9 ratings | 2 reviews | avg rating:3.89

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R.L. Shephard

Goodreads author profile

born

March 10, 1986 in The United States

gender

female

twitter username

Rimbaum

genre

Science Fiction & Fantasy, Gay & Lesbian, Horror

influences

Anne Rice, Sarah Monette, Poppy Z. Brite, Garth Nix, too much fanficti...more

member since

May 2011

About this author

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R.L. Shephard grew up in an orphanage, writing stories about herself taking over the world. After years of being bounced around the system because of her dark sense of humor and inherent magical powers, she settled down in a miserable little shack and discovered the internet—a place where she could easily start her plots for world domination. However, the lure of roleplaying and slash fiction, whether fandom or original, were quick and sure distractions that have kept her occupied ever since. Really, they’re the only reason the world’s still safe.

That's the silly blurb I wrote for Less Than Three Press.

In reality, I grew up with divorced parents, a stable school, and relatively few friends until I got to high school. I started reading fanfi...more

combine editions
Books by R.L. Shephard

Average rating: 3.62 · 34 ratings · 5 reviews · 1 distinct work

Forget Me Not

3.62 avg rating — 34 ratings — published 2011 — 3 editions

My rating:

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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R.L.'s Recent Updates

R.L. Shephard joined the Less Than Three Press and M/M Romance groups.

Aug 30, 2011 07:30pm · see group

R.L. Shephard took the Never-Ending Book Quiz

questions answered:	15
correct:	15 (100.0%)
skipped:	0
best streak:	15
questions added:	0

Jul 06, 2011 12:45pm · beat her score

R.L. Shephard gave

to:

Exquisite Corpse
by Poppy Z. Brite

My rating:

May 27, 2011 02:49pm

R.L. Shephard gave

to:

Lost Souls
by Poppy Z. Brite

My rating:

May 27, 2011 02:49pm

R.L. Shephard became a fan of Poppy Z. Brite

May 27, 2011 02:48pm · all of R.L.'s favorite authors

R.L. Shephard gave

to:

Melusine (Doctrine of Labyrinths, #1)
by Sarah Monette

recommended for: dark fantasy fans, M/M fans, abused protagonist fans

My rating:

I was recommended this book by a friend, who admitted up front that it used some strange terms (molly = gay, janus = bisexual, just for example), and some of the names are really out there. However, we both enjoyed books with a suffering protagonist,...more I was recommended this book by a friend, who admitted up front that it used some strange terms (molly = gay, janus = bisexual, just for example), and some of the names are really out there. However, we both enjoyed books with a suffering protagonist, and she said this had the motherload. She seriously was not kidding.

One thing I did not realize when I started this book was that it was the first in a series of four. I was pleasantly surprised to find the next two books at the library after I'd read it through, which was a good thing because Melusine ends on a rather abrupt note, with the characters far from home and in no state to get back any time soon.

A lot of the book is completely over-the-top. Felix is a blatant attempt at a half-failed Mary Sue, with many of the same trappings. If you can keep that in mind, and get past the wall of sheer asshole, I find him a thoroughly enjoyable character - in the first book, at least, where his madness and moments of lucidity make for a great contrast to Mildmay's point of view.

By far, my favorite character in this book and the series, as with many people, is Mildmay. He's incredibly observant and his colorful language makes for a fascinating read. Many, many people were put off by Mildmay's alternate takes on counting (base seven, of all things) and calender systems, but this is primarily a historical fantasy, and such forms were actually used by the lower classes at one point, if I can remember correctly, in France. You do eventually get used to it, and by the time I'd read the third book (within a week of reading the first one, mind), I was able to easily convert base seven to base ten.

And that's another thing that lends itself well to this world. Melusine seems so similar to a revolutionary-period France with magic dashed in, that it's easy to imagine their trek eastward as a journey across Europe.

Overall, this book definitely isn't for everyone. The narrative switches, and reasonably often (less so later on), which can throw a lot of people who aren't interested in one or another character. But if you do start reading it, don't give up on it until you've managed to finish it. Stopping partway through won't get you a good objective on the book - you may love it and look forward to the next in the series (Virtu and Mirador were by far my favorites), or you might still absolutely hate it. Which is fine, but at least give it a proper read before dismissing it to the trash pile :)(less)

May 27, 2011 11:04am · see review

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