Elaina J. Davidson's Blog, page 487
July 28, 2013
The Ninth Taghairm - Review
This has the elements of a great romance- two cursed beings brought together to become each other’s salvation. Gadin, a vaimpíre, and Talula, an oracle forced to endure life after life after surrendering her soul to save her daughter. There are great ancient legends and ancient gods here that serve to drive the tale- intriguing indeed- and the author employed the ancient concepts well, revealing a wonderful imagination to the reader.
While I did enjoy The Ninth Taghairm: Redemption, I also, however, found this to be a light read. With all these great concepts present I thought there would be more depth, more soul-searching. I hoped to really identify with the characters, and merely found them interesting. Still, if you’re looking for a romance with a definite supernatural twist, something forbidden, something of time itself, you won’t be disappointed.
Amazon
The Highland King - Review
Prepare yourself! The Highland King has it all! Ancient Scottish (and Irish) lore, druids, standing stones, magic, epic battles, a berserker, a champion, murder and mayhem in the name of greed and power, the beauty and magic of the lochs, prophecy and destiny, a sword, and, yes, a hero. A tale on this scale would not work without a right proper hero!
Meet Doncann, a boy who grows into manhood via exile and the trials of battle. He is trained by a goddess and discovers his life is marked by the foresight of the women who love and protect him. Marked as an outlaw, he is placed upon destiny’s path to unite the tribes against a common enemy.
Jeff Blackmer is a great storyteller, a modern bard who brings the ancient tales to life again. I loved the Highland King and could not put it down. And there’s an added little incentive in reading this: you are completely immersed in the Scottish manner of speaking (my favourite accent!). In fact, it’s sort of strange now to write this review in ‘normal’ speak, having been immersed for many enjoyable hours in another culture and time!
Absolutely worth it. Allow me to repeat that: ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT!
Amazon
July 21, 2013
Lone Star - Review
In Chic McSherry’s second book we’re back in Scotland, and quite a trip it is! Curtis is sent from Texas to sort out problems with his Scottish counterparts regarding a wind energy deal. He meets Jack and his wife Katie and their boy Callum. Business goes well…until wee Callum is kidnapped. Because Jack is in Denmark, Curtis steps in to help, and to this end he enlists Jim, his personal taxi driver…and things get quite hairy. Big Davie from Waging War enters the scene once more, as nefarious as ever…
A smacking good read. There are other twists and turns- an environmental angle, a legal secretary with a problem, a laird under pressure, and each twist adds to the whole. Lone Star is a cleverly woven tale, visual and entertaining. Highly recommended!
Amazon
July 20, 2013
Waging War to Shake the Cold - Review
What happens when a soldier, home from his tour of duty, cannot find work and is ignored by the government and insulted by civilians? He turns to crime as a means of making a living.
Meet Kats, strong man with a moral streak. See, Kats doesn't do drugs, not personally, and certainly not the buying and selling of it, and this gets him into huge problems with Big Davie, and things go from the frying pan into the fire when Kats takes on DJ, Big Davie’s only son. A mighty highway crash, however, while dumping him into the sh*t when an innocent woman dies, gifts a glimmer of a way out of his predicament. She kept a journal and in it is recorded fraudulent dealings made by her boss…and turns out he is connected to ol’ Big Davie.
This is well-structured and really clever. While making pronouncements about the situation for soldiers returning home, about crime and the economy, the tale itself moves at a swift pace and keeps you reading. Interesting characters pepper this story, like Badger and Boots, one a heavy, the other a soldier…and I’ll leave it to you find out who is what.
Set mostly in Scotland and employing the twang of the region, this is a worthy read. It keeps you guessing right to the end!
Amazon US
