my mind - more helpless. When you throw in her hysterics on being sent to Arachne, she diminished a lot as a primary character, in my opinion. She wanted to rebel against her cousin's perception of her as just another flighty female, but, honestly, she met most of his expectations. Yes, she could be pronounced a "bore" for her time spent with the Pastor, but she was still thrilled with a shopping trip. To change from Maya, who was a feminist doctor, to Marina, who is little more than a backwards teenage girl was a dramatic shift, and I wish that Ms. Lackey had done more to bolster Marina's character as something - anything - more than cardboard.

The story was still well-told, though the final battle was a severe anti-climax for me; there is nothing so horribly cliched as good and evil battling - literally. I had hoped for a little more out of the final confrontation, but the handful of paragraphs left to the matter of releasing Marina and rescuing Dr. Pike...it was droll. It was also expected, once Arachne's source of power had been revealed, which is always a disappointment. The romantic angle of the story felt very thrown-on, as well; it was as if Ms. Lackey suddenly realized she'd forgotten an important aspect of the original fairy tale and tried to tack it on. There was no justification, at least on Marina's part, for the sudden romance. While I acknowledge that a number of fairy tales believe in such spontaneous love, it felt very out of place in this story. I just wish more attention had been granted to that sub-plot, or that, at the very least, it had been allowed to grow more before the Epilogue. Speaking of which, I was pleased to see Ms. Lackey stick to a normal narration, and I found the Epilogue to be appropriate and beautiful. It closed the story nicely, tying up all of the loose ends, without leaving a single question or element of confusion.

It is still a beautiful story, but it didn't measure up, in my opinion, to the first two books in the series.

Northanger Abbey

2008-03-24T13:09:00.003-04:00

Book 7/25

Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey

This is a first for me: a review of a book written by an author who is now deceased. It's also the first true Victorian novel I've read, outside of the confines of a classroom. To finish, it's the first of Ms. Austen's books that I have read. It was a challenge to read - always a fresh delight - because the language, punctuation, and even spelling are foreign to the books I've devoured these last few years. A complete understanding of character is required, at times, simply to determine who is speaking, and the era and attitudes are completely foreign, in this day and age. Add in the fact that the references mean very little to me, and it was a completely new reading experience.

A coming-of-age story, Catherine makes the traditional journey from a silly little girl to a composed young woman, without any of the dramatic trevails I'm used to reading. Instead, her life is ordinary, and her lessons are those everyone has to learn. She suffers the surprises and disappointments that are common to every woman, regardless of era, and she has the believable innocence of a young girl. She's simply human, and her desires and dreams are sweetly common: to be sought as a dance partner, to spend time with her friends, and to find a suitable husband she loves. She's ordinary, and she makes mistakes and does end up suffering their consequences. It's a simple tale, but it manages to convey so much meaning and delight. I was entranced.

To go from novels containing characters who are anything but human, and who have problems that seem insurmountable, to a young girl trying to find her way in the real world was a fresh change. I couldn't help but sympathize with Catherine and recall my own teenage years and the fickleness of friends and boys. Catherine's longing for drama and excitement over possible mysteries in the Abbey are simple, and yet they still capture the imagination. She's a young lady discovering the joy of reading fiction - how could one not fall in love with her? At the same time, she's foolish and naive, and she suffers for both. Her claims against General Tillney are the ridiculous accusations of fantasy, and Henry returns her to the real world brutally. She has unfailing trust in Isabella, and Isabella's true nature crushes poor Catherine's idylls. It was reality, but the removal of decades between Catherine's world and my own made it unreal.

My only real complaint was a lack of dialogue, particularly at the end. The majority of the book consists of description and speculation, with comments by Ms. Austen herself. You still get an accurate picture of each character, but you aren't let into their thoughts, desires, or intentions as nicely as I find in the novels I read today. I wanted to see more dialogue, to see more of the word play and fancy of the time, and I was disappointed to simply find pages on the beauty of Bath. The ending was positively anti-climatic and a disappointment. The General's motives were ones I hadn't expected, which was a nice surprise, but the entire space of a year is rounded out in just a few paragraphs. Ms. Austen deprived the reader of the conversations between Henry and Catherine, and the emotions of their reunion; it came across flat and rigid. I wanted to see Catherine rise in triumph from her depression, but she, more or less, wandered out of it quietly. It was a chance for passionate writing, for a truly-earned ending, and it was passed up. I wish Ms. Austen had given more time to tying off the ends of her tale; I would have liked to have heard the apologies and excuses and whispers of tenderness.

All in all, a very charming book, and a refreshing break from the fantasy and science fiction of my normal reading diet.

Shockball

2008-03-24T12:47:00.002-04:00

Book 6/25

S.L. Viehl's Shockball

At least my wait between Endurance and Shockball wasn't quite as great as the wait between Beyond Varallan and Endurance had been. I was able to pick up the thread of the series without too much trouble - an ability I should be able to maintain, as Eternity Row is already sitting on my desk. This is the fourth book in the StarDoc series, featuring Cherijo's return to Earth and her creator.

I would like to say the events of Cherijo's pregnancy were a shock and a surprise, but I anticipated them from the first chapter. Considering what Cherijo's immune system had wrought in the previous books, it seemed a foregone conclusion that the pregnancy was going to be subjected to those same immune responses. What did surprise me, especially considering the growth she had just gone through, was her refusal to speak with Duncan. She continued to speak with him and married him, despite his turning her over to the Hskskt, but she was terrified he'd leave her if she told him she'd never be able to have more children? It seemed like a poor choice of priorities. Not to mention that it weakened their relationship considerably; she couldn't trust him or have any faith in him (contradicted later when she seems to have every faith in him...regarding any other issue).

Again, the "gift" from Joseph being a trap was not a surprise; my surprise was that she actually fell for it, even when she knew it was a trap. I would blame it on a fragmented psyche from the pregnancy and her fears regarding Duncan, but that seems...it feels like an excuse, and a pretty poor one, at that. It's been well-established that Joseph is not in possession of all of his faculties, save when it comes to persuing and recapturing Cherijo; anyone who believed him capable of compassion and honesty is a fool, and I didn't want to believe Cherijo was a fool.

Joseph's true motives were a little surprising, though, when I reflected on everything he had done and all she's learned through Maggie, it did make sense. His experiments gave concrete evidence to the level of his mania, while making Cherijo a little less human than I perceived her to be before. Whenever someone can endure such torture, they become more and more reserved from "normal." At least her own horror at her father's revelations was genuine, and it humbled her a little. Meanwhile, her desperation to solve the malady of the exiles returned to the medical roots that the series began. It was a novel idea to pull something as common as an STD and transform it into a sweeping plague. After all, the underground world was the perfect breeding ground for the epidemic.

Unhappily, the lack of surprise continued with the discovery of Cherijo's "siblings;" everyone knew who her brother was as soon as they read the chapter title. Anyone who has conducted a scientific experiment knows that you never have a single success; if you do, the experiment is considered a failure. While the previous siblings were all flawed, they still existed, and the underlying promise was that Cherijo would cross paths with them again. Maggie's contribution ot the story continues to remain a mystery, save that she holds all of the answers to Cherijo's questions in the form of the disks that were stolen and then promptly forgotten.

The book provided more answers, but it lost a lot of the momentum that had been built in the other books. The capture was such an anti-climax after the earlier pursuits, and no new questions surfaced to make you want to continue reading, continue seeking. Yes, there is the question of why Cherijo's skills are needed on Maggie's planet, but is that really a surprise? Medical knowledge and ability are going to be needed on every planet - we've already seen that. I wish a little less of Cherijo and her past had been revealed; it leaves so little new material to find.

I will refrain from commenting on the end, other than to say it was, again, not a surprise. I think it was a cop-out answer, designed to keep sensitive readers happy and nothing more. It was easily the worst part of the book, and it turned what could have been a dramatic ending into a sacchrine-fest. I really wish Ms. Viehl had avoided that avenue and kept to the gritty adventure she used to begin the series.

The Serpent's Shadow

2008-03-24T12:30:00.002-04:00

Book 5/25

Mercedes Lackey's The Serpent's Shadow

Though all of the book sites - and even the books themselves - proclaim this to be the first of the Elemental Masters, it is (as I've mentioned before) the second. However, this is the first book to return to Europe for its setting; The Fire Rose is the only book in the series, to date, that takes place in America.

Once again, Ms. Lackey's command of the historical period is entrancing. The blending of magic with the industry of early twentieth century England is down beautifully, and Maya's own ribbon of Indian heritage completes the scene. Her conservatory is a place of magic even before Maya learns of her own true magical gift. Maya made for a unique character on a number of levels: a child of mixed birth, a woman doctor practicing "illicit" medicine on the side, and a quiet Suffragette. Her strength is admirable, as is her determination to protect her small "family." Ms. Lackey never fails to create female characters who are capable of carrying their burdens on their shoulders -with or without assistance. A far cry from the princess in the base fairy tale of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves."

Maya's small menagerie was a delight, and their role in the story so much greater than I originally feared they may be. Ms. Lackey wove her own Elemental magic with that of the Indian caste of gods, and the result was amazing. It strengthened Maya, even as it diminished Shivani's powers, just a shade. The layering of the types of magic took the book away from the basic elements of Earth, Air, Water, and Fire, while still preserving the habits of the Indian gods and goddesses.

When I first realized the book was based on the fairy tale of "Snow White," I was concerned; it's one of my least favorite tales. It just seems so unfair to paint a portrait of a girl so naive, she would trust anyone. Shivani's twist on the apple was better done, and it made for a much better fairy tale. Maya went from being a passive victim to a fighter in her own right, not simply lying back, waiting for Peter to unravel the clues and triumph over evil. It also a fresh change to see where the heroes determination came from; Peter earns his right to seek to save Maya, rather than accidentally stumbling across her in some "forest."

The book was beautiful, though the final chapter was confusing. The concept of the letters was nicely done, but it utilized characters who had never been mentioned before, which was confusing. I fell out of the story trying to piece everything back together, which was a shame. Ms. Lackey had woven such a beautiful tale up until that point, and, honestly, I don't believe the epilogue was even necessary. The ending was already strong, and any reader could tell where the story was leading. Still, that was a minor complaint when compared to everything I did enjoy.

Once Upon a Spring Morn

2008-03-24T12:15:00.003-04:00

Book 4/25

Dennis L. McKiernan's Once Upon a Spring Morn

Sadly, I am coming down to the end of Mr. McKiernan's Tales of Faery series; there remains just one book to read. I'm actually curious to see whose point of view the final edition - Once Upon a Dreadful Time - will be told in. I'd like to see Mr. McKiernan come full circle and return to Camille, but I'm not certain if that will happen. That's neither here nor there, though.

Celeste is the youngest of the four siblings of the Forests of Seasons, and that fact comes across...perhaps too well. Despite her accuracy with a bow, and her strength at overcoming the Ogre, Celeste gives the impression of being weak and helpless. The fact that her entire journey is in the company of Roel only bolsters that image; her brother and sister, and even Camille all managed their harrowing tasks on their own. The final straw was her panic over riddles and her own claims that she wasn't clever enough to solve such things. It's clear that Mr. McKiernan wanted her to be youthful and, yet, still clever, but it came across as a stereotypical princess who cannot even manage to saddle her own horse. I would have liked to have seen her cope with everything on her own. At the very least, I would have liked her to have earned her ending, as her siblings did. Instead, it felt more that she was handed her "happily ever after" in just the first handful of chapters, with filler following behind.

This book did have the strongest feeling of adventure about it, as well as some of the most dramatic battles and tasks. The solving of the map took the place of the riddles, which lost much of their appeal in Celeste's tears. I was happy to see a return of services needing to be rendered, however. The Fates themselves were also granted their due - finally - upon the sea, demonstrating how great their power actually reaches. Considering that they have continued to ask for the siblings' help with the fight against Orbane and his acolytes, to see how much power they weild alone gave Orbane the dread and fear that was lacking up to this point. Unfortunately, things fell apart, again, with the warband; this was one more instance of proving that Celeste is weak and unable to cope on her own. While I agree that her task was greater than those of her siblings, I wanted to see her succeed, on her own. The warband robbed her of that chance, as well as robbing the readers of their own travails, as they simply jumped from place upon the map to another.

The book was, as always, beautifully written, and Mr. McKiernan borrowed from two tales, this time. The weaving of all of the mythos, and the allusions to the previous books' trials was wonderfully accomplished. Faery became even more magical and dramatic this time, and I think it was, again, due to seeing through a mortal's eyes. Roel granted a fresh perspective that recaptured the wonder of Faery and its impossibilities. Unfortunately, Mr. McKiernan committed that horrible error of a dangling ending. While couched in love and happiness, he left the shadow looming higher and higher, and then snatched the story away. My only hope is that Once Upon a Dreadful Time will live up to its promise.

Once Upon an Autumn Eve

2008-02-15T14:18:00.002-05:00

Book 3/25

Dennis L. McKiernan's Once Upon an Autumn Eve

The third book in the Faery collection, Once Upon an Autumn Eve continued with an introduction in the first chapter which felt, unfortunately, like the identical opening to Once Upon a Summer Day. I suppose Mr. McKiernan was attempting to allow the books to stand alone, but the remainder of the tales in each require the reader to have journeyed with Camille and Borel and Liaze, previously. The repetition of the description of the twilight bounds and Faery itself was a trying beginning, particularly compared to the dramatic opening of Camille's tale in Once Upon a Winter's Night. Once again, as well, it is the actual Princess of the Autumnwood the story centers around, not an outsider entering Faery (yes, there is a special place in my heart for Camille, and her tale will always be my favorite *-*).

Liaze is a much earthier woman than Camille or even Chelle; she seems to defy the expectation of a virginal Princess, with her past daliances with men. While it fits nicely with her demense, I was a little taken aback at this blatant disregard for the rules of fairy tales. To then cast Luc as the pure swain felt very off-key and out of kilter (particularly regarding Camille's admission when asked how she would have felt had Alain not been "experienced"). It did dim my view of Liaze quite a bit, where I normally would have cheered for such a reversal as the Princess rescuing her love from a curse. I also think it made Luc appear, well, lacking. Even as Liaze journeyed back along his paths, he appeared more weak and timid than the brave knight errant he was cast as. I can understand the reasons Mr. McKiernan may have had, but I think they did more damage to the story than help.

Mr. McKiernan also departed from his own rules, in this particular tale, which shocked me: the Fates did not always demand a service be rendered by Liaze before giving her their redes. Before this book, there was always a service to be done, no matter how simple a task it was; the Fates themselves answered it with rules they were bound by: a service, a riddle answered, and no straight answers given. I was really surprised when Liaze was freed of such strictures. Again, it took something away from the world Mr. McKiernan has created.

The tales and mythos along Liaze's journey were, as always, a delight, particularly the howling castle. The notion of a home forced to repeat every sound within is a writer's dream. The Hunt was a chilling addition, as well, and it went far to providing an insight into Liaze's character. It was nice to have a return to the thoughts and wonders and questions of the main character, which Borel lacked in Once Upon a Summer Day. Perhaps Mr. McKiernan simply writes better female characters than male? *-* Also, Nightshade as an intelligent, though silent, companion was a nice return to Camille's plight. Having a quiet creature to speak to and "listen" to places more magic into the tale, without becoming too fantastical by granting an animal speech.

While events were hinted at in Once Upon a Summer Day, it was nice to return to the tale of Orbane. The true tale is Liaze's search for Luc, but it brought back the warning the Fates had given to Camille, demanding her aid when requested for "the one who would pollute the River of Time." As much as the twilight borders, legends, and magic, it ties the entire series of books together, adding new hints and new information throughout each journey. It also gave more insight into Valeray, who had little to do with the previous stories, despite the role he played in the sealing of Orbane.

The book was enjoyable, and it was nice to see Mr. McKiernan returning to a fairy tale that doesn't appear in the mainstream. I've read "The Glass Mountain" and the tale, alone, is very confusing; Mr. McKiernan leant it the stability and explanation that I think it needed. As usual, his ability to write in this fantastic realm is awe-inspiring; the only true downside is knowing that the end of the series is looming - as if the stories of Faery could ever really end.

Once Upon a Summer Day

2008-02-15T13:58:00.003-05:00

Book 2/25

Dennis L. McKiernan's Once Upon a Summer Day

I read Mr. McKiernan's Once Upon a Winter's Night several years ago, and I fell in love with Faery and the Forests of Seasons. Mr. McKiernan truly has the Bardic Gift, and his ability to weave tales from every region into a single, coherent story (a world, even), is something I am in awe of. While I don't entirely agree with his assessment that romances are meant to be flavored in French, he captures the passion and tragedy of the fairy tale romances perfectly.

Once Upon a Summer Day takes place shortly after its predecessor, when the family of Valeray and Saissa are still within the Summerwood. In a change from Once Upon a Winter's Night, the story is told from Borel's perspective, rather than a mortal's. That, alone, took away some of the marvel of the worlds of Faery, simply because they were new to Borel, but not surprising. Whereas Camille was continually delighted by everything she saw, Borel simply accepted the changing realms as a part of Faery. The wonder was left to the microworld of Buzzer, and her abilities to navigate a world she had not been born into.

While Flic was amusing, his conversation, again, took away some of the magic that Scruff had brought in the first book. It seemed, almost, like the same story, save the companion could now speak clearly. Unfortunately, the insight into Borel was sorely lacking. Camille was full of thought, imagination, questions, and wonder, which covers the pages of the book. Borel, on the other hand, simply seemed to be hollow, with very little to contribute via the mind. His manipulations of Chelle's dreams gave a partial view into his thoughts and life, but not enough that I felt I understood him. Perhaps part of it was due to the fact that his, Wolves - so much a part of him - were kept from the majority of the story; he was an incomplete character on a quest.

The loss of time while playing eches against the King Under the Hill seemed unfair - to the readers. While it was true to lore, it seemed as if that was done simply to hasten the story along to the discovery of the manor. Camille lost days and nights rapidly along the River of Time, but there was an explanation to the loss, and her troubled heart was given its due. Borel was agitated and upset, but he seemed to simply brush it aside and continue on. A further story could have been slid into the quest, as was done with the Pooka and the cursed knights.

The book was a clever retelling of "Sleeping Beauty," though not as new and original as I had hoped. While Mr. McKiernan certainly expanded the tale, weaving back in the sex and violence stripped from the original tale, the basics remained the same: the vines, the spinning wheel, a dramatic length of time spent in sleep (though not the hundred years so popular in the original story, thankfully). The connection in dreams was an interesting twist, but the consequences of those manipulated dreams seemed to simply remain hanging. Why was the Eagle introduced, and then completely forgotten? The impression I had - as with the Wolves - was that the Eagle would have some part to play in the story, but he was simply an anecdote.

The book was still beautifully written, and Mr. McKiernan is an author who believes in winding his tales down from the climax, detailing the return to the Winterwood and Alain and Camille's wedding. He provides a sense of closure to the story, and he satisfies the reader that there is something between rescue and blissful love. I just wish he had delved more into Borel's character; I knew more of Chelle than he, and her place in the story was fairly minor.

Still, Mr. McKiernan's Faery books are always enchanting, and he constantly introduces new mythologies and lore into Faery, making it remain the vast and unchartable realm that it is meant to be.

The Fire Rose

2008-02-15T13:38:00.002-05:00

Book 1/25

Mercedes Lackey's The Fire Rose

This review is a good month late in the posting, but at least it's finally being finished. *-* Nothing like the guilt of picking up another book in a collection to make one rush to do the first review.

This is the first of Ms. Lackey's Elemental Masters books (though Amazon and Barnes and Noble both list another - The Serpent's Shadow - as being first), and the first of that collection that I've read. I had skimmed the Elemental books, of course, but I was usually working on another set, and so they went back on the shelf. Due to my other current readings, though, the chance to dip into some reworked fairy tales was hard to resist.

The Fire Rose is the only Masters book (thus far) that takes place in the United States, dating to just before the San Francisco earthquake/fire in the early 1900s. Ms. Lackey's command of history was an absolute delight. Even if I had no earthly idea what she was referring to regarding clothing and furniture, the picture that was painted felt true to history. Rosalind, herself, is a true Lackey heroine, in that she has attempted to reach beyond the bounds set for her, engaging in a college education and literature that would have scandalized the stuffiest matron of the era. Her plight coincided with a financial/occupational rift of my own, and Ms. Lackey captured, perfectly, the state of mind and thoughts of someone in Rosalind's situation. It was a far more elegant "confinement" than is seen in the original "Beauty and the Beast."

Jason departs only slightly from the original fairy tale, in that his monstrous transformation was at his own hands, but he still has the same fierce barbarism that is attributed to the original creature; the same division between man and beast. However, Ms. Lackey gives his perspective on his own changes, providing an insight into the Beast that isn't found in the fairy tales. And, while I will always cherish Disney's transformed servants, the salamanders were a treat; they were given an intelligence and personality not usually accredited to familiars in other elemental pieces I've read. At the same time, it was nice to see a blending of Chinese elemenatlism with the Western world - and dragons being the source of the earthquake is the best description I've yet seen. Ms. Lackey transformed disasters in our own history into something beyond our control, yet not as difficult to understand/accept as the true cause of the Chicago fire or San Francisco's destruction.

The ending felt a little abrupt, to me, moving from a high action climax to an idyllic scene; there was no solid explanation given to the transitional period. As to Rosalind's reaction to Jason, I felt it a little difficult to accept her position as easily as she did - though perhaps that was due to my being influenced by the cover image, rather than the actual descriptions in the book (though I thought the two matched quite well). Unfortunately, I've found that Ms. Lackey's reinventions of fairy tales and such usually do wind to a short stop, with only a cursory look at the result of her characters' lives. While you expect a happy ending, it feels that it's granted without really being deserved - even when you know the trials the characters have gone through. Considering how well she detailed Rosalind's mind, it felt like a cheat to be robbed of that final process from employee to partner.

Overall, though, the book has me hooked on the Elemental Masters. Her history and the development of the elements and their habits is a treat to read.

The Highwayman

2007-12-28T11:45:00.001-05:00

Book 16/25

R.A. Salvatore's The Highwayman

(You know you're behind on posting reviews when you have a brain freeze trying to remember your login information. *~*)

I just want to begin by stating I will NOT be meeting my goal of 25 books, this year. This was the last book I finished this year, and I should have posted the review back in October. Since then, I've been slowly wading through Tad Williams' Shadowmarch, but I'm still a good 200 pages from completing that book. Had Real Life not decided to throw me a curve ball, things might have gone differently. Oh, well. Does it count that I read a lot of textbooks and non-fiction books and banged out a 4.0 for my fall semester?

Anyway, onto the review. I haven't read any of Mr. Salvatore's work before; this was another of the books that my father recommended. I'm afraid Mr. Salvatore doesn't get any points for originality (let's face it, this is a retelling of Robin Hood), but it was still a pleasant read. I'm not familiar with the Corona-verse, but it falls neatly into your typical Medieval-type world where the Church is just beginning to leave its footprint, and smaller towns and villages find themselves being squashed into kingdoms ruled by men with visions of power dancing before their eyes. The caste system is in effect, to some degree, and the pagans are being ousted, as much as possible.

Really, though, the most interesting part of the entire book was the description of the sword's making. It was a little difficult to follow the steps (and the concept of millions of folds of metal), but it leant the sword a "personality" and life, without turning it into some gawdy singing trinket. I haven't come across any other stories that have gone into such detail, changing the sword from a tool into a kind of magical force.

The time bouncing was annoying, as usual, and I don't think it really contributed to anything. The Highwayman is introduced and portrayed as a rogue mercenary, and then you're dumped years before his conception in a different country, entirely. I can see where the introduction may have been intended to sweep readers into the action, but it didn't follow through. You're given a character who then, basically, falls off the surface of the world, not reappearing for decades. By the time he returns, you've already forgotten the initial carriage ride - or, like me, you flip through pages trying to figure out where it fits in the new timeline. I think Mr. Salvatore would have been better off sticking to a normal chronology, rather than trying to "open with a bang."

This will be the last post of 2007. I have no idea what I'll be setting as a goal for 2008 (besides the four books currently sitting on my desk, courtesy of Christmas). My reading ability is hanging in the balance with a number of other things, and it may be another week or two before I find out how things are going to fall out. Ideally, I'll aim for 25 again, as I didn't meet it this year.

Endurance

2007-09-28T12:17:00.000-04:00

Book 15/25

S.L. Viehl's Endurance

This is the third book in the StarDoc series, and, unfortunately, it made it clear that I need to read the books one after the other, simply to keep track of various characters. It's been months since I finished Beyond Varallan, and even longer since I finished StarDoc, and I found myself a little confused as to who some of the characters were, as well as recognizing some of the previously-described alien species. It didn't make the book unreadable, just a little foggy around the edges.

Cherijo continues to mystify me. Her choice of loves has absolutely no reason behind it, which borders too close to "true love" for my stomach or taste. She has every reason to feel differently about Duncan Reever (anyone who locked me in a machine to have an ID branded into my arm is not going to rank very high in my book), yet she maintains that she does love him, even through his punishments of her. I don't know that it's realistic to expect someone to feel the same after they've been thrown into an isolation pit. It grates a little too much on a victim mentality, for me; I don't view Cherijo that way.

The story itself was an improvement over Beyond Varallan; there was one plot line that stuck, which was nice. It was also refreshing to get a glimpse into the Hskskt from their world; not exactly from the "villain's" point of view, but enough to give them a redeeming value. I think Ms. Viehl is a little overfond of sentient "inanimates," but it adds a layer of ability to Cherijo that explains some of her connection to Reever. The pel was an interesting concept, though I think the tul could have been given some more explanation. For a book focusing on medical care, their role in the meningitis cases kind of ended up glossed over. I would have liked to have seen some of the disease process.

Which reminds me, I do have to admit that, now that I'm in classes for Vet Tech, the medical terminology is MUCH easier to understand, and I can grasp everything that's going on without batting an eye. *-*

I don't want to throw in any spoilers, but the ending was a disappointment (I've touched on one of the reasons why). It was predictable, unfortunately. There was no doubt about any identities or diagnoses, and you knew all would end well. It was a let down from before, where the outcome was more uncertain, the emotions swinging more towards the negative end of the spectrum. Also, I want to know what malfunction would incite someone to accept a "drone" from the person who has been hunting them and ruining their lives. That seems like the most brainless idea I can think of, and I don't know why there wasn't more suspicion.

All in all, I did enjoy the book, and I'm looking forward to picking up Shockball soon (hopefully). The creatures Ms. Viehl comes up with still leave me in awe, and I'd love to see her notes on each of them. There's a lot of room to explore in the StarDoc universe, and it's nice to see that she does exactly that.

His Dark Materials

2007-09-28T11:53:00.000-04:00

Book 14/25

Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials

For those who are not aware (i.e., have not stepped into a bookstore in the past month or so), His Dark Materials is the name for the entire trilogy, which contains The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. I had debated reviewing each book separately, but I didn't exactly read them separately. Instead, I went directly through the entire book, and this particular version included "lantern slides" from Mr. Pullman of additional material. I can't really say the "slides" were of much interest, though. There's no organization to the thoughts or explanations (were these paragraphs/ideas he cut during editing? Material that occured to him after publication? Random thoughts?), and they left me feeling more confused than anything.

That said, I am in complete awe of Mr. Pullman. I don't know why these books are shelved in the Independent Reader section, because I think they deserve to sit on the Fantasy shelves. The worlds Mr. Pullman has created are magnificent, the story is powerful, and it just isn't the fuzzy, world-is-wonderful drivel I expect in a children's book. Lyra and Will are on par with Harry, Hermione, and Ron, if not a step ahead. The blurbs on the cover insisted this was a dramatic telling of the coming-of-age, but I found so much more in these stories than that simple plot. This was the best vision of reality clothed in fantasy that I've seen in a long time, and I'm glad I chose to buy the entire collection at once. Honestly, I think the only reason this is labeled a book for younger audiences is because of the age of the main characters. The language, the concepts, the events - they speak to any age (to be honest, I felt some of it was meant for a more mature age, as I doubt children are ready to comprehend what was happening between Mrs. Coulter's daemons and her partners).

I haven't seen parallel worlds done this well, ever. Mr. Pullman has literally layered everything, one on top of the other, and then changed the hues to make each world unique. The idea of a consequence to the use of the subtle knife was also a nice touch; it put responsibility into the pictures without beating it over the heads of the readers. The concept of Dust/Shadow Particles has still left me a little baffled as to what he was attempting to describe, but the idea had me intrigued. The idea of a daemon as a part of oneself was a new way of looking at familiars or Companions or any of the dozens of the other animal/creature-human bonds that have been done.

I'll admit, I was concerned, at first, when they began to get into the religious aspect of Dust and the naming of Lyra as Eve. I started to think I'd fallen into another Christian-worship book where good and evil were going to be easy to identfy. I was pleasantly surprised to find Mr. Pullman adopting a belief system that parallels my own - it's something I've never seen before in a book for young audiences. The idea of the dead returning to nourish the world, the battle of the Church against everyone else; it was delivered beautifully.

The books aren't perfect, of course, and the inconsistency with the daemons was my biggest frustration. Upon crossing into Lyra's world, John Perry immediately sees his, but Will crosses back and forth and never sees his until after the battle; Pan is visible in Will's Oxford, but Mary's is only visible if she "looks" properly. There didn't seem to be one rule for how the daemons behaved, and that was frustrating. If one person couldn't see their daemon in a particular world, it stands to reason that everyone should follow that pattern; at the very least, explain why there are exceptions. In addition, Mrs. Coulter is hard to believe. In fact, I didn't believe any part of her character through to the end. She was evil for evil's sake, but not quite (I'm not sure the same could be said for her golden monkey). Her motivation escaped me, especially in The Amber Spyglass. She wasn't a strong antagonist, really, and she was too predictable. Actually, with the exception of Mary, all of the adults had a similar bent to them. I don't know if this is a remark on how children view adults or simply that Mr. Pullman wanted his children to shine.

To say much more would be to risk spoilers, and I don't want to do that. This book was beautiful and amazing, and I am looking forward to seeing The Golden Compass this holiday season with both excitement and dread. *-*

Wildwood Dancing

2007-09-27T10:22:00.000-04:00

Book 13/25

Juliet Marillier's Wildwood Dancing

This is the first young adult book Ms. Marillier has written (and not the last, I am delighted to find, though next October feels like a lifetime away), and I was eager to get my hands on it. I have, of course, read all of her other available books (they're actually fighting for space on my bookshelves), and I wanted to see how she would handle a younger audience. When I glanced at the blurb and found she had chosen Transylvania for her setting (a dramatic change from her previous books), I was even more hooked.

As usual, Ms. Marillier's language and characters are flawless; she painted a view of Transylvania at odds with what most authors I've seen attempt. Instead of focusing on the occult side of the region, she introduced the language and beauty of the forests, as well as the local tales. Vampires did make their appearance, of course, but the Night People title granted them a...I don't want to say softer image, but it painted them as more than just undead bloodsuckers. They became creatures of depth, existing on and off the same plain as the fairies and myths found in the Dancing Glade. I don't know whether that was simply Ms. Marillier's take on the mythos, or if that is the belief in the region, but it was one I enjoyed.

This is the first book since Daughter of the Forest where Ms. Marillier chose to reintrept a fairy tale, and I was a little disappointed; her story ran alongside the original a little closer than I would have hoped, particularly with "The Frog Prince" (which, I'm afraid to say, was obvious was going to happen from the second Gogu was introduced). The reasons behind the escape to the Dancing Glade were changed, but the rest felt too similar, down to the wine and the man enclosed in the room. If you know the fairy tales, you know exactly what's going to happen, which was a frustration; I prefer when she keeps you at the edge of your seat, wondering which direction the story will lead. I wish I could say Gogu's revelation was a surprise, but it was obvious as to what his true identity was as soon as the Old Crone explained the rules of the Game.

It's a beautiful story, but I was let down. It just didn't feel like any of the characters earned their endings. Yes, Jena had to work to repair the wrongs she'd done, but it was so easy. A betrayal that great shouldn't be able to be healed in a single evening. As for Tati, I honestly felt betrayed myself. She had given up all hope, let herself fall into a despair that brought her close to death. The fact that she refused to believe in Sorrow should have brought about a consequence of some kind. I don't know if Ms. Marillier chose Tati's path because this was a book aimed for a younger audience, or if she simply felt Tati's suffering warranted a particular ending. Either way, I was very disappointed - not to mention surprised that Tati just dropped out of thin air. This book doesn't lend itself well to a sequel, and it would have been nice to have more of her story, especially with how close she and Jena were.

I don't think Ms. Marillier excelled with this audience the way she has in her other books. The blood and tears and anguish weren't as sharp as I've come to expect, and it was disappointing. I knew there would be changes, but it felt that this story was too soft (especially after reading Phillp Pulman's His Dark Materials, which was actually shelved an audience DOWN from Wildwood Dancing). The book itself is still beautiful, and the characters have a depth and history that I've come to love her for, but it wasn't as gripping, for me, as her previous work. It won't keep me from placing the book on it's proper shelf, or from buying the next young adult book next autumn (forgive me - the title escapes me), but it was a disappointment, nonetheless.

Warriors #4: Rising Storm

2007-09-27T10:07:00.000-04:00

Book 12/25

Erin Hunter's Warriors #4: Rising Storm

One of these days, I'm going to figure out how to read a series WITHOUT gross pauses between books. Unfortunately, today isn't that day. Erin Hunter's Warriors series, though, is an easy enough read that I didn't feel lost trying to remember what had happened in the previous three books (the same cannot be said for S.L. Viehl's Endurance, which I'll get the review done for eventually).

The complaints I've previously had with the Warriors series continue in this book (i.e., grammar, word choice, those infernal dialogue tags), but they were less noticeable, for me in Rising Storm; most likely because it felt like there was an actual story this time, not the simple passage of time of Fireheart learning how to exist in the forest. Various stories were finally woven together (though not as completely as I would have liked), and characters began to gain some new dimensions. Cinderpelt was able to come into her own and confront her guilt; Bluestar began to show a serious breakdown in herself as she contemplated Tigerclaw and her abandoned kittens; oddly enough, Whitecloud emerged as a full character, rather than simply a background in the Clan. In addition, it was nice to see Cloudpaw's discovery of the two-legs. I don't know that he really demonstrated any learning from his experience, but it was there - a nice reminder for Fireheart of what he gave up.

That said (and my apologies on being brief - this is what happens when you wait over a month to get your reviews done), the book was also kind of a letdown. Bluestar was my biggest disappointment; she dissolved into a completely useless creature. While I understand Ms. Hunter's desire to illustrate the honor and loyalty the Clan is meant to show to its leader, Bluestar has become a non-existant. What little she does is tainted with signs of illness (mental and physical), and the Clan remarks on it constantly. I know that Ms. Hunter is moving towards Bluestar's death (the same way it was obvious a fire was going to be involved in this book), but she's working towards it so completely that I'm hoping for the Clan leader's death, soon. She's no longer an admirable character; in my opinion, she's barely retained anything to call her a cat.

Ms. Hunter did grab my curiosity with the illness infecting Shadow Clan, though. This is most likely due to my own studies, but I was intrigued by the symptoms presented, how swiftly it killed, and that Cinderpelt was able to find a cure for it (which ruled out rabies). I would have liked to have seen more done in that realm, if nothing else to illustrate the need for competent medicine cats (particularly with Spottedleaf's return to Fireheart's dreams). Unfortunately, the Clan in-fighting continues to take precedence, as did the cliffhanger ending (the worst Ms. Hunter has used, thus far). It's a shame; I think there was a lot of potential there.

All in all, though, Ms. Hunter has made me a permanent reader, and I was delighted to find that there are several more series in this world for me to explore. Hopefully, I won't end being as piecemeal about it as I have this first block of six books.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

2007-07-26T15:05:00.000-04:00

Book 11/25

J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

While I wasn't up to fighting hordes of small children to get my copy at midnight, I was one of those people who pre-ordered my copy months ahead of time and had Amazon deliver it straight to my door on the 21st. I then set my roommate strict instructions to wake me the second the doorbell was wrung, so I wouldn't have it sit on my doorstep any longer than necessary. Ordinarily, I would have barricaded myself in my room until I finished the book, but the wretched requirement of work caused me to take three days to finish the book - a sad, new record. *~*

With the exception of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ms. Rowling has never disappointed me, and this final installment was no exception. Her writing ability has awed me from the beginning, and while there were no surprises in this book (let's face it, we all knew Voldemort was the bad guy), she still wove the story brilliantly. She managed to maintain a level of suspense throughout the book, so that it was very difficult to close it and set it aside. She also took away characters that left a strong impression on you, and, I admit, she had me in tears, at one point. I'd say that I was angry or shocked, but, considering that we all know where this book was going, I'm not. She did what a true author has to and made necessary sacrifices.

It wasn't perfect, as much as I did enjoy it and will read it again (as soon as I can prise it out of my boyfriend's fingers). I was a little tired of the exact same descriptions being used in all seven books. Yes, it set up continuity, but, honestly, couldn't she have found a new way to describe Snape's greasy hair besides the curtain angle? Also, I'm not really sure the Deathly Hallows element contributed anything to the story. It was an added confusion that I had trouble folding into the story I already knew concerning the Horcruxes. The Elder Wand made a kind of sense, but the Cloak and Resurrection Stone...they felt tacked on for the sake of preserving the fairy tale Rule of Three. It didn't seem like they really contributed anything, save some narrow escapes, and a reason for Xenophilus Lovegood (though, frankly, what we already know of Luna made Xenophilus' cracked mind understandable). I admit, it makes for a nice title, but it wasn't really needed, in my opinion; the book was strong enough on its own.

The ending was what I was expecting, right down to the Epilogue, which was completely unnecessary. I've heard some people muttering that they wanted to know what happened to several characters, but, really, if you've read the entire series, you know. You know where everyone is going to fall; you don't need a very confusing epilogue (she needed to invest in a baby names book, I think, just to flesh out her characters' list a bit more) to tell you. And that's the most that I'll say, as I don't want to throw out any spoilers for those who haven't finished reading the book.

It was everything I'd come to expect and more. As I said, Ms. Rowling rarely disappoints.

Alphabet of Thorn

2007-07-26T14:49:00.000-04:00

Book 10/25

Patricia A. McKillip's Alphabet of Thorn

This is another book I had passed to me by a co-worker, who knew I read fantasy. The summary was vaguely interesting, so I decided to give it a try. Too bad the best part of the book was the cover art.

Quoted as a "book about a book," it's populated with nothing save tired, cardboard archetypes. There is no depth to any of the characters, and no explanations for their feelings or actions. Nepenthe is the only one with some background, but even it isn't interesting, in the least. As soon as you find out that she was an orphan, abandoned on the side of a cliff, you know what her real identity is going to become. Every plot element, from the deciphering of the thorns to the abilities of the Queen Tessera (which come out of nowhere and have no logical explanation), to Bourne staying beside Nepenthe is predictable. There are no surprises anywhere, not even in the tales of Axis and Kane.

The back-and-forth shifting between Nepenthe and Kane is set up poorly; you are jolted each time the shift is made, because it fragments the action and throws the timeline into confusion. That may have been Ms. McKillip's intent, but it makes for very aggravated reading. Several times, I had to back up and figure out what had happened, or to check if I'd accidentally skipped pages. It was impossible to get lost in this book; there was a constant awareness that I was sitting, holding a book - populated with just as uninteresting paper characters. Bourne is useless, save as eye candy, Tessera makes no sense whatsoever (save that somebody had to save the day, and, of course, it should be a Queen), and Nepenthe, for all of her proclaimed intelligence, is an idiot. She doesn't figure out what's going on until it's already too late to stop it, and then she seems surprised. It's a scene at odds with the proclamations of her amazing translation abilities.

As for the ending...not one person had an ending that made any sense. Kane violated her character beyond belief, and Nepenthe just accepts her own ending. Bourne, typically, has to give a sparkle to the archetype of the poor orphan librarian (wishful thinking upon the part of the author?). And Tessera...Tessera just doesn't make any sense, and I'm not really certain why she exists in the story. One second, she's a sniveling baby who can't do anything, the next she's an actual Queen, with every resource she could possibly need - without a single believable moment of transition.

It was a drawn-out read for a short book, and nothing I care to repeat. I was more than happy to see the end roll around, simply so I could add it to my pile of books being donated to the library. Perhaps if you are a Nepenthe yourself, it would be appealing, but it isn't to anyone who reads fantasy regularly, and is tired of boring storylines and archetypes.

The Well of Shades

2007-06-26T13:08:00.000-04:00

Book 9/25

Juliet Marillier's The Well of Shades

Initially, I assumed this would be the last installment in the Bridei Chronicles, based on the Sevenwaters Trilogy and the Light Isles Children Duet. I was expecting a lot of loose ends to be tied back into place, and I wasn't entirely sure what to expect for the final ending. To me, though, it looks like there will be at least another book, which I'm delighted to hope for.

After my disappointment with Blade of Fortriu, I was a little hesitant to pick up this book. I knew that Faolan's story would be taking a priority, including a trip back into his past, and I wasn't sure what was going to happen. I didn't want to see the assassin dissolve into a whimpering lump of mush again, especially when the time table for the book still had Ana and Durstran alive and well in their perfect little world. While Faolan does undergo changes, it was nice to see that he retained his cold core. His character took on a depth that it had been lacking previously, and he did become a little more human, subject to miseries and doubts. I don't know that I really wanted him to be human, but I can't argue with how Ms. Marillier set that up.

Eile was an absolute delight, and the perfect foil for Faolan. In just the space of a few pages, she stepped forward as a powerful character, and that persisted through to the end of the book - a true credit to Deord's memory. Though I adore Tuala - and always have - Eile was, really, the best female character to appear in these books. Her determination to have her own life, alone, set her far above Ana. Her ending required work, pain, and suffering - it was duly earned, not just handed to her on a perfect golden platter. If anything, I think this was more her story than Faolan's.

Ana continued to disappoint. While the tragedy that struck her drew her down a little closer to humanity, she still was little better than a will-o'-the wisp. She knows there's something different about her sister, Breda, but she does nothing about it; she's handfasted and runs as far away as possible, without even an attempt to speak to anyone, much less warn them. Breda, in comparison, became the polar opposite of Ana, and there's only the slightest hint of an explanation for her behavior. It was just a little too close to the evil-for-evil's-sake that was seen in Blade of Fortriu. It's obvious that something has gone wrong with Breda, but no one delves into why, and no one seems to care about her well-being. If anything, her tragedy is worse than that of Ana - or, maybe, compounded by Ana's ignorance of her own sister, whom she'd claimed to love and adore.

The concern of the approaching Christians and their demands for Ioua get lost in the stories of Faolon/Eile, Bridei/Tuala, Tuala/Broichan, Breda/White Hill, so that you forget they exist entirely. There's no description of their travels (not really), and they have only a few minor passages once they reach White Hill. Then there given Bridei's judgement and packed away again. Considering how many other things were coming apart, it would have been nice to see their influence play a little higher. After all, the title references Bridei's decision to do away with the ritual sacrifice, alongwith the remembered warning that the last king to ban the sacrifice witnessed his kingdom suffering and collapsing. The arrival of the Christians was a simple fraying that was easily mended.

I do hope, based on the final chapters, that there is another addition to this series. There are still several knots that are left hanging, and the ending was still a somber one. It's been my experience that Ms. Marillier doesn't generally end her tales on a wobbling note; true, the characters have to earn the endings (with the exception of Ana), but she's always managed to gift readers with a little bit of light at the end, and I hope that's the case for the Bridei Chronicles.

Blade of Fortriu

2007-05-30T14:02:00.000-04:00

Book 8/25

Juliet Marillier's Blade of Fortriu

There were other books that had appeared in my To Be Read pile before Amazon.com placed this one on my doorstep, but...well, good books can't be left waiting around like that. I do have to admit, though, that, of all of Ms. Marillier's books, this one was the most disappointing, to me. It lacked the power and emotion that I've come to expect in her work, and the characters fell short of the mark of believability - maybe due to the fact that, with the exception of the battles against the Dalriada, the entire account was fictional. Little as the information may be, it's pretty safe to assume there's more available about Bridei than there is about Ana or Faolan, and certainly Drustan; for once, Ms. Marillier failed to make the fictional believable.

Ana is remarked to have changed through the book, but her inner character and core stays constant the entire time. She's never happy about the arranged marriage to a stranger, and she always carries herself like a princess. Her thought patterns don't suddenly shift, though she makes the decision to follow her heart rather than duty (a plot line that is over done). She's the same woman at the end as she is at the beginning; the same strength is present in her at all times. It's a shame, because I would have liked to have seen her grow, adapt, and change into another creature altogether. To have her remain simply Ana, princess of the Light Isles was a disappointment.

As was Drustan. One of the reasons I love Ms. Marillier's work so much is that she creates characters who are human - they make mistakes, they have flaws, and they are far from perfect. Suddenly, we're introduced to Drustan who is perfect in every sense of the word from heart to bearing to appearance. I honestly felt robbed of an emotional experience. This wasn't the painful struggle of Bridei and Tuala, or Sorcha and Red, or Liadan and Bran - this was fairy tale sugar where flowers smile and birds sing tunes you know. Neither Ana nor Drustan actually earned their ending, and I felt cheated. Ms. Marillier has always been a master as letting her characters earn whatever reward they wish. To have these two - both sickeningly perfect - get what they wanted without any real struggle or pain brought the entire story down for me. And I think that's what contributed to the pair being so cardboard - they were just beautiful, perfect people. How can you craft a story from that?

The other disappointment was Faolan (and I sincerely hope he is redeemed in Well of Shades). From the first, he has been a cold, calculating, hard-bitten assassin with no past or story to his name. While it was nice to have some of that story appear, I felt like it was at the loss of an important aspect of his character. He falls in love with Ana so easily, and he just disintegrates into a gibbering mess. I'm supposed to believe this cold-hearted assassin and spy would, in the space of a few moments, turn into the worst mush-brained minstrel? It wasn't believeable. Maybe if the change had been gradual, or even if it had waited until after his rescue from the flood, but that didn't happen - he holds her once, and he's gone. His character had depth and stood out, but then he slipped back into the cardboard scenery with the rest when he turned into such a...well, pansy!

The writing itself is, as always, beautiful, and it's a lovely enough story; it just wasn't what I've come to expect from Ms. Marillier, and I was honestly disappointed. I hope that my faith can be redeemed when Amazon sees fit to leave Well of Shades on my doorstep.

Tooth and Claw

2007-05-14T15:04:00.000-04:00

Book 7/25

Jo Walton's Tooth and Claw

This book is a rarity: one I've never heard of, that was simply passed to me by a former co-worker when she saw me reading one of the Warriors books and overheard me discussing Watership Down at lunch one day. When I checked the back blurb and saw it billed as a Victorian novel with dragons, I was really leery, and I almost skipped reading it. My past history with Victorians involved a string of school assignments that convinced me the Victorian era was the most boring time period the planet has ever seen.

The "drama" of finding spouses and maintaining one's personal and family honor was a little dry, as well as being far from unique or interesting, though the romance between Selendra and Sher deserves the title of cute. The dragons themselves, though, and their rituals and world were amazing. The concept of needing to eat dragonflesh in order to grow added a sinister twist to a very rigid world, obsessed with proper attire and conversation. It was a take on cannibalism that I've never seen before, and it explained the behavior of Devarak and added the horror to Bon's confession on his deathbed. I also liked the color change for the female dragons, where they blush a pink shade when propositioned by their love (or forced by a villain). It was an idea I had never considered before, and it gave depth and story to Selendra, as well as displaying Sebeth's disgrace. The blush was another level to society, one that you don't get in your usual Victorian novels.

The set up for the chapters and sections was a little strange, though the final one was quite humerous - and the only authorial intrusion that didn't jolt the novel. There were quite a few places where Ms. Walton intruded into the storyline, and none of them were actually needed. The sudden appearance threw me out of the story, and the first one confused me as I tried to figure out who was speaking. The head-hopping was a little trying at times, but the author's passages were annoying. I don't like having to stop and retrace several paragraphs to figure out who's speaking to me about what. I think the story would have been fine if the author had stayed out of the plot.

The ending was a trace disappointing, especially with the introduction of the Yarge. I don't know what purpose he was meant to serve, as the Yarge were only spoken of in past tense throughout the rest of the novel. It added a new element to the story that just fizzled and disappeared. Considering the Yarge's true "identity" had been obvious the entire story, it didn't have any shock value for me, which is what I think Ms. Walton was going for. There could have been better ways to set the truce between the Exalt and Selendra. Everything tied up neatly at the end - everyone engaged or properly wed to who you knew they'd end up with - but there were elements that had been introduced that never went anywhere, which was disappointing. I would have liked to know what became of Haner's crusade for servants, or the treasure cave the dragonets found, or even the purpose of the True Religion being practiced by an Eminence. My guess is that these plot lines aren't popular in the Victorian sect, so they took a back seat to the family and love angles; a shame, I think.

All in all, it was a pleasant read, and it has sparked my interest in finally picking up Pride and Prejudice. Of course, that will need to wait until my To Be Read pile shrinks just a bit more.

East of the Sun, West of the Moon

2007-05-02T09:31:00.000-04:00

Book 6/25

John Ringo's East of the Sun, West of the Moon

Right from the beginning, I was offended by this book; "East of the Sun, West of the Moon" is one of my favorite fairy tales (courtesy of Dennis L. McKiernan's Once Upon a Winter's Night), and a beautiful title for something which really should have been labeled Orcs in Space. Yes, Mr. Ringo provided an explanation for the title (the location of the refueling ship they would be taking over), but I just don't think that was strong enough to justify dragging an elegant fairy tale through the muck. Add in that I'm not a fan of Mr. Ringo, and the book actually didn't disappoint me.

I don't know why this book was written. It served absolutely no purpose. The storyline that was begun in the previous Council Wars books had only a feeble life in this book. All this particular novel seemed concerned about was Herrick and Megan's non-existant sex life, cramming in as much nudity, lust, and sexual innuendo as humanly possible. There are erotica books out there less concerned with sex! Where, before, you were swamped with dictation on army tactics and armor and history lessons that would bore an archaeologist, this book shoved all of that aside in favor of noting the awe that one whore was able to service the entire army. Maybe that's appealing to males (which, I will admit, are the target audience of a lot of science fiction), but it's repellant to anyone looking for an actual story that might further a plot line well-established in three other books.

It's my father's belief that this is the last book of the series, but I have my doubts (and my hopes that it IS, as this was so horrible). Nothing was settled! The War hasn't ended, no additional energy is coming in from anywhere, and threads were left dangling all over the place. Sure, one can assume the Changed Elf and Orc (my apologies for not using their names - Dad took the book back already) burned up on the ship, but that seems a little too simple (why establish these as characters if you were just planning to drop their story into a bottomless pit?) The only thing that seemed to acheive any resolution is the suggestion at the end that Herrick and Megan finally got it together. Hardly exciting, and hardly important in the massive war that has consumed the planet!

If Mr. Ringo has any sense, he'll drop this series as a lost cause. I haven't read too many of his other books, but I think he has better storylines going on elsewhere. This is a horse that died and rotted away a while ago.

The Dark Mirror

2007-05-02T09:16:00.000-04:00

Book 5/25

Juliet Marillier's The Dark Mirror: Book One of the Bridei Chronicles

This is the first book that is genuinely historical, for Ms. Marillier. There's no doubt that she invests a massive amount of research into her books, but the characters are drawn from her own imagination. This time, though, the trilogy is based on King Bridei, and the historic battles and records (what few there were) are embedded into her usual storytelling prowess. I'm not a big fan of historical genres, but this book can't help but draw you in, and I absolutely loved it.

That said, I still felt the urge to hurl the book away from me as I read further into the story and found Bridei and Tuala being wrenched further and further apart. Ms. Marillier is a champion at making her characters earn their endings (be they happy or otherwise), which is one of the reasons I enjoy her writing so much. At the same time, though, it breaks your heart to see these amazing people you've been introduced to being put through torture after torture. A veteran reader knows that the characters will get the ending they deserve, and it makes you bite your nails wondering if you might have missed something. It's an ability that I wish I had in my own writing. *-*

Broichan came across too unbending, for me, though. It wasn't out of character, but it left me with a sour taste in my mouth for the ending. After all he had done to Tuala (and Bridei), he seemed to close his mouth and step back too easily. Perhaps that's meant to fuel the reading of the entire trilogy (a better tool than the dreaded cliffhanger), but it felt awkward to me. Someone who has invested two decades in culturing his vision of the future shouldn't be so willinging to back down when confronted with his worst fear.

Along the same lines, Tuala's near-constant companions, while they served their purposes, created more annoyance than appreciation. You can find and read the motivations of every other character, but their purpose is a complete blank. That they have their own plans is obvious, but the why is a mystery. This happened in the Sevenwaters Trilogy, but it wasn't as pronounced, I think. This time, to have the Otherworld pulling strings with no defined goal just made for unneeded breaks in what was a beautiful story. Whether they persist in the trilogy (I have yet to read the next book, but my sister told me each is written from a different character's POV) or not, it'd be nice to at least glimpse a PURPOSE for their existance - other than to describe some of the forms the Others are capable of taking.

Simply put, I loved the book. I've loved every book Ms. Marillier has written, and I have Blade of Fortriu ordered. To be completely honest, I don't know if I'll be able to set it on the bottom of my To Be Read pile, where it belongs, because I'm completely drawn into this story. *-*

Sanctuary

2007-02-26T14:40:00.000-05:00

Book 4/25

Mercedes Lackey's Sanctuary

This is the third book in the Dragon Jouster's series, and I won't discuss how long it's been since I read the second book (Alta), given my previous rant. On reflection, I should have backtracked and re-read the second book before tackling this one, as it took me several chapters to remember who some of the characters were (i.e., if you haven't read the previous books, you will be sorely lost attempting to start with this book - it doesn't have as much backstory as you need to understand what's going on).

I was a little disappointed because this book focused more on the human characters, with the dragons taking a backseat. The dragons have never been the main characters, but they were always the driving force of the story, and a lot of attention was paid to their descriptions and naming, etc. This time, they were kind of just there. They were useful in the rescues to the Temple of the Twins and the Healers, but they really seemed to be almost inanimate objects - useful, but not particularly interesting. I recognize that, when debating politics, humans are needed, but the book was lacking, I think. The dragons were what caught my attention before, and why I fell in love with this series; I could really care less about political statements couched in fantasy.

That said, none of the characters really grew or changed, which was a kind of double-blow. They were the focus of this story, particularly Kiron and Aket-ten, and they stagnated. There's been some passage of time, and more time passes through the book, but no one really changed. Kiron, to me, still appears to be a very young child, which makes the romantic aspect of his relationship with Aket-ten very uncomfortable to read. It just doesn't feel like he's old enough to be contemplating marriage - regardless of the ancient Egyptian theme being utilized - much less sex. Previously, their stumbling affection was cute, but now it feels very awkward. I mean, Kiron was only about 10(?) when the series started! Whether he's aged or not, his character is still presented as very young. There's just no evidence that he's grown, gained adult knowledge, etc. He's smart, and he's learning, but he's still a kid. It just felt very off, to me.

The story itself was a little heavy-handed on the political messages, and I think the world lost a lot of its charm and magic because of it. Had this been written at a different time, maybe it wouldn't seem so glaring, but for someone who still knows people stationed in Iraq, it was blatant. I read fantasy as an escape from the real world, not to read someone else's political leanings - whether I agree with them or not. Ms. Lackey really should have narrowed her focus to the Magi and left out the lengthy paragraphs on corruption and pointless wars. That said, the Magi didn't come off as being all that bright. They made errors all over the place, and they didn't appear to learn from them. And how convenient for them to all perish in that mess at the end - deus ex machina anyone? A little hard to carry on a series when you dumped all of the antagonists into the ocean, especially when they've been controlling things for a couple of books now.

In comparison to Joust and Alta, this really paled. It just didn't acheive the level the previous books managed in terms of characters you wanted to learn about, the dragons themselves, and the world. Whether it was the intent or not, it just came off as a political statement, and that isn't what fantasy should be used for, in my opinion.

Beyond Varallan

2007-02-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

Book 3/25

S.L. Viehl's Beyond Varallan

There is nothing more annoying that attempting to read a series with huge gaps of non-series books sandwiched between each read. Alas, such is the fate of the person who just stacks books on a To Be Read pile without thinking. *-* Well, perhaps not that dramatic - it just took me until December to pick up the second StarDoc book (the first was previously reviewed back in July: StarDoc)...and will likely take me that long to pick up Shockball.

To begin, I don't know who did the copy editing on this book, but they should be fired. The typos were obnoxious, easily visible, and more prolific than I've seen in any book read to date. I don't recall there being this many problems in StarDoc, and it really jarred me out of the story each time. I was tempted to take a red pen to the book and fix everything, which was one reason it took me longer to finish this book than I anticipated. As soon as I hit more than one error in five pages, I just gave up; I couldn't stick with the story.

That said, it was still enjoyable. Squilyp was a great addition, as were the Jorenians aboard the Sunlace. Duncan Reever was less irritating in this book, though he still seemed to serve no functional part (save, of course, as a would-be bed warmer). There was one brief moment where I thought Ms. Viehl might begin to delve into his past, but it never came about - which made that moment really confusing. I understand that, in a series, you need to lay down seeds for future books, but they should at least have some relation to what's occurring in the present story. It doesn't take a genius to figure out there's a sordid past to Reever, and the continual blank walls is beginning to grate. For him to become a remotely useful character, he needs to develop a third dimension.

The story itself...well, it was interesting, but it paled in comparison to StarDoc. The plot jumped around almost aimlessly, and people/creatures fell in and out of character (and I'm not referring to the druggings). One moment, Cherijo is horrified at the destruction on NessNevat and questioning her motives in delivering the Hskskt brood back on K-2, the next, she's threatening Xonea in his full warrior's glory. The weakness she displayed, at times, was so out of character for her that I wondered if I actually had the second book, if I'd missed something crucial. I understand that all medical professionals experience a crises of faith now and then, but NessNevat seemed to just destroy her. Then, as the book closes, she's calmly orchestrating the capture of sixty League ships for the Hskskt and trying to kill Joseph Grey Veil. She might as well have been two people - not a trait I believe Ms. Viehl is going for.

After the discovery of the traitor's plans, things seemed to wobble around for a while, and that was irritating. I can appreciate wanting to end on a cliff, but do you have to drag people through a monotonous desert first? And, of course, the League's "ability" to guess where she would be was very dry; if you're aboard a Jorenian vessel, the odds are very good you'll pop up on Joren, at some point. The attack as a surprise just didn't work for me. Nor did the double betrayal at the end (which, I have to admit, I had a clue into based on a comment Ms. Viehl made on her blog). I'm all for abusing your characters, but this...I don't know. It just wasn't convincing to me; Cherijo wasn't destroyed by the knowledge that people close to her had sabotaged her. If she was as broken up over the NessNevat as was described, the betrayal should have turned her catatonic, not vengeful. As I said, characters just didn't behave as expected, based on previous knowledge. I don't mind characters changing, but swapping out new personalities entirely for no good reason...nope, I just don't buy it.

I do enjoy Ms. Viehl's writing, though, as well as her creatures, and I plan to continue reading the series - if nothing else, in the hopes that problems will be answered/solved. *-* For now, though, it's back to the To Be Read stack threatening to topple off my desk, which, currently, means a return to fantasy and Mercedes Lackey.

Warriors #3: Forest of Secrets

2007-01-18T08:15:00.000-05:00

Book 2/25

Erin Hunter's Warriors #3: Forest of Secrets

As a preface, this is the third book of a six-book series - and the last book I currently own, so I'll have to finish out reviewing the series at a later date.

The opening chapter continues to be an annoyance, especially in this book, as it is unclear when it's taking place. I assumed, based on the environmental information provided in Warriors #2: Fire and Ice that it was a current event (again, a different POV - this time from a RiverClan cat; I have to wonder if we'll be visiting ShadowClan next), as it was clearly winter. No, it's a past event that took place before even Warriors #1: Into the Wild. That jarred the rest of the book as I tried to figure out why ThunderClan was oblivious to two kits gone missing, particularly given how frantic they were when the kits had taken it upon themselves to hunt, under the direction of Cloudkit, in the last book. If you're going to annoy a reader by bouncing around in time, you need to provide a clue to that, or at least make the bridge between the past and present much sooner than chapters into the book. It set up a situation and potentional conflict that never existed; failure to deliver promised events.

Tigerclaw FINALLY showed his true stripes, despite numerous failed attempts by Ms. Hunter to make you second guess his character. While I'm sure it was supposed to be a revelation and shocking, it came across as "about damn time." It also had, really, nothing to do with the rest of the plot - it was tacked on near the end, and it came across as just being needed to make Fireheart deputy (the number of non-surprises in this series crosses the border of irritation. While I acknowledge this is geared for a younger audience, how stupid does Ms. Hunter think kids are?). There was no great revelation there, save maybe for Bluestar - but this book isn't written from Bluestar's POV, so it fell flat. And the parting "beware" shot came right out of the Cliche' Villainy Handbook.

While the secrets surrounding Mistyfoot and Stonefur made for an interesting read, it just wasn't enough to support the entire book (and is the only real secret revealed, as everything else was already known). It was obvious that the relationship between Graystripe and Silverstream was headed for a fall, and as soon as it was announced her kits were coming early, you knew she was making an exit a'la Romeo and Juliet. Graystripe's character reacted appropriately, though I don't understand the logic behind his defection to RiverClan. I understand he wanted to stay with his children, but Clans don't willingly accept members of enemy Clans. There needed to be a LOT more fallout from that, but the book just ends, as if it were perfectly acceptable. No discussion of the fact that Graystripe would be viewed as a traitor, regardless of which Clan he stayed with; no horror at the knowledge they would face each other in battle and have to attack each other; no anger on the part of RiverClan that the cat responsible for Silverstream's loss (in a round-about way) wanted to waltz right into their lives. It just didn't jive with the pounding lessons of the warrior code and Clan loyalty that is on almost every page.

It's an interesting story, but there are so many problems that could have easily been corrected if Ms. Hunter had taken the time to consider her own worldbuilding notes. You just can't set up this strict code and then violate it without a reaction; it doesn't make sense. Nor does Fireheart's annoyance with Cloudpaw make any sense; he conveniently has a blind spot to how cocky he was when he first joined ThunderClan, and the affection he had for his kin in the last book just evaporated here. Fireheart is an inconsistent character, and he's a very poor main character, at this point. It's hoped that the responsibility of deputy (and the fact that we all know Bluestar will die and Fireheart will become Firestar) might mature him even a little, but I have my doubts.

As I said before, this is the last book I have for this series, so it's on to something new - and a return to the adult reading camp. *-*

Warriors #2: Fire and Ice

2007-01-09T07:52:00.000-05:00

New year, new goal: 1/25 *-*

Erin Hunter's Warriors #2: Fire and Ice

Okay, so I was supposed to have finished this book last year, but illness intruded. All the same, I'm planning on upping my goal this year. I don't foresee a problem, mostly because I heaped a further seven books onto my To Be Read pile, courtesy of the holidays. *-* Anyway, on to Fire and Ice.

The book started out interesting, visiting the displaced WindClan in their exile, and I was anticipating a chance to get a glimpse into the other Clans. No such luck - outside of the opening chapter, everything continues to be written from Fireheart's POV. I don't know why Ms. Hunter chooses to open with different POVs that she doesn't maintain throughout the book. It's a chance to paint a more varied world, to introduce more backgrounds and stories, and it's wasted. If these additional POVs are going to contribute nothing to the story, they shouldn't be used.

And that sets the tone for the entire book. It opens dramatically, with a call to return WindClan to their territory (i.e., restoring balance), and Fireheart and Graystripe are sent on that very mission. I was expecting the entire story to have a focus there, but, again, I was disappointed. In the opening WindClan is terrified, moving further and further away from their territory. They're near-starving, a lot of the kits have died - they're miserable and determined to escape from the horror ShadowClan inflicted upon them. Suddenly, two ThunderClan cats pop up, tell them they should come home, and they do? Two cats from an enemy clan just tell them to come back, and they do? It doesn't make any sense. I realize the friendship between the two Clans was likely needed for further books in the series, but this was impossible to accept. You don't run miles from your home, pushing your family beyond their limits, just to change your mind at the drop of a hat because a complete stranger made the suggestion. How wishy-washy is WindClan supposed to be?

This book was a disappointment. Everyone in the book seems to be surviving on snap decisions that don't make any sense, given the world and characters that have been laid down. Cloudkit exemplifies that perfectly - he just does whatever he wishes, on a whim, almost. Fireheart grows suspicious of Graystripe for no good reason (the introduction of the illicit affair with Silverstream just isn't that convincing - they're supposed to be best friends), when he has every reason to be wary of Tigerclaws. The only one who seems to have some logic is Princess, in her decision to give Cloudkit to ThunderClan. While it's an odd thing for a kittypet to do, it makes sense for the familial bond she has with Fireheart and her desire to capture some of his freedom. That's where the reason ended, though, which is a shame.

Cinderpaw is the one redeeming quality; she learns more and gains more than anyone in the book, and she isn't a primary character. Her injuries make her pause, they change her perspective, and she gains a new sense of self. It's a shame no one else (Fireheart) does the same.

I'm working on Warriors #3: Forest of Secrets now, and then I'll have to pause in the series - mostly because I only own the first three books. The writing is still verging on irritating (same reasons mentioned previously), but there's a lot of potential. I just hope it lives up to it.

Warriors #1: Into the Wild

2006-12-20T12:52:00.000-05:00

Book 19/20

Erin Hunter's Warriors #1: Into the Wild

Okay, so I'm cheating a little, here at the end, taking advantage of a YA quick read; I've actually been interested in the Warrior books since my father asked me if I had ever read them. I'm a huge fan of Watership Down and Tailchaser's Song, and I was hoping this series could be added to my list of animal-centric books.

Ms. Hunter has sent up a nice world, with her system of Clans and their inherent hierarchy, but this is no comparison to Tailchaser's Song. The influence is definitely there, but the execution isn't as nicely done. The naming of the cats - a sacred process, as all cat owners know - was kind of tossed aside here, with cats gaining a new name for each level they acheive. In the case of the Clan Leaders, it makes it easy to tell who's the boss, but it made it a nightmare when scenes involved the Apprentices - all who have names ending in "paw." And while I'm sure the naming guide in the front was meant to be helpful, it just threw a lot of names out there which were impossible to follow; you don't need the list to be able to read the story. Again, maybe it was the influence of Tad Williams (there's a character guide in Tailchaser's Song, but it comes at the end, which I think makes more sense). There's little in the way of mythology for Ms. Hunter's cats, which I think is a shame. It takes away a facet of their society, making it harder to believe that cats can form the same beliefs and ties that we can.

The writing itself grates, though. The dialogue tags of "meowed" and "mewed" were unnecessary - we know the characters are cats. Instead of blending into the tale, it threw me out each time I read that (or any of the other unneeded speech tags). You don't need to reinforce the feline theme when everything from the cover to the maps to the pictures topping each chapter sport cats; give your readers a little bit of credit. There were also a lot of poor word choices: dived rather than dove, and leaped rather than leapt. Yes, they're the same words, but "dived" and "leaped" just didnt' work well with the sentences, and I had to mentally swap them. There was very little the way of "cat language," as well. They had their own terms for a few things, but not everything, and, again, it took away from the world. Mr. Williams developed an entire language, and he sprinkled it through the book so that you knew exactly what he was referring to. It made the cats more realistic, colored them as existing in a world of their own, rather than our world through their eyes. It would have been nice to see that here, rather than the cats knowing what chaffinch is (I'm sorry, but my cats know "bird" and that's all they need). Obviously, Ms. Hunter has a background in wildlife, but it wasn't needed here; more creativity would have been appreciated.

Motives are a little cliche, and we all know Tigerclaw is going to figure prominently in the next book (or two), as well as Brokenstar, but it IS a young adult book. The plot itself was nicely laid out and presented, and Rusty/Firepaw/Fireheart is shown to grow throughout, which is a relief after Harry Potter's stagnation. Overall, it's a nice book, and I do plan to finish out the series. If nothing else, I'll have started a collection for my future children/nieces/nephews. *-*

Heirs of Empire

2006-12-12T12:43:00.000-05:00

Book 18/20

David Weber's Heirs of Empire

This completes the Empire from the Ashes trilogy, and is the only part of the book that I hadn't read previously. I would say it was my favorite of the three, but there were just so many cliches in this book, that it's really difficult to say that with any sincerity. When the scene with Harry and Stomold could have come out of Return of the Jedi, it plummets from the "unique" scale. I mean, we have the usual boy-girl twins (why does that always seem to be the case?), religious fanatics, a villain who's evil for the sake of being evil, technology as a god, and the miraculously simple solution to the "major problem." It falls flat after the awe and amazement I felt after reading Mutineer's Moon.

The shift between Birhat with Colin and Jiltanith and Pardal with the twins, Tamman, Sandy, and Brashan made things a little difficult, too. I realize the implication is that things were occurring simultaneously, but it was a jolt to be thrown from one world to another - or, in the middle, having one plot drop off the radar entirely, to be picked up towards the end. Then again, I know Mr. Weber is a fan of military conflict, and the war in Pardal allowed him more play there than simply trying to hunt down "Mister X." As usual, the descriptions of how the "primative" weapons were modified caused my eyes to glaze over; it really didn't contribute to the plot, save that you knew they were now superior to the weapons of the Holy Host. And I know that it was meant to leave you guessing as to how the Malagorans were going to fare in every battle, but you knew they were going to triumph. When you cast Sean as one of the primary POVs, you're kind of stuck with the realization that he's going to be kept around.

The use of the enhanced rottweiler puppies was interesting, and I just wish they'd been given more time on the page. While their enhanced intelligence was meant to be kept a secret, the Royal Family knew, and they could have had more interactions. It was nice to allow them a place in the battle to protect Jiltanith, but I would have preferred to have seen them play a bigger role somewhere else. It also would have been nice to delve a little more into the Narhani. They were cast into the role of demons by the Church of the Armageddon, yet they had no real input into the story itself, beyond that. Once Eve has been created, they kind of just fade away. After all of the work placed into releasing the Achu'Ultan in The Armageddon Inheritance, I was hoping they'd have more to say. Instead, they were stuck out on a distant planet and pretty much ignored.

The ending tied up quicker than I expected, and the ending on Pardal was pretty much non-existant. You leave at the height of battle and uncertainty to switch over to bomb-hunting, and then, the next thing you know, everything's been resolved, neat as a pin. It's entirely possible, given the time line, that things could have been cleaned up, but there should have been SOME conclusion out there. The kids were fighting a war against religious fanatics convinced that they were demons, and there was no fallout from their invading the Sanctum and, essentially, taking over "God"? Considering what a let-down the bomb provided, I think more time could have been spent on their end of the conflict.

On the other hand, I finally reached the passage I've been craving since PhilCon 2005, and it was worth the wait. *-*

The Armageddon Inheritance

2006-11-16T08:41:00.000-05:00

Book 17/20

David Weber's The Armageddon Inheritance

Okay, so this review is actually coming after my second reading of the book: my father bought me Empire from the Ashes which contains the entire trilogy, all with new material. *-* I had considered writing one review for the entire trilogy, as it is ONE book now, but I still need to hit that goal of 20, so I cheated and split it. ^-*

The timeline for this book is a little hard to accept: Earth is given just two years to prepare for the Achuualtani "Great Visit" and they not only manage to turn out thousands of battle stations and star ships, but a shield for the planet itself. Even taking into account the advanced technology of the Imperium, it's hard to believe. Sure, enhanced human beings can accomplish a lot, but...just two years? Give me a break. At least create a believable timeline - or cut the resulting battle a LITTLE bit closer (not that it would make Colin's arrival back at Earth any less of a deus ex machina).

The major bioweapon they find back in the Imperium (rather, the result of the bioweapon) was also a little far-fetched. Yes, microbes can be nasty, and pandemics are completely realistic, but a microbe that disrupts chemical reactions in any living creature it encounters? That's awfully convenient, as is the fact that it has a limited life span without a host. It's just too neat: there's no one left from the Imperium, so there's no need for Colin to deal with that potential conflict, and Birhat is just sitting there, ready to be repopulated with human beings - just in case Earth bites it. Dahak just gets to sweep in, nab some more planetoids without any problems, and then they're back in Sol and decimating the Achuultani. If all alien invasions went this smoothly, the movie industries would be out of business.

As much as I was pleased to see Dahak survive, the idea of a computer - even a self-aware computer - having a "soul" is a little hard to swallow. Then again, I know Mr. Weber's wife has a list of people in the Honor Harrington series that he isn't allowed to kill (for those who are interested, Honor isn't on the list), so she might have had a similar list for this trilogy, which is why Dahak had to pop up in the end. Kind of a little far-fetched, though, and venturing away from science fiction to fantasy.

For all of this, though, I loved the book. The base twelve the Achuultani use is a bit hard to decipher, and I still don't have a clear picture of what they look like, but they're worthwhile "adversaries." The concept of kinetic weapons was great, too - what better use for Iaepetus than as a projectile? *-* I think I preferred the kinetic route to all of the gravitonic warheads and energy beams (though, seriously, "Greater Thunder" and "Lesser Thunder"? Can we make the aliens look any stupider?); it was at least more original. There was a lot more focus on the Imperium (and Empire) technology, rather than the characters, but, considering what I observed at PhilCon last year, that fits with Mr. Weber's habits. Personally, I would like to have seen more on Jiltanith and Colin, especially as it is quite obvious that they have an amazing bond. Instead, I'll have to settle for Dahak gaining more personality - not necessarily a bad trade. *-*

Mutineer's Moon

2006-09-12T08:46:00.000-04:00

Book 16/20

David Weber's Mutineer's Moon

This book is a rarity: the interest to read it was generated by the author himself. I attended PhilCon last year, where Mr. Weber was the Author Guest Speaker. I had actually never read anything he'd written (save one short story in one of the treecat anthologies...title escapes me); the only reason I'd really planned to attend his sessions was to get him to autograph a book for my father (Dad owns every book Mr. Weber has written and thinks very highly of him). I was pleased when the first session actually jarred loose some ideas for my MindWalker Series, but I still wasn't going to convert to an Honor Harrington fan. Whether that comes to pass has yet to be seen, but I can say with some certainty that I am now a David Weber fan - and not just because he wrote a nice autograph for my father (and spelled Dad's name wrong).

I was intrigued when Mr. Weber discussed the character of Jiltanith in his primary session, and I asked Dad if he owned the book. When I was home at Christmas, he handed me the set, and it's been sitting in my To Be Read box since. I was a little nervous about it, because I know he primarily writes military science fiction, and I'm not a military fan - no matter what year/universe you put them in. One interesting character can't beat out a lot of boring strategy and American posturing (as was seen with John Ringo). When the opening chapter spilled an info-dump into my lap that had my eyes glazing over, I was really afraid I wouldn't be able to finish the book. I'm sure that the Echanach (might have misspelled that) Drive is really interesting to engineering geeks, but I could care less how it functions. Luckily, once I crawled through the technical jargon and pretty useless information, the book picked up, and I was hooked.

For once, I had a Genesis story involving more than one man and one woman! *-* The Imperial enhancements were a little annoying (why do science fiction characters always seem to have to be invincible?), but the underlying mutiny and the development of Dahak's "human" personality made up for that. Jiltanith's Old English is grating to read (no, I'm not a fan of Shakespeare, either), but her character is every bit as interesting as his discussion promised. It does help that I know some of her backstory that isn't it the book (the entire series has been re-released as one book with additional material - and I have every intention of picking it up), because it softens her a bit. What really pleased me was Colin: he actually IS an ordinary human being, for all his enhancements. Instead of becoming some kind of uber-human who can do/know everything, he actually has limits, has to think on his feet when everything falls apart, and is subject to extreme emotions. It's refreshing to see a character who isn't so tightly wrapped in control, that he ceases to be believable.

There is a lot of military information present (mostly, in the form of weaponry) that I wasn't familiar with, but I was still able to read and comprehend what was going on. While there were strategies in place, I didn't have to wade through diatribes on why they were necessary, how they were designed to function, or a history lesson on how said strategy allowed Rome to triumph. It was refreshing, and it kept me IN the story, rather than constantly dumping me out. The plug on eradicating terrorism set my teeth on edge, but Mr. Weber did have an explanation in place for how the various groups came to be. Also, this book was first published in 1992, I believe, so it's removed from the everyday media blasts I'm exposed to now.

I really wish more had done with Anu to illustrate his level of madness, because that felt a little light; he was the mastermind of the mutiny, and he's been body-hopping for centuries, but there was only one little clip illustrating his loss of reality - and it wasn't particularly convincing. I don't mind making an antagonist a megalomaniac, but SHOW that he has tripped the fuzzy line; don't have me read other character's coming to that conclusion. Just saying you want to kill people really isn't convincing enough - any old villain can do that; if this man is a delusion genius, then give him a little bit of credit, elevate him beyond simple villainy.

And, lo and behold, even though this is the first book in a series, it ENDED! *-* The untied threads are there, but the major threads were all cleanly knotted, and the ending felt like an ending - it felt as if something had been accomplished. Clearly, a proper series ending IS possible - if the author puts the time and effort into it. *-*

The Tower of Ravens

2006-08-28T20:03:00.000-04:00

The Tower of Ravens by Kate Forsyth is the first book in her new series in the world of Eileanan (previously visited in the six book series Witches of Eileanan) and what a great start.

I have to admit -- while I started reading the Witches series, I never finished it. Not so much because I lost interest as I started reading it as soon as it came out and it became lost in the shuffle as real life changes were taking place. I've always planned to head back and read them but when I saw this new series starting, I figured I'd give it a shot as well. Now, I'm hooked and am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the second in the series which I put on order.

In Tower of Ravens, One Horn's daughter doesn't quite fit in with the rest of the tribe. She's part satyr and part human -- and in appearance is very much human because she doesn't have any horns or hooves on her feet. So, she's looked down upon and knows her time is running out for survival the older her mother gets because sooner or later one of the other females will battle her mother and win. Which places her in a very bad position. She captures one of the flying horses after acquiring riding gear from a messanger the tribe has captured and escapes the area.

She finds herself helped by a young man and his family. She travels with the man, who's going to learn at a witch's Tower because they suspect she has magical abilities being able to listen to horses and after taming the wild horse so quickly.

The trip turns into a true test when Rhiannon (as they name her) must face learning about civilization as well as love with the young man. Mix in added danger as she learns they all knew the messanger who was captured by the tribe...and the story is quickly grabs hold and doesn't let go.

Forsyth writes extremely detailed descriptions which let you see the world the characters see, an added bonus for any fantasy story and definitely worth checking out.

Against the Tide

2006-08-25T09:01:00.000-04:00

Book 15/20

John Ringo's Against the Tide

This is the last book of the Council War series that I have. I need to talk to my father to find out if there's another one (more on that in a moment) that is due out or this is it; my guess is there will be another book (mostly because, if there isn't, it should be advertised as a trilogy, not a series). Still, it would be just like an author to be annoying and leave everyone cursing their name. *-*

Where Emerald Sea was able to get away from the lessons on history and military, making it an enjoyable read, Against the Tide decided to make up for the lack by throwing you into the UFS Navy - mostly be describing how incompetent it was and ridiculing anyone who's ever participated in a yacht club. Edmund Talbot was sent in to fix everything and despite having ZERO Naval knowledge or background, he, of course, manages to get everything running perfectly. Talk about fiction. Not only does he manage to dodge multiple assassination attempts without breaking a sweat, but everything he plans goes exactly as he said it would. For me, that's seriously stretching things; nothing in the real world works that way. The entire book leads up to a massive battle that runs without a single hiccup - save maybe the death of Gunney (who wasn't all that important, anyway). Mr. Ringo tries to convince you that things are going to go wrong in the battle, but then he delivers all at the last possible moment, and no one gets so much as a scratch. Yes, ladies and genteleman, we're talking FICTION.

The story beneath this fantasy was actually pretty interesting. I'm a little confused as to why he wrote "In Time of Darkness" as a separate work, because without it, a lot of this book doesn't make any sense. I understand that he felt the work was too erotic (it wasn't), but it has a LOT of information you need to understand this book. Considering it was published in Emerald Sea, it couldn't have been a matter of word count or something like that, so I'm a little confused. As I said, he mentioned that it was erotic, but I really only saw a lot of suggestion, which he's had in every one of these books, so what's the difference? Of course, after reading Megan's story, I was expecting Paul's death to be a little more...dramatic, I guess? Instead, it was over done - cake. Seems to me that once you've built up an antagonist so much, it should be a LITTLE harder to completely take him out and erase him from the story. Also, Megan seemed to get over everything pretty quickly, considering she claimed to love Paul. As Mr. Ringo decided to play the "love at first sight" card, though, with Megan and Herzer, I'm convinced he isn't familiar with love. THAT element was downright annoying, unjustified, and it made me want to do evil things to the book (probably a good thing it belongs to Dad - I'd hate to be responsible for damaging a book). I was glad to see Megan emerge more as a character, and I love Joanna all the more, but it seems the more interesting characters (Karcher, Joie, Vickie, Rachel) get the short end of the stick in favor of Talbot and Herzer and, of course, Bast, who continues to serve NO purpose. Maybe it's simply a matter of the author being male.

What really got to me, though, was the ending: it just dropped right off! You couldn't have seen that cliff coming, and then you were pitched right over it without any clue as to what was happening. *~* Series or not, this book didn't even close the current problem! There weren't just dangling threads, the entire QUILT was hanging out the window! I honestly thought pages had to have been torn out of the book, because there was just no resolution. I now don't even understand what the point of this book was, which is why I'm guessing there has to be another one. If there really aren't further books for this series, I don't recommend that anyone bother to start reading them. I repeat, I understand that series need to leave things unresolved, but EVERYTHING?! Hated it - absolutely hated it, and I feel abused and cheated by the experience.

To be completely honest, I don't know if I'll read any more of John Ringo's work. It's a shame, too, because the story for this series is a GOOD one; it's presentation just royally sucks. His only redeeming quality, right now, is that he let Azure be the hero - anyone who lets the cat take out a bad guy isn't all THAT bad. ^-* For now, though, I think it's time I turned to another author (David Weber ended up being who I picked out of the box) and put Mr. Ringo's books back into my father's possession - out of destructive temptation's range. *-*

Emerald Sea

2006-08-10T09:39:00.000-04:00

Book 14/20

John Ringo's Emerald Sea

After There Will be Dragons almost put me to sleep with the info dumps and history lessons, I was leery about continuing the Council Wars series. To be honest, the only reason I went on to the second book was because I knew it was going to involve the mer and the ocean, and I wanted to see how Mr. Ringo would apply his knowledge of marine biology (something he cites in his biography). Let's just say on that aspect - and the diving aspect - that he miserably failed and disappointed me (more details, for the interested, can be found here: Four Years, Wasted. He showed a poor grasp of basic cetacean anatomy, and he violated multiple rules for diving (which he claims to have done, though he doesn't cite his level of certification or how many hours he's logged). I'm sorry, but Herzer would have been dead by the time he reached the surface in that last battle; I don't think Joanna decided to pause for a decompression stop, and, as he was already showing oxygen toxicity (hello, nitrogen narcosis?), he would have been one giant mass of nitrogen bubbles waiting to explode. That he walked away unscathed without so much as a cramp is a travesty.

Setting those complaints aside, though, the book was MUCH better than the first one. *-* Despite introducing the UFS Navy, there were no long lectures on seamanship, no new military concepts that I needed an explanation for, and no dragging history lessons. This time, there was a STORY to be read, with dialogue, action, and the ubiquitous sex references that make me question the man's sex life (at least at the time he was writing this series). The concept of a dragon carrier was fantastic, and I loved Joanna and the wyverns (and listing them as Disney gengineered creations was classic). The mer were nicely done, though it was a disappointment that they didn't show the character one expects from true mer. However, these are all just Changed humans, so I can excuse some of the wimps and whiners. The intrigue part of the story fell a little flat, mostly because it was obvious when he was trying to cover who the spy was by simply referring to him as "the skipper." It would have been okay, except that "the skipper" was used for almost everyone on the carrier, and it got confusing as to who was speaking/acting. If you need a score card to keep tabs on the characters, you have a problem.

It was really rushed at the end, and it seemed to just drop off out of nowhere, which was (of course) annoying. I know it's a series, but the first book at least had a tighter ending than this one. I was confused that everything managed to wrap up so neatly without any effort - almost a deus ex machina. Still, the story was great, and the pacing worked nicely up to the end. Bast and the rabbit (correctly surmised to be based on Bun-Bun - Google if you aren't familiar with the comic) reappeared, and, as before, served no real purpose (okay, except for the rabbit - he actually did something this time...and I have to admit the idea of a cute little bunny with a flamethrower IS funny ^-*). I know it's a running gag, but while that may work in video-type media, it falls flat in books. Still, as they aren't important, I was able to just scan through their scenes. The only real annoyance is that Bast's dialogue changes from primitive neanderthal to normal human being for no good reason. It doesn't even fit in with her character. I'm not sure why he plays around with her dialogue like that, but she's growing increasinly difficult to read and understand.

Finally, Mr. Ringo clearly thinks very highly of himself. I have never read another book where the author had the audacity to reference their own work in the book. *~* There are very blatant references to There Will be Dragons, as it's read by one of the characters. While I admit he pokes fun at a lot of the things I had complained about (including the grammatical mistakes - which I've not touched on), it's still an arrogance I dislike. Save the personal jokes for a Conference, where they belong. If he references this book in Against the Tide (which I will start after I finish [the short story? novella?] "In a Time of Darkness", which is in the back of this book), I'm not going to finish reading it. Authorial arrogance I can do without.

First Truth & Hidden Truth

2006-07-27T20:28:00.000-04:00

First Truth by Dawn Cook

Alissa doesn't believe in magic or any of the stories her father told her when she was a child (before he went away and didn't return). The Hold, a fortress of Keepers and Masters, is nothing more than myths and legends. So why is her mother suddenly urging her out of the door of their cottage and into the mountains to seek it out?

Strell is a musician traveling home only to find he doesn't have one anymore. He turns around and heads into the mountains hoping to stay ahead of the winter snows on his way across them.

The two come together and travel to the Hold where they find a single Keeper in charge, one who isn't quite sane. He's killed off the other Keepers and sent the Masters to their death on a quest. He's seeking for a book,First Truth, a book that Alissa remembers from her childhood and one she wants now as well because she knows what happened to her father all those years ago.

This was a good start to a fantasy series. It took a little bit to get going into the story, but once I clicked with the two main characters I devoured it. The magic is real and solid and nicely described to sound realistic with hard and fast rules to it.

Hidden Truth continues Alissa and Strell's story as they work in the Hold, bound by a deal struck between the Keeper and the one remaining Master left. The Keeper thinks Strell is the latent Keeper who can open the book and the Master teaches Alissa on the side in the proper use of her magic. She awakens a dead city and when she opens the book, First Truth, the power of it is nothing like she or the Keeper ever could have imagined.

Solid second in a series. I have to admit, I liked this one better than the first one, but I think that was because I already had the story background and knew the characters.

Now I'll have to go off and seek out the next one in the series.

There Will be Dragons

2006-07-27T08:37:00.000-04:00

Book 13/20

John Ringo's There Will be Dragons

After Princess of Wands, I was a little leery about tackling another of Mr. Ringo's books. Granted, I had read March Upcountry and reasonably liked it, but that was a joint project of his with David Weber; there was no guarantee I'd like a science fiction piece of his on his own. Dad insisted I'd like it, though, and the premise of an "end of the world" leaving only Renaissance re-enactors was intriguing, so I ignored the barely-clad woman on the cover and dove into the book.

When the book opened with a prologue, I was ready to toss it. I hate prologues - they serve no valuable function, save to allow the author to do a needless info dump they couldn't fit into the actual action of the story. Now, this is the first book of series, so there is a chance the prologue will become important, but, for this book, I didn't need the opening from Mother's point of view. I could care less about Mother - she's basically standing in as a supreme deity, and she's about as effective as any you'd care to name (i.e., useless). Throw in a couple of names that surpassed four syllables, and I was annoyed from the very beginning (especially when said names were balanced against "Paul" - clearly, the man can use normal names). Still, I was determined to get through this book, and a quick conversation with Dad revealed that it didn't get interesting until after Chapter Three (it was actually around Chapter Six).

Once the Fall took place, the story did gain some legs and draw in my interest. The character development is sorely lacking, but that may be the standard for military science fiction. Everyone is stock and cardboard, and, if they changed throughout the story, I didn't notice. Ordinarily, that would really irritate me, but this is a series, which means it may take longer for the characters to "grow up." Herzer is a stereotypical hero from downtrodden beginnings (complete with parents who abandoned him); Edmund is the wise and noble king (and, really, was that whole revelation about Charles at ALL necessary? No); Bast is the "eye candy" that serves no other function (though I applaud the cover artist for being able to exactly duplicate her description); and McCanoc is just plain stupid evil (there are no brilliant villains in this book, not even Paul). Maybe this is what happens when you let a science fiction author pretend at fantasy, I don't know. So far as characters go, the only one I'm interested in is Azure - and Azure's scenes/intrusions made ZERO sense.

The story is a good one (which is why the failings bother me so much): Utopia has collapsed, leaving everyone to, essentially, start over from the beginning - while throwing in the fact that all Changed remain the way they are, even if they were a unicorn. If you had everything you could possibly dream, then have it yanked out from under you, how would you cope? It's an interesting examination of humanity and our ability to survive (though the devotion given to women having periods again was stupid, from my perspective). I'm not sure about some of the timelines in there, because they seemed awfully rapid for me, but it wasn't too bad. The development of the Blood Lords was interesting, but I could have done without the massive info dumps, terms only a military veteran would recognize, and the history lessons that came close to putting me to sleep. Personally, I don't think the CHARACTERS, for the most part, gave a damn about how the Roman Army was developed...and I seriously doubt they knew any of the terms being thrown around. If you took out the lectures and provided an explanation of what a decuri or triari is, it would have worked better (for me, anyway; it takes away from the book when I have to haul out an encyclopedia).

And, for once, there was an ending I could cope with! *-* You still don't know what's going to happen with the Council, but the immediate story is tied neatly shut - no dangling from a swiftly-crumbling cliff. I think McCanoc's end was a little unnecessary and pointless, but he wasn't a very functional villain, in the first place. The ending didn't feel rushed, either, which is a nice change of pace. If anything, I think it could have been chopped down a little bit (that final battle was beginning to grow tedious).

All in all, I like the underlying story, and the rest I could take or leave. *-* I'm hoping the next two books will be better, now that the base has been developed. After all, there are a lot of areas to explore, including Celine's monsters and the mer that have been, currently, labeled as neutral. If I can just skim through the history lectures and info dumps, I might even start to enjoy the characters. *-*

StarDoc

2006-07-14T09:50:00.000-04:00

Book 11/12

S.L. Viehl's StarDoc

I have a confession to make: I didn't pick up this book until I had already won a signed copy of Rebel Ice in one of Ms. Viehl's blog contests/giveaways (I highly recommend her blog, and not just for the giveaways: Paperback Writer). I had heard a lot of people talk about the series, and I had been curious to pick it up, but I never did. Suddenly, I had the latest book in the series sitting on my shelf, and my cursed inability to read a series out of order took over. I picked up StarDoc the next time I hit the bookstore, deciding that - if I didn't like it - I could always just keep the signed book as a neat momento.

I loved the book. *-* I'm not really one for medical intrique, and I'm tired of plague stories (especially in science fiction), but I loved the book. Cherijo's character latched onto me from the very beginning, and the more I read, the more I liked her. She's inherently flawed, and it's so refreshing to see that in a fictional character. She steps on toes left and right, she openly makes mistakes (most of which were worthy of a chuckle), and her decisions are not always in her own best interest, much less anyone else's. She chose a career that was far from what she knew, and she refused to confess her ignorance - while determined to learn. She's an admirable character, and her wit is wonderful. The "secret" of her past feels a little "old" (in the science fiction-has-done-this-forever) sense, but it wasn' the prime focus of the story, which helped. I was a little disappointed at the brevity of her romance with Kao Torin, but this is science fiction: romance always gets the short end of the stick (I will say this, though: the sex scenes shocked me. I'm so used to such being barely hinted at in science fiction, and they really caught me off-guard). Besides, considering Kao Torin's fate, it does make sense (shame, though - I really liked him).

Duncan Reever is an obnoxious character I really wish had died. I know that he has a "sordid past" that is likely going to come out in future books, but I don't care. His personality is flat, and he behaves like an automaton - at the best of times. He was very weak in the cast, and while he served a point, I just didn't think he really mattered. His abilities are interesting (telepathy as a conduit to language-comprehension is one I haven't seen much), but he needs to go. Every time he appeared in a scene, I was tempted to skim it - simply because he bothered me. While the rest of the characters are rounded and have their own little quirks, he was just an obnoxious chunk of cardboard thrust in as a plot device. Even Rogan Phorap, who was just meant to be a pain in the ass had more "sparkle" than Reever. I really felt that Reever had a negative impact on me, and, as I said, I was disappointed when he didn't die.

While the sentient anaerobes were an interesting idea, I'm not sure the "plague" was very realistic. I will admit that I'm only drawing on my Microbiology classes, but it just felt...constructed. The incubation times and deterioration limits were all over the board, and that requires a little more suspension of belief than I have. Maybe it was due to timeline issues in the entire book (they were inconsistent), but I had trouble believing the entire colony could be so affected in such a short span of time - particularly given the restrictions on contagion. I've read a number of Robin Cook's infectious microbe books, and this progression of "illness" felt much more fantastic than his "plagues." It's a shame, because there was obviously a lot of medical research put into this book. I just think Ms. Viehl might have donated some more time to the infection, just to make it more plausible.

And, of course, my old nemesis the "cliffhanger ending" made an appearance here. *~* I do understand that it's "needed" for series, but it's so exasperating to reach that final page, turn it, and find NOTHING. There are questions shrieking in my head, and the only option is to go out and buy the next book...which (given my experience with Alan Dean Foster) will only lead to another book, and another, ad infinitum. It's a great marketing tool, I won't deny that, but it's irritating for those of us who get caught up in these amazing stories, and then have to wait for the next installation. Unhappily, I don't see the pattern changing, so I'll just have to accept it. *-*

I am currently working on my "final" book for my goal, which means it's time to readjust it. Given that this book is one in a series of...I believe I have two (three?) more after this one, I'm going to aim a little higher than I originally intended and set a new total goal of 20 books by the end of the year. We'll see if the universe cooperates with that or not. *-*

Dragon Quartet, Volume One

2006-06-21T08:23:00.000-04:00

Book 10/12

Marjorie B. Kellogg's Dragon Quartet, Volume One

This book actually turned out to be another milestone for me: the first book I literally could not force myself to finish reading. *~* I abandoned it yesterday, and it is already set aside with the things I need to bring down to my parents in another week so that I can return it to my sister. To say I'm disappointed would be an understatement.

The book (which is a compilation of The Book of Earth and The Book of Water, which were published in 1995 and 1997, respectively) started out well enough. The idea of dragons as representations of the four elements wasn't really anything new (I had actually toyed with an idea using that concept), but placing each dragon in a different time was intriguing. It was very appropriate to begin in 913 Germany, I thought, and I liked Erde. She was a perfectly-captured adolescent going through Hell, and it was easy to feel sympathetic towards her. She wasn't strong, but her weakness was outgrown, and Earth was just charming: I couldn't help but smile each time his tongue hanging out was described. Sir Hal was a great character, and I was disappointed that he wouldn't appear in the later stories. He was intricate, complicated, and just wonderful in the role of mentor. I was drawn into the story (more so the story of the coup than the dragon's quest, to be honest), and I was really looking forward to reading the remaining books.

The ending of The Book of Earth was a little too abrupt for my liking, and Erde's seemingly immediate dismissal of her love for Rainer was a bit irritating, but Ms. Kellogg left it open that Erde would grieve later - when she wasn't pressed to save the world. I didn't really understand how Earth suddenly had all of the knowledge he needed, when it had been slowly trickling in before then. I almost wondered if it was meant to symbolize that the she-goat was magical in some way, or a conveyor of wisdom. The lack of explanation was annoying - I just prefer that things make sense, even in fantasy. Still, I understood that the story needed to move on, and I was wrapped up in it nicely, so I didn't let it bug me overly much.

It was The Book of Water that I was unable to finish reading, and I have pretty much already detailed why in my writing blog: Ruining a Perfectly Good Story. I did honestly attempt to force myself through it, because I liked the story, but I just couldn't do it. There is no point in finishing a book you have a) lost interest in and b) are unable to STAY in. So I will not be finishing this book, and I'm going to confine my review to the first "book."

It's really a shame, too; it was nice to have a big, hefty book in my hands again, with the prospect of another in a week or so. I'm just going to have to settle for a thinner book and return to Science Fiction for a bit. *-*

Wedding Survivor

2006-05-31T17:02:00.000-04:00

Wedding Survivor by Julia London

Thrillseekers Anonymous is a group of four men who promise major thrills in the form of extreme sports for the elite who are drawn to the fact the group is able to keep the press far, far away. But, as their fame grows farther, they start to get offers for other events which the rich and famous would like to forgo media attention for. Eli McCain is not happy when his partners decide to take on an extreme adventure which will end in a wedding. Especially when he gets stuck with finding a wedding planner willing to deal with what they have planned plus keep quiet about the wedding of Hollywood's two biggest stars.

Marnie Banks doesn't actually have a wedding under her belt yet so when faced with having to climb up a rope and run around a track on her interview she does it. This job will launch her into the world of weddings like a rocket. Unfortunately for her, the two stars are as spoiled as you can get with the bride not understanding the difficulties in having the wedding in a remote place. When they get there and a freak storm makes getting down from the mountain any time soon impossible, Marnie and Eli will have the time to act on the feelings growing between them.

I have mixed feelings about this book. Overall, a quick fun read. But there were a few things which irritated me a bit: like the bride being so stereotypical of a rich bitchy actress and Marnie herself being blinded by the actress's status that she doesn't see the negative attitude quickly. Eli, however, is a great hero and I could over look the other things especially when he was in the scene too. It's a fun book and those who like laughter with their romance should get a kick out of it. I mean, how many books have you read where they shoot sandwiches across a broken bridge with some kind of snowblower machine?

Bet Me

2006-05-24T12:15:00.000-04:00

Book 9/12

Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me

This was the first romance I've ever read - and it's 99% likely to be the last. This book confirms why I never read the genre and why I never write it: the plot is cookie cutter, the characters are cardboard, and not one drop of the romance is even remotely believable. Meanwhile, you're beaten over the head with the omnipresent need to mention food (I will never eat chicken marsala again, simply because of how often it was mentioned in this book, and my disgust with Krispy Kreme has been elevated) and the ridiculous need to constantly describe the heroine's damn shoes.

Min was a great character until she started "falling" for Cal, and then she became obnoxious and annoying. In the beginning, she had a razor-sharp wit and sassy mind, which degenerated into mush by the time the ending rolled around, and I lost all respect for her. She's a stereotypical fat girl, down to the skinny sister and the diet-conscious mother, and she has the required two best friends - the ball-buster and the fairy tale princess. Her mind and remarks in the beginning were golden, and I really liked her. Then she became infatuated, and I wanted to hunt her down and smack her upside the head. For me, it felt like she did a 180 and became this mushy, simpering woman who'd sell her soul for a scrap of affection - it was a major disappointment.

Cal was so cardboard, I suspect he was used to make the cover: handsome guy who always gets what he wants with women, had a suitably "tragic" childhood which turns him into a "player" and enough charm to gag an elephant. There's nothing even remotely respectable about him, and he doesn't change at all from cover to cover. He's an arrogant, pompous jerk, and successfully wins everything without exuding even a hint of effort. And, of course, he has the required two buddies: the rover and the mush-brain. Cardboard, more cardboard, and even MORE cardboard.

The plot was so basic, I was insulted: girl hates guy, girl likes guy, guy likes girl, the end - everyone lives happily ever after (and we're talking literally - there's a freaking epilogue). No twists, no turns, no surprises, nothing even remotely worthwhile. The only saving grace I can mention is Elvis (the cat - one of THREE Elvises mentioned throughout the book), who was perfect. Then again, anyone who can't write a cat character has serious issues. I won't be reading any more of her books, and I now have even more reason to completely swear off of romances. *~*

Tiny snapshots of recent reads

2006-05-19T16:42:00.000-04:00

Been doing a lot of reading this week so here are some condensed views on the books I've read.

I finished up Curse the Dark by Laura Anne Gilman. It's the second one in a series and I really enjoyed it. Better than the first one I think -- but that might be because it focuses a bit more on the personal relationship between the two partners.

Than I read Bitten & Smitten by Michelle Rowan. My take on that is here.

Next, Master of Wolves by Angela Knight. Interesting...I loved the main story but the overall sort of "series" story I didn't exactly click with. This could be 1) I didn't read the first one and 2) it all felt a bit superhero-y to me. I'd read more, don't get me wrong but most like through loaning from the library.

Next were three books in a series by Mariah Stewart: Dead Wrong, Dead Certain, and Dead Even. Three convicts end up in a holding cell and come up with a "game": naming three people they would kill when they got out and wouldn't get caught. They then switch names and the first one free decides it sounds fun and starts the game for real.

Loved the first one, loved the second one...but the third one fell a little flat for me. I think it's because the third "killer" was never a killer in the same sense as the other two. Plus there was another subplot running through it which had nothing to do with the killer one and than the ending when the dangers of the two plots came together a bit too easily...yeah. Not my fave of the three.

Moving on....next up was Courting Midnight by Emma Holly. Hot book. Cool vampire take. Historical Regency setting. Really enjoyed it. Hope she writes more with that particular set of characters. I see there is an earlier one which I shall have to try and track down. Emma Holly has always been a favorite of mine because she has no problem putting the sex and plot together so tightly that the book wouldn't work without them both in it. Sadly, the same can not be said for many of the erotic romances out there that I've stumbled across.

Today I read Say No To Joe? by Lori Foster. I love her books. Her heros are always a hit for me and the heroines are too. This one did not disappoint. Joe likes women and is pretty used to getting them when he wants. Luna slaps him the first time they meet (not in this book) and rejects his flirting. Then, of course, she needs his help and once they are put together the heat builds.

Bitten & Smitten

2006-05-15T11:49:00.000-04:00

I've been reading but not blogging about that which seems to be the story of my life. I haven't been blogging about much of anything lately. Hopefully this week I shall get more into the habit.

Bitten & Smitten by Michelle Rowan is one of those odd crossbreed of subgenres which seems to be popular now: vampires (paranormals) and chick-lit.

Luckily Rowan makes it work well here.

Sarah Dearly has the ultimate blind date from hell: a vampire who bites her and starts the change. She believes he's just crazy when she wakes up and hears what he has to say. Of course, he doesn't talk for long before vampire hunters came and hack him up into bits.

Sarah gets rescued from the hunters by running into another vampire -- a much older vampire that tries to point out that she really is a vampire or will be one once she drinks vampire blood. Of course, Sarah does the normal thing...and tries to brush it all off as a dream. Then, during her review at work, she ends up sucking on the blood of her supervisor after the woman cuts herself accidentally. Needless to say, Sarah is out of a job and finds herself thrust into a whole new world.

She goes to Thierry, the vampire who helped her, who is a very old vampire for more help. He's also reading to move on because he feels like there is no point to his existance anymore. What follows is a story of Sarah adjusting to life as a vampire during the Hunting Season when the Vampire Hunters are in town and falling in love with Theirry.

It's written in first person with an upbeat (chicklit) sort of style. Everything that can go wrong usually does -- mostly involving Sarah running into the Hunters everytime she turns around. Luckily, while she has her more idiotic moments, Sarah is easy to deal with as a heroine and unlike a lot of chick-lit heroines, I had no desire to strangle her at all while I was reading the book. Well, okay, maybe once or twice....

Overall a good book and worth checking out if paranormals and/or chick-lit are your thing. :)

More Pip and Flinx Adventures

2006-05-12T10:43:00.000-04:00

Book 7/12

Alan Dean Foster's The Tar-Aiym Krang

(By the way, this cover is MUCH better than the newer version I have) I'm starting to develop a dislike for series - mostly because it feels like I'm being spoon-fed tiny bits of a greater story arc, and I'm not entirely certain there IS an arc out there. To explain: this book picks up where For Love of Mother-Not left off (maybe a year afterward? Not much more than that), without touching a single one of the strands that were left dangling in that first book. This book could stand on its own, easily; it wouldn't be as rich of a story (you'd miss out on the discovery of Pip, for example), but you wouldn't be missing anything integral. It wouldn't be as irritating, except that the first book left a major thread hanging - Flinx's parentage. The Tar-Aiym Krang doesn't even bother to delve into the topic (though he does suddenly have a full name - Philip Lynx - which is never explained...in this book). I was disappointed that it didn't carry the story forward. Instead, it jumped sideways and appeared completely unrelated, in any sense.

Don't get me wrong, it's an interesting story. You get to delve into the complexities of some of the technology Mr. Foster has created, as well as the Thranx (probably one of the most interesting alien species I've come across). There's the potential to learn more about the Tar-Aiym - a vanished race of war-obsessed creatures - and even the intrigue of...business relations? Okay, so that part felt a little flat and WAY out there (but then came full circle in the next book...which is another reason for my irritation with series), but it was a nice set-up. Unfortunately, the ending left me wanting to toss the book and refuse to read another, because it was so EMPTY! All of the time and effort to find the Krang, then figure out what it does, then to get it working...and then everyone packs up and leaves, and the book ends! *~* Throw in that there's a hefty lack of information on exactly what happens to Flinx, and I was ready to foam at the mouth. It felt incorrect, as an ending, and I was left very unsatisfied - not to mention wondering what purpose the book served, at all. There was no furthering of the initial plot, no connection to the arc (or so I thought), and, really, just seemed to exist to introduce new characters. As far as I'm concerned, that isn't a good enough reason.

Still, I reasoned that I had the third book, so I might as well read it, which brings me to my second review (and reminds me to post these when I finish the book...not when I finish the book after it):

Book 8/12

Alan Dean Foster's Orphan Star

(Again, this cover is MUCH better than the new one) Little lightbulbs came on: "OH, so THAT'S why he introduced Teleen and Malaika" and "Right, that's why Truzenzuzex is important" (minor note: I seriously hate Thranx names; yes, it's very cool how he developed them, but they're a mouthful!). Suddenly, Flinx again cares about his parentage, and the entire premise of the book is a search for Conda Challis, who casually mentioned that he knew Flinx's mother (or at least her habits/personality). Why The Tar-Aiym Krang exists, I still have no idea, save that it introduced people in this book - but that's it. There's very little reference back to the Krang, at all, save that the search for it is what filled Flinx's bank account. The second book now feels like a detour, while this one came back on track.

And then, maddeningly, it set up more obscure plot points that are not resolved, in the least. I really wanted to know what the Janus Jewels were accomplishing, but none of the characters seemed to care, so I was left in the dark. I can guess that they re-surface in another book in the series, which is why they were introduced here, but the lack of conclusion was irritating. I think you need to tie down at least ONE major plot issue before you unravel another one - at least if you want to avoid annoying your readers. As it is, nothing really gets resolved in this book: Flinx has a clue to his parentage, but it's not the entire answer (nor is it really finalized in any way); the Ujurrians are kind of just left to the "new game" without any thought of consequences (by the way, the Ujurrians are another neat alien idea - if a bit predictable); and Biidi WW (why the AAn have such weird names is beyond me) is safely back in outerspace, plotting the downfall of the Commonwealth, while I'm wondering why I care. Oh, yes, and Challis is dead, as is Teleen - which isn't too sad, because they weren't really contributing anything to the story.

Come on! I need more meat than that! And, once again, I need ending explanations! It really feels like Mr. Foster was given a deadline, and to make it, he rushed the ending of the book. I understand that the Ujurrians are very intelligent, but they can read a book and suddenly know how to build a KK drive-powered ship? I'm sorry, but I'm a little skeptical, there. Also, why do they adore Flinx so much? He did just as much for Sylzenzuzex, and she's still contemplating strangling him. It just felt full of snap decisions that miraculously work and rushed endings. The man can tell a good story (excluding my feelings about series), but he really can't end it to save his life. Maybe that's why I don't usually read series. At least it confirms, for me, that the MindWalker series needs to touch the story arc in EVERY book, and I need to close each individual book properly - not leave major threads hanging out. So I'll chalk Mr. Foster's books up to learning experience. *-*

Next up is a first for me: a romance book (at least, if it's not romance, it's chick-lit) a friend sent me. That should be an interesting read/review. *-*

For Love of Mother-Not

2006-04-28T08:12:00.000-04:00

Book 6/12

Alan Dean Foster's For Love of Mother-Not

I fell in love with Mr. Foster's writing when my dad introduced me to the trilogy detailing the formation of the Commonwealth. I considered a lot of the thranx names maddening to pronounce, and I was a little confused about what was going on, but the writing called to me. It was intelligent, it was smooth, and it captured my attention - despite the struggle with "foreign" syntax. This book only served to reinforce my delight with his prose. *-*

This is the first of the Pip and Flinx books, and I have every intention of reading the remainder of the series - for Pip, if nothing else (come on - a blue and pink flying snake? That just demands attention!). Flinx is a typical teenager, and he's WRITTEN that way - no "adult" behaviors, no overly-mature thoughts, no ridiculous situations where a kid magically has infinite wisdom - Flinx is a kid, and he behaves as one. He's a street-smart kid, so there is a level of maturity there, but he's still a kid, and he gets his ego bruised and battered, and he panics over losing Mother Mastiff and Pip. He's wholly believable, and his determination is admirable. The entire story echoes the title (I have always loved this title) beautifully, and it draws you into the world of Moth easily. It was a little disappointing that the antagonists were stock (a group of people convinced they're improving the world by violating the morals/ethics of most people who want them erased from the planet; and then the oh-so-perfect Peaceforcers who are convinced they're saving the world), but it wasn't over-the-top; they weren't sympathetic, but they weren't really worthy of hatred, either.

My only real complaint about the book was the end where Flinx - out of the blue - decides he's going to take up juggling as a career. I had to flip pages back, wondering what I had missed because it was just thrown out there, with no previous hints or clues. The final section really feels tacked on at the last minute, and while it's proven to nicely segue into the second book, it threw me out of the plot of this book. I understand that you want to bridge multiple books together into a single arc, but throwing curve balls at the end is just obnoxious. It felt like a time-shift had occurred, and this isn't that kind of science fiction book. If that section really needed to be there, then I think it needed to be fleshed out more - show Flinx's recovery from the warehouse explosion, some hint of why he chose juggling, just something to provide a neat explanation. Dropping such things out of the sky smacks of deus ex machina, which is a literary habit I despise the most.

Overall, though, the book was great. The pacing was smooth, the world is amazing (I love the Devilopes), and the characters stick with you. I'm really glad that my admiration of Mr. Foster's writing has persisted. *-*

Princess of Wands

2006-04-13T08:37:00.000-04:00

Book 5/12

John Ringo's Princess of Wands

This book was one in a stack my father gave me, complete with his ringing endorsement (which should be considered a tad suspect as John Ringo is one of his favorite authors). I was leery about it when he started in on the description, and I interrupted numerous times to remind him that I'm no longer Christian, and I'm not really wild about them, either. He assured me this book wasn't a Bible endorsement and to just give it a chance (followed by the advice of, "If you can't get through the first section, read the second. If you can't get through that, read the third. You should at least read the Epilogue."). I decided to give it a try - mostly because when I reached into the box of Books From Dad, it was on top (and I didn't feel like hauling the box out of the closet).

According to the cover, this is the first book in a new series, and I'm afraid to say, the odds are I won't read the rest of the series. The book is funny (the second part was an absolute riot at times - really made me wonder if Mr. Ringo had an axe to grind *-*), and it's an interesting concept - true believers of every religion (correction, every "good" religion) coming together to fight evil - but I had zero connection to the main character, Barb Everette. Barb is (despite frequent protests to the contrary) a Bible-thumper, submissive little housewife, who just happens (through growing up in a military family) to have a background in martial arts and a fondness for artillery. If she could drop the religious spouting and the high-minded morals, she'd be an interesting character, but, for me, she was just a preachy little mouse I actually wanted to see get mauled by some of the demons. I had no sympathy for her, and instead of being submerged into the story, I really just read it. If the series is going to go anywhere, I think Barb needs to be smacked upside the head with a dose of reality. Considering devotion to faith is integral to her abilities, though, I can't see that happening.

The first part made no sense; I was confused as to what was going on, and it ended abruptly. I actually went back and checked to make sure I hadn't accidentally skipped any pages, because there had to be a reason I felt clueless. I still can't quite figure out how Almandu was vanquished with just a simple fire, because I'd think a demon would be a little sturdier than that. Also, killing off the one character who IS sympathetic is just annoying (though, as he'd serve no purpose in the remainder of the series, I can see the justification for it). The second part finally provided the explanations I needed, and it was funny. There is a poetic justice to a writer detailing a Con, right down to a Slush Party. *-* If we'd left the whole aspect of demon-hunting out of it, I would have proclaimed the book worthwhile. There is commentary that any writer can enjoy, and he nailed every aspect of a Con perfectly. Then we had the ridiculous battle (which was at least better than the first one), and I lost interest again. The third part was just irritating - it had no point (literally - there wasn't even an actual demon!). It was a fluffy-bunny story detailing mother-daughter relations. The only thing that saved the book from being hurled across the room was Lazarus (and that's only because I'm partial to felines). The Epilogue is two pages in length, and I'm really confused as to why Dad proclaimed it the reason to read the book. It was random and not particularly interesting. Again, I had to check and make sure I wasn't skipping pages.

If Barb were a little more sympathetic, I'd probably read the series; unfortunately, I'm never going to have any connection to her - the Bible-thumping grated on my nerves. It's a shame, too, because the humor and concept really are great; the protagonist just kills it. If you don't mind her Christian snobbery, though, I'd recommend the book, because you'd probably be able to connect with her and truly enjoy it. If nothing else, reading the second part for the writing/Con humor is definitely worth it. *-*

Working For the Devil

2006-04-09T08:41:00.000-04:00

Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow.

This is the first book in a series about a necromance who is given the task of hunting down a demon who has stolen something from the Devil and which could have "end of the world" possibilities if used.

Dante, the main character, is not only forced to take the job but must also except a demon partner to help her.

The story is fast paced and Saintcrow is one of those talented authors who can show you other character's emotions from the sometime limited 1st person POV.

While I would have preferred a bit different ending inregards to one of the subplots -- I hold hope out that it will come out the right way as the series continues. :)

17/52

Arrow's Fall

2006-03-31T10:37:00.000-05:00

Book 4/12

Arrow's Fall by Mercedes Lackey

The final book in the triology - and probably the most enjoyable, for me. The "instruction" voice present in the first two books evaporated into an actual plot that drew me in - rather than lecturing me on the world/Heralds. This felt more like the other books I've read involving the Heralds of Valdemar, and I was actually able to get into the book, instead of feeling blocked from getting to know the characters by all of the worldbuilding information. There were actual characters, rather than people providing demonstrations of training and what-not. This was the first time I really felt that I was able to get into the heads of Talia, Kris, and Dirk.

My one complaint with this book was the lifebond between Talia and Dirk: while in other books, the bond is described lovingly and immediate and obvious, Talia and Dirk danced around like a couple of high schoolers and behaved like children. There was a lot of potential for WHY they behaved that way, but it was only surface-skimmed, and I felt it lacking. I was more annoyed with them than saddended by the complications. I also didn't like the obvious evil of Ancar, nor how quickly he descended. It would have been nice to have SOME kind of information on why he was the way he was, rather than just painting him as pure evil. I approved of leaving the question of Ancar open (I believe there are other books that come after this one - timeline-wise?), but I just didn't feel there was any justification for his existance, short of being a villain (and I need more than that - I need motivation). Oh, yes, and one extreme annoyance: why was there a prologue? It summarized the first two books (useless) and introduced information that really wasn't the slightest bit germaine to the plot. It felt tacked on for length, and I despised it.

It was another early work, and it's nice to be able to compare her current work to see how she grew and progressed as an author. I'm glad I was able to read the other books first, though, because, otherwise, I probably wouldn't have ever picked any other Valdemar books up. At the same time, as I said before, it's nice to have the background information.

Next up (and likely to be finished shortly) is John Ringo's Princess of Wands - which is about as far from Valedmar as one can get. *-*

Black Dagger Brotherhood series

2006-03-26T15:47:00.000-05:00

Read the two books currently released in JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series.

This is a series with vampires and the soulless who hunt them. The world is interesting and different and definitely a must check out for those into paranormal romances.

Dark Lover is the first and was a bit hard for me to get into at first whether it was because I instantly wanted a romance and the first few chapters were more about setting development and sort of laid out the Brotherhood's history or just when we got to the actual romance it had a ring of sameness made exotic only because of the traditions and rites of the brotherhood..I'm not sure.

It was an enjoyable read and I'm glad I didn't give up with those first few chapters. If I hadn't had the second one waiting in the wings, I might have.

Lover Eternal now this....this book more than makes up for any sluggishness of the first one. It's an awesome example of how to set up a conflict that looks unsurpassable and keeps a reader in suspense until the very end. The hero and heroine both seem more fleshed out, more conflicted internally and externally than the couple in the first one.

And, it made me cry toward the end which is an automatic plus in my book because for that to happen I have to love and care for the characters deeply.

I'm eagerly awaiting for the third one to be released later this year now.

Arrow's Flight

2006-03-14T08:24:00.000-05:00

Book 3/12

Arrow's Flight by Mercedes Lackey

It is very obvious that this was an early project for Ms. Lackey, because this book lacked the depth of plot she writes now - which is a little on the irritating side. I'm really not sure an entire book was needed to devote to what, essentially, amounts to teenage angst. I really liked Talia in Arrows of the Queen, but all she did in this book was whine and wallow in self-pity and despair. It felt like a complete reversal to the character she had established previously. What could have been condensed into a few chapters was drawn out until I really kind of hoped Talia would have a mental breakdown - just to create a pause in the drama. This really felt like a soap opera or young adult book - not the standard I've come to expect from the Herald books.

It was interesting to have the Heralds' circuits described (something that has not appeared in the other books), and it works well as the continuation of an introduction to Heralds. I had actually forgotten the internee process, as the other books almost always end with the new Herald finishing training (or not even getting that far). I did enjoy exploring the depth of Talia's Gift more, and the descriptions of how Empathy can go awry. I think that pairing Talia and Kris was a brilliant move, because they continually reflected one another and generated conflict that broke through the "poor me" segments. I'm actually looking forward to the next book and seeing what will come of the Talia/Dirk relationship.

It is definitely nice to have the base for the entire series, and to gain the background information I've been missing, but, at the same time, it's difficult to have it "after the fact." I'd almost recommend that anyone new to the Heralds of Valedmar read these three books first, before attempting to go back to the beginning...except that then the timeline would be off. Sort of a catch 22. *-*

I started the final book of the trilogy this morning, and I'm hoping to finish it before the end of the month. I've been getting more reading time in the mornings than before, so I might actually be able to up my goal. *-* We'll see.

Arrows of the Queen

2006-02-25T20:33:00.000-05:00

Book 2/12.

Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey.

This was an odd read - not because of the book itself, but because of the order of the Valdemar world. I think this was the first of the Valdemar books that she wrote (I'm not positive), but it fits in dead last of the timeline I have. *-* I actually read it in the proper order - and wished that I had managed to read it first.

This book explains the Heralds of Valdemar, providing details that the other books have always hinted at, but never quite managed to explain. Which is pretty much the only plot for the book. Talia "happens" upon the Companion Roland after escaping a fate she deems worse than death, and she's carried to Valedmar and told that, not only will she be a Herald, she's going to be Queen's Own. Of course, that isn't an easy job: she's only thirteen, the last Queen's Own was murdered, her family has completely disowned her, and there are a lot of people in the Palace who don't like her...or the Queen. While she tries to learn how to become a Herald, she also has the dubious task of curing the Royal Brat of her spoiled ways.

I know this will sound like a bad thing, but it was obvious that this was an early book in Ms. Lackey's career. The editing wasn't great, the characters were shallow (especially Skif - a disappointment, for me, after reading To Take a Thief), and about 90% of the book was taken up explaining what Heralds are/do and giving descriptions of the training. Talia's plot really seemed secondary - and not all that important. That was a little frustrating, because I really wanted to like Talia (especially after her Gift is discovered to be empathy). It was also disappointing, because all of her other books have in-depth plots. Still, it IS nice to see what happens "next."

I'm really hoping that the next two books of the trilogy will be better, now that the "basics" are out of the way. As I said, it was nice to have the beginning information, and there's a lot of potential for Talia, and Elspeth. With a little bit of luck, it won't take me the entire month to read the second book. *-*

A few quickies

2006-02-06T20:04:00.000-05:00

Urban Shaman by CE Murphy.

Urban fantasy. First one in a series featuring a main character with both Celtic and native American background making her potentially a very powerful shaman. In this book she comes to find out just what sort of powers she might have as she battles a Celtic god.

Good book and I'm definitely looking forward to the next one in this series.

The Texan's Reward by Jodi Thomas

Similar to the others I've read in her texan series. Good, but not great. However, it fulfilled my need for a western setting.

Wild by Lori Foster

Fun read. Contemporary romance with a hint of suspense.

The mystery aspect could have been better - more fleshed out - but the romance did not disappoint.

Invitation to Sin by Suzanne Enoch

Regency setting. Very fun read as well as emotional. I think of the three romances in this post- this is the only one that managed to make me cry toward the end. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series about the Griffin family. Especially the eldest brother's.

14/52 books read so far

A mixed couple

2006-02-04T16:28:00.000-05:00

9/52

Sword-Breaker by Jennifer Robinson

This one is the fourth in her series about Tiger and Del. The entire series is excellent as we see two very different people from two very different lands come to know more about each other and themselves than they would have done if they had never become connected.

The series is told through first person view point of Tiger, a Southron sword-dancer. And yet, for the most part the first three stories deal very much with Del's story of vengeance. Here, in the fourth one - that path has ended and now she has to discover another to live. However, half the South is after the pair of them and Tiger is hampered by the spirit of an evil sorceror trapped inside his sword.

10/52

Almost a Bride by Jane Feather

Historical romance taking place just before the true Regency era. The Duke of St. Jules has gone out of his way to ruin a certain nobleman in order to gain control of his estates and property. It also places the man's half-sister, Arabella, in the position of marriage to St. Jules or being cast out of her house. Jake, the duke, wants her to marry him because it sets up the final bit of revenge on her brother, and eventually talks her into it.

The story continues in London where the two of them must learn to live with each other and where Arabella must try and pry out the secrets her new husband keeps deep inside.

Lots of historical detail in the story. As much as I love history I did tend to find myself skimming over a bit of the story because I wanted to know more about the characters and not descriptions of the house or the clothes.

Overall, a good romance.

Rebel Ice

2006-02-02T13:45:00.000-05:00

I had a major computer melt-down, so I haven't been around lately. I've decided to forget about catching up on the other books I read in January and just re-start with the books from this week. However, I did manage to average a book a day for January--Rebel Ice is my last book for that month.

Rebel Ice by S.L. Viehl is the sixth book in the StarDoc series. The series has been on hiatus for three and a half years, so I was quite excited to read this latest installation.

Honestly, I did enjoy the book, but it didn't read at all like the other StarDoc novels. The others were written from Cherijo's first-person POV and this was mostly written in multiple third-person. I missed Cherijo's voice as that was always my favorite part of the other books.

Also, I wasn't particularly surpised by the twist at the end, but that's because after about twenty pages, I noticed the lack of Cherijo's distinctive voice and flipped to the end to see if I had missed something. I know, I know, I'm such an awful reader, but I had to do that. I was a little confused.

A lot of this book (without giving away anything) made me wonder if this is the book she would have written if the series had never gone on hiatus. It feels so different like Cherijo's voice was lost in the intervening stand-alones set in her universe.

All in all, I enjoyed the book and the twists of the plot. I always enjoy this author's work. It just didn't feel like a StarDoc novel and that's what I was really looking for.

Foxmask

2006-01-31T19:37:00.000-05:00

Book 1/12 (for me).

Foxmask by Juliet Marillier

This is actually the sequel to Wolfskin and is set in Orkneyjar (the Light Isles), but it focuses much less on the Norse tradition than the first book did. This continues the story of Nessa and Eyvind in the form of their daughter, Creidhe, as well as bringing closure to the mystery of Somerled's exile by introducing his unknown son, Thorvald.

The book opened with Thorvald being told the truth of his parentage, which had been kept from him for sixteen years. Determined to discover if his father was truly the monster everyone claimed, Thorvald set out with Sam (and Creidhe, who stowed away) to discover where Somerled had gone - if he had even survived his strange exile. Instead, the trio stumble upon the Lost Isles which are being tormented by an annual Hunt to retrieve Foxmask - an important seer and all that keeps the Unspoken Tribe from stealing the breath of every new babe born to the Long Knife People. Creidhe thought she was followng Thorvald out of love, but she ends up finding her one true love, as well as the secret of Foxmask.

As always, Ms. Marillier manages to weave beautiful settings that make the map in the front completely useless. Her characters are equal parts of good and bad (though Creidhe verged on being too good), and the plot closed the circle formed with the first book beautifully. The ending itself felt rushed to me, though, and it felt like there was a chapter missing. I haven't heard of a third book in the Children of the Light Isles series, which is kind of troubling. The book really does end with a cliff-hanger, even if the main plot is resolved, and the ending just doesn't match what I've seen her do before (particularly in the Sevenwaters Trilogy).

The book is wonderful, but the emotion felt less than in the Sevenwaters Trilogy. Creidhe's tale (on her own) was typical childhood romance, and you knew it would all end happily, which was kind of a disappointment. Creidhe isn't the strong female character Nessa was in the first book. The tale itself (and the inherent mythology) are, as always, wonderful. All in all, a good book. *-*

As you can see by my top count, I'm setting a goal of one book a month. I currently have 14 new books to read (all fantasy and science fiction), and I'd like to think I won't need an entire year to finish them. *-* Still, for now, I'm keeping the goal modest.

To Marry The Duke

2006-01-25T22:06:00.000-05:00

Book 8/52 (some how - if I keep this pace up I doubt I'll have any problem making that 52 books read goal)

To Marry the Duke by Julianne MacLean

An American heiress and a British Duke in need of money and attracted to the unique beauty gracing the London Ball rooms.

I liked this book, but it felt a bit stale in terms of plot. I've seen the basic story line done better by others, although this one was passable as proven by the fact that I actually read the whole thing.

It had promise in the beginning but then it started to feel like an older romance with the hero withdrawing and basically explaining nothing to the heroine as to why. There were scenes in here that could have been true tearjerkers but were not.

I suspect my love of tortured heroes allows me to see this story in a better light then others might. But, even then, the true nature of the Duke was never really explored either.

I enjoyed it to a point, but there were so many unfulfilled possibilities in this story... *sigh* I'll try the others in the series more than likely to see if she grows into her story ideas.

books 6 & 7

2006-01-24T15:57:00.000-05:00

These are going to be short and sweet today as I have tons to do but don't want to forget I've read these.

When A Texan Gambles by Jodi Thomas:

Yes, this author looks familiar. This is the second in the "Lottery" series by Thomas. I wrote about the first one a couple days ago. Here our heroine, Sarah, finds herself married to a stranger who gets knifed in the first town they stop in. She gets him out of town and nurses him back to health, or relative health. Over time she learns her husband is quite wealthy because he's a bounty hunter. This also means there are a lot of people in Texas looking for him. Over all a decent story, although I think I enjoyed the first one in the series better if only because there were aspects in this second story which were a bit two familiar to the first one.

The Pretender by Celeste Bradley:

First in her Liar's Club series about a group of spies in Regency England. I loved this book. But it contains the two elements that guarantee I'll like it: Regency setting and a tortured hero.

Both Agatha or Simon (our heroine and hero) tell quite a few lies in these story as Agatha is searching for her missing brother and so is Simon who thinks her brother is actually her lover and that he's turned traitor to England. I loved that the author did not take the typical route and make Agatha and Simon get completely affronted over the lies they've told each other. No, the true problem in this relationship is Simon's importance and duty to England vs. his love for Agatha. The solution is lovely and I can't wait to read the second in this series.

Hard Day's Knight

2006-01-23T20:28:00.000-05:00

Hard Day's Knight by Katie MacAlister

First let me say, Katie MacAlister is one of only a tiny handful of writers that I can tolerate to read in first person. I like third person for romances because you get to see both sides of the romance, but MacAlister writes so well in 1st person that the lack of another viewpoint is not noticeable at all.

This is a fun light read. Our heroine Pepper Marsh goes to a Renaissance Faire with her cousin looking for a man. She finds one - but not the one her cousin expected. Pepper focuses on Walker McPhail who has issues with jousting; a sport he had previously been the best in before some mysterious accident stopped him from competing.

Their relationship is complicated by his issues when he's forced to take up his jousting once more and hers of feeling left out of the search for who ever has targeted his team with "accidents".

The mystery portion isn't that much of a mystery but the interaction between the two of them is wonderful and makes this a great read.

This is book 5 of the 52 I hope to read during 2006
5/52

The Texan's Wager

2006-01-22T18:59:00.000-05:00

Yes, another book already. I love having a couple days off in a row.

The Texan's Wager by Jodi Thomas is.... yep, you guessed it, a historical romance. Bailee and two other women find themselves kicked off the wagon train they were on and are forced to head into Texas with just their belongs, their wagon, and food for a couple weeks. They make it but run into a bit of trouble and end up in jail for killing a man. It's sad that this is really the most unbelievable portion of the story because I other than "the author needing them to" I could see no reason for them to head into the nearest town and confess to the murder. However, it's been a while since I've read a historical western romance so I continued on. Besides, the back of the book promised me a hero that didn't speak and that had me interested.

This is the first in a series -- I'll probably read the second one tomorrow -- so we have the basic set up of this "Lottery" where the women basically agree to marry the man who's name they pull out of a hat and the man pays their "fine" for killing the man. (Yes....doesn't make a lot of logical sense, does it?)

Bailee ends up with Carter McKoy who doesn't speak and is an outcast to the town. He comes in to sell his crops and pick up supplies and that's basically it. Carter is wonderful. His backstory is intense and his choice to be silent is intense. The instances when he actually speaks to Bailee are romantic in the sense that the reader gets that each word he says is showing his trust growing toward her.

My problem with this book is that a lot of the action and subplots serve only to maneuver Bailee and Carter into situations the author wanted them to be in. They did not serve to enhance the book and a few, like the beginning lottery, seem quite ridiculous.

However, the question I can't answer is --would I have found them so bad if I didn't look at the story with the eye of one who writes as well? I'm not sure. I suspect that lends to some of my annoyance with the story.

Overall, if you can gloss over the convenient plot events, it's a great story.

Fool For Love

2006-01-21T21:07:00.000-05:00

Book Three in my quest to read at least 52 books this year is Fool for Love by Eloisa James.

Historical Romance, no big surprise there. You'll probably be seeing quite a lot of them from me over the year.

Our heroine is Lady Henrietta who has resigned herself to never marrying because she has the same condition her mother had which everyone blames for her dying during childbirth. However, after meeting Simon she goes home and indulges in a fit of fantasy by writing a love letter from him to her.

The letter makes an appearance to get the two together and their road to happiness is a rocky one when - you guessed it - Henrietta becomes pregnant despite their carefulness (and, no I don't consider that a spoiler because if you didn't see it coming shortly into the story...well, you probably don't read alot of romances!).

This is a good book, better than the last one I read by this author, even though it is pretty easy to see what is coming through out. Simon is one of the few gentleman described as a "dandy" that I've ever been able to genuinely like. :-)

A major subplot that takes up a good portion of the story deals with Esme, Simon's step aunt by marriage who is expecting a child and has to deal with her guilt over the death of her husband and her love for the man who might or might not be the father of the child she is carrying now.

Third member

2006-01-21T15:21:00.000-05:00

We have a third member for Musings whom I'll call Marium for short.

She'll be posting occasionally with the two of us already here in an effort to get a bit more reading in. :-)

Isn't it odd how reading is probably what got most of us into writing - and yet the more time spent writing seems to mean the less time spent reading?

Book #2 (Val)

2006-01-15T20:55:00.000-05:00

I got to get on the ball with writing in here. I'm several books ahead of this post.

Anyway, Book #2 of 2006 was Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory. It is about a man who is invited to dinner with Jesus of Nazareth. It's an excellent, thought-provoking book. And it doesn't shy away from any of the hard questions, the things you'd want to ask if you were confronted with someone claiming to be Jesus.

I loved this book and then I read it to my husband who loved it too.

Book #2 (sort of)

2006-01-12T20:46:00.000-05:00

Read Nora Roberts's Going Home which is a collection of three books previously published by her many years ago.

Unfinished Business - a typical category romance about a woman returning home to re connect with her mother and finding herself still in love with her childhood sweet heart. No surprises here, just a nice sappy romance. (originally pub. 1992)

Island of Flowers - This one...actually feels more like something Diana Palmer would write with the young girl going to seek out her father and her father's partner who is very harsh and distant and tends to think the worst of the girl until the end. But, considering it was published in 1982 and a category romance, this is pretty much standard.

Mind Over Matter - Here we turn a bit toward the paranormal with a heroine who is an agent for her psychic mother. The hero wants to do a documentary about her mother and that leads us into conflict. Still pretty standard for category romances (published originally in 1987) but it shows Roberts's coming interest into paranormal matters.

I liked them all. I picked up the book because I was looking for a nice comfort read that wouldn't demand much of me and that's what I got. Unfinished Business was my favorite of the three.

Hullo and Val's Book 1

2006-01-10T21:15:00.000-05:00

Hi, I'm Val and Amme has kindly allowed me to join her on this blog. I was going to try to copy Lauren Baratz-Logsted's goal from last year and plan to read a book a day for the whole of 2006. 365 new books. It is now the 10th of January and I just finished book #4. So, I might have bit off a bit more than I can chew, even though I do read fast. *shrug* Oh well, I'll just keep plugging along.

And I'll say that if I hadn't made True Believer by Nicholas Sparks my first book, I'd probably be a lot further along. I'm not a big Sparks fan to start off with, but I trade books with a couple girl friends of mine and one of them is a huge fan.

I find his books fairly slow (I've read The Notebook, The Wedding, and A Walk to Remember), but they do tap some kind of emotional sweet-spot, so I read them through. At least, the other three (which were all written in first person) did.

I never got into True Believer and I'm pretty mad that I spent so much time fighting my way through the book. I should have just gone with my first instinct and put it down. I tried to read the sequel, At First Sight, but I put it down and vowed never to read it after I read the prologue and found a very familiar sentence. It was the same sentence as in the prologue of A Walk to Remember, except this one was in third person (the sentence was about wishing they could turn back the clock and erase the sadness, but then that would erase the joy too). Anyway, that killed it for me since I didn't care about the characters at all anyway.

Sorry my first entry was such a downer. The next three books I read (the first three of a six book series) were fantastic, but more about them tomorrow.

Welcoming a new poster

2006-01-09T22:42:00.000-05:00

A big welcome for ValMarie to Musings on the Written Word!

She will be posting along with me here about the books she reads during the year.

Not sure if she has a specific goal in terms of amount to read - but I'm sure she'll let us know if that is the case.

Either way, I'm looking forward to reading her posts. :-)

#1 - To Love an Earl

2006-01-08T18:38:00.000-05:00

This is actually a re-read although I barely remember the story itself. Originally published in 1988, To Love an Earl by Elizabeth Thornton has one of the classic trademarks of that period which is now looked upon with disgust (and really, it should be). The forceful man who pretty much rapes the heroine (for her own good of course) because once they've had sex he thinks she'll fall madly in love with him. Of course she doesn't, but I can't feel too sorry for heroine. Deirdre is one of those annoying heroines that never seem to grow until the last page or so of the book and her actions directly result in some of the hero's worst behavior.

There are redeeming qualities in this book. The story starts out with us realizing that the Earl is pretty much in love with Deirdre already and has been for years. This is new, but unfortunately leaves the author, in my opinion, coming up with more and more stupid behavior for her heroine to indulge in to keep either of them from admitting their feelings. Which is a shame because Gareth Cavanaugh, Earl of Rathbourne, had the potential to be a great hero. It was the undeserving heroine who pretty much ruined the book for me.

This is not a good example of Thornton's books for she does much better in other stories, but it is interesting to read to see what not to do in a romance story.

2006 Plans

2006-01-08T18:22:00.000-05:00

My plan is to read at least 52 books this year - one each week.

So far, so good.

My secret plan is to read even more than that.
We'll see how it goes.

Abandoned?

2005-12-28T21:26:00.000-05:00

No, not quite.

I will probably start this up again in January. New Year Resolution and all that....

However instead of indepth looks at the books I read- expect more pint-size postings.

Sadly, they are about the only things I have time for anymore.

The Historian

2005-09-07T20:46:00.000-04:00

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

I loved this book, although it did have a few weaknesses in it.

If you don't love history - especially eastern europe history - than this is probably not the book for you. Now, I don't mean that in a bad way. The book is not just a dry history book disguised as a novel. It's just that to fully understand what is happening in the book having a love of history will probably help.

The idea of searching for Dracula is an interesting one and Kostova does it with literary style. Don't pick this book up thinking it will be all about vampires because it is not. It's about the people and about a daughter learning about her father. It's more of a gothic story than horror as mysterious events happen but are not detailed in all their goryness. The story is told pretty much in first person in the form of letters from a father to a daughter. There are vampires, and there are dead walking the earth, but for the most part its full of myths and interesting characters.

My only complain is the end, which felt a bit rushed compared to the rest of the book. However, it didn't do anything to detract from my enjoyment of the book. I think this is one I'll have to pick up when it comes out in paperback as this time around I took it out of the library to read.

Crown of Silence

2005-09-07T20:39:00.000-04:00

Long time to blog, shame on me.

The Crown of Silence by Storm Constantine

This is the second book in her Magravandias trilogy. It continues the story from another view of the empire and builds the suspense up toward the Emperor's death and who will succeed him.

A bit slower in parts than the first one, but still quite good. Descriptions are lush and intriguing as before. The characters are all fully formed - with good and bad very evident.

Sea Dragon Heir

2005-08-02T22:46:00.000-04:00

Sea Dragon Heir by Storm Constantine

This is a first book in a trilogy dealing with the Magravandian Empire. Here we have twins who feel more than brotherly/sisterly love toward each other. Mixed in the decadence of the Empire itself as well as the political intriques occuring in it. The story is dark, very evocative, and leaves you wanting the story to continue.

This is fantasy - but dark fantasy and Constantine has no problems tackling some of the issues that the lighter fantasy authors will not or will, at the most, gloss over.

This is a series which will be of interest to those looking for something a bit different from most of what lines the fantasy shelves at their local bookstores.

Origin of Death

2005-08-02T22:35:00.000-04:00

Origin of Death by J.D. Robb (Nora Roberts)

The latest Eve Dallas book. Here, we have a strong mystery and quite an intriquing take on tampering with genetics. While the romance elements between Rourke and Eve were quite low key in this book - the mystery was quite a change from the weak one we were given in the book before this one.

If you've read any of the books in the series - you will enjoy this book. If you haven't read any of the "In Death" books before - you'd be better off starting with Naked in Death, the first one. (It's also one of my personal favorites in the series.)

Glimpse of Fire

2005-08-02T22:30:00.000-04:00

Glimpse of Fire by Debbi Rawlins (Harlequin Blaze title)

Eric sees Dallas in a window and thinks she is a mannequin - an assumption which his friend uses to play a prank on him with by inviting Dallas to a party.

The two of them hit it off and start dating. Dallas doesn't tell him what she does for a job (construction worker) because she thinks he'll look down at her for it.

This is the first Blaze title I've read in a while. I read a few when they first started the line, but that was it. By then I was getting out of category romances for a bit.

I found this to be a short and enjoyable read.

Beauty Like the The Night

2005-08-02T22:23:00.000-04:00

Beauty Like The Night by Liz Carlyle

This is the second book I've seen by her reissued at a special price. If they keep this up I just might end up with a decent collection of her work.

Some lovely tug at the heart strings scenes in this historical romance, although there were a few places where I would have liked to have seen a bit more.

Over all, a decent Regency set historical romance.

The Good, The Bad, and the Undead

2005-08-02T22:13:00.000-04:00

The Good, the Bad, and the Undead by Kim Harrison

This is the second book featuring witch Rachel Morgan. As the first one, Rachel finds herself in the middle of big trouble with vampires, demons, and more.

Fun fast read.

If you liked the earlier books in the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton - definitely check out Harrison's books.

(Sorry for the short post - but I'm behind I'm posting books which means most of the next few ones will be short unfortunately.)

It's In His Kiss

2005-07-17T16:03:00.000-04:00

It's In His Kiss by Julia Quinn

Historical Romance set in one of my favorite time periods - the Regency.

Quinn has a light yet firm hand for humor in her books and this one shows that talent to strong advantage. It is part of a series of the Bridgerton family -but stands quite well on its own.

Hyacinth is smart and quite the wit which has scared off quite a lot of her possible suitors.

Gareth is a bit witty in his own right and there's just an instant connection between the two of them. He's got secrets though, and they start to come out when he gives Hyacinth a diary written in Italian to translate.

My only nitpick about the story is the ease at which Gareth's past is found out - and the fairly easy going reactions to it from a certain person in the story. The romance fit together very nicely though.

Quick update

2005-07-14T21:54:00.000-04:00

Books read and/or finished over the last couple of days:

On Writing by Stephen King

- I quite enjoyed it. I'm not the biggest King fan in terms of his writing but it was nice to see someone who writes some what similar to my own methods. Sometimes I get to caught up in what the so called "correct" way of writing is - planning it all out and then writing the story. Except it just doesn't work for me. This book gave me hope.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowlings.

- yeah, well, it's a Potter book. It seemed to go on forever - but I did finish it. I have a weird view of the Potter books - I don't quite like them but they're the biggest thing in fantasy so I feel I need to read them just to know what people are talking about.

Hunting Fear by Kay Hooper

- another one of her FBI books with the psychic detectives. I love this series, and this book is no exception although I could have done with a bit more focus on the love interest subplot. I feel like she might have taken the easy route by having the two people have a previous history which she used as the basis of them falling in love and just sort of let that stay - even though the guy was something of a prick back in the past. The heroine was a bit too forgiving of that, but it didn't make me dislike the book. The mystery was spot on as always.

One Night With a Prince by Sabrina Jeffries

- historical romance set during the Regency. Enjoyable read, although nothing amazing really jumped out about either character. It's the third in a series of brothers who share a father - Prinny. I haven't read the others in the series although I might check to see if the library has them.

Night Thunder

2005-07-10T23:03:00.000-04:00

Night Thunder by Jill Gregory

This is the second book I believe which takes place in Thunder Creek, which coincidently is the name of the first book in the series.

A contemporary romantic suspense - our heroine gets embroilled into the set up of her friend - a cop and ends up running across country with a packaged wanted by the bad guys. There she becomes involved with the new Sheriff who is in the middle of a rustling situation (it's Wy...what do you expect *wink*).

They come together among the chaos that is two criminal elements colliding.

Fun, fast paced read. I'd recommend it over the first book in the series - and it pretty much stands on its own. You see the couple from the first book, but their story isn't touched upon.

If Angels Burn

2005-07-04T20:04:00.000-04:00

If Angels Burn by Lynn Viehl

First, I've read other books by this author under a different name in a separate genre (although I think that might be a stretch - more on that in a minute) and enjoyed them. So, you can imagine that I sat down and was prepared to enjoy this. In her other books she has romantic subplots and I figured she would shine with a story where the romance was the main plot.

Except the romance is not the main plot in this. I'm not sure if there was a main plot to be truthful. There was the relationship between the two main characters - but it did not hold the depth I would expect from a book that is called a romance on the spine.

There was the darkyn vs. the secret church group.
There were little power struggles within both groups.
A whole subplot with the heroine's brother and his faith.
And then, the romance plot.

This book was in essence more of a modern setting fantasy book than a romance because the multiple story lines had little to do with romance itself and instead seem to be setting up the world and showing off the differences in her vampire mythos from what has come before. It is interesting - but I would have liked it better if the marketing was a bit more truthful. Paranormal romance doesn't really describe it correctly...

I'll read the rest of them as they come out - I'll just have to try and not think of them as romances and they will definitely be library books. I couldn't see the need to reread them again.

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

2005-07-04T19:57:00.000-04:00

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Nonfiction book based around a murder in Savannah. I've never seen the movie which was made from this and I suspect that was a good thing because of the two sections which make up the book I found the second half actually dealing with the crime and the multitude of trials less fascinating then the beginning half in which the author details various personalities of the city.

All in all, an entertaining look at a city and its more flamboyant citizens.

The book is surely more about Savannah then the trials or the murder itself and the ending stands up to what we've learned of the city itself, if a bit fanciful.

Heh, looking at Amazon I found this book by one of the people Berendt shows us in in Midnight: Hiding My Candy by The Lady Chablis

She is one of the best characters in there - might have to check this book out.

Black Rose

2005-06-30T20:15:00.000-04:00

Black Rose by Nora Roberts

Second in her In The Garden series, this is pretty good.

It's a Nora Roberts though - so if you've read one than you've read them all. Although, not quite true. If you've read a recent one - than you know. If you only know her through her older stories - you should pick up one of her newer series. She's one author who has stuck with what works for her and yet still managed to grow in to a stronger writer.

Something about Emmaline

2005-06-29T18:01:00.000-04:00

Something about Emmaline by Elizabeth Boyle

Read this book this morning. Or, half read and half skimmed. I've read other books by Boyle - and remember some of the characters in this book - but I just could not dredge up any interest in Emmaline or Alex nor their relationship

Not sure why.

Maybe I shoud have went with the contemporary suspense romance I was debating on reading.

Update

2005-06-27T17:42:00.000-04:00

Busy, busy lately so I've not finished any books yet - although I'm currently reading:

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil

and

November Mourns

I am also browsing over a writing book I have called Fast Fiction. With my current attention span, the five minute exercises are sounding just about my speed for the time being.

Single White Vampire

2005-06-20T06:59:00.000-04:00

Single White Vampire by Lynsay Sands

Never has a book made me want to stake something so badly before. Preferably my eyes so I would not have to read any more of it.

Where did it go wrong? Let me count the ways.

1. The characters.

It appears that the author felt they needed to be dumber than sh*t in order to make the story funny. The hero - a 600+ year old vampire - should have been killed off long, long ago if he was truly this stupid. Not only does he leave the door open for the heroine but he then goes and immediately starts drinking out of his bag of blood in the kitchen which leads us to "big, funny scene" #1 with her walking in and him being startled enough to tear the bag and have blood splash all over him. Our heroine, no smart cookie in her own right, thinks he banged his head and is bleeding to death before her eyes. Does she rush him to the hospital? No, he talks her out of it and eventually they end up going grocery shopping. Of course later, when our heroine needs a reason to be out and about at night, the "head wound" is once again remembered by our two characters.

Our vamp also seems to have a problem with control and tending to lose access to his blood supply- which he seems to need a lot of when he can't get it but when he has it he's not running around taking sips from it ever hour or so.

2. The story events

I made it through his standing up in front of the RT convention getting ready to sink his teeth into the lady standing beside him in front of all those people. I made it through the ridiculous scene in the bathroom where our heroine lets him get her all hot and bothered to suck her blood - and in which stupid interruptions that were supposed to be funny kept cropping up.

But, I could not make it through the costume ball scene where his codpiece gets stuck under the table and she has to go under and try and unstick it. Of course plenty of people come along to offer advice - or take pictures (like I couldn't see that one coming a mile away).

I just felt like things were happening to be "funny" but really they did nothing to advance the plot or make the characters show off to any decent advantage. Nor were they in fact - funny.

I wanted to finish this book - just to see how bad it could get - but I couldn't. I skimmed over some more of it but the situations just got stupider and stupider. Finally, I had to just call it quits.

Oceans of Fire

2005-06-19T19:19:00.000-04:00

Oceans of Fire by Christine Feehan

This is part of her Seven Sisters series which are about seven sisters with magical powers. Here we have Abbey who is more at home in the ocean with her dolphins then really with people. She's had a bad experience with her magic and is uncertain of her future with it. Witnessing a murder pushes her into a desperate intrigue and reunites her with the man who knows about her past experience - is, in fact, the cause of it.

With Russian spies and assassins running around she finds Sasha is still bent on the two of them having a future together.

The plot is a bit out there, but when you're dealing with strong magic - you really shouldn't be expecting exact realism in your story.

The two characters were well drawn emotionally and it made the story a satisfying read.

Absolutely Captivated

2005-06-19T19:08:00.000-04:00

Absolutely Captivated by Kristine Grayson

One word - boring.

That's pretty much it.

I made it to page 179 before giving it up. It's billed as a contemporary romance. It's not. It's more paranormal chick-lit than anything. The romance had taken up about 5 pages of the 179 that I read and, granted I had not read the others in the series, the story line really had no grab to it. The characters themselves were bland and unlikeable. Once I realized I just did not care what happened to any of them - I gave up on it.

There's too many other books waiting to be read to waste time on something I'm not enjoying at all.

Cross Your Heart..

2005-06-14T18:05:00.000-04:00

Cross Your Heart and Hope to Die - Nancy Martin

Fourth Blackbird Sisters mystery. Tricky mystery, further development of the relationship between Nora and Michael, and lots of fun.

Now....it'll just feel like forever before the next one comes out....

All well, back to November Mourns and some old Nora Roberts that I've been rereading.

Some Like it Lethal

2005-06-13T21:19:00.000-04:00

And....third one in Nancy Martin's Blackbird Sisters series - Some Like it Lethal - is done.

On to the next one!

It's in hardcover which means:

1. Its the newest one and it'll probably be a year before the next one. *sigh*

2. Too awkward to carry back and forth to work, even though it's a smaller hardcover, so I'm also reading November Mourns by Tom Piccirilli which I recently received from Amazon. It's a paperback and much easier to slip into the purse and carry around with me.

Dead Girls Don't Wear Diamonds

2005-06-12T05:53:00.000-04:00

Second in the mystery series, The Blackbird Sisters, by Nancy Martin is Dead Girls Don't Wear Diamonds.

I'm really diggin' this series so far. Nora is a very likeable character and Michael is - well definitely intriguing with his crime family background.

In this book, Nora once again gets tangled up in a murder mystery this one involving the wife of an ex-boyfriend of hers. Suspicion falls upon Nora herself, although the tale does not carry that part of it too far.

A light, witty, read.

Now, I'm on to the third one in the series. Then there's one more. Then I'll have to wait for a new one which brings up the one problem with finding new series - sooner or later you catch up to the author's latest and then you're forced to wait for more.

Christina Dodd's Contemporary Novels

2005-06-10T05:53:00.000-04:00

Thanks to thunderstorm last night, I squeezed in another book.

Almost Like Being in Love by Christina Dodd is the second in a series of books about siblings separated after their parents apparent theft of church money and death in a run to the border with it. This is the main mystery sitting behind the series - and there was really nothing new added to it in this book.

This book features Pepper, the second daughter, and her ex-boy friend Dan who she ran away from years back.

All in all, this book was pretty cliched. I liked Dan - although I don't think the author quite accomplished what she was trying to do with his alpha attitude.

Pepper was a mess character wise - which sort of fit her background - but there really wasn't a lot of justification given for many of her attitude problems.

Add in a terrorist plot, a traitor General, and a reunion for Pepper with a couple members of her family - you can see this was a bit over the top.

The first one in the series (which I read a couple days ago and forget to mention here) - Just The Way You Are is the better of the two, although it also falls prey to some of the more over used cliches in contemporary romance. In it, Hope works at an answering service where she meets Zack over the phone and assumes he's the butler/manservant/whatever instead of the millionaire boss himself. He lets her keep this assumption as they develop their relationship.

Hope, gets messed up with a criminal - learns the truth- and hates him for it. After he rescues her from being kidnapped by another criminal - they work out their differences for the HEA.

I'm not quite sure what made Dodd decide to try out contemporary settings. She's much more at home with the Regency and Medieval settings and there she manages to come up much more believable characters - or likeable anyway.

I'll keep reading the series as the books come out...but they are not on the "must buy the instant they hit the shelves" list.

Thunder Creek

2005-06-09T16:13:00.000-04:00

Thunder Creek by Jill Gregory is a suspenseful romance in which the main character, Katy returns to her home town after a divorce and takes up her aunt's diner which was closed when the aunt got sick.

It starts out a bit slow, but when she happens upon a notebook in her brother's room (who died in an accident when she was a teenager) with an entry from the night he died - she starts to think that something else might have happened and goes out in search of answers. Her brother's old friend is back in town as well and after she gets over her habit of blaming him for her brother's death - a romance starts to build between them.

In the end the mystery wasn't that much of a mystery. Pretty standard - although I do think the author was a bit lax on the sprinkling of clues as to who the villian in the story was.

All in all though, not a bad story to spend a couple of hours reading. I'll definitely check out the next book that takes place in Thunder Creek as well.

City of the Dead - Keene

2005-06-08T19:33:00.000-04:00

City of the Dead by Brian Keene is a sequel to his amazing book The Rising which helped relaunch my interest in horror books after the blahness of the 1990s when King and Koontz were about the only horror authors you could find on the shelves at the bookstores and their styles were changing so much that, in my opinion, what they wrote rarely could be considered horror. At least not horror as I like it.

The Rising tells the tale of a father's journey across several states to reach his son after the dead rise and start attacking the living. Along the way the father, Jim, picks up a couple others who join him on his trek. In Keene's zombie vision not even the less populated areas are safe because animals too are becoming zombies focused on killing and eating the living. Here, we learn the truth behind the Zombies and what they want. They are lead by Ob, and it is in City of the Dead that Ob truly takes control of the story.

The characters are fleshed out in The Rising and the beginning of City starts out with what amounts to the end of the first book. Our lucky, or unlucky in that they still are alive, characters travel further into New York City where they are rescued by a group who have made their home in a skyscraper built after 9/11 with the aim being to withstand any such attacks again.

Needless to say, Ob leads his Zombie army to this fortress and.....well, the rest would give it away. *grin*

I loved The Rising and am quite satisfied with City. It's not quite as good as the first one - but this could be because in the first one you are still unaware of what exactly is behind the Zombies - and the suspense leading up to that revelation is powerful stuff indeed.

Definitely, the two books together are a must read for horror fans. And those of you who like the dark fantasy stuff....well, I think you'd like these books too.

Go forth and buy The Rising and City of the Dead - and see just what the possible fate of the world could be....

Night of the Triffids by Clark

2005-06-03T05:49:00.000-04:00

I tried reading this book over the past couple days. I've enjoyed Simon Clark's other books. In fact he's one of my favorite horror writers.

This book though, is a sequel to Day of the Triffids by another author written quite some time ago. I've never read the book - although I am aware of the story itself.

The style of this story must be similiar to the previous one - because normally I don't have a problem with Clark's writing. In this book however I've reached page 30 and have no bond with the character at all and the 1st person account is just boring me to tears.

So, onward to the next library book on my pile.

A Penny Urned by Tamar Myers which is part of her "A Den of Antiquity" series of mysteries.

And...

2005-05-31T21:55:00.000-04:00

I had to give up on Hunchback of Notre Dame. Just could not get into the book at all. I did try. Gave it about fifty pages longer than any other book and gave up the ghost about 100 pages into it.

Currently reading

2005-05-30T20:26:00.000-04:00

Since I finished a couple from my previous list - I thought I'd update it.

Currently reading:

The Abandoned by Douglas Clegg

The Hunchback of Notre Dome by Victor Hugo

and considering starting If Angels Burn by Lynn Viehl

Slay it With Flowers

2005-05-30T20:25:00.000-04:00

Finished this book. It was good. Funny in parts and the mystery wasn't too simple to figure out. Plus, there was a light dash of romance sprinkled throughout it.

Will read next one in series when it comes out.

A Choir of Ill Children - Piccirilli

2005-05-29T08:22:00.000-04:00

Finished it this morning. I liked it quite a bit although not as a horror story. In fact I think my brain was processing it more as a dark contempory fantasy literary thing. Oh, sure there are dead people and things but through the eyes of Thomas they are pretty commonplace things. There were twists and turns in there that I never would have expected, a few I should have but didn't, and a couple things left up in the air that could be taken for unanswerable no matter what.

However, I did place an order for November Mourns which follows up A Choir of Ill Children. From the excerpt I read it appears to be in third person instead of 1st which might change things up a bit. Hopefully not too much though.

Currently

2005-05-28T07:33:00.000-04:00

I'm in various stages of reading three books

The Abandoned by Douglas Clegg

A Choir of Ill Children by Tom Piccirilli

Slay it With Flowers by Kate Collins

I'm hoping to finish the Piccirilli today. This is an extremely odd book but I'm quite enjoying it. I've tried another of his books The Deceased and wasn't that impressed. I think part of it was the style of the writing in that book. Unable to distinquish between the character's dreaming/visions/and real life sounds like a cool idea but it made it hard for me to follow the story at all. Building up a believable suspense in my mind was impossible.

With A Choir of Ill Children the matter-of-fact dealings with the odd characters and setting do work because right within the first few pages you know this isn't a normal place. In fact, it's when the normal happens that you have to stop and think twice about it.

An update

2005-05-24T19:58:00.000-04:00

Been reading, just not updating.

Last couple weeks have not been so good with the reading. It seems like every other book I picked up I just could not get into at all.

So, why don't I take a quick look at one bad one and one good one that I've read in the last couple weeks.

Testing Miss Toogood by Stella Cameron (historical romance)

I only made it through about two chapters before I started skimming and even then I never finished the book. But I've often found my reactions to Cameron's books to be extremely mixed. The characters were completely unlikeable and the writing style of the book, honestly, put me to sleep.

How to Murder a Millionaire by Nancy Martian (mystery)

Loved this book! Funny and fast and the characters easy to like. This is the first in a series of mysteries. I'm most definitely looking to grab the others tha the library has available. Fans of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich will, I think, highly adore this new mysteries series.

The High Lord - Canavan

2005-04-16T21:32:00.000-04:00

The High Lord (Bk. 3 The Black Magician Trilogy) - Trudi Canavan

Last book of her trilogy, here we find out the secret of the High Lord and just why he does what he does. Sonea joins in trying to protect the city and finds herself falling in love with the least likely of the characters.

I loved this book - although I wish it could have ended a bit differently in one regard. There are quite a few dangling possible plots. It will be interesting if she does more with this world she has created. She's definitely done her worldbuilding to bring it and the characters to life.

Much Ado About You - James

2005-04-16T21:27:00.000-04:00

Much Ado About You - by Eloisa James

Historical Romance set in Regency England surrounding four sisters and their new guardian - who was not expecting them to be the age they are.

A bit slow in parts, the book almost seems to dwell more on the other sisters than the sister who is the main focus of this story.

Not a bad book at all, it is a bit more sedate than other Historical Romances I've read by this author.