Dale Ibitz's Blog, page 31
July 3, 2011
Sample Sunday! Fire in the Blood, Chapter Three
We have left off with Haley tumbling to Eyidora, and meeting Tuggin, who has essentially kidnapped her.
Chapter Three
I looked at my naked wrist and rolled my eyes. How long would it take before I remembered I'd lost my watch during the quake? Trees hid the moonlight, making it too dark to see the rocks that I kept tripping over. Boulders too big to climb kept blocking our way, forcing us to leave the path, and even though Tuggin took the lead to carve our way through the thick bushes, branches continued to yank my hair.
My heels were wicked sore, and my toes cramped from trying to hang on to the shoes. I'd started to limp, but Tuggin didn't seem to care at all. He was like a machine, keeping up a pace that made my legs throb.
Deep in thought, I didn't see Tuggin stop and I plowed into him, making him stumble.
"Sorry," I said.
He chopped his hand in the air to silence me. I peeked around him. A field rolled out ahead of us, and on the other side were, well, more trees. The pack's straps rubbed my shoulders; I pushed my fingers underneath them so I could massage the sore spots.
"What's up?"
Tuggin didn't look at me when he said, "When you are with me, you do as I do. That means keep up and keep silent, tenya. It is not difficult."
"My name's Haley."
He shrugged.
I plunked down on a fallen tree with my chin in my hand. He was the snarkiest guy I'd ever met. Seriously, I was the one being kidnapped. I was the one who held all snarky rights. "Where are you taking me?" I asked."That is not your concern."
My brain flipped through our earlier conversation. "You're taking me to Eyidora, aren't you?"
"Eyidora is the fifth globe of the planetary chain. You are already on Eyidora."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right."
Tuggin glared at me. "Eyidora is home to the Eyids."
I pulled a twig out of my hair and tossed it over my shoulder. "What are Eyids?"
"Nature's gods."
"Oka-ay," I murmured. What was that religion that worshipped nature? Wicca? Was he, like, a witch? "If you say so."
"I do."
"I'm no astronomer, but I'm pretty sure there's no such planet called Eyidora in the solar system."
"Earth's solar system is the first globe in the planetary chain. You are not in Earth's solar system. You are on Eyidora."
"Okay then, let's just say that I decide to play along with this game and believe I'm on another planet," I snorted so he knew how stupid I thought they whole idea was, "how'd I get here?"
"The gateway."
I was supposed to believe that load of shit? He'd drugged me and dragged me into the forest and now he was feeding me a line about gateways and non-existent planets. What was his game?
"You forgot one important thing." I paused to swallow the lump that had grown in my throat. "My mom."
"I know nothing about her."
"I do, and she's going to be looking for me."
Tuggin went back to studying the sky.
"She's not going to let you get away with this!"
"You passed to Eyidora. All memory of you on Earth has been erased." He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched me. "Forever."
I leapt off the log. "Listen to me, you assh—"
"Does it matter?" he interrupted. "She was not your birth mother."
How'd he know that? My brief frozen moment of surprise melted. "You jerk. It matters to me." I stomped my foot. "I want to go home."
"You enjoy inhabiting a globe of metal?"
"Take me home."
Tuggin considered me for a long time. "I cannot."
"Look, you don't want me here, and I don't want to be here." I grabbed his arm. "Let me go home and I won't tell anyone what you did, I promise."
Tuggin stared at my hand and I snatched it back.
"It is too late. You are not on Earth, and you cannot return there. Ignorant girl," he muttered.
"You seriously expect me to believe I just got bounced to another planet and that my Mom has forgotten me?"
"Yes."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "I think you're full of shit."
Tuggin's eyebrows shot together briefly before he turned his back on me.
I checked our surroundings. The cave, the cliff, the field…none of these was part of Kent Falls State Park, at least, not the park I knew about. And the major earthquake… "You mean, I'm not dreaming any of this?"
Tuggin whirled, looking like he was about to choke. "You are Haley Allaire, from the fifth globe of Eyidora."
"I'm from Connecticut—on Earth—and my last name's Roble."
"You were borne Eyidoran; however, fifteen years ago you were conducted through the gateway to Earth. And now you have returned."
He spoke as though he really believed we were on another planet. Unbelievably, I was beginning to believe him. If I'd been born on Eyidora, maybe Mom was wrong about my parents dying. "Are my birth parents here?"
"They are dead."
Just like that. No "I'm sorry" or "I hate to tell you this." I hated him. I wanted to dig those beautiful blue eyes right out of his head, but opted for a good dose of glaring instead. "Do I have any other family here?" I couldn't believe I was asking the question, as if it was a normal every day occurrence to fall through gateways and land on parallel worlds.
Tuggin held my gaze. "Net."
"What does that mean?"
"No."
I wanted to sag back onto the tree, but forced my legs to hold me up. "Why are you kidnapping me?"
Tuggin stared. "I do not understand."
"It means you're taking me against my will."
"We all have obligations that are disagreeable. We must keep moving."
I wanted to argue, but his hand was resting on his knife.
"After you," he said politely, nodding toward the field.
"Fine."
My feet felt as heavy as my heart. It seemed as though I'd been dumped on a strange world, all alone and a prisoner of Snarky Boy.
********************
Later that night, Tuggin stopped in a small clearing surrounded by pine trees. I collapsed on the ground, yanked off my shoes, and checked out my feet. There weren't any blisters, but they were red.
Tuggin picked up a branch and swept fallen pine needles into a pile. When he pulled blankets from his backpack and spread one over the needles I realized he'd made a bed. Did he expect me to sleep with him? Would he hurt me? I tried to swallow, but my throat was dry, my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth.
Tuggin dropped onto his bed and ignored me.
A sense of relief loosened my tongue. "We're sleeping outside?"
"Naturally."
"You're sixty watts short of a light bulb if you think I'm sleeping in the dirt. What if there are snakes?"
Tuggin closed his eyes. "Make do, tenya. And do not think to leave during the night. I shall know if you try."
I crossed my arms and tapped my foot. Tuggin paid no attention to me.
"Fine." I picked up his discarded branch and swept up my own pine needles, except that my pile was loaded with pine cones. When I looked up I caught him watching me, but he quickly turned away.
Ignoring Tuggin's muffled snort, I plucked out the cones and tossed them aside then wrapped myself in the scratchy blankets from my pack and lay down. I tried to stop them—I wanted to stop them—but the tears came anyway. I shoved my face in my blanket, trying to muffle the sound so that Tuggin, the biggest tool on Earth—oh, excuse me, Eyidora—wouldn't hear.
********************
I couldn't sleep, though I'd been pretending for at least an hour. I thought Tuggin was asleep; his chest rose in an easy rhythm, with his hands folded on his stomach. I wished I'd paid attention to where he'd hidden his knife.
I rolled up my blanket and tied it to my pack. I'd gone to bed with my shoes on so that I could jet from there at a second's notice. Carrying my stuff, I tip-toed to the woods, and had gotten to the edge of the clearing when Tuggin spoke.
"Going somewhere?"
I froze for a nano-second then dropped my backpack and bolted. Branches slashed my face, I stumbled over roots and rocks, but I sped on, too terrified to do anything more than run. Tuggin tackled me, and I slammed to the ground with a loud grunt.
"Let me go!" I shouted.
He flipped me over, crushing me with his weight, compressing my lungs with his forearm so that I couldn't grab air.
"I warned you," Tuggin growled.
"Let go!"
I tried to kick him, but he pinned my legs with his own. I sucked in a breath, the strength radiating from his body doing more to crush my resistance than fear. His knife flashed so close to my face the chill of steel paralyzed me.
"You have made a grave error," he said.
I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the bite of steel to slice my neck. Instead, he hauled me to my feet and dragged me back to camp. I twisted, pulled, dug in my heels, but he was way stronger. Clamping one hand around my wrist, he dug into his pack and pulled out a length of rope.
"What are you doing?" I demanded.
Tuggin looped the rope around a tree then started tying it around my wrist.
I jerked back. "I don't think so."
He grabbed my wrist, crunching my bones in his grip, and finished tying the rope.
"You can't tie me up." I yanked against the rope, and it tightened like a noose.
"Do not struggle," he said. "The more you resist, the tighter the knot."
Blood rushed to my head and pounded against my eardrums. Resisting the urge to yank on the rope, I swung at his face with my free hand. Tuggin caught my wrist and shoved me against the tree. His cheek muscles rippled and his nostrils flared.
Fear strangled the breath in my lungs. "Please don't hurt me."
Tuggin lifted his chin with the big breath he inhaled. He slowly exhaled, leaned so close that his breath skimmed my ear. "Then do not tempt me," he murmured.
He ripped the blankets off my pack and chucked them at my head, then flung himself onto his bed. I slid down the trunk, wrapped a blanket around my shoulders, and pulled my knees to my chest. I whipped up a daydream about Ian to compensate for the lone tear trickling down my neck. I'd bet a single kiss from him could whisk me away to another world. I clenched my teeth. I'd already been taken to another world, and hey--newsflash!--it sucked.
Chapter Three
I looked at my naked wrist and rolled my eyes. How long would it take before I remembered I'd lost my watch during the quake? Trees hid the moonlight, making it too dark to see the rocks that I kept tripping over. Boulders too big to climb kept blocking our way, forcing us to leave the path, and even though Tuggin took the lead to carve our way through the thick bushes, branches continued to yank my hair.
My heels were wicked sore, and my toes cramped from trying to hang on to the shoes. I'd started to limp, but Tuggin didn't seem to care at all. He was like a machine, keeping up a pace that made my legs throb.
Deep in thought, I didn't see Tuggin stop and I plowed into him, making him stumble.
"Sorry," I said.
He chopped his hand in the air to silence me. I peeked around him. A field rolled out ahead of us, and on the other side were, well, more trees. The pack's straps rubbed my shoulders; I pushed my fingers underneath them so I could massage the sore spots.
"What's up?"
Tuggin didn't look at me when he said, "When you are with me, you do as I do. That means keep up and keep silent, tenya. It is not difficult."
"My name's Haley."
He shrugged.
I plunked down on a fallen tree with my chin in my hand. He was the snarkiest guy I'd ever met. Seriously, I was the one being kidnapped. I was the one who held all snarky rights. "Where are you taking me?" I asked."That is not your concern."
My brain flipped through our earlier conversation. "You're taking me to Eyidora, aren't you?"
"Eyidora is the fifth globe of the planetary chain. You are already on Eyidora."
I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, right."
Tuggin glared at me. "Eyidora is home to the Eyids."
I pulled a twig out of my hair and tossed it over my shoulder. "What are Eyids?"
"Nature's gods."
"Oka-ay," I murmured. What was that religion that worshipped nature? Wicca? Was he, like, a witch? "If you say so."
"I do."
"I'm no astronomer, but I'm pretty sure there's no such planet called Eyidora in the solar system."
"Earth's solar system is the first globe in the planetary chain. You are not in Earth's solar system. You are on Eyidora."
"Okay then, let's just say that I decide to play along with this game and believe I'm on another planet," I snorted so he knew how stupid I thought they whole idea was, "how'd I get here?"
"The gateway."
I was supposed to believe that load of shit? He'd drugged me and dragged me into the forest and now he was feeding me a line about gateways and non-existent planets. What was his game?
"You forgot one important thing." I paused to swallow the lump that had grown in my throat. "My mom."
"I know nothing about her."
"I do, and she's going to be looking for me."
Tuggin went back to studying the sky.
"She's not going to let you get away with this!"
"You passed to Eyidora. All memory of you on Earth has been erased." He crossed his arms over his chest as he watched me. "Forever."
I leapt off the log. "Listen to me, you assh—"
"Does it matter?" he interrupted. "She was not your birth mother."
How'd he know that? My brief frozen moment of surprise melted. "You jerk. It matters to me." I stomped my foot. "I want to go home."
"You enjoy inhabiting a globe of metal?"
"Take me home."
Tuggin considered me for a long time. "I cannot."
"Look, you don't want me here, and I don't want to be here." I grabbed his arm. "Let me go home and I won't tell anyone what you did, I promise."
Tuggin stared at my hand and I snatched it back.
"It is too late. You are not on Earth, and you cannot return there. Ignorant girl," he muttered.
"You seriously expect me to believe I just got bounced to another planet and that my Mom has forgotten me?"
"Yes."
I crossed my arms over my chest. "I think you're full of shit."
Tuggin's eyebrows shot together briefly before he turned his back on me.
I checked our surroundings. The cave, the cliff, the field…none of these was part of Kent Falls State Park, at least, not the park I knew about. And the major earthquake… "You mean, I'm not dreaming any of this?"
Tuggin whirled, looking like he was about to choke. "You are Haley Allaire, from the fifth globe of Eyidora."
"I'm from Connecticut—on Earth—and my last name's Roble."
"You were borne Eyidoran; however, fifteen years ago you were conducted through the gateway to Earth. And now you have returned."
He spoke as though he really believed we were on another planet. Unbelievably, I was beginning to believe him. If I'd been born on Eyidora, maybe Mom was wrong about my parents dying. "Are my birth parents here?"
"They are dead."
Just like that. No "I'm sorry" or "I hate to tell you this." I hated him. I wanted to dig those beautiful blue eyes right out of his head, but opted for a good dose of glaring instead. "Do I have any other family here?" I couldn't believe I was asking the question, as if it was a normal every day occurrence to fall through gateways and land on parallel worlds.
Tuggin held my gaze. "Net."
"What does that mean?"
"No."
I wanted to sag back onto the tree, but forced my legs to hold me up. "Why are you kidnapping me?"
Tuggin stared. "I do not understand."
"It means you're taking me against my will."
"We all have obligations that are disagreeable. We must keep moving."
I wanted to argue, but his hand was resting on his knife.
"After you," he said politely, nodding toward the field.
"Fine."
My feet felt as heavy as my heart. It seemed as though I'd been dumped on a strange world, all alone and a prisoner of Snarky Boy.
********************
Later that night, Tuggin stopped in a small clearing surrounded by pine trees. I collapsed on the ground, yanked off my shoes, and checked out my feet. There weren't any blisters, but they were red.
Tuggin picked up a branch and swept fallen pine needles into a pile. When he pulled blankets from his backpack and spread one over the needles I realized he'd made a bed. Did he expect me to sleep with him? Would he hurt me? I tried to swallow, but my throat was dry, my tongue sticking to the roof of my mouth.
Tuggin dropped onto his bed and ignored me.
A sense of relief loosened my tongue. "We're sleeping outside?"
"Naturally."
"You're sixty watts short of a light bulb if you think I'm sleeping in the dirt. What if there are snakes?"
Tuggin closed his eyes. "Make do, tenya. And do not think to leave during the night. I shall know if you try."
I crossed my arms and tapped my foot. Tuggin paid no attention to me.
"Fine." I picked up his discarded branch and swept up my own pine needles, except that my pile was loaded with pine cones. When I looked up I caught him watching me, but he quickly turned away.
Ignoring Tuggin's muffled snort, I plucked out the cones and tossed them aside then wrapped myself in the scratchy blankets from my pack and lay down. I tried to stop them—I wanted to stop them—but the tears came anyway. I shoved my face in my blanket, trying to muffle the sound so that Tuggin, the biggest tool on Earth—oh, excuse me, Eyidora—wouldn't hear.
********************
I couldn't sleep, though I'd been pretending for at least an hour. I thought Tuggin was asleep; his chest rose in an easy rhythm, with his hands folded on his stomach. I wished I'd paid attention to where he'd hidden his knife.
I rolled up my blanket and tied it to my pack. I'd gone to bed with my shoes on so that I could jet from there at a second's notice. Carrying my stuff, I tip-toed to the woods, and had gotten to the edge of the clearing when Tuggin spoke.
"Going somewhere?"
I froze for a nano-second then dropped my backpack and bolted. Branches slashed my face, I stumbled over roots and rocks, but I sped on, too terrified to do anything more than run. Tuggin tackled me, and I slammed to the ground with a loud grunt.
"Let me go!" I shouted.
He flipped me over, crushing me with his weight, compressing my lungs with his forearm so that I couldn't grab air.
"I warned you," Tuggin growled.
"Let go!"
I tried to kick him, but he pinned my legs with his own. I sucked in a breath, the strength radiating from his body doing more to crush my resistance than fear. His knife flashed so close to my face the chill of steel paralyzed me.
"You have made a grave error," he said.
I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the bite of steel to slice my neck. Instead, he hauled me to my feet and dragged me back to camp. I twisted, pulled, dug in my heels, but he was way stronger. Clamping one hand around my wrist, he dug into his pack and pulled out a length of rope.
"What are you doing?" I demanded.
Tuggin looped the rope around a tree then started tying it around my wrist.
I jerked back. "I don't think so."
He grabbed my wrist, crunching my bones in his grip, and finished tying the rope.
"You can't tie me up." I yanked against the rope, and it tightened like a noose.
"Do not struggle," he said. "The more you resist, the tighter the knot."
Blood rushed to my head and pounded against my eardrums. Resisting the urge to yank on the rope, I swung at his face with my free hand. Tuggin caught my wrist and shoved me against the tree. His cheek muscles rippled and his nostrils flared.
Fear strangled the breath in my lungs. "Please don't hurt me."
Tuggin lifted his chin with the big breath he inhaled. He slowly exhaled, leaned so close that his breath skimmed my ear. "Then do not tempt me," he murmured.
He ripped the blankets off my pack and chucked them at my head, then flung himself onto his bed. I slid down the trunk, wrapped a blanket around my shoulders, and pulled my knees to my chest. I whipped up a daydream about Ian to compensate for the lone tear trickling down my neck. I'd bet a single kiss from him could whisk me away to another world. I clenched my teeth. I'd already been taken to another world, and hey--newsflash!--it sucked.
July 1, 2011
Book Review: Entwined, by Heather Dixon
Entwined, by Heather Dixon
This is a fairy tale style fantasy, complete with princesses and dancing and balls and magic. It follows the fairy tale format with the predictable kind of setting and happy ever after ending. In Entwined, Azalea, the eldest of 11 princesses, looks after her sisters after her mother's death and her father's emotional distance. Of all things, the girls love to dance, and when Azalea stumbles upon a magic room built just for dancing, each night they escape their year of mourning to dance away their troubles. But as with all fairy tales, a price must be paid for their magical escape.
Azalea is a likable character, who is strong and protective of her sisters. She has a lot of trouble understanding her father, who is king, and is quick to judge his actions (which she perceives is due to his dislike of the girls) and prone to anger throughout most of their relationship. I found Azalea's character to be very realistic for a 17 year-old, who is caught between leaving childhood behind and understanding the nuances of being an adult.
The bad guy is deliciously evil, and I enjoyed the seductive tone of this character. It's evident early on who the bad guy is, and I would have loved to have a little more suspense in this regard. With such a large ensemble cast, there could have been a few well-placed red herrings.
I loved the sisters and the relationships. These characters are all very well drawn, easy to distinguish with their own personalities and easy to picture. Much comedic relief is drawn through their interactions which was quite amusing. I mean, who can't find a gentleman being pelted by potatoes by a gaggle of young girls funny? I did!
The romance is strictly rated G, which is fine, however, I didn't find the romance convincing. I didn't "feel" the romantic connection, and had to take the author's word for it that the characters were in love.
For me, the first third of the book moved slowly, the 2nd third of the book had a little more action, and the last third of the book was absolutely riveting. While the ending was predictable, I found myself eager to pick the book back up whenever I had to take a break to see how it all ended.
A nice, smooth read overall, with likeable characters. 3.5 out of 5 stars for me.
This is a fairy tale style fantasy, complete with princesses and dancing and balls and magic. It follows the fairy tale format with the predictable kind of setting and happy ever after ending. In Entwined, Azalea, the eldest of 11 princesses, looks after her sisters after her mother's death and her father's emotional distance. Of all things, the girls love to dance, and when Azalea stumbles upon a magic room built just for dancing, each night they escape their year of mourning to dance away their troubles. But as with all fairy tales, a price must be paid for their magical escape.
Azalea is a likable character, who is strong and protective of her sisters. She has a lot of trouble understanding her father, who is king, and is quick to judge his actions (which she perceives is due to his dislike of the girls) and prone to anger throughout most of their relationship. I found Azalea's character to be very realistic for a 17 year-old, who is caught between leaving childhood behind and understanding the nuances of being an adult.
The bad guy is deliciously evil, and I enjoyed the seductive tone of this character. It's evident early on who the bad guy is, and I would have loved to have a little more suspense in this regard. With such a large ensemble cast, there could have been a few well-placed red herrings.
I loved the sisters and the relationships. These characters are all very well drawn, easy to distinguish with their own personalities and easy to picture. Much comedic relief is drawn through their interactions which was quite amusing. I mean, who can't find a gentleman being pelted by potatoes by a gaggle of young girls funny? I did!
The romance is strictly rated G, which is fine, however, I didn't find the romance convincing. I didn't "feel" the romantic connection, and had to take the author's word for it that the characters were in love.
For me, the first third of the book moved slowly, the 2nd third of the book had a little more action, and the last third of the book was absolutely riveting. While the ending was predictable, I found myself eager to pick the book back up whenever I had to take a break to see how it all ended.
A nice, smooth read overall, with likeable characters. 3.5 out of 5 stars for me.
June 29, 2011
Fire in the Blood Book Update
I just finished reviewing the proof copy of Fire in the Blood, which will coming out in paperback in July. It's funny how something could look so perfect on the screen, but when you hold it in your hands...oh! I couldn't believe how much fomatting had to be adjusted. But it was so neat holding my book in my hands and reading it the old-fashioned way. Gotta love it!
And, of course, I had to change the front cover (again!) and the back cover the text font didn't work for me, so that had to be adjusted as well. Things are moving along and I'm excited for the release in paperback.
And, of course, I had to change the front cover (again!) and the back cover the text font didn't work for me, so that had to be adjusted as well. Things are moving along and I'm excited for the release in paperback.
June 27, 2011
Book Review: The Superiors, by Lena Hillbrand
The Superiors, by Lena Hillbrand
The Superiors is not your run-of-the-mill vampire story. Oh no. If you're looking for forbidden romance, you won't find it here. It's hard to compare this book to any other vampire book, because I've not read one like it.
In Lena's world of vampires, they are...superior. They are strong, intelligent, predators. Humans are not. Humans are prey. Humans are food. There is a very strict class order in this new world of vampires: the First Order, the Second Order, the Third Order, and then humans are below with all the rest of the animals. As with people, there are some vampires who care for the comfort and safety of all animals. The main character, Draven, is one such vampire, and he doesn't like to see animals suffer. When he develops a "taste" for a human girl, Cali, he goes out of his way, risking life and career, to ensure her safety when other vampires treat her unkindly.
Lena's writing is smooth and professional. The story is original and, when you really think about the differences between vampires and humans, makes sense in the reality of that world. By their nature, vampires are superior to humans, so it's perfectly believable that they would take over and not hide their true nature.
There were parts of the novel that made me squirm, and I wasn't sure what made me so uncomfortable. And then I realized it was because if I lived in the world Lena created, *I* would be a cow. I would have no choice in the direction of my life, where I lived, who I mated with, and I would be so low on the bottom of the food chain that the Superiors would think I couldn't feel emotion. Just like an animal. Through her writing, Lena created a world that is so believable that it made me squirm, which was, I'm sure, Lena's intent.
Despite the brilliance of the writing, I did have a hard time connecting with Draven...at first. Despite the compassion he felt for animals, he still considered humans animals. But he slowly grew on me, and you could see this character's growth as he interacted with Cali and learned that perhaps all the things he'd been taught about humans may not have been entirely true. As I neared the end of the book, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
I eagerly await the sequel, and highly recommend this book to all fantasy readers!
The Superiors is not your run-of-the-mill vampire story. Oh no. If you're looking for forbidden romance, you won't find it here. It's hard to compare this book to any other vampire book, because I've not read one like it.
In Lena's world of vampires, they are...superior. They are strong, intelligent, predators. Humans are not. Humans are prey. Humans are food. There is a very strict class order in this new world of vampires: the First Order, the Second Order, the Third Order, and then humans are below with all the rest of the animals. As with people, there are some vampires who care for the comfort and safety of all animals. The main character, Draven, is one such vampire, and he doesn't like to see animals suffer. When he develops a "taste" for a human girl, Cali, he goes out of his way, risking life and career, to ensure her safety when other vampires treat her unkindly.
Lena's writing is smooth and professional. The story is original and, when you really think about the differences between vampires and humans, makes sense in the reality of that world. By their nature, vampires are superior to humans, so it's perfectly believable that they would take over and not hide their true nature.
There were parts of the novel that made me squirm, and I wasn't sure what made me so uncomfortable. And then I realized it was because if I lived in the world Lena created, *I* would be a cow. I would have no choice in the direction of my life, where I lived, who I mated with, and I would be so low on the bottom of the food chain that the Superiors would think I couldn't feel emotion. Just like an animal. Through her writing, Lena created a world that is so believable that it made me squirm, which was, I'm sure, Lena's intent.
Despite the brilliance of the writing, I did have a hard time connecting with Draven...at first. Despite the compassion he felt for animals, he still considered humans animals. But he slowly grew on me, and you could see this character's growth as he interacted with Cali and learned that perhaps all the things he'd been taught about humans may not have been entirely true. As I neared the end of the book, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough.
I eagerly await the sequel, and highly recommend this book to all fantasy readers!
June 26, 2011
Fire in the Blood, Chapter Two
Chapter Two
I was tripping. Not from a falling perspective, but from a stoner's perspective. I kicked the white shadows that carried me, the fog clinging and suffocating. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I couldn't scream. Was I dead or just stoned?
"Oof!"
I jolted out of the fog with a bone-jarring smack. I rolled to a sitting position, rubbing my elbow and waiting for my brain to tell me something other than how my jammied butt was freezing.
Trees…moon…cave…fog. With every blink, something about my surroundings came into focus. I pushed myself to my feet and let my hazy brain take control.
In the moonlight, I picked out carvings around the edges of a cave. Familiarity flickered. I was in Kent Falls State Park, far off the path where I'd discovered some old rock carvings. I studied the cave—there were no caves in the park—and squeezed my lips between two fingers.
"What the…" I stroked the carvings…the same faces on my ugly box thingy.
I leaned forward to poke my head inside, but the opening zipped up with a soft zzzzt, burping a shot of air that lifted my hair.
"Mom!" I slapped the rock. "Mom! What's going on?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose, mentally demanding my heart to slow down so that I could think.
Okay, I had to be dreaming. I'd dreamt that whole door-smashing-Mom-screaming episode, and then I'd been whisked by my dream to Kent Falls State Park.
Good. I could deal. I'd just wait until I woke up. No biggy. I tiptoed across the clearing and peeked over the edge of a cliff, again, something that shouldn't be there. I'd never had a dream feel so real before; the rocks pinching my feet, the breeze cooling my cheeks, the smell of the air so clean.
"Jahme," snapped a voice behind me.
I whirled.
A glaring guy barked, "What is the meaning of this?"
I ducked my chin and stepped back, but my heel caught nothing but air, and I flapped my arms to keep my balance. "Ahh!"
The guy yanked me by the arm and I flew forward. He cleared out of the way a second before my knees slammed into the ground.
"Ow. What's your..." My glare evaporated. A hint of blue seeped between the guy's crushed eyebrows. Blue, as endlessly deep as the sky right before twilight, as painfully beautiful as cupid's arrow stabbing your heart. "Problem," I said, the word faint, and useless.
"How did you come to be on Eyidora?" One side of his mouth curled as though he'd discovered he'd stepped into a pool of bat shit.
"Eyidora?" I felt like I'd gained a hundred pounds when I stood.
His voice held the contempt my science teacher had used when I'd refused to dissect a frog. "Is that not what I said?"
I brushed my jammies, secretly checking him out. He looked my age, maybe a year older. He wore a loose brown shirt and butt-hugging tan pants, both made out of suede that looked as soft as his body was hard. His short jacket hung open in the front, and what looked like a knife with a blue handle hung from a belt. Standing more than a head taller than me, his dark blond hair brushed the tops of his shoulders. He was just about the hottest guy I'd ever seen off the movie screen, second to Ian, of course.
I pulled my tongue back before I licked my lips.
"Answer," he snapped.
"What?"
A muscle in his cheek rippled.
I tugged the hem of my jammie top. Didn't people usually dream about nice people that they knew, not total strangers who were total tools?
"What is wrong?" He had a slight accent; I'd never heard one like it before.
I liked it.
"I'm just trying to figure out who you are," I said.
"I am Tuggin."
I didn't think I could ever forget a hall god with a name like something you'd find in a Happy Meal. An animal screeched somewhere in the dark, and the guy turned to look. His clothes were dorky, but he could have worn anything with that jacked body. He turned back to me, and I quickly averted my gaze from his backside.
He ran his fingers through his hair. A tiny hoop with small colored beads dangled from one ear. A second earring, a single black bead, had been pierced through his lobe right above the hoop. His gaze drifted away from me; across the trees, at the mysteriously-disappearing-cave-now-turned-rock, back to the trees. His eyes snapped to my face with the suddeness of a guard dog being jerked back on a choke chain. "Haley."
He made it sound like an accusation, as if being Haley was some sort of crime. I crossed my arms and tried to tune out his voice, and his face, and his body, so I could speak. "Yeah? So?"
"I do not want you here."
What an ass. His gaze snaked upward from my feet and landed back on my face, a movement that made me feel naked. My body vibrated in a shudder.
He glanced past me at the silent hillside. "Jahme. Wait." He strode toward two horses standing at the edge of the trees. He marched back and flung a red backpack at me. "Change your clothing. You cannot wear those…" another sweeping gaze over my body, "…things."
Another ripping shudder. I grabbed the pack, my fingernails scraping the stiff material. "They're my jammies."
"They are absurd. Change."
I calmed myself with a deep breath. I'd wake up soon, and Snarky Boy would be a distant memory. I dropped the back pack. "I'm dreaming."
His cheek did that twitchy thing again. "Do not be absurd. Have you learned nothing on Earth?"
"Plenty."
Now, I could do what I wanted in my dream. I could plant a big wet one on his lips in my dream. And he would kiss me back in my dream. He had seriously delicious-looking lips, and I'd bet he was a damn good kisser. Something hot and electric nibbled my skin.
"You will come with me." He added a sigh, as if I couldn't tell by his tone how royally pissed he was.
I shook my head, trying to toss my thoughts back in order. He was crazy gorgeous, but he was a major tool. "Yeah, I don't think so. See, there's an issue with my Mom and…"
"That matters not. You are coming with me."
"And I'm supposed to listen to you…why?"
"You are wasteful of my time. Change your clothing. Now!"
"And if I don't?"
He took one slow step toward me. His hand drifted to the knife, sparkling like blue fire in the moonlight. "Then you will die."
I gulped. This was beginning to feel very un-dreamlike. Maybe I wasn't dreaming. Maybe I'd been drugged, and then kidnapped by this knife wielding whack job. Which would mean Mom was really in trouble. I had to escape Snarky Boy and jet back home. We didn't live far from the park.
I took a step back, wondering if I could outrun him. He took another step toward me, his face muscles tightening into a squinty-eyed snarling look that could terrify the devil's pit bull. His knife made a whink sound when it slid from its sheath.
"Fine," I said.
I darted behind a tree then leaned against it. He had a knife—a knife!—so I didn't have a freaking choice. I'd follow him for now, and then make a run for it at the first chance. I wasn't exactly sure where we were, but I'd hiked off the park's trails often enough to find my way home.
I checked out the stuff in the pack: a couple of pants and shirts, shoes, soap. My cheeks burned when I saw the bra. Digging deep inside, I finally accepted that there wasn't a single pair of socks. Why did he want me to change into these ridiculous clothes? The guy coughed in the darkness, so I hurriedly started to change.
I snapped the bra into place, and made a face. It could have used a little more help from my chest to fill it out. The clothes were so seriously soft to the touch, I couldn't wait to feel them against my skin, but the look was ruined: the long sleeves inched past my wrists, and the pants brushed the ground. These clothes weren't meant for me. Maybe Mom had been the guy's intended target. No wonder he was pissed, even though I wasn't the one who'd screwed up the kidnapping.
I slipped on the soft-soled shoes and these, too, were a little big so that when I walked they rubbed the backs of my heels. Now I looked as goofy as that guy, except I was going to flop around like a clown while he strutted around looking all hall-goddy.
Why would he kidnap Mom anyway? We had no money for a ransom, unless….was this the guy Mom was afraid of? Did he have something to do with killing my parents? It felt as though a flock of penguins had waddled into my gut and frozen there.
My nose flared at a metallic smell and the hair on the back of my neck stiffened. A sudden bold of lightning streaked across the sky, and my ears rang from the rolling boom that followed. The ground woke with a sick shudder, nearly rocking me off my feet as it retched. Curling my toes in the too-big shoes to keep them on, I stumbled toward the clearing. The horses nickered and swung their heads. Where'd that dumb guy go?
Another bolt flashed, lighting the sky with a network of electricity and sending electric fingers skittering over my scalp. It struck the hillside, tearing through stone, sending small rocks pinging down the side of the mountain. Boulders hurled through the air to pummel the ground with colossal thuds.
My breath, escaping in short spurts, matched my heart beats. I clutched my chest with both hands, searching for somewhere to hide.
Lightning struck another thundering blow at the mountain. The ground heaved, and I spread my legs and flung out my hands to steady myself. I was launched backwards, and I winced when the back of my head cracked against a tree.
I hid behind my arms. Peeking from behind my elbow, I looked for that guy again. Unable to remember his name, I screamed, "Help!"
A tree burst into flames and sparks scattered in the air like a cloud of fireflies. The ground split, inhaling the fiery tree with a loud whoosh before snapping shut.
Half-crying, half-moaning, I scratched at the tree. Heat roasted my face, and my body was drenched in sweat. The tree wobbled; I screamed as it pitched toward me.
The guy dragged me by my hair across the dirt. I tucked my head in my arms, a gust of air, leaves and dirt rushing over me. Between my throbbing head and chattering teeth, I almost didn't hear the silence. I lay there, afraid to move, or look, or breathe.
"Haley."
His voice ran like warm honey over my shredded nerves. I peeked through the hair hanging over my face. The guy knelt in the dirt, watching me. A cut from his forehead leaked a trail of blood down one cheek. What was his name? Something weird, like tofu, or tugboat. Tuggin.
I spit out dirt. "I'm all right." Not that he'd asked, but I felt better saying it.
We got to our feet and surveyed the chaos. Trees criss-crossed the tilted ground, looking as if a giant had ripped them out during a temper tantrum, and boulders sunk into the dirt like gravestones.
"Was that an earthquake?" I wished my voice didn't sound so Chip-and-Dale-ish. I'd lived in Connecticut all my life, and we'd never had an earthquake like that, an occasional tremor maybe, but nothing that rocked you off your feet.
"Be silent. Be still."
I nodded and rubbed my scalp where Snarky Boy had pulled my hair. I mean, really, was that necessary? Tuggin left me to climb over trees and boulders.
He came back with a black backpack. "The sleipnir have gone."
"You mean the horses?"
Tuggin ignored my question and poked around the place where I'd changed. He picked up the red pack, pulled out a jacket, and tossed it to me. "Put it on."
My brain switch was in the off position, and I did what I was told. When I finished buttoning up he flung the backpack to me, but my reaction-time was slow. It bounced off my chest and fell to the ground before I moved my hands.
Tuggin turned. "Follow me. Do not fall behind."
"Wait!" I clamped my legs together to stop their shaking.
His gaze slid down his nose and captured mine. "Follow me."
"But my mom..."
"I would be more concerned with your safety than hers."
His words weren't in sync with his lips, which had a woozy effect on me as they spun through my mind. I swayed toward him.
"You must come with me," Tuggin said. "Now."
In hazy confusion, I fought the urge to follow Tuggin like a lost toddler, but a desire to obey him welled inside me. I concentrated on blinking to break the mesmerizing connection, and my head cleared. "No."
Tuggin's eyes widened slightly, his nostrils flared. With one swift movement, his knife was pointed at my throat, and the cold pinch of steel triggered an avalanche of ice down my spine.
"You will come with me, now," he said.
My brain made one last attempt to resist. I would not keep gulping in shaky breaths. I would not pick up that backpack. I would not follow him.
Of course, in the end, I did all of those things.
I was tripping. Not from a falling perspective, but from a stoner's perspective. I kicked the white shadows that carried me, the fog clinging and suffocating. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I couldn't scream. Was I dead or just stoned?
"Oof!"
I jolted out of the fog with a bone-jarring smack. I rolled to a sitting position, rubbing my elbow and waiting for my brain to tell me something other than how my jammied butt was freezing.
Trees…moon…cave…fog. With every blink, something about my surroundings came into focus. I pushed myself to my feet and let my hazy brain take control.
In the moonlight, I picked out carvings around the edges of a cave. Familiarity flickered. I was in Kent Falls State Park, far off the path where I'd discovered some old rock carvings. I studied the cave—there were no caves in the park—and squeezed my lips between two fingers.
"What the…" I stroked the carvings…the same faces on my ugly box thingy.
I leaned forward to poke my head inside, but the opening zipped up with a soft zzzzt, burping a shot of air that lifted my hair.
"Mom!" I slapped the rock. "Mom! What's going on?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose, mentally demanding my heart to slow down so that I could think.
Okay, I had to be dreaming. I'd dreamt that whole door-smashing-Mom-screaming episode, and then I'd been whisked by my dream to Kent Falls State Park.
Good. I could deal. I'd just wait until I woke up. No biggy. I tiptoed across the clearing and peeked over the edge of a cliff, again, something that shouldn't be there. I'd never had a dream feel so real before; the rocks pinching my feet, the breeze cooling my cheeks, the smell of the air so clean.
"Jahme," snapped a voice behind me.
I whirled.
A glaring guy barked, "What is the meaning of this?"
I ducked my chin and stepped back, but my heel caught nothing but air, and I flapped my arms to keep my balance. "Ahh!"
The guy yanked me by the arm and I flew forward. He cleared out of the way a second before my knees slammed into the ground.
"Ow. What's your..." My glare evaporated. A hint of blue seeped between the guy's crushed eyebrows. Blue, as endlessly deep as the sky right before twilight, as painfully beautiful as cupid's arrow stabbing your heart. "Problem," I said, the word faint, and useless.
"How did you come to be on Eyidora?" One side of his mouth curled as though he'd discovered he'd stepped into a pool of bat shit.
"Eyidora?" I felt like I'd gained a hundred pounds when I stood.
His voice held the contempt my science teacher had used when I'd refused to dissect a frog. "Is that not what I said?"
I brushed my jammies, secretly checking him out. He looked my age, maybe a year older. He wore a loose brown shirt and butt-hugging tan pants, both made out of suede that looked as soft as his body was hard. His short jacket hung open in the front, and what looked like a knife with a blue handle hung from a belt. Standing more than a head taller than me, his dark blond hair brushed the tops of his shoulders. He was just about the hottest guy I'd ever seen off the movie screen, second to Ian, of course.
I pulled my tongue back before I licked my lips.
"Answer," he snapped.
"What?"
A muscle in his cheek rippled.
I tugged the hem of my jammie top. Didn't people usually dream about nice people that they knew, not total strangers who were total tools?
"What is wrong?" He had a slight accent; I'd never heard one like it before.
I liked it.
"I'm just trying to figure out who you are," I said.
"I am Tuggin."
I didn't think I could ever forget a hall god with a name like something you'd find in a Happy Meal. An animal screeched somewhere in the dark, and the guy turned to look. His clothes were dorky, but he could have worn anything with that jacked body. He turned back to me, and I quickly averted my gaze from his backside.
He ran his fingers through his hair. A tiny hoop with small colored beads dangled from one ear. A second earring, a single black bead, had been pierced through his lobe right above the hoop. His gaze drifted away from me; across the trees, at the mysteriously-disappearing-cave-now-turned-rock, back to the trees. His eyes snapped to my face with the suddeness of a guard dog being jerked back on a choke chain. "Haley."
He made it sound like an accusation, as if being Haley was some sort of crime. I crossed my arms and tried to tune out his voice, and his face, and his body, so I could speak. "Yeah? So?"
"I do not want you here."
What an ass. His gaze snaked upward from my feet and landed back on my face, a movement that made me feel naked. My body vibrated in a shudder.
He glanced past me at the silent hillside. "Jahme. Wait." He strode toward two horses standing at the edge of the trees. He marched back and flung a red backpack at me. "Change your clothing. You cannot wear those…" another sweeping gaze over my body, "…things."
Another ripping shudder. I grabbed the pack, my fingernails scraping the stiff material. "They're my jammies."
"They are absurd. Change."
I calmed myself with a deep breath. I'd wake up soon, and Snarky Boy would be a distant memory. I dropped the back pack. "I'm dreaming."
His cheek did that twitchy thing again. "Do not be absurd. Have you learned nothing on Earth?"
"Plenty."
Now, I could do what I wanted in my dream. I could plant a big wet one on his lips in my dream. And he would kiss me back in my dream. He had seriously delicious-looking lips, and I'd bet he was a damn good kisser. Something hot and electric nibbled my skin.
"You will come with me." He added a sigh, as if I couldn't tell by his tone how royally pissed he was.
I shook my head, trying to toss my thoughts back in order. He was crazy gorgeous, but he was a major tool. "Yeah, I don't think so. See, there's an issue with my Mom and…"
"That matters not. You are coming with me."
"And I'm supposed to listen to you…why?"
"You are wasteful of my time. Change your clothing. Now!"
"And if I don't?"
He took one slow step toward me. His hand drifted to the knife, sparkling like blue fire in the moonlight. "Then you will die."
I gulped. This was beginning to feel very un-dreamlike. Maybe I wasn't dreaming. Maybe I'd been drugged, and then kidnapped by this knife wielding whack job. Which would mean Mom was really in trouble. I had to escape Snarky Boy and jet back home. We didn't live far from the park.
I took a step back, wondering if I could outrun him. He took another step toward me, his face muscles tightening into a squinty-eyed snarling look that could terrify the devil's pit bull. His knife made a whink sound when it slid from its sheath.
"Fine," I said.
I darted behind a tree then leaned against it. He had a knife—a knife!—so I didn't have a freaking choice. I'd follow him for now, and then make a run for it at the first chance. I wasn't exactly sure where we were, but I'd hiked off the park's trails often enough to find my way home.
I checked out the stuff in the pack: a couple of pants and shirts, shoes, soap. My cheeks burned when I saw the bra. Digging deep inside, I finally accepted that there wasn't a single pair of socks. Why did he want me to change into these ridiculous clothes? The guy coughed in the darkness, so I hurriedly started to change.
I snapped the bra into place, and made a face. It could have used a little more help from my chest to fill it out. The clothes were so seriously soft to the touch, I couldn't wait to feel them against my skin, but the look was ruined: the long sleeves inched past my wrists, and the pants brushed the ground. These clothes weren't meant for me. Maybe Mom had been the guy's intended target. No wonder he was pissed, even though I wasn't the one who'd screwed up the kidnapping.
I slipped on the soft-soled shoes and these, too, were a little big so that when I walked they rubbed the backs of my heels. Now I looked as goofy as that guy, except I was going to flop around like a clown while he strutted around looking all hall-goddy.
Why would he kidnap Mom anyway? We had no money for a ransom, unless….was this the guy Mom was afraid of? Did he have something to do with killing my parents? It felt as though a flock of penguins had waddled into my gut and frozen there.
My nose flared at a metallic smell and the hair on the back of my neck stiffened. A sudden bold of lightning streaked across the sky, and my ears rang from the rolling boom that followed. The ground woke with a sick shudder, nearly rocking me off my feet as it retched. Curling my toes in the too-big shoes to keep them on, I stumbled toward the clearing. The horses nickered and swung their heads. Where'd that dumb guy go?
Another bolt flashed, lighting the sky with a network of electricity and sending electric fingers skittering over my scalp. It struck the hillside, tearing through stone, sending small rocks pinging down the side of the mountain. Boulders hurled through the air to pummel the ground with colossal thuds.
My breath, escaping in short spurts, matched my heart beats. I clutched my chest with both hands, searching for somewhere to hide.
Lightning struck another thundering blow at the mountain. The ground heaved, and I spread my legs and flung out my hands to steady myself. I was launched backwards, and I winced when the back of my head cracked against a tree.
I hid behind my arms. Peeking from behind my elbow, I looked for that guy again. Unable to remember his name, I screamed, "Help!"
A tree burst into flames and sparks scattered in the air like a cloud of fireflies. The ground split, inhaling the fiery tree with a loud whoosh before snapping shut.
Half-crying, half-moaning, I scratched at the tree. Heat roasted my face, and my body was drenched in sweat. The tree wobbled; I screamed as it pitched toward me.
The guy dragged me by my hair across the dirt. I tucked my head in my arms, a gust of air, leaves and dirt rushing over me. Between my throbbing head and chattering teeth, I almost didn't hear the silence. I lay there, afraid to move, or look, or breathe.
"Haley."
His voice ran like warm honey over my shredded nerves. I peeked through the hair hanging over my face. The guy knelt in the dirt, watching me. A cut from his forehead leaked a trail of blood down one cheek. What was his name? Something weird, like tofu, or tugboat. Tuggin.
I spit out dirt. "I'm all right." Not that he'd asked, but I felt better saying it.
We got to our feet and surveyed the chaos. Trees criss-crossed the tilted ground, looking as if a giant had ripped them out during a temper tantrum, and boulders sunk into the dirt like gravestones.
"Was that an earthquake?" I wished my voice didn't sound so Chip-and-Dale-ish. I'd lived in Connecticut all my life, and we'd never had an earthquake like that, an occasional tremor maybe, but nothing that rocked you off your feet.
"Be silent. Be still."
I nodded and rubbed my scalp where Snarky Boy had pulled my hair. I mean, really, was that necessary? Tuggin left me to climb over trees and boulders.
He came back with a black backpack. "The sleipnir have gone."
"You mean the horses?"
Tuggin ignored my question and poked around the place where I'd changed. He picked up the red pack, pulled out a jacket, and tossed it to me. "Put it on."
My brain switch was in the off position, and I did what I was told. When I finished buttoning up he flung the backpack to me, but my reaction-time was slow. It bounced off my chest and fell to the ground before I moved my hands.
Tuggin turned. "Follow me. Do not fall behind."
"Wait!" I clamped my legs together to stop their shaking.
His gaze slid down his nose and captured mine. "Follow me."
"But my mom..."
"I would be more concerned with your safety than hers."
His words weren't in sync with his lips, which had a woozy effect on me as they spun through my mind. I swayed toward him.
"You must come with me," Tuggin said. "Now."
In hazy confusion, I fought the urge to follow Tuggin like a lost toddler, but a desire to obey him welled inside me. I concentrated on blinking to break the mesmerizing connection, and my head cleared. "No."
Tuggin's eyes widened slightly, his nostrils flared. With one swift movement, his knife was pointed at my throat, and the cold pinch of steel triggered an avalanche of ice down my spine.
"You will come with me, now," he said.
My brain made one last attempt to resist. I would not keep gulping in shaky breaths. I would not pick up that backpack. I would not follow him.
Of course, in the end, I did all of those things.
June 25, 2011
Book Review: The Precipice, by Johnathan Scott
The Precipice, by Johnathan Scott
This is an epic fantasy, reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, complete with a high-grade ensemble cast, and worlds where magic and strength combine with explosive imagery. Johnathan has created a believeable world where Celestial Knights guard and safe-keep the portals to all worlds, thus ensuring peace and harmony. However, not all desire peace and harmony! And that's when the knights set to work.
Let's start with the writing, which was fluid and professional and a delight to read. The editing was professional as well. While I don't care for the use of capital letters in dialogue (indicating power behind the words, and which I don't think Johnathan needed), this was mainly regulated to the early chapters.
I have to admit, when the story started out with a talking walking stick, I didn't think I was going to like it. I am so happy to admit I couldn't have been more wrong! The walking stick's relationship with the thief is so well-done and funny that I now think that this was the most brilliant piece of the story. I loved it.
Johnathan has a complex world and a large ensemble cast that he had to introduce to his readers. Again, he managed this with polish and style, introducing each character in his own place and in his own time. While you slowly engage these characters as you read, the author gives you glimpses of back-ground, mainly the initiation of each character into Knighthood. It was so well done that not once did I feel as though I'd been taken away from the story at hand.
The only fault I would find with this story is how the author would change from using characters' first names to last names and back again. With such a large cast, I did find this hard to follow at times, and would sometimes need to take a moment to figure out who was speaking. Other than that, this story was a wonderful read, and is highly recommended.
4.5 stars!
This is an epic fantasy, reminiscent of Lord of the Rings, complete with a high-grade ensemble cast, and worlds where magic and strength combine with explosive imagery. Johnathan has created a believeable world where Celestial Knights guard and safe-keep the portals to all worlds, thus ensuring peace and harmony. However, not all desire peace and harmony! And that's when the knights set to work.
Let's start with the writing, which was fluid and professional and a delight to read. The editing was professional as well. While I don't care for the use of capital letters in dialogue (indicating power behind the words, and which I don't think Johnathan needed), this was mainly regulated to the early chapters.
I have to admit, when the story started out with a talking walking stick, I didn't think I was going to like it. I am so happy to admit I couldn't have been more wrong! The walking stick's relationship with the thief is so well-done and funny that I now think that this was the most brilliant piece of the story. I loved it.
Johnathan has a complex world and a large ensemble cast that he had to introduce to his readers. Again, he managed this with polish and style, introducing each character in his own place and in his own time. While you slowly engage these characters as you read, the author gives you glimpses of back-ground, mainly the initiation of each character into Knighthood. It was so well done that not once did I feel as though I'd been taken away from the story at hand.
The only fault I would find with this story is how the author would change from using characters' first names to last names and back again. With such a large cast, I did find this hard to follow at times, and would sometimes need to take a moment to figure out who was speaking. Other than that, this story was a wonderful read, and is highly recommended.
4.5 stars!
June 19, 2011
Fire in the Blood, Chapter One
As part of Sample Sunday, I'm previewing a chapter of my YA fantasy, Fire in the Blood, each Sunday. This book is available through Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook (and will be available in paperback through Amazon this summer). Visit each week and read the next chapter. Enjoy!
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fire-in-the-blood-dale-ibitz/1031097572
Fire in the Blood
Chapter One
How did life suck? Let me count the ways.
One. I sucked. My life was supposed to be about hair, clothes, and boys. I admit, I kind of rocked the hair department, thick and straight and long, though the color bordered on mousey. My clothes situation, however, was on a good-will basis, and my chest area was a total bust--not exactly a combination that attracted hall gods.
"Haley, we need to talk," Mom said.
Two. Elana sucked. Until today, I'd thought she was my best friend. I'd done everything with her, following her through school like a...like a...a tail following a fox, but she turned out to be a back-stabbing liar.
"Now," she added.
Three. Ian sucked. Ian, who'd moved to Kent, Connecticut over a month ago, was crazy gorgeous, and for a second, I thought I'd blipped his radar, but he only noticed the hall goddesses, which of course included Elana. And she'd noticed him.
Mom stuck her hand out. "Take this."
Four. My birthday sucked. Elana hooked up with Ian today of all freaking days, my birthday. All I'd wanted for my seventeenth birthday was some cool clothes and a hall god for a boyfriend, and instead I was contemplating the fate of a boobless loner who owned sucky clothes.
Wait. What?
I blinked at the necklace dangling from Mom's fingers.
"Is that a pearl? It's huge!" I slipped the necklace over my head and admired it. I could almost scratch suck number four off my list.
"And this," she added, handing me a block of wood.
I studied the weird faces carved into it then flipped it over. I had no clue why Mom would give me an ugly statue, but I said, "Thanks, Mom."
Mom stalked the kitchen as if the coffee maker had been identified by the F.B.I. as public enemy number one. "They're from your birth parents."
"You know them?" Anyone could tell I was adopted. Mom was tall and blonde and could easily drape the cover of Glamour magazine, even in flannel shirts and jeans. And I was...not that
"A little," she said.
"What are they like? Where are they? Do you talk to them?"
"There's no time for questions. Your life depends on listening to me right now." Mom's voice scratched the air.
I tilted my head. For the first time, I noticed she wasn't so put together. One side of her shirt had untucked from her jeans due to her plucking fingers, her hair was falling out of its ponytail, and her gaze shifted criminally.
Mom put her hands to her stomach and swallowed once, loudly. "I think he's after you."
The stone, nestled against my chest, rose and fell with my suddenly shortened breathing. "What are you talking about?"
"Your parents are dead because of him."
The pulse in my neck chanted, da-dead, da-dead, da-dead. Air. I needed air. "Some guy killed my parents and now he's after me?"
"Yes. No. I'm not sure." Mom dropped into a chair and stared at my box thingy.
"So, what happened? Were they, like, drug runners or something?"
"Absolutely not!" Mom snapped.
"Oka-ay," I muttered, and then waited for Mom to say something.
The clock tick, tick, ticked and my heart seemed intent on pulverizing itself against my ribs. The awkward silence was shattered by someone pounding the front door, and Mom leaped up like someone'd jabbed her butt with a taser.
She leaned toward me over the kitchen table, staring at me with bulging eyes. "Don't move."
I slipped my bunny slippers off my sweaty feet. Who killed my parents? Who was the psychopath looking for me? And why? I glanced over my shoulder. Was Mom having some kind of breakdown?
"Zentu!" Mom yelled from the foyer.
The box rolled off the table and thunked onto the floor. It split open, wide, wider, gaping darkly like the mouth of a great white shark. White fog poured out, and I whiffed wet dirt.
The sound of the front door slamming against the wall, splintering.
"Haley! Jump!" Mom shouted.
My gaze leaped to the window. Why'd she want me to jump when I could jet out the back door? And why would she ever think I'd leave when it sounded like some whack job was breaking in? I leapt to my feet, stumbling over my bunny slippers.
"Gah!"
I plunged head-first into the foggy pool. The sound of my chair crashing to the floor seemed very far away. Mom screamed once and then the sound died.
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fire-in-the-blood-dale-ibitz/1031097572
Fire in the Blood
Chapter One
How did life suck? Let me count the ways.
One. I sucked. My life was supposed to be about hair, clothes, and boys. I admit, I kind of rocked the hair department, thick and straight and long, though the color bordered on mousey. My clothes situation, however, was on a good-will basis, and my chest area was a total bust--not exactly a combination that attracted hall gods.
"Haley, we need to talk," Mom said.
Two. Elana sucked. Until today, I'd thought she was my best friend. I'd done everything with her, following her through school like a...like a...a tail following a fox, but she turned out to be a back-stabbing liar.
"Now," she added.
Three. Ian sucked. Ian, who'd moved to Kent, Connecticut over a month ago, was crazy gorgeous, and for a second, I thought I'd blipped his radar, but he only noticed the hall goddesses, which of course included Elana. And she'd noticed him.
Mom stuck her hand out. "Take this."
Four. My birthday sucked. Elana hooked up with Ian today of all freaking days, my birthday. All I'd wanted for my seventeenth birthday was some cool clothes and a hall god for a boyfriend, and instead I was contemplating the fate of a boobless loner who owned sucky clothes.
Wait. What?
I blinked at the necklace dangling from Mom's fingers.
"Is that a pearl? It's huge!" I slipped the necklace over my head and admired it. I could almost scratch suck number four off my list.
"And this," she added, handing me a block of wood.
I studied the weird faces carved into it then flipped it over. I had no clue why Mom would give me an ugly statue, but I said, "Thanks, Mom."
Mom stalked the kitchen as if the coffee maker had been identified by the F.B.I. as public enemy number one. "They're from your birth parents."
"You know them?" Anyone could tell I was adopted. Mom was tall and blonde and could easily drape the cover of Glamour magazine, even in flannel shirts and jeans. And I was...not that
"A little," she said.
"What are they like? Where are they? Do you talk to them?"
"There's no time for questions. Your life depends on listening to me right now." Mom's voice scratched the air.
I tilted my head. For the first time, I noticed she wasn't so put together. One side of her shirt had untucked from her jeans due to her plucking fingers, her hair was falling out of its ponytail, and her gaze shifted criminally.
Mom put her hands to her stomach and swallowed once, loudly. "I think he's after you."
The stone, nestled against my chest, rose and fell with my suddenly shortened breathing. "What are you talking about?"
"Your parents are dead because of him."
The pulse in my neck chanted, da-dead, da-dead, da-dead. Air. I needed air. "Some guy killed my parents and now he's after me?"
"Yes. No. I'm not sure." Mom dropped into a chair and stared at my box thingy.
"So, what happened? Were they, like, drug runners or something?"
"Absolutely not!" Mom snapped.
"Oka-ay," I muttered, and then waited for Mom to say something.
The clock tick, tick, ticked and my heart seemed intent on pulverizing itself against my ribs. The awkward silence was shattered by someone pounding the front door, and Mom leaped up like someone'd jabbed her butt with a taser.
She leaned toward me over the kitchen table, staring at me with bulging eyes. "Don't move."
I slipped my bunny slippers off my sweaty feet. Who killed my parents? Who was the psychopath looking for me? And why? I glanced over my shoulder. Was Mom having some kind of breakdown?
"Zentu!" Mom yelled from the foyer.
The box rolled off the table and thunked onto the floor. It split open, wide, wider, gaping darkly like the mouth of a great white shark. White fog poured out, and I whiffed wet dirt.
The sound of the front door slamming against the wall, splintering.
"Haley! Jump!" Mom shouted.
My gaze leaped to the window. Why'd she want me to jump when I could jet out the back door? And why would she ever think I'd leave when it sounded like some whack job was breaking in? I leapt to my feet, stumbling over my bunny slippers.
"Gah!"
I plunged head-first into the foggy pool. The sound of my chair crashing to the floor seemed very far away. Mom screamed once and then the sound died.
June 17, 2011
Book Review: La Luxure, by C.D. Hussey
La Luxure, by C.D. Hussey
La Luxure is about Julia, a conservative engineer who is never quite satisfied in her life, her romance, or her job. She is rather envious of her sister's "freedom" to live more on the edge. On a business trip to New Orleans, Julia is immersed in the culture and ambience of the city's darker side, and feels an inexplicable pull to give in to her dark impulses. The end result surprises not only Julia, but is a treat for the reader as well.
La Luxure's steamier sex scenes is a no-no for young readers, but adults will easily be seduced and pulled along for the "ride". There is a major twist at the end, and I didn't know whether to be disappointed that everything wasn't as it seemed, mad that I'd been fooled, or confused (I mean, I got the ending, but I kept turning the pages waiting for that "ha ha! fooled you again!" moment). In the end, I could only applaud, because there is nothing I like more than thinking I know how a book's going to end and being totally wrong.
This author's writing style is fluid and a pleasure to read. The author depicted the visuals of the city well enough that there is no question of the setting. I gave this book a 5 star rating for its entertainment value alone! This one goes in the "recommend" column.
La Luxure is about Julia, a conservative engineer who is never quite satisfied in her life, her romance, or her job. She is rather envious of her sister's "freedom" to live more on the edge. On a business trip to New Orleans, Julia is immersed in the culture and ambience of the city's darker side, and feels an inexplicable pull to give in to her dark impulses. The end result surprises not only Julia, but is a treat for the reader as well.
La Luxure's steamier sex scenes is a no-no for young readers, but adults will easily be seduced and pulled along for the "ride". There is a major twist at the end, and I didn't know whether to be disappointed that everything wasn't as it seemed, mad that I'd been fooled, or confused (I mean, I got the ending, but I kept turning the pages waiting for that "ha ha! fooled you again!" moment). In the end, I could only applaud, because there is nothing I like more than thinking I know how a book's going to end and being totally wrong.
This author's writing style is fluid and a pleasure to read. The author depicted the visuals of the city well enough that there is no question of the setting. I gave this book a 5 star rating for its entertainment value alone! This one goes in the "recommend" column.
Great Indie Giveaway!
Check out sneak peeks of some of the books included in the Giveaway.
http://coffeemugged.net/2011/06/16/the-great-indie-summer-read-giveaway-%e2%80%93-day-2/
http://coffeemugged.net/2011/06/16/the-great-indie-summer-read-giveaway-%e2%80%93-day-2/
