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Armed & Magical (Raine Benares #2)

by Lisa Shearin (Goodreads Author)

3.96 · rating details · 997 ratings · 83 reviews

New from ?a definite star on the rise.? (LINNEA SINCLAIR)
My name is Raine Benares. Until last week I was a seeker?a finder of things lost and people missing. Now I?m psychic roommates with the Saghred, an ancient stone with cataclysmic powers. Just me, the stone, and all the souls it's ingested over the centuries. Crowded doesn?t even begin to describe it. All I want is ...more

Mass Market Paperback, 293 pages

Published April 29th 2008 by Ace

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Community Reviews

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Dec 27, 2008

Angie rated it

Shelves: good-uns

Two Raine Benares books down and I can say three things: first--I am officially a Lisa Shearin fan, second--I liked Armed & Magical just as much as (if not more than) Magic Lost, Trouble Found, and third--it's going to be a long wait for book #3, The Trouble with Demons, to come out the end of April. Lisa has, however, assured me that my wait will not be in vain, as book #3 will have more than enough sizzle to satisfy any Team Tam girl's needs. To be fair, she said the same will be true for T...moreTwo Raine Benares books down and I can say three things: first--I am officially a Lisa Shearin fan, second--I liked Armed & Magical just as much as (if not more than) Magic Lost, Trouble Found, and third--it's going to be a long wait for book #3, The Trouble with Demons, to come out the end of April. Lisa has, however, assured me that my wait will not be in vain, as book #3 will have more than enough sizzle to satisfy any Team Tam girl's needs. To be fair, she said the same will be true for Team Mychael girls, but that's neither here nor there...

Armed & Magical begins immediately after the first book ends. Raine and Co. are on the Island of Mid, restlessly holed up in the finest suite the Conclave and its Guardians have to offer. The paladin has assured Raine that someone within the magical university hierarchy will be able to help rid her of her increasingly uncomfortable link to the Saghred--the ancient, malevolent stone intent on sucking her soul dry. Unfortunately, a notorious elven assassin seems to be targeting the paladin and the archmagus--Raine's two lone friends in this new, hostile environment. After singlehandedly foiling this attempt, Raine joins the hunt to unearth who is paying the assassin and why he seems to be amassing a group of hostage spellsingers. Never more than a step away from death, Raine finds herself embroiled in goblin/elf warfare as well as some nasty political power wrangling at the university. When Tam appears unexpectedly in the middle of a particularly harrowing encounter in a dark alley, their already hazy relationship quickly shifts to an even murkier shade of gray, and Raine struggles to figure out just which shady character is behind which threat and whether or not any of them can be trusted.

One of the best things about these books is the ripping good pace they keep. The first covers only the space of a week, and the second not much more. Yet they are filled to the brim with near constant action, infectious humor, and a wide range of intriguing characters. They are all fun and worth getting attached to, but the best interaction, IMO, is reserved for Raine's encounters with Tam (more than he appears shaman turned nightclub owner love interest) and Piaras (pseudo younger brother more powerful than you spellsinger). I like how saavy Raine is at handling the various male figures in her life. I like how she is exactly who she claims to be (and she never claims to be perfect). And I particularly like how fierce she is when it comes to protecting her family. Here is one of my favorite examples of Raine's lively sense of humor when dealing with said men:

I couldn't keep a little smile off my face. "Most girls get flowers or candy. I get a declaration of martial law."

Well, I can't keep a smile off my face when I read a Lisa Shearin book. So it's a match made in heaven.(less)

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May 06, 2008

Felicia rated it

Recommends it for: urban paranormal fans, questers

Shelves: vaginal-fantasy, urban-paranormal

Yet again Raine charms and delights me and forces me to stay up until 2am reading and then pouting because I can't pick up the next one immediately.

I love this series, it is everything I love to read, and everything I'd love to write. Virtually continuous from the last book, it follows Raine adventuring anew with yummy romantic triangles and lots of fun fighting.

The author writes with an enthusiasm and a sense of humor that is in no way forced and incredibly infectiou...more

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Jun 25, 2011

Paradoxical rated it

Shelves: 2011-reading-list, books-otherwise

Hm. Armed & Magical marks the second book in the Raine Benares series. Raine finds herself on the Isle of Mid, which is filled with mages, in what is essentially a gilded cage as she's still linked with the Saghred. The Saghred proves to be a rather noisy stone, as the occupants (the villain in the first book, mainly) make themselves known, as well as the stone itself proving to be a temptation of sorts for Raine, as it wants to be used. Raine gets embroiled in an unexpected investigation and of...moreHm. Armed & Magical marks the second book in the Raine Benares series. Raine finds herself on the Isle of Mid, which is filled with mages, in what is essentially a gilded cage as she's still linked with the Saghred. The Saghred proves to be a rather noisy stone, as the occupants (the villain in the first book, mainly) make themselves known, as well as the stone itself proving to be a temptation of sorts for Raine, as it wants to be used. Raine gets embroiled in an unexpected investigation and off she goes.

The most irritating part of the books is the exposition. Every time something new comes up, Raine takes a moment and explains it all. It's like the reader gets dragged to the side while the author says what she thinks needs to be said, and then pushed back into the story when she's done. Its like a sledgehammer to the head, there's no subtly at all, and it's all over the place. The pace of the story gets somewhat bogged down, and all I do is repeat in my head, "Show. Not tell". There's also the issue of Raine's witticisms, which were cute in the first book, but seems too frequent in the second. There comes a point when Raine seems too flippant about her life and what's going on in it, and it grates.

Then there are the villains. Who bore me to death. I don't need my villains to be very deep and well thought out, but at the very least, they should not be boring. They are all unrepentantly evil and they do evil things and it's just not very creative or exciting and yeah, still yawning.

This book just left me feeling rather cold. I read it, but I stopped frequently and took a few days to read it (and I usually finish reading my books the same day because I am a fast reader). Instead of seeing the world through Raine's eyes, I feel like I'm being told what's going on--like there's a distance between myself and the story because of all of the exposition. I feel as if the romances that Raine has between Tam or Mychael are lackluster at best. I expect more from Raine and I'm just not getting it. The magic feels like it was just thrown together and just gets more added to it without any real explanations behind any of it. It just doesn't feel real (or that it could be real in some alternate dimension--bah, you get what I mean [I hope]).

It wasn't all bad though. There were some instances where I chuckled (e.g. anything with Phaelen). I love Piaris still. Raine isn't a horrible main character.

Eh, 2 stars. This series is feels like a light read that teeters into serious territory (well, skirts the edges), but it just doesn't carry it off as well as one hopes. Also, too much exposition. I really, really hate that. (less)

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Apr 04, 2011

Tracy rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

~* 3.5 Stars *~
When It Raines It Pours
Raine Benares is on the Isle of Mid with hope that the powerful mages there will be able to free her from the Saghred's insidious influence. Since arriving she's been kept under constant surveillance and protection, Paladin Mychael's Guardians keeping her in their sights and within reach. When an assassination attempt forces her hand and displays her magical potential to allies and enemies alike, Raine becomes a political pawn and an even bigger ta...more~* 3.5 Stars *~
When It Raines It Pours
Raine Benares is on the Isle of Mid with hope that the powerful mages there will be able to free her from the Saghred's insidious influence. Since arriving she's been kept under constant surveillance and protection, Paladin Mychael's Guardians keeping her in their sights and within reach. When an assassination attempt forces her hand and displays her magical potential to allies and enemies alike, Raine becomes a political pawn and an even bigger target. Then spellsingers start to disappear and Raine discovers that a malevolent force is working to take control of the Saghred, and what protections and shields are in place may not be enough to stop it - especially when the soul-stealing rock seems to want to be used by every nefarious elf or goblin in the land.

The further I read into the Raine Benares series, the more I love Raine and her family and friends. There's something about her dry wit, her sarcasm and tongue-in-cheek humor, her willingness to risk her life - and her soul - for the people she cares about (and their willingness to do the same for her), and the likelihood that trouble will not only find her, it'll give her a big sloppy kiss and try to lift her wallet, too, that keeps me reading and wanting more. The characters are definitely the driving force of the series for me. There's a subtle romantic triangle - and I normally hate those, but it works well here, and Shearin keeps it from being a mess of angst and drama. Instead it serves to flesh out and add character dimension to Raine, Mychael, and Tam, and adds an emotional component to each of their personalities that is very appealing.

In the first book, Magic Lost, Trouble Found, I initially had some trouble warming up to the 'voice' of Raine and feeling connected with the story. Shearin writes the series from Raine's first person POV, and it's a lot heavier on narration than dialogue, so it took me awhile to get used to the limited emotional expression in the narrative and Raine's no nonsense personality. Once I did, however, that first book really worked for me, and that same sense of personality transferred very well to this book, with an added layer of emotional expression and intensity in Raine that I felt was missing in the previous book.

I wasn't as enamored with the plot of the story in Armed & Magical, however. It started quick and strong, but following an early action sequence that got the book off with a bang, it got bogged down a bit with excessive exposition, then segued into less adventuresome investigation and some political stuff that dragged for me. At several points, I could tell my attention was wandering from what was going on around Raine, and I didn't have that problem with the first book. I really liked the broadened understanding of the world and the societal structure, though, and I love the mix of fantasy and modern colloquialisms that pepper the dialogue and narrative. It gives the series a sense of hip freshness and a unique bent in the genre.

The conflict with the antagonist and the story surrounding it felt a little lackluster to me, though, coming together a bit too conveniently. And perhaps it's nothing more than perception, but it felt too close in nature to the plot of the previous book for my tastes - at least in broad-stroke generalities. Also, where I felt the danger to Raine and friends in the last book was gripping and intense through the whole of that story, in this one there were peaks and valleys, and even the most dangerous scenes seemed less visceral than the entire last quarter of the first book. For me, it made the flow of this story seem a bit choppier and less fluid, and the ending slightly anticlimactic.

There were a few points in the narrative that felt repetitive - one in particular that stuck out as being word-for-word duplication of a previous passage. I wasn't quite sure if it was a purposeful tool on the author's part to drive a point home, but regardless, the aspects of the narrative that felt repetitive - as well as the one that more than felt it - added to the drag in the narration through the middle of the book. I also have a tiny issue with how many times Raine mentions or draws on the fact that she's a Benares and speaks so often as to the many and varied reasons that's important for her or significant to her actions. I was well versed in that by the end of the first book and feel that point has been driven in a little too hard by now.

Despite being slightly less enamored with the plot and conflict of Armed & Magical, I'm completely committed to this series and look forward to spending more time with Raine and her family and friends. They really are the most thrilling and fun aspects of this series and I can't wait to see how things progress from here for all of them.

~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.(less)

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Jan 01, 2011

Yolanda Sfetsos rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

I gotta say, Lisa totally sucked me in from the first chapter. Of course, I've read and really enjoyed the first book, so I couldn't wait to see what would happen to Raine this time... especially since we were going to be shown a completely different island.
Wow. It didn't disappoint, that's for sure. I love Raine's voice. It's so casual and witty. She's very stubborn too, even if she knows that a situation might be a little too hard for her to deal with, she's willing to do whatever she ca...more

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Dec 13, 2010

Jep rated it

I used to like Felicia Day; I saw an interview she did, via IM telephony, wearing her WoW wireless headset. I mean, c'mon! Cool! Self-employed and not ashamed of it. Hardworking, makes her own opportunities!

Looked her up on goodreads, which she pimped. She recommended this, under the most bizarre category ever invented — 'vaginal fantasy'. Seriously.

What it is is humdrum romance-with-pointy-ears-and-magic.

Lisa Shearin knows one thing fairly well: pacing. Lisa Sheari...more

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Aug 23, 2010

Trish rated it

· review of another edition

I possibly gave it the fourth star simply because it was a much better read than the book I just read yesterday. I couldn't help but compare that this book has a general lack of internal anguish in the lead female character. Raine will fight first and then ask questions later. She was not in any way weakened by any moral debates. There was enough snark and humor to give it a less than adult feel, but this book is definitely for adults. I simply liked how the lead male, Mychael, was described as ...more

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Nov 05, 2009

Michelle rated it

Shelves: 2009, fantasy

I'm a sucker for funny books. Any type of humorous book will do, but after stumbling upon Lisa Shearin's Magic Lost, Trouble Found earlier this year, I knew I had found a kindred spirit in one Raine Beranes. She's an elf, a seeker (someone who can find things with magic), and comes from a long line of pirates and criminals. Just how she found herself on the opposite side of the law still baffles Raine but she's good at what she does and is happy doing it.

As a seeker, Raine has always...moreI'm a sucker for funny books. Any type of humorous book will do, but after stumbling upon Lisa Shearin's Magic Lost, Trouble Found earlier this year, I knew I had found a kindred spirit in one Raine Beranes. She's an elf, a seeker (someone who can find things with magic), and comes from a long line of pirates and criminals. Just how she found herself on the opposite side of the law still baffles Raine but she's good at what she does and is happy doing it.

As a seeker, Raine has always possessed a respectable amount of magic but after finding (and bonding) with a magical stone called the Saghred a few weeks prior, she's now got more dark magic at her fingertips than she knows what to do with. Raine's new goal in life? Find a way to get rid of the stone without it killing her in the process. Hoping for an answer, she's traveled with Paladin Mychael Eiliesor to the Island of Mid (home to most mages per capita) along with Piaras, her pseudo younger brother, an aspiring young spellsinger who's hoping to get some much-needed training in Mid. Getting rid of the stone is easier said than done however, since her new found skills seem to be a red-hot beacon - attracting every crazy, power-hungry mage in existence who would like their very own catastrophe-causing stone at their beck-and-call.

If that not enough to give a girl stress: Piaras' awesome spellsinging abilities have garnered no little interest and when several other talented spellsingers go missing, Raine is determined to get her loved ones out of dodge before the sparks really fly. But the Saghred is not about to let Raine off that easy, what with the stone's power becoming harder to resist daily since the arrival of some truly nasty goblins who would like nothing better than to take back what they see is rightfully theirs. Throw in Raine's oh-so-inciting temptation to get a little closer to Tam (goblin aristocrat turned nightclub owner in possession of some seriously sexy eyes) which have begun to have incendiary results - and things just take off from there.

Stepping back into Raine's life was like taking a deep breath and then trying to run flat-out for the next 5 to 10 days. It's non-stop action, full of Raine's hilarious quips and her trademark no-nonsense approach to any situation: get in, get out, don't get killed. Simple enough. I'm still laughing over the things that come out of that girl's mouth, for example:

"My family's big on denial. And if we denied something long enough, we thought it'd go away. I know that's not how it works, but we're in denial about that, too."

Blunt and upfront - my kind of girl. Also one of the most loyal characters I've ever met, Raine would go through fire (or at least a roomful of nasty goblins) for those she loves with both knives drawn and not even think twice about it. Raine does have her faults, but she's the first to admit to them and never tries to be more than she appears. Armed & Magical is an original, laugh out loud funny book and I can't wait to see where it will take Raine next. That is, as long as Tam is coming along.(less)

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Jan 02, 2011

Sandy rated it

· review of another edition

This series just keeps getting better and better!
Raine Benares is a highly talented seeker and now valuable commodity who possesses a lot of power of the Saghred, an ancient but powerful stone nicknamed the Thief of Souls. She's constantly trying to find ways to prevent becoming its bond servant. In Armed & Magical, the setting is in the Isle of Mid, an island filled with powerful magic users and a sorcery school.

I really like Raine. She's also a very likable character. She's ...more

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Feb 20, 2011

Renai rated it

· review of another edition

I read this book on a bus ride from a field trip with a bunch of 5th graders. The action pulled me right into the zone, even with the children laughing and carrying on in the bus I was sucked into Raine's world. (Hey hey, I wasn't the chaperon on the field trip, the kids didn't even speak my language. I joined them for the sight seeing, so getting sucked into this fabulous book wasn't an issue) Raine is an amazing character.

I read the eBook edition of this book, so I didn't have to...more

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Apr 12, 2009

Joanne rated it

Shelves: high-fantasy

Raine benares needs to get rid of her link to the Saghred. With it, she has unlimited power at her disposal - and the evil Khrynsani shamans on her tail. She has just arrived on the Ilse of Mid, hoping one of the mages of the Conclave can help her get loose of the Saghred's grasp. But she's followed by the goblins who want "their" stone back, and now amongst magic users are those greedy for power, who will go to any lengths to get it. And when spellsinging students disappear from the s...more

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May 06, 2010

Louis rated it

Shelves: fict-fantasy, nook-kindle-ebook, urban-fantasy, fiction

I have to say, I think this was better than the first book. We continue to see characters that were introduced in the first one, and had a limited set of new characters being added.

The timeline for the stories is extremely tight as it takes place soon after Raines Benares arrives in Mid.

In the span of a week she finds herself expanding her involvement between the two powerful yet sensual people introduced in the first book of the series. These are Good Paladin Guard...more

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Aug 01, 2010

Kristen Tucker rated it

I can't help but laugh through this book. The humorous way Raine runs around trying to save her world from falling into the wrong hands is great. Usually she finds herself fighting off the 'the Stone' that has claimed her, and she is trying to keep out of dangerous hands -- kinda like the whole Frodo and the ring idea -- or she is keeping Piaras, her Spellsinger cousin out of danger, or she is just trying to keep the power hungry mages at bay.
The love stories/triangle continue and make fun...more

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Apr 11, 2011

Shelley R rated it

Shelves: fantasy

Armed & Magical is the second book in the Raine Benares series, and comes a week after the events of Magic Lost, Trouble Found. Raine has traveled from her home of Mermeia; to the Isle of Mid where she is hoping the cadre of powerful mages on the Isle can help her break the binding that links her to the Saghred. The same binding that also bonded her father who was its last keeper.

Raine is a half elf, as well as a seeker who finds things, along with lost and missing persons. As her at...moreArmed & Magical is the second book in the Raine Benares series, and comes a week after the events of Magic Lost, Trouble Found. Raine has traveled from her home of Mermeia; to the Isle of Mid where she is hoping the cadre of powerful mages on the Isle can help her break the binding that links her to the Saghred. The same binding that also bonded her father who was its last keeper.

Raine is a half elf, as well as a seeker who finds things, along with lost and missing persons. As her attachment grows, Raine finds that she has become one of the strongest mages around. Not bad for a elf who had minimal magic abilities just a week before.

Traveling to Mid along with Raine, are Paladin Mychael Eiliesor who is commander of the Guardians on the Isle of Mid. Mychael as a cadre of guardians at his disposal to ensure Raine is safe. Her cousin Phaelan, a notorious pirate aka seafaring businessman, and Piaras, her pseudo younger brother, and aspiring spellsinger who's hoping to get some much-needed training in Mid.

Raine finds herself deep into trouble right from the outset as someone tries to kill Mychael and Justinius, the senior mage on Me. Having saved them, and a bunch of guardians who were in harms way, her enemies list grows as well. They each want her dead, or to use the link to the Saghred for their own nefarious ways. These enemies include:

Canades Silvanus, a senior mage and member of the Seat of Twelve. Canades wants to be in charge, but can’t as long as Justinius is alive and well. He can only grumble and undermine his abilities to lead, as well as scheme into having both Raine and Piaras under his control.

Rudra Muralin is a goblin spellsinger who was once a bond servant to the Saghred. He is nearly 1,000 years old, and has come back looking to regain his link with the Saghred at the cost of Raines soul and life.

The Khrynsani, goblins, who followed Nukpana before he was sucked into the Saghred, are also back and irritating as ever.

Banan Ryce, commander of a group calling themselves the Nightshade. Banan kidnaps spellsinger’s for the highest bidder, in this case, Muralin. He is an elf who is an assassin, as well as a rapist and kidnapper. Ryce is a nasty piece of work, who basically has one moment in the spotlight, before vanishing along with his kidnap victim.

Of course, what’s a story about the adventures of Raine without the men in her life and yet another love triangle? Tamnais Nathrach aka Tam, is a former goblin Primara and dark mage for the Goblin Court. When Tam and Raine are near, the heat goes way up. Now that Raine is linked to the Saghred, neither can truly trust themselves aroudn the other. Raine and Mychael also have some hot and heavy moments where you want to scream, Kiss her already idiot! Oh yeah, and Mychael, you can tie me up anytime you want ::wink::

Raine is a likable character, and has lots of back bone. As her power grows, so does her willingness to do whatever it takes to protect Piaras, and herself. Piaras has come a long way from a scared kid, into one of the most powerful spellsinger’s around, and that’s without any formal training.

I'm defintely continuing this story not only because of Raine, but because of the world building and story telling as well. I also want to see in what direction Raine and Mychaels relationship goes.

Next in series: The Trouble with Demons (2009)
(less)

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Nov 02, 2009

Chrissy Wissler rated it

This book was an enjoyable read, although it didn't pull me in as much as the first book. There was a lot more going on in the world than the first one. Everyone seemed to have their own agenda, which unfortunately involved kidnapping Raine or her friend. Since there was so much going on, I felt more disconnected with the characters and their situation. They didn't seem to have a single focus or goal, and the one Raine had set out to solve hasn't gotten solved yet - which is probably why there's...more

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Aug 16, 2009

Summer rated it

Shelves: fantasy, magic, need-to-buy

I am totally in love with this series. The first book was fantastic and the second completely rocked my socks.
So Raine is on the Isle of Mid hoping that Guardian Mychael can keep her alive long enough to unravel the mysteries of the Saghred. Particularly the part of how you become unbonded to it. In addition to a bevy of evil goblins and greedy elves, she's got missing students to find and Piaras's magical abilities are also attracting some unwanted attention.
Raine is a fantastic h...more

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Nov 29, 2009

Amy or "Ames" rated it

Shelves: read-in-2009, fantasy, magic-users, historical, do-not-own

Good story, great sexual tension and some ass-kicking action.

The highlight for me is the sexual tension between Raine and Mychael. They've only known each other for about two weeks by the end of this book but they've got quite a spark. Raine's known Tam for two years though so I guess he has an advantage. I class Tam as a former bad guy and Mychael is a good guy willing to break the rules for the greater good. I like them both so I can't choose which one I want to end up with Raine, ...more

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Apr 02, 2009

cecilia rated it

Shelves: orange-covers

An excellent sequel to Magic Lost, Trouble Found! More rollicking fun with Raine and company - with additional characters to make things even more interesting! Raine travels to Mid to try and remove herself from the Saghred, while preventing the baddies from getting their hands on it. The love triangle between Raine, Michael, and Tam gets even more complicated. All in all, Shearin gives us another deliciously witty delight!

Complete review on my blog

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Feb 11, 2008

Lisa rated it

· (Review from the author)

I wrote it. ; )

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Oct 08, 2011

Lynsey (Geekius) rated it

Shelves: book-boyfriend, favourites, magic-tastic, fae-alicious

I really enjoyed this. The story was a lot more gripping than in the first book, and you got to see a lot more of Raine's character and personality come out as she interacted with people in her new temporary home on the Isle of Mid.

Young magic students and spell singers are going missing, and Raine, as a seeker, is required to find them. Only it's not as simple as that...when is it ever? I'm getting more of a sense of the "world" this series is set in now. The pirate-y, swa...more

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Jun 12, 2010

Julia Fitri rated it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. AHA!
We meet again with Raine Benares and co in the exciting debacle; Armed and Magical! *cue ecstatic and disgustingly cheerful magical tune*

Raine was bored. She was stuck in the Island of Mid, surrounded by Conclave Guardians because she was bonded to a stone of cataclysmic power called Saghred which means The Thief of Souls.

Cheerful, ain’t it?

Basically, all sorts of powerful people want this stone and Raine along with it since she seemed to bond well w...more

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Jun 15, 2010

Lydia Presley rated it

Shelves: 2010, favorites, fiction, paranormal

If you are a Team sort of girl this book is going to delight you. I cannot decide if I'm Team Mychael or Team Tam .. but I can tell you both men in this ongoing story of Raine Benares are yummy and fun to read about.

I love these Raine books. They are exactly the kind of book I wish I could write. They are full of wit, action and steamy clean fun. Are you a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Then these are the books for you.

In Armed and Magical a few more bits and pieces...more

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Mar 15, 2009

Janice (Janicu) rated it

Almost as enjoyable as the first book - plenty of action and Raine's usual humor to keep the book going nicely. As in book 1, the voice is light and more urban fantasy than straight fantasy, and a lot of surprisingly modern words are used in this world. That's refreshing for some, maybe not so for others.

I did have a couple of nits however. One was on page 108 (yes, I did write it down!). There was a paragraph describing Raine's relationship with Tam that I swear was word for word ex...more

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Nov 26, 2008

Elizabeth rated it

Elves to the left of her, goblins to the right....and all Raine wants is OUT! After trying to help her friend she wound up with this magic stone the Saghred - otherwise known as the Soul Stealer - and next thing she knew it liked her! Now she was stuck with it, and everyone wanted a piece of her - well, the stone, really, they didn't really want her. But since it hadn't driven her insane, as it was known to do with anyone else who had touched it, a lot of questions were being tossed around. But ...more

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Mar 22, 2011

Anila rated it

Shelves: clone-the-guy-i-want-one, fangirl-alert, i-haz-opinion-on-this, favorite-2011-reads

This is my one-sentence review of this book: Lisa Shearin has written the only love triangle I really, really, really like.

If that's not enough to convince you that this book was awesome, I will elaborate. Going to focus on the love triangle because I can do so without spoilers, and I can't remember quite enough of Magic Lost, Trouble Found to be sure I could discuss the plot and avoid them.

Our players in this drama are:
Raine Benares, seeker, sorceress, and elf. ...moreThis is my one-sentence review of this book: Lisa Shearin has written the only love triangle I really, really, really like.

If that's not enough to convince you that this book was awesome, I will elaborate. Going to focus on the love triangle because I can do so without spoilers, and I can't remember quite enough of Magic Lost, Trouble Found to be sure I could discuss the plot and avoid them.

Our players in this drama are:
Raine Benares, seeker, sorceress, and elf. The main character, of course.
Mychael Eiliesor, paladin of the Guardians on the Isle of Mid and another elf.
Tamnais Nathrach, goblin and owner of a few nightclubs, with some shady business in both his past and his present.

Full disclaimer: After this book I'm pretty much Team Mychael. I recall liking Tam a lot more in the first volume, but damn did Mychael and Raine have chemistry here.

So first off, Raine. THANK GOODNESS FOR RAINE. You think Calla Tor is a warrior? Raine'd kick her ass with one hand behind her back and not even need to use magic to do it. See, Calla tells us she's a warrior. Raine shows us. She wrestles goblin priests, goes everywhere heavily armed and prepared for trouble, gets the upper hand of a high elf mage, and best of all... she never lets either of the two powerful, protective men who have feelings for her boss her around. These fellows are lucky if they get an upper hand when she's recovering from unconsciousness, let alone when she's fully lucid.
Oh yes, and afraid of sex? Not this chica. While she never acts on them, Raine is an honest first person narrator, even about that aspect of her life. She's not ashamed of her sexuality, which is refreshing. (It's a pity this isn't a YA novel.)

In accompaniment to our strong-willed, savvy, and genuine heroine we have those two powerful, protective men I mentioned. Mychael is kind of a sweetheart, especially next to Tam the bad boy. Both of them have feelings for Raine but they respect her autonomy- yes, there are a few times when one or the other tells her to stay behind, not that she listens, but they have numerous ulterior motives and it's absolutely clear that it's never a matter of her being a weak woman. If Raine needs protecting it's because she's a serious political asset, not because she can't handle herself in a fight.
I loved that both the love interests had nuanced motivations that conflicted with their... shall we say, 'personal interest' in Raine. I loved just as much if not more that they were both willing to fight beside her. And as I said, she and Mychael had wonderful chemistry. My only problem was that it took them so. damn. long. to kiss. ARGH SEXUAL TENSION IS KILLING ME HERE. Not that it went away after that, though...

Oh, I don't really know what to say about this book. It was so much fun; I guess that's the heart of it. I didn't laugh out loud or fall out of my chair, as some of the professional reviews said I would, but it always left me grinning. Raine is an excellent narrator, and the rest of the characters were interesting in their own rights. The plot just hummed along wonderfully. The magics were interesting to read about, as were the political machinations. My only nitpick is that there were a few points when Raine used modern idioms/words/phrases- 'outgunned', for instance- that didn't fit with the setting. And it did take me a chapter or two to adjust to the style.

...now I have to go back and read book 1, because I remember that mainmast kiss giving me shivers and I want to remember why...(less)

· see review

Jun 26, 2008

Ben Babcock rated it

Shelves: own, fantasy, 2008-read

I started Armed & Magical immediately after finishing Magic Lost, Trouble Found, and it was a good decision. Armed & Magical picks up right where the first book ends. Raine is still burdened with the Saghred, which continually flexes its psychic muscle. Sarad Nukpana lurks on the edge of her awareness. There's elves and goblins after her, not to mention any number of mages who might want her power for their own.

I love how Raine explains the Saghred, calling it her "psychic roomm...moreI started Armed & Magical immediately after finishing Magic Lost, Trouble Found, and it was a good decision. Armed & Magical picks up right where the first book ends. Raine is still burdened with the Saghred, which continually flexes its psychic muscle. Sarad Nukpana lurks on the edge of her awareness. There's elves and goblins after her, not to mention any number of mages who might want her power for their own.

I love how Raine explains the Saghred, calling it her "psychic roommate." Lisa Shearin's easygoing, matter-of-fact characterization of Raine makes the book extremely fun. If you enjoyed Magic Lost, Trouble Found, then you will enjoy this book. If you didn't, then I don't see why you'd be reading the second one just to see if it "gets better." The plot certainly thickens, but it follows the same general formula that the first book did, incorporating some new twists to keep it interesting.

If you haven't read Magic Lost, Trouble Found first, don't even think about skipping it and reading this one. You probably won't get lost. Shearin does a good job adding exposition that catches readers up to Raine's life, some of which is targeted at people who may not have read the first book (or read the first book long enough ago to forget it). Actually, this is something with which I have an issue: reading the books back to back, I noticed that some of those snippets were reused verbatim from the first book. While I suppose that it's hard to improve on nice, tight prose, what's the harm in trying?

I liked the ending to this book much better than the first one. The climax was paced better, wasn't too drawn out, and the ending wrapped up enough loose ends while still leaving me hungry for book 3.

I guess the highest praise I could give this book would be: I read it as quickly as possible because I couldn't wait to find out what happened next, so quickly that sometimes I had to go back to double check something.

My Reviews of the Raine Benares series:
← Magic Lost, Trouble Found | The Trouble with Demons → (less)

· see review

May 24, 2008

Gina rated it

Shelves: paranormal-supernatural, suspense, fantasy, romantic-suspense, own

Terrific! Excellent! Can’t wait for the next book!

Shearin has a way with putting her characters right there, in your face, and good luck trying to get them out of your mind when you put the book down. Each character is different, with their own personality, and each bring something different to the story.

In the first chapter, it’s like Raine takes a big breath, a sigh in relief, believing that where she is will be a big help into getting rid of the Saghred. But before the...more

· see review

Oct 13, 2010

Unwisely rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: 2010, fantasy, kept-me-up-too-late

I have spent some time trying to figure out what to say about this book that wouldn't paint it wrong. This is a book that takes its archetypes seriously. There is some glorious mixing and matching - I mentioned in book 1 that I loved the goblins and I still love them pretty hard, but you have your dashing rogue, your paladin, your feisty thief.. And that's *fine*.

It kept me engrossed, and up reading past my bedtime, and was a ton of semi-mindless fun.

· see review

Sep 30, 2010

Jenn rated it

· review of another edition

Shelves: did-not-finish, fantasy, library

The main character is too snarky and the author throws waaaaaaaaaay too much at you in the first 4 chapters. Can't these people sit down and enjoy a meal? Lack of character development is a problem. None of the characters are very likable and I don't feel vested in any of the characters. I'm going to put it down for a while and see if I feel the need to go back.

I gave it a week's thought and it's going back to the library. Not saying it's a bad book, but it's not a book for me.

· see review

Jul 22, 2011

Tracy rated it

· review of another edition

Picks up right after the first book in the series and launches into an action packed read. I really enjoyed the first book. I LOVED this second one. Raine is such an easy character to like and the first person narrative fits her to a tee. She's supported by some memorable and enjoyable friends and villians. Many of the characters introduced in the first book really get a chance to shine brighter here just as the story dives a little darker.

If you enjoyed book 1 in the series, d...more

· see review

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Armed & Magical (Raine Benares #2)

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