I know that I started this book once before, but I can't for the life of me remember when or why I didn’t finish. I suspect it was a Kindle sample and...moreI know that I started this book once before, but I can't for the life of me remember when or why I didn’t finish. I suspect it was a Kindle sample and being that it's published by Penguin, the price was simply too outrageous to pony up the money. I mean, when the Kindle version costs more than the paperback, you know that somebody has a flawed view of consumer value.
Anyway, I picked up some Jayne Ann Krentz books recently, including the second in the Arcane Society series (Amanda Quick is a pseudonym of Jayne Ann Krentz). Since I hate starting in the middle, I picked this book up from the library in preparation. (Take that evil Penguin overlords!)
And found I rather liked it. Victorian isn't my preferred era, but I think it worked well-enough in this case. Quick seemed to have a decent grasp of the people and times (for my uninformed expectations, at any rate), even if the heroine, Venetia, is something of a progressive woman for her times. Gabriel is a progressive man and perfectly capable of accepting her quirks and eccentricities, so it was all well-enough. I even liked the peripheral characters (Venetia's family and their friends and/or servants, mostly).
While everything flowed very smoothly, I couldn't help the feeling that it was maybe a little too... airy? light? facile? I'm not sure. The surrounding plot includes murder and mysticism, so I guess it just felt that there wasn't enough weight given how people were dying and stuff. Since, for much of the novel, Venetia is at least a likely target of someone with little scruple, let alone restraint, I guess it seemed to me that things were a bit too light-hearted when all is said.
So it was a pleasant, entertaining read as long as all you really are looking for is light entertainment. It does deliver on that promise and earn a solid (and well-appreciated) 3 stars. I hope the rest of the series lives up to this promising start.
A note about Steamy: This is middle-range steamy book for me—two (and a half) explicit scenes, though one early-enough in the novel that I was somehow expecting more. Both were very well-done, even if I thought Venetia maybe a little too eager for an era absent reliable birth control. (less)
Giving a single rating to a short story anthology is difficult. I feel bad averaging the ratings for the stories because that shafts those that are ou...moreGiving a single rating to a short story anthology is difficult. I feel bad averaging the ratings for the stories because that shafts those that are outstanding. So here's my quick take: the bulk of the stories are 3 stars (around half). One or two merit five stars, though, with the rest being comfortable fours (I hesitate to break it down to specifics mainly due to the fact it has been weeks and short stories tend to blend in my memory).
So the dilemma. Averaging out would put this in a high three point something. Solid, but not outstanding. But it is outstanding so I could simply round to a four, right? But... how often do you find a short story collection with no duds and some outright stand-outs? I don't read a lot of short story collections, but to me, this is outstanding. So 5 stars.(less)
This book isn't horrible. The writing is coherent and it has great action and the characters are very... manly. I just couldn't get into it and finall...moreThis book isn't horrible. The writing is coherent and it has great action and the characters are very... manly. I just couldn't get into it and finally decided that my time was worth more than continuing the book (from about the 67% mark). Despite the urban fantasy setting (and my shelving it there), this book is much more a mens action-adventure novel (along the lines of Max Bolan or Remo Williams). The men are dedicated, capable, and well-trained and they dominate their paradigm in no-uncertain terms. The villains are dastardly, numerous, and assuredly evil, so there's ample opportunity to indulge high-caliber hijinks. If that were all I asked for in a novel, this one would have gotten high marks. Unfortunately, I just couldn't maintain interest when that was pretty much all it had.(less)
Ugh. I was actually going along with the book through most of it, though there are a few problems with motivations—mainly with Jessica's dad. I get th...moreUgh. I was actually going along with the book through most of it, though there are a few problems with motivations—mainly with Jessica's dad. I get the protective vibe. I do. But he's not protecting her so much as imposing his own will based on pure ego and a denial of reality that is, frankly, delusional. Add that the ending is manipulatively cliff-hangery and I dropped completely out of charity with the novel by its end.
Authors: it's one thing to leave a cliff-hanger, it's another to neuter your climax and then drag out into an extended diversion that then simply stops—all while introducing and exploring a completely new element to the novel. This is reader-abuse, clear and simple and rather than make me anticipate the next book, it makes me completely lose charity with you, your heroine, and your stories. If you do this with one book, chances are you will with others. And I'm not up for that kind of abuse. It reeks of desperation on your part. And a lack of trust that your skill in telling stories is enough to draw people into the next part of the tale. I am a case in point: while I disliked certain elements (one-true-mate, for example, or the already mentioned daddy stupidity) I was interested enough to want to continue (it didn't hurt that the one-true-mate was a bad-ass hotty). Until you slapped me in the face with a stupid, contrived cliff-hanger-that-dragged-on-way-way-too-long... Gah.(less)
This is a short story introduction to Carlson's Jessica McClain series and works well enough as an introduction to the characters. I liked Jessica, bu...moreThis is a short story introduction to Carlson's Jessica McClain series and works well enough as an introduction to the characters. I liked Jessica, but have trouble with some of the surrounding elements of the story. Her dad comes across as an idiot willing to risk his daughter in an obviously untenable position for reasons that are obscure, at best (and selfish and/or egotistical at worst). And the amount of damage she takes as a normal human seems a bit... unlikely. That may be foreshadowing that Jessica isn't precisely pure human, but that's not really hinted at here so it stands out as a weakness. I've already picked up the first actual novel of the series, Full Blooded, and we'll see how it stacks up. I'd already planned to do so, however, so this story didn't really influence the decision one way or another. It was okay.(less)
I enjoyed this book enough for four stars, but can't quite convince myself to give it that rating. I liked Amelie a lot. She's brash, conflicted, eage...moreI enjoyed this book enough for four stars, but can't quite convince myself to give it that rating. I liked Amelie a lot. She's brash, conflicted, eager to learn interesting things but even more eager to get out and apply them in the real world. I particularly liked that her eagerness has mixed results—sometimes it saves the day and sometimes it gets her in deeper water.
And I liked Jackson, the bo-hunk Amelie can't stop obsessing about. If it were possible to be too bo-hunk, he would be. Fortunately, this is a case where more really is better, at least for me. I'm not much of a fan of the “bond mate” meme that seems to be infecting the genre, lately, but it isn't so intrusive here so as to kill the story (not least because both Amelie and Jackson spend most of the novel in deep, and completely reasonable, denial about it—at least to each other).
The world building left me a bit cold, though I like the individual aspects of it as it manifests in Amelie and Jackson. This is mostly due to the people in charge. They're tyrannical dictators with a talent for self-righteousness that makes them completely intolerable, to me. It seems to me that the ruling council guys are deeply corrupt (and a case can be made that they're actively evil) but White is a little inconsistent in their portrayal (as a group). Sometimes they're unreasoning antagonists and sometimes they seem perfectly reasonable without any way to tell which way they'll jump in any given circumstance.(view spoiler)[ This is mostly a problem with the ending of the book. I'm sorry, but anybody who has drugged me insensate in preparation for my summary execution based on nothing more than fear of what I might do doesn't get a pass when the dust settles and they “agree” to let me go back to school. They've taken an irrevocable step and I would be done with any organization with them still at the head. Period. (hide spoiler)]
Actually, I think I could have given this book the four stars I want to if it weren't for the people in charge in this world. I don't care what their lineage is, a tyrant is a tyrant and no amount of hand-waving can make that right. I'm willing to give the series another book, but at least some of Amelie's future activity needs to be regime change or I'll completely lose interest. (less)
We all know that bad stuff happens to people, right? Some preventable, some earned, we've all seen (or been victim to) the hand of fate squashing some...moreWe all know that bad stuff happens to people, right? Some preventable, some earned, we've all seen (or been victim to) the hand of fate squashing someone flat. Jana Oliver's heroine, Riley, is fate's very own bit... whipping boy... er... whipping girl. I don't generally have much patience with that kind of thing in stories, so it’s a tribute to the author that she kept me interested even as the tragedies piled up a bit.
Certainly, the book isn't unrelieved horribleness. Riley has friends and people she can count on, even if she doesn't like to admit it. There are good people around her, too, who do their best to help when they can. And even some of her opposition shows signs that they aren't so one-dimensional, either.
It definitely helps that the action is very good with Riley having an excellent mix of strengths and weaknesses that ring true for someone trained as she has been. She isn't the kick-butt goddess of combat with lots of special snowflake abilities to rescue her when she's down, but she has trained under a hot-shot trapper all her life so she isn't ever dithering around when things get dangerous, either.
Indeed, I found Riley very likeable, and that let me ignore some of the book's very real weaknesses. For all the bad things that happen to her, Riley keeps getting up and taking her best shot with whatever circumstances have given her. She isn't afraid to act, even when the stakes are high and options are obscure (and scary).
So there are weaknesses? Yeah, the world doesn't actually work if you think about it too much. It's kind of schizophrenic about what's broken and what isn't with little consistent reason for the things that are recognizably intact from our perspective and those that have changed. Her continuing antagonism for Beck borders the irrational, as well. She's young enough that I can cut her some slack on not seeing his devotion to her (and possibly non-platonic love), but it's a very near thing to being authorial manipulation that she continues oblivious. It doesn't help that Beck has that stupid thing authors sometimes pull where his “love” manifests by dictate. That's as fundamentally broken as Riley's obliviousness, but again, Oliver stops just short of it being unreasonable.
Also, and I'm not sure if this is a weakness of the book or just a personal reaction, but for all that I like Simon (the love interest) I don't trust him for a long-term relationship. This distrust isn't helped by him referring to her as his “temptation”—particularly in light of his hang-ups about sin and righteousness. If he decides to pursue that thought-pattern, he'll hurt Riley far more than any demon ever has. We'll see where that goes in the next book, but since I'm pulling for a Beck/Riley relationship, I'll be just as happy if he pulls out. It's going to hurt Riley if/when he does, though, so I'm not eagerly anticipating a break up, either.
Final evaluation is that it's a good story with just enough hope to keep me going through the dark parts. I want to see where the story goes from here, so I'll definitely give it at least another book in the series. (less)
And here we get the inauguration of a new shelf—the “Can't believe I finished” shelf is for those books that I read all the way through that, at the e...moreAnd here we get the inauguration of a new shelf—the “Can't believe I finished” shelf is for those books that I read all the way through that, at the end, I wonder why I wasted the time. This book is all surface—frustratingly so. Abia is an unmitigated Mary Sue. She's a powerful witch from another world, niece to the queen and head of the security forces set to protect the realm. Unfortunately, a recent failure propels her into our world where she meets Nick. Nick is a cop and initially catches Abia in the act of stealing a piece of her artifact back. Sparks fly. Heh.
Nick is the real failure of the novel to engage the reader. He's a cop, and supposedly a good one. Yet he drops everything to join Abia and explore his mystical side. Yes, it turns out he has some mysterious, very rare power of his own. Yes, this is weird. No, Etherington doesn't explore this at all well. I caught myself building his back story in my head—a loner cop, alienated from friends and colleagues by something he can't explain, a disinterested or distant family, that kind of thing. Since Nick pretty much drops it all to attach himself firmly to Abia and her mystical world, I had to generate that backstory for him to make sense. And the thing is, I wanted that backstory because it was way more interesting than what we actually got—which is nothing at all about his history. Seriously, nothing. He's all surface, just like the rest of the story.
The thing is, among the blatant wish-fulfillment that is Abia, there's some interesting points along the way. The world building has some interesting conflicts built in. How the mystics interact with our mundane world could be interesting. And Abia's own history could use some flesh on those bones, too (too bad Etherington killed off her parents, another mistake I think). Unfortunately, all we get is surface. The bad guy is a pathetic pastiche, the queen is a stereotypical vamp (of the non-blood-drinking variety) made uninteresting by lack of variation, the mentor is a mashup of Dumbledore and Disney's Merlin from the Sword and the Stone (with added ditz), the heroine is a Mary Sue, and the hero is a backgroundless drip. I want to give this two stars just because I finished it, but I really, really can't. Call it 1.5 rounding down...
A note about Steamy: The biggest disappointment in the book is the sex scenes. They're brief and mechanical and completely lacking in finesse or interest (or foreplay). It's quite an accomplishment when you manage to make sex boring... (less)
I hate that I almost passed up this book simply because of the rather frequent reference to Charlotte and Bramwell Brontë's Angria novelettes (whateve...moreI hate that I almost passed up this book simply because of the rather frequent reference to Charlotte and Bramwell Brontë's Angria novelettes (whatever that is) people can't seem to stop themselves from making when describing the book. I hate, with a driving passion, Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights and that's put me off the whole Brontë clan. And yeah, I know Jane Eyre rocks, I just can't bring myself to read it...
Where was I going with that? Oh, right, regardless of the origins of the idea for this story, there is no discernible link to Victorian literature evident in this novel—much to the benefit of the readers, IMO. The setting is steampunk with Victorian-ish elements (mostly fashion and political/imperial expansion). But those elements are a thin veneer over a great story, told with a modern sense of pacing, and validating modern sensibilities of the role/value of women in society (against a backdrop of Victorian-inspired rules regarding gender etiquette).
I really liked Kadia, the viewpoint character. She's remarkably (but believably) unjaded from two disastrous marriages, coping with the aftermath of her mother's recent death—including the consequence of inheriting a massive new airship that is coveted by the voracious emperor. She’s determined and cheerful and unwilling to put up with simply coasting on her inheritance. And I really liked her choice to be completely honest with John, the love-interest. While it's a reasonable spur-of-the-moment resolution (the only way she was likely to convince him to believe her in that moment), I like that she sticks to it over time. That choice is refreshing in a romantic drama as it prevents so many side-plots and errors of miscommunication that authors often rely on to spice up a courtship.
And I also liked how Wells handled the background regarding the warplings and the things surrounding what we'd call magic. We have Kadia's viewpoint (which is interested, if incomplete) and that gives us a starting point that grows over the course of the story.
The plot is a little predictable, in the end, but overall it was a very enjoyable read. It probably doesn't fully deserve all five stars, but even days after finishing I'm still uncharacteristically charmed with the memory so five stars it is...
A note about Steamy: There are two pretty spicy sex scenes of reasonable length—extremely yummy, and not jarring for the “period”, either (i.e. doesn't assume the sexual freedom of readily accessible and reliable birth control).(less)
I picked this up from a friend's recommendation, which is pretty much the only way this book is likely to sell—and that's a crying shame. If you can i...moreI picked this up from a friend's recommendation, which is pretty much the only way this book is likely to sell—and that's a crying shame. If you can ignore the weak title, crappy cover, and poor copy-editing (occasional dropped words and typos every other chapter or so), you'll find a great story, well-told with compelling characters in an original urban fantasy setting.
Aisling McKay is an awesome kick-butt heroine… and a single mother. And yes, that makes everything… difficult. Anna Elliott has pulled off an incredibly difficult task by making Ash believable in both of her vocations—including the difficult task of juggling those conflicting pulls on her time and resources. Not only is it clear that Elliott knows children and motherhood on an intimate basis, but she's also an incredible storyteller, making the motherhood aspects of Ash's life real without exaggeration or preaching or complaining or downplaying the difficulties.
Nor did Elliott skimp on the actiony, butt-kicking goodness. Aisling's world is under siege by demons from the Shadowlands. The demon incursion has made the Templars a political force more powerful than most governments, but they're also an organization struggling with the very real possibility of failure as rifts in the veil separating the worlds are becoming more and more common. Ash is an officially sanctioned demon hunter—a magical adept who can (and does) fight demons. As a magical adept, Ash's skills and capabilities are desperately needed and you can feel that desperation throughout the story as Ash struggles to balance saving the world with being there for Willow, her little girl.
I also really liked the relationships between Ash and the people in her life—particularly Kieran, the Templar father of her child. These aren't watered-down Templars, either, so Kieran takes his oaths seriously even as he struggles with having failed to uphold them in the past. Indeed, Kieran's interaction with Ash and Willow are heartbreakingly poignant—which brings me to the one nit-pick I have with the story. Elliott strains to create a love triangle, dragging Rafe (a demon hunter colleague of Aisling) in to prop up the third leg. Kieran is off-limits, even though it's clear that they love each other. Rafe is clearly interested but hopelessly unrequited. This is way too formula to feel anything but contrived. That feeling isn't helped by Elliott sponsoring a survey (broken at time of my writing, no less) asking readers who should “win”. Seriously, I hate these love-triangles and having this one shoe-horned in cheapened what was going to be an outstanding “love story in difficult times”—not unlike Casablanca, really, though in a twisted kind of way.
This nitpick was minor, though, and only really cropped up in the end, when Rafe makes his feelings clear to the understandably-clueless-by-hassle Ash. It didn't compromise the otherwise compelling story of a woman making hard choices and finding grace in the struggle.(less)
There are a lot of reasons and ways to like a book. Two important elements, for me, are the characters and the world they inhabit. The world of this b...moreThere are a lot of reasons and ways to like a book. Two important elements, for me, are the characters and the world they inhabit. The world of this book—mainly the whole "goddess" bit—is jarringly weak. The rules governing supernatural power are... arbitrary (to say the least), and giving the main character "moon lust" from using her power (but not other goddess when they use their power) was pretty hokey.
This weakness extends to the "Goddess Society"—the organization governing those with supernatural ability. Look, power corrupts and committees are, at best, inefficient (and at worst nests of backbiting and political intrigue). In the book, the Society is kept kind of vague while Quinn thrashes around trying to figure out what is happening. And what hints we do see (particularly at the end) don't hang together very well. Are they a villainous secret society with wide-ranging (or official) powers over life and death? Are they struggling to maintain order with a disparate membership provoking tough choices and requiring a sometimes-firm hand? Or are they merely an incompetent communication forum for women with power to network? By the end, I still couldn't say.
Usually, this level of discontent with the setup of the novel would have left me cold enough I'd not have finished the book. Fortunately for my engagement with the book, I really liked Quinn and her relationships with the men in her life. Sam was a sweetie that you just couldn't help feel for (because of his unrequited love for Quinn) even as you understood exactly why it was that Quinn couldn't give him what he needed. Damschroder pulled off an incredibly difficult balancing act, here, by giving us enough to really like Sam while still understanding why he just wasn't the guy for Quinn (and without making me hate her as a result). And Nick! A leather-jacket-wearing hard-boy with a reputation for violence and a protective instinct hard-wired into his personality is just impossible to resist. Who wouldn't fall in love with that guy?!? The triangle-that-wasn't was completely awesome to watch unfold. Quinn is torn between what she really wants (uh, Nick, of course, full-time) and depriving other goddesses of his superior protection (because most of the time she's powerful enough that she doesn't really need his help). Since Quinn's base of operations is distant from any other goddess', this poses a real dilemma—or, at least, real enough for me to buy the tension between Quinn's desire for a relationship and her desire for what she perceives to be the greater good.
So yeah, I liked the book well-enough, even though I can only really give it two stars. It was "Okay" in the sense that the truly awful setup (and I acknowledge that personal taste is at play in that evaluation) was offset by a fun relationship dynamic that tugged at my heart—and I don't just mean having a crush on Nick...
A note on Steamy: There are a couple scenes of graphic sex. They weren't overwhelming to the story, or anything, and they fit very well into the context of both the world and the relationship dynamics. Also, they were pretty good...(less)
Looking back, I'm not sure why I bothered finishing this book. It's kind of sappy, with poor world-building and one of those isolated-teen drama thing...moreLooking back, I'm not sure why I bothered finishing this book. It's kind of sappy, with poor world-building and one of those isolated-teen drama things going on where the two main characters are “special” and nobody understands them… I should have known all that from the pretentiously “deep” title, I suppose. I guess I wanted to find out about Nara's dreams, why they were happening and what was going on when she chose to intervene in events she foresaw.
This next could be termed a spoiler, but it's central to what's wrong with the book. If you have an absolute intolerance for spoilers, then skip it. But it's not that big a spoiler and it's key to why this book failed me, so I encourage you to read this spoiler anyway.
(view spoiler)[You never find out what the #%@!# is going on. Not in this book, at any rate. Why the visions? Who/what is Ethan? Why did her dad leave them? WTH is going on?!? Yeah, I repeat myself… it bears repeating. (hide spoiler)]
Okay, I've got that out of my system, now. Seriously, if you can't answer at least some of the questions you pose in the first book, then you're just being a drama queen and need to get over yourself. And it doesn't help that (take this spoiler seriously, please, as it'll ruin the book for you to read this bit) (view spoiler)[you have no idea what's up with Fate as an antagonist, why he responds or doesn't respond to Nara or Ethan, and why it's bad to intervene. Seriously, is it bad? We still don't know at the end of the book! Also, why can’t Nara or Fate see Ethan? Why? Why? Why? (hide spoiler)] Phew. I think I was angrier than I thought at this book.
Anyway, the book ends at the culmination of the romantic plot rather than anywhere coherent. Since the romantic plot ends more or less randomly (I mean, seriously, it was “over” in the first quarter of the book, there was no need to spin that one out so long) this comes across as a completely unnecessary prelude to the real story about Nara's dreams and Ethans troubles.
And, oh yeah, sorry, one more ranty bit: Ethan is completely two-dimensional while we're at it. He's so hot! And chivalrous! And kind! And he rescues abused dogs! This is not quite the level of relationship stupid that is the Twilight series because Nara is at least a moral participant and doesn't really leave it all up to him and his nobility, but it's the next thing to it insofar as Ethan is Edward (oh crap, do they have the same initials?!? No? Oh, phew, was going to have to drop another star) without the sparkly vampire bits. It's just that Nara is marginally better drawn than Bella. Shudder. If I had realized that sooner, I'm pretty sure I'd have never made it all the way through the book...
And yes, that’s a generous two stars—mostly for not being Twilight…(less)
This was an enjoyable read, though rather generic Urban Fantasy in a lot of ways.
I liked the heroine, Amber, a lot. She's got a great backstory with a...moreThis was an enjoyable read, though rather generic Urban Fantasy in a lot of ways.
I liked the heroine, Amber, a lot. She's got a great backstory with a lot of good inertia that let me find her both believable and sympathetic. I liked that she has special ops training and that she has an on-going relationship with the Army, though one in flux. I also liked that she was doing her best to cope with her own special kind of post-traumatic stress (trying to avoid the consequences of vampire bites on her last mission).
I also liked the setup with the book's supernatural communities. There's some good dynamics, though possibly a little too polarized into good-guys/bad-guys. I think it was a good move to jettison most of the vampire lore (leaving them with requiring blood, not aging, and having some natural advantages). The jury is still out, for me, regarding some of the mental facilities, though. Pheromones are completely overused in this genre, particularly if you have enough science background to know that they're bunk from start to finish (turns out, and I know this is a surprise to some, that humans aren't actually insects, nor do we function like them, even if we needed chemical stimulus to govern social interactions we don't have the capacity to process them in that way). They’re not the sole (or even main) justification for vampiry powers, though, so I hope it stays that way.
Where the book slid into less-interesting territory was in an addiction to drama that put Amber in situations that ramped up her stress and martyrdom with little real justification. Amber's sister, Kath, is completely over the top, and the sleazy army investigator, Krantz, is almost maniacally bent on ruining her life. These aren't even people ostensibly her foes, but they both do their best to ruin her outright for reasons just a little bit obtuse. And they're just the most obvious examples of this tendency by the author.
And for once, I'm actually interested in the love triangle introduced. I know, I'm shocked, too. Some of this is that the vampire math introduced has an intriguing by-product. If a vampire needs 4 or 5 regular donors to keep everybody healthy and given the emotional payload we've seen with vampire... donations... it makes a lot of sense if vampires are a bit unconventional in their emotional attachments. In other words, it'd make sense if they're a bit flexible in their relationships—both in number and nature. I don't know if that's where Henwick is headed with this, but for once, I want to find out.(view spoiler)[ I wonder if that's also why he introduced Jen as one of Amber's love interests as well. We know from their budding relationship that Amber's transformation is making her more flexible sexually than she thought she was and I can see that broadening having ramifications she may not be expecting. (hide spoiler)]
Anyway, I liked the book and I'll definitely be looking up the sequel. There's enough weakness that I'm only going with a 3, but it's a strong 3. I hope the drama evens out.
A note about Steamy: Yeah, I didn't mark this one as steamy—mostly because it wasn't, really. But there's the beginning of steam, and it's enough I thought I'd mention it. I expect the next book to contain more. (less)
This book was a huge step forward with the over-arcing plot from the last few books. i.e. we get a lot more insight into what is going on in the shado...moreThis book was a huge step forward with the over-arcing plot from the last few books. i.e. we get a lot more insight into what is going on in the shadows and begin to understand who some of the players really are.
Unlike the previous book, it made perfect sense for Kitty and Ben (and Cormac) to travel to London and muck about with the vampire/were scene there. And their actions once there flowed naturally from their purpose and all their motivations made actual sense. And yeah, I know I'm beating up on the last book here because none of this should be a surprise, but I find it reassuring that things are as coherent as I've come to expect from Carrie Vaughn. The only real weirdness, I felt, was a convention where the Keynote was held at the end. Maybe I just go to the wrong conventions and/or this is standard in Europe?
At any rate, Kitty and Ben have been thrust onto the world stage, and they reap the benefits and drawbacks in this novel. The world's vampires are aching to get a piece of her and see what gives Kitty the right to drag them out into the open. Kitty's response and actions display her growing confidence and ability to sidestep confrontations in order to put them onto her own terms. Yes, she has the gift of gab, but this is maybe the first book where we see how that is a powerful tool and see her use it to stunning effect.(view spoiler)[ I'm talking about neutralizing the bad-guys' weres and how she managed to defang them without resorting to a stand-up fight. Well done! (hide spoiler)]
This may be the last book where she can skirt the whole discussion about what it means to be “Alpha”, though. I mean, there's a reason so many of the weres of the world determine alpha by strength and Kitty and Ben are finding themselves in more and more situations where they have to be willing to fight to maintain status. It has to be more than merely not flinching and not displaying weakness. The simple fact of the matter is that Kitty isn't that strong physically (and neither is Ben, really) and eventually somebody is going to push in circumstances where she has to put up or shut up. That's going to be a very bad day for Kitty and she had better have a plan for when it happens. I want to know what that plan is, because this is going to be very important soon, I think—if only because it is becoming a bit unrealistic that she continues to skirt it.
Anyway, I liked the situation. The story was a strong one (even given the sight-seeing thing every American has to do if they visit London), and the action was excellent. Kitty continues to be impressive and I like where the story is going. I particularly liked the ending of this one(view spoiler)[—where Kitty completely undermines herself by sounding like all the other conspiracy nuts, but being unable to avoid doing so. That was choice (hide spoiler)]. I look forward the next one. From the plot summary, it looks like Kitty is going to have to alpha-up, and that's fantastic... (less)
I only got to the 22% point on this book before dropping it. I just couldn't buy the main character as a person, I'm afraid. Her motivations were a ju...moreI only got to the 22% point on this book before dropping it. I just couldn't buy the main character as a person, I'm afraid. Her motivations were a jumble of random impulses that don't fit together very well and her relationship with her coven was oddly ill-defined. Libby jumps to fifteen different conclusions just from the fact that Kale has been assigned to work with her on a case (which she accepts as he strolls into a magical crime scene with zero verification, BTW, which I thought was kind of odd) and none of her conclusions made any kind of rational sense. Either the author was hiding the reasons behind those conclusions or Libby is a spaz assuming things she had no reason to. Either way, and along with a lot of emotionally-laden hyper response to Kale's manness, I found it annoying enough that I just didn't feel like slogging through.(less)
This is third in a series that's proving to be a consistently good read. I really like Peter's progress (both personal and magical), though he's eclip...moreThis is third in a series that's proving to be a consistently good read. I really like Peter's progress (both personal and magical), though he's eclipsed a bit by his cohort, Lesley (on both fronts, really). If you're a fan of the series, don't hesitate on this one. You'd do well to start with the first in the series, though, so I'll leave it at that.(less)
I'm not really sure what was up with this book. It seemed kind of pointless, and I kept asking myself what Kitty was doing messing around in San Franc...moreI'm not really sure what was up with this book. It seemed kind of pointless, and I kept asking myself what Kitty was doing messing around in San Francisco. I mean, I get that Anastasia has asked for her help, and all, I just don't get why Kitty is putting herself, her mate, and her friend in danger for someone she doesn't really know all that well.
And it doesn't help that you have Roman on the edge of things rather more actively than we have in the past—and that he so clearly outclasses everyone else in raw ability in pretty much every sphere of conflict. Also: how random is it that we're suddenly introducing a bunch of Chinese myth into Kitty's world?
In all, this book felt like kind of a mess, plot-wise. At best, we get some insight into how Roman is operating, though I'm not sure how useful that is going to be in the long term. At worst, we have rather a lot of coincidences that don't stand up well to scrutiny (like that old nest cleared by Wyatt Earp. That was just weird).
Still, even a bad Kitty book isn't a bad time reading...(less)
I was looking forward to Harry getting back to the real world and finally connecting with his friends. I was a bit anxious that Butcher might botch th...moreI was looking forward to Harry getting back to the real world and finally connecting with his friends. I was a bit anxious that Butcher might botch the emotional payoff and/or that the next challenge Harry faces might extract (finally) too high a toll. I was right to be anxious, though for the most part the book was a great ride.
The power arc for these novels continues to rise. Butcher introduces a lot more mythology and part of that is going to be Harry's challenge in the next chapters of his life. For the record, I'm not sure what I think of this new big-bad. They seem kind of nebulous and a bit overpowered for us to first be meeting them now. If they were such a big deal, why are we just now hearing about them? I don't get why it's such a big ole secret, for one (and yeah, hand-waving and all. I just don’t buy the justification). If you roll with that aspect, however, the challenge is certainly epic enough, and it totally makes sense why Harry is needed and why he'd get involved.
I'm also not a fan of Butcher making Harry's winter aspect be so overtly corrupting. That power corrupts has been a central theme of this series from the beginning, and Harry's steps to prevent or avoid that corruption has been a wonderful element of the story so far. This new aspect of Winter actively having such a degenerative effect on his moral and emotional compass seems both unnecessary and kind of heavy handed.
The biggest disappointment of the book, however, was the emotional payoff of Harry's return. Or, rather, one specific aspect of that payoff: Karrin Murphy. We get some of what we need/expect with Thomas, Molly, and even Mouse, but the reunion with Karrin felt... perfunctory. It's not just that she didn't really react. You can expect that from someone as stoic as Karrin and, as they say, "still waters run deep." But her reaction, as it continued, seemed to undermine the deep connection she and Harry have been forging in the last couple books—as did Harry's. That they'd both have more or less the same stand-offish reaction to their reunion was deeply disappointing to me. This was a good time for fireworks and their lack was telling.
While I felt that Butcher skimped on aspects of the novel, what he didn't skimp on was the action. Harry has a lot of adjustments to make, not least coming to terms with his role as Winter Knight. Having to do so under pressure is how Harry does things best. We meet a ton of new characters (Santa!) and get at the heart of the faerie courts like we never have before. I loved Harry's interactions there and am anxious to see where Butcher takes this in future novels.
It may seem from all the nitpicks that I didn't like the book, but that's just not the case. It was a great read, just not a perfect one. Some of the earlier books remain my favorites, with this one falling on the high-side of middle grounds. It's a high-quality canon, though, so that's not at all a bad thing. (less)
This novel had some really problematic elements to it, starting with the rather conveniently unreliable "gift" of the protagonist, Kendall. Add a rath...moreThis novel had some really problematic elements to it, starting with the rather conveniently unreliable "gift" of the protagonist, Kendall. Add a rather overblown romantic triangle, a lame big bad, and some sketchy motivations for pretty much everyone and you have a book I can't really recommend, even though I made it all the way to the end of it. While the writing isn't bad and there's nothing that put me off until the end, by the end I found I just wasn't invested in these characters and I was kind of glad to put it down and move on.
A note about Steamy: There's enough innuendo and playing around that I want to flag this even though none of it seemed to go anywhere. This book is a tease without every actually delivering anything satisfying. Kind of like all the other elements of the book, really...(less)
So. Much. Stupid. There's enough stupid in this book to supply a week-long political convention. Worse, if it were just the stupid, I wouldn't have ha...moreSo. Much. Stupid. There's enough stupid in this book to supply a week-long political convention. Worse, if it were just the stupid, I wouldn't have hated it quite so much. Unfortunately, it also has a complete lack of moral compass that works as a compounding factor with the stupid so you end up with one big bundle of frustrating asininity.
Here's the thing: when someone who is clearly evil is trying to kill you in order to gain still more power which you know with absolute certainty they will use to kill other people, you have a moral obligation to remove their ability to do so. In cases where that person is outside the reach of mundane law enforcement, that means you have an obligation to do your best to end them. I can think of only a single conceptual exception to that moral rule, and that exception presupposes an afterlife where those killed by the power-hungry jerkwad are better off than they'd be living. In the absence of a certainty that this is the case, there's simply no way you can justify standing by while an evil person wreaks their evil will on you, your friends, and your community.
I'm sorry, but Liv, in the end, is both literally too stupid to live and her and all her friends are complete and utter moral cowards. If they hadn't had a benevolent author looking out for them to control the consequences of their moral cowardice, they'd have all died and evil would have triumphed. This is supposed to be entertaining?!?(less)
This book was deeply mediocre with welcome flashes of originality. Olson's story takes vampires and werewolves and witches and tries to give us a way...moreThis book was deeply mediocre with welcome flashes of originality. Olson's story takes vampires and werewolves and witches and tries to give us a way to explain their existence through Darwinian adaptation to a mysterious connection to magic that evolved over time down three separate paths. Ignore that part. It's as silly as Stephanie Meyers' attempt at giving her vampires a reason for being sparkly. Unfortunately, there's a lot of exposition in the novel and most of it has to do with trying to make this background make sense.
Fortunately, the story itself is interesting and the exposition didn't kill the pacing enough to pull me out of the story. It helps that Scarlett is a "null"—a new type of magical manifestation that cancels out the others by proximity. i.e. vampires and weres become human once more in her presence and witches lose access to their magic—a useful trait and one with utility both subtle and direct. Scarlett is fully human and has no super power. This means she has to be very careful about who she pisses off and she has to maintain friendly relations with very powerful beings to whom she is an undiluted threat. A difficult task at best and moreso given that the other power factions have taken to employing her as a "cleaner"—someone who visits scenes of their, uh, indiscretions, and tidies them up to prevent humans from discovering that the world contains monsters.
Also fortunate is that Jesse Cruz, a cop brought into the supernatural world as a spectator, is simply scrumptious. Working with Scarlett out of necessity and his own sense of justice, he gets in way over his head, treading water furiously while trying to figure out the rules of this shadow world he has entered. I ended up liking him immensely and my hope that this is the start of a new series is centered around seeing his relationship with Scarlett grow into something more meaningful.
In the end I liked the book enough that I'll keep an eye out for others by the author. Snark about mediocrity aside, it's a decent showing for a new author and one that bodes well for her future work.(less)
Yes. That is an atrocious cover. Which meant that my expectations were exceptionally low going into the book and maybe that was a benefit. I don't eve...moreYes. That is an atrocious cover. Which meant that my expectations were exceptionally low going into the book and maybe that was a benefit. I don't even remember why I picked up a sample, but I'm kind of glad that I did.
The kindle sample was enough to let me know what I was in for—but only on the low side. It let me know that the writing was solid, that the main character was interesting, and that the author likes to take pot-shots at the hygiene habits of con fen (the unofficial plural of "fan" in the world of sci-fi conventions).
Weaknesses aside, the story progresses at a good clip and the plot was fundamentally interesting (to me). And really, if you're going to have an unlikely set of heroes save the world, why not have them be a vampire, his werewolf buddy, a couple of succubi and maybe an angel on the down-low?
But what really drew me in was Jim. There's a deeply-buried nobility to him that emerges as the story progresses. Paulk did a fantastic job drawing me into his world and making me feel the centuries of love and loss and the choice to continue forging caring relationships with people anyway. And it doesn't hurt that his central nobility comes to the fore in the final moments of the book. It was well done and touched me.
If there had been a few fewer stereotypes among the assorted authors, publishers, and fen, this would have been an outstanding novel. As it stands, it still rates a qualified four-stars.
A note about adult stuff: There was nothing "steamy" about the book, but there was a good amount of blood and gore and some frank sexuality. Not a book for the faint of heart.(less)
I enjoyed this book despite all the efforts of the author to make me hate it. And I’ll admit up front that I’m not a huge Tanya Huff fan, but mainly b...moreI enjoyed this book despite all the efforts of the author to make me hate it. And I’ll admit up front that I’m not a huge Tanya Huff fan, but mainly because she takes her anti-hetero-normative politics so very seriously. So I was surprised that I found this book as engaging as I did.
The Gale family setup was bizarre and I’d hate to be caught in it (on the male or female side), but that didn’t lessen my fascination for the dynamic they find themselves in. If you buy the premise, the adaptations and rules the family follows in the book fall more or less into place. Yeah there are some odd customs and the sexual mores could put you off even if you buy the premise, but I didn’t find it hard to roll with. Huff takes some pains to keep things from being sexually explicit on-stage (though there is some frank talk and non-sexual episodes that may put off the truly squeamish), so I was more than happy to roll with her exploration of the family’s… adaptations.
I also liked Alysha’s character arc through the story. It was fun to accompany her in pursuit of her rebel grandma and figuring out what the situation is like in Calgary. I like the mythology that unfolds and the characters we meet along the way. The emporium itself was fascinating, as well, even if it did feel a little too deus ex merchandise sometimes (yes, Melissa, I did recycle my cleverness). Alysha turns out to be the key to my enjoyment of the story. She has a great emotional journey and her maturation as she comes to terms with her power and all those aunties was excellent.
Other supporting characters were fun, too. Michael was interesting as Alysha’s long-term unrequited crush and I even liked Charlie though I still maintain she’s way too perfect to be all that is claimed of her. Graham was oddly un-compelling in his role as love interest, but I liked him well enough as the henchman turned to the cause of the good guys.
So what did I hate? And no, hate isn’t too strong a word. First off, it should have started with Alysha’s arrival in Calgary. The whole beginning was just confusing and unnecessary. Reams of names are thrown out and no explanation or identifying handle given to know who was meant. That leaves the reader disconnected to the main character and that’s unfortunate. Huff is also uncommonly coy about explaining key details about her characters. We hear of Alysha waking with cold spots where Charlie and Dmitri used to be the night before, for example, but it’s pages before we learn who either of these names refer to. If deliberate, that’s too cute to tolerate and if not deliberate it needs to be straightened out.
Related to this is the broader tendency of Huff to deliver an emotional payload before the readers have the information to understand its significance. We learn, for example, that Alysha is entering “the second circle” and have no idea what that means or why she would be so concerned and astonished. In one scene, Charlie returns to the group lightly singed before they’d really realized she’d gone missing. At that point, we’re treated to a really awkwardly constructed flashback. This kind of thing happens over and over again and it gets pretty tiresome after a while. It’s like Huff is balking at telling a straightforward story or that she doesn’t trust that her story is good enough without tricks and gimmicks to punch up the impact. Indeed, I think these stylistic flourishes end up detracting from the impact of many of the key revelations that would have been so much stronger had the readers known enough to appreciate them at the time they’re actually revealed.
After all that, I’m surprised that I ended up enjoying it so much in the end. I’ll definitely be picking up the next book, though I hope the aggravations are less pronounced. If Huff had stuck with a straight storytelling approach this likely would have been a five-star review.(less)
This book is a light(ish) UF read with a fun main character, interesting world, and a nice actiony plot. I enjoyed it while reading, but I was careful...moreThis book is a light(ish) UF read with a fun main character, interesting world, and a nice actiony plot. I enjoyed it while reading, but I was careful not to take it too seriously. Which is a good thing. Some of the elements of the story feel like they are there pretty much for cool factor rather than any particular story- or logic-based reasons. It works well enough, if you can go with the flow of it, but might be jarring if you want something more serious.(less)
I was a bit disappointed with this second novel by Debora Geary. It was very like the first in terms of character and story—a focus on the characters...moreI was a bit disappointed with this second novel by Debora Geary. It was very like the first in terms of character and story—a focus on the characters and witch community without much in the way of external antagonist. I think I might come to appreciate this, though it's not something I generally seek out in books I read. You'd think it wouldn't have a “story” as a result, but Geary does a good job drawing us into the inner lives of her characters and that provides all the conflict and plot you'd normally look for in a book.
So why two stars? This book undermines its own message in two very large ways that really ruined my ability to enjoy it. Neither of these are spoilers as they start early and continue throughout.
First, we hear over and over (in the first book and reiterated in this one) how every witch-born child is important and that those without power are as loved/cherished as those with. This is important because without it, you risk grave psychological damage for those children born without witch powers. Ensuring the powerless witch children feel loved is vital to the continuing health of the entire witch community (in my opinion). Throughout this book, over and over again, characters rejoice in Elorie's discovery of her own powers—talking about how she no longer need be so isolated as she had been. Her grandma goes so far as to say, several times, how thrilled she is to finally be able to share magical moments with Elorie as she always wanted to. Yeah, great message there grams... way to completely subvert everything you ever said about how much you love her for who she is regardless of what she can or cannot do.
Second, the treatment of Marcus is deplorable. Maybe I respond a bit more personally to this one because I'd be Marcus—the recluse who doesn't much like intrusions, particularly of the pint-sized variety. But Marcus' behavior in the books is completely above reproach. He's twitted at, pranked, and ruthlessly imposed upon, including exploration of his deepest emotional wounds. Several of the women openly disparage him, to his face. He takes it all very good naturedly, true. In fact, he takes it so good naturedly, it ends up making the women come off as man-hating catty bitches only able to tolerate males who cater to their every whim. It might have made a difference if they had kept their reactions to whatever happened in the past (as opposed to responding to his present actions), or if maybe the readers had been given some actual examples of an offensive past so we could see how they justified their apparently-over-the-top reactions. But no, all we see is Marcus helping, coaching, teaching, and investigating every bit as much as any of the “compassionate” women do.
Okay, I'm not soured on the series and I'll probably read the next book sometime (when I'm in the mood for a light story full of community and inner journeys). I hope there's a bit better internal integrity, though, so I'm not pulled out of the story quite so much.(less)
This second installment of the Chronicles of Nick wasn't as strong as the first and seemed less… full… somehow. I think it may be a matter of unreason...moreThis second installment of the Chronicles of Nick wasn't as strong as the first and seemed less… full… somehow. I think it may be a matter of unreasonable escalation that the series is building as it goes along. We already know that Nick is destined to be the destroyer of the universe (only maybe not) from the first book. And we already know that diverse powers and influences are gathering to force him to endorse their various agendas. The problem I had was feeling like those forces were building and none were balanced enough to give Nick the space he needs to grow into someone who can make the informed moral choices that will determine his eventual role as savior or destroyer.
In other words, in this novel it becomes increasingly clear that all the powerful folks, whether individuals or in groups, are morally bankrupt at least on some level. They have opposing goals, and all, so there’s no evil empire to fight, but there’s really nobody who can provide Nick a barometer or example of someone who has power and uses it wisely and well. We’re told repeatedly that if he makes the wrong choices, he’ll be corrupted and end up destroying the world, but we’re never really told what that means.
Moral philosophy is a complex and contentious realm, so I can see why Sherrilyn Kenyon might want to avoid delving too deeply into those waters by picking sides and/or choosing one moral perspective as her “absolute”. That said, by making the series on some level about Nick’s moral choices, she isn’t really doing herself any favors by skirting so completely around the problem by giving us no indication what it means for Nick to remain “good”. What ended up happening for me is that this book, and the series as a whole, ended up feeling way too steeped in evil with every choice being a bad one and every ally a potential traitor. I really disliked that feeling and doubt I’ll be picking up the next book as a result. (less)
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