Review: The Naming

The Naming by Alison Croggon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



The Naming is a traditional style fantasy with many familiar fantasy elements that are regardless fresh (to my mind), although others might not think so. This is an epic tale of the sort that made me love fantasy in the first place, and I can't say I mind the nostalgia for classic fantasy that this familiarity evokes.

In many ways it did remind me of the LOTR - in the formal tone of the language, the songs, the descriptions of nature (particularly woods), the mood that presses in on you from the memories of the land itself, the rising conflict between Light and Dark, the travels through often-hostile countryside, and the havens full of light and wonder that break up the danger and darkness of the journey.

These are all aspects of the LOTR that I love, and while reading The Naming, I relished that feeling which I have found is rare in other fantasy. Actually, I can't really think of anything that has so pleasantly reminded me of Tolkien's work in tone and description before. I especially love the juxtaposition of light and darkness throughout the book - danger, injury, and low spirits are contrasted with the growth of new friendship, the opportunity to rest, eat and bathe, and to take in some of the beauty of the world. I quickly grow tired of fantasy that focuses mainly on the dark. Here we also have light, and not just a sliver of it.

All of that said, this is enough its own story not to be a Tolkien ripoff. The feeling and tone is there, but the plot itself is completely different. First of all, the story focuses on a girl, and the storytelling also feels more personal, dealing with her emotions and internal struggles.

It starts out with Maerad, a slave-girl, who is discovered and rescued by a bard, Cadvan (bards are mages). The rest of the book reveals who she is, and why the Dark and the Light care who she is. It deals with her struggles to find her sense of self when everything she knows has been completely turned upside down. She must learn to read, to fight, to trust, to discern whom not to trust, and to control the magic that she's not even aware she has. The only constant in her life is her music.

In the midst of Maerad's attempts to adjust to a new life, the Dark is already ahead of her and all around her, attempting to stop her before she realizes her power and finds her purpose. She is protected and guided by Cadvan, who is also trying to figure out who she really is before it's too late. There are prophecies, dreams, and visions. There is a sense of urgency, of time running out. There is betrayal, and there is loyalty.

It's a lot of fun to read. In short, I loved it, and I've already started the second book.




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Review: Doubleblind

Doubleblind by Ann Aguirre
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This third book of the Grimspace series takes place entirely on the xenophobic planet of Ithiss-Tor. Jax has finally arrived to act as Ambassador to the "Bugs" who are desperately needed to strengthen the Conglomerate's position against the Morgut. There is danger every step of the way as Jax navigates the treacherous waters of diplomacy with a mostly hostile species. Intrigue, betrayal, and the nuances of cross-cultural communication make this a fascinating read - a definite change of pace from the previous action-packed installments.

Jax's relationship with March also develops significantly, repairing my dissatisfaction from Wanderlust. I don't want to spoil anything, but I was much happier with their story this time around. I also really enjoyed Jax's growing friendship with Vel, which gets significant attention since they are on Vel's home world and he is Jax's lifeline.

I did find one aspect of the story annoying. In order to keep us informed about what is happening "back home" while Jax is risking everything on Ithiss-Tor, there are news feeds interspersed throughout. I found the switches from first person narrative to news feed or interview transcript jarring. The tone did enhance the feeling that these exchanges take place far in the future, but I felt that they interrupted the flow and made me feel more like a distant observer. Aside from that, this was a strong chapter in the Grimspace series, and I'm looking forward to reading more.

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Review: Dragon Slippers

Dragon Slippers by Jessica Day George

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Creel is a poor farmer's orphan whose aunt decides to give her to the local dragon in hopes that a prince will rescue her. Somehow Creel manages to survive this folly, and makes her way to the capital city in search of work as a seamstress. There she toils and toils, attracting both supporters and enemies, and must battle pettiness and jealousy to make her place. As politics boil over, a simple pair of slippers only complicates matters.

Dragon Slippers is a fun fantasy that feels like a real fairytale without being a retelling of an old tale (at least I don't think it is). I really enjoyed that, because with a retelling you always know where it's generally headed. This one was fresh and vivid. It has darkness alongside beauty, hard work alongside magic, and friendship overcoming the blackest of odds. Highly recommended for Young Adult fairytale lovers.



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Review: Daughter of the Forest

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Daughter of the Forest is an absorbing, heart-breaking story. It's a retelling of the classic fairytale of the Wild Swans, and it doesn't gloss over the darker implications. Wallowing in the misery of them is more like it.

In Ireland in the time of the Druids, Sorcha is a healer and a true child of the forest. Each of her six brothers is distinctly drawn, and the bonds of love and loyalty between them are firmly established - tangible, almost. As everything falls apart, their closeness makes the rest of the tale both vivid and believable.

The writing is beautiful, especially during the time of childhood innocence. But ultimately this is a dark tale full of pain and anguish, and loss. I'm not sure I've ever read a sadder happy ending. It stays true to the horror of what happens to the seven siblings, recognizing that too much is broken by the evil enchantment for a magical, tidy fix-up at the end to be at all realistic. Thankfully there is a bit of happiness to the ending, although it is bittersweet.

I normally don't enjoy books that are so sad and depressing, but it's hard not to appreciate how well done this retelling is, and hard not to be curious about how the dangling threads will continue in the next book.

Content: includes rape, threats of rape, and non-graphic sex.



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Review: Storm Front

Storm Front by Jim Butcher

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Storm Front is a solid start to a series. There's lots and lots of action - almost more than I could take at some points. Harry Dresden has a few really, really bad days in this book. His life is in danger from many fronts - demons, vampires, magical councils, mysterious unknown powerful wizards, and human cops and gangsters. He's all alone in dealing with it, and he's broke to top it all off. He's injured often, and he barely scrapes by with some sliver of luck that he manages to hang onto by his fingernails.

It's exciting, it's calamitous, and I'm exhausted from reading it. I've heard that the series gets better at about book 4, and I am interested enough to stick with it. I just hope Harry has some downtime in the next one!




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Review: The Thief

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



The Thief starts out deceptively simple. Gen is dragged out of prison so that he can steal something for the king. A good part of what follows is his journey to the place where the theft needs to take place, under the enforcement of a court advisor and his companions. The only change in focus is the telling of myth-like stories of the gods around the campfires. This portion of the story seemed a bit slow, and for a while I wondered if this was really it. It was almost too simple, with only the one plot-line. But it turns out this is merely putting pieces in place for later.

As they get closer to the location for the theft, it gets more interesting. Then we get to see Gen's attempts at thievery, and it's lots of fun. The action picks up, and there are some real surprises, none of which I will give away. As everything came together, I realized that nothing was so simple as I had thought. It's always wonderful to have that feeling at the end of a book. I'm looking forward to the next one!



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Review: The Ambassador's Mission

The Ambassador's Mission by Trudi Canavan

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

 **Caution! Spoilers if you haven't read the Black Magician Trilogy!

 I was really disappointed in this. I've loved Canavan's previous work - she's one of my favorite authors! But something went wrong here. It was just so incredibly boring. There's not enough that's new, but instead a lot of time is spent explaining how things have changed from 20 years ago, or rediscovering the past that has already been explored in the Magician's Apprentice. I think Canavan would have been better off building a whole new world with new conflicts and magic rather than re-hashing a world and characters that I already know and love.

What is new is the character of Lorkin, but I really can't tell you much about him. I don't feel that he is well-defined enough, although I hope that improves in the next books. There is so much reminiscing about the past by return characters that we don't get a clear enough sense of the present and why we should care about it.

I mainly just felt nostalgic for the days of the Ichani invasion, and felt like I was having sumi with my old friends from the war, chatting about how times have changed and feeling sad that they haven't turned out better after all that effort. I can't believe I'm writing this - I had such hopes for this sequel!

There are really two distinct plots in the book. One is Lorkin's adventures in Sachaka. Apparently he wants to find old magic for some reason, but I don't really feel his excitement or know why it's important enough to him to risk his life going there. He just seems to want a grown-up adventure and a chance to prove himself. The unasked-for adventures that he gets should be a lot more exciting, but the gripping, engaging aspect of the previous books is missing.

The other plot sticks with Cery and Sonea in their separate spheres in Imardin. It's sort of a murder mystery, but it's hard to care because you're mainly getting the characters' inner dialogue on what's changed in the last 20 years, or speculating about how a situation could go 3 different ways. And there's not nearly enough magic to help make up for it - what there is is just incidental, like opening and closing doors, and some levitation. I think I've made my point by now - it just really dragged.

Can I also say that Sonea being an overprotective mother is not what I want to read about? That's the main addition to her character in this, other than the fact that she's been stuck in the same restrictions for the last 20 years. She really needs to move on from the past and find a way to gain the trust of the Guild so she can do more than work in the hospices. I expect (hope) that what happens in the rest of the trilogy gives her a way to do that, and to let her son be an adult. In other words, I'll have to go ahead and read the rest of the trilogy and hope it gets better. It's too late to turn back now.

Honestly, what's missing is the one person who can't make an encore appearance. No wonder it's so lackluster - all of the true mystery and the reason for everyone's existence is gone. The best character EVER leaves a gaping hole.

I am now more upset than ever that The High Lord ended the way it did. It could have had a way happier ending, everything resolved to some degree and - finished. Complete. I could have been so happy. Why? Why?

I WANT MY OLD BLACK MAGICIAN BACK!!!!



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Review: Enna Burning

Enna Burning by Shannon Hale

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Enna Burning really is all about fire. Much of it is dark, as fire magic is hard to control and Enna is struggling with this in the midst of a war. The depressing part of the book doesn't last forever, though, and I ended up enjoying the post-war resolution well enough to give it 4 stars.

Isi from The Goose Girl is still involved, and not just as a distant figure that you hardly remember. Enna's friendship with her is one of the best aspects of the book. The magic of both wind and fire get plenty of attention, and I enjoyed how they figure it all out together.



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Review: Scarlet

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Scarlet tells a tale of Robin Hood from the point of view of Will Scarlet, who in this case happens to be a girl and a thief. I really enjoyed the twist. It was easy to get into, a fun read with plenty of the adventure you would expect from Robin Hood. And the twist only added to it while staying mostly true to the most recognizable aspects of the legend, I believe.

There a couple of things that got in the way of my enjoyment. For some reason, the author chose to write in first person using a dialect that I found jarring. Here's an example: "It were like the road we walked near every day were gone." It wouldn't have bothered me so much had the dialect stayed within actual dialogue, but it was that way through all of the narration. I got used to it after a while, but every now and then it still jarred me out of the story.

The other part that bothered me was the focus on Scarlet refusing to eat. She was basically anorexic for a lot of it, and it was never dealt with enough to satisfy me that she improved. This is perhaps not the greatest example of how to deal with life's problems to be offering to a young adult audience.

All in all, it was an enjoyable take on an old legend, with a little bit of romance and a lot of knife throwing. Recommended in spite of these minor complaints.



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Review: Edenbrooke

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Edenbrooke is absolutely delightful. I wish more publishers out there would pick up romance stories like this, without the prerequisite sex scenes. There is none of that here, and instead we are treated to a romance that focuses much more on the emotions of the characters and how they fall in love. So it's a love story, not just a romance. In my experience, those are quite hard to find.

For those of you who aren't big into any kind of romance you'll want to steer clear of this. There is not much to it at all besides that very sweet love story. There's not much complexity, and some of the plot is typical romance-style (one character was overly dense at times). But if you do enjoy a good romance, especially if you prefer the more emotional than physical type, it is beautifully written and full of tension. I gobbled it up in one evening, and it was absolutely sigh-worthy.

This is definitely reminiscent of a few Georgette Heyer novels that I've read - I'm thinking Sylvester and Regency Buck, just a little. But it was its own story and its own style, and since those are two of my favorite Heyer novels, it can't be bad that I was reminded of them in some way.



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Review: Rise of Empire

Rise of Empire by Michael J. Sullivan

My rating: 5 of 5 stars




I have to say, this installment is far more epic than the first book of the series, and therefore also a little heavier. Although I really enjoyed the light feel of The Crown Conspiracy, I am glad that it's broadening into something deeper. This series is really taking me by surprise and fast becoming a favorite.

Although the epic-ness does make it heavier, I still really don't feel that this series is too depressing, at least so far. All fantasy needs some darkness. What makes the difference for me is when there are also beautiful or meaningful moments that lighten the tone, giving you a break instead of dragging you through the mud every single step of the way. In this series, the humor and the friendships that develop serve that purpose. I feel like this is a more traditional style fantasy in that way, and it's such a pleasant change from some of the other recent fantasy that's all blood and guts and despair and the world is full of gray and dust and now I just want to die.

Ok, moving on.


Nyphron Rising - 5 Stars

I really enjoyed Nyphron Rising as much as (or more than?) The Crown Conspiracy. I loved that Royce and Hadrian are traveling again, this time with Arista instead of her brother. I loved that there's more of the underworld. I loved that it's not all just action - the characters are not static, just responding to events. They are thinking and changing. Especially Arista. She really comes into her own in this book. She finds her worth and a purpose and steps out of her sheltered princess world. It's not all peaches and cream, and she does a lot of growing.

There's not much more I can say without giving away the plot. All I can say is that it has many aspects of good epic fantasy that I can be relied upon to enjoy whenever I see them cast in a new way. Characters find themselves in impossible situations and I have no idea how they're going to get out, and then of course there's that twist at the end that I didn't see coming at all - a trademark of Mr. Sullivan's, I am coming to believe.

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Emerald Storm - 4.5 stars

I didn't enjoy The Emerald Storm quite as much as Nyphron Rising. I'm talking a hair's difference here - it was yet again completely different in setting, and I didn't like the new locations quite as much. It also seemed like not as much actually happened in this one, apart from Royce & Hadrian's mission, which goes along quite standardly.

My description is so blasé that you'll be thinking I didn't like it, but once again it's hard to describe without giving too much away. Suffice it to say that when I reached the end of this book, I thought I knew what was going on, and then something happened that turned everything on its head so that I had to re-evaluate everything that had gone before. Just when I think it's getting predictable, this series surprises me. I love that. It's so rare.



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Review: Sheepfarmer's Daughter

Sheepfarmer's Daughter by Elizabeth Moon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Sheepfarmer's Daughter follows Paks as she runs away from home to join a mercenary company and learns how to fight and take on more responsibilities as a soldier. This first book in the trilogy follows her through 6 months of training and the first two years of campaigns, and it is very heavily focused on camp life, and details that would be important to a simple soldier.

The author takes the viewpoint of Paks very literally - we learn what she is learning as she is learning it. As her understanding of her world broadens, so do her observations of it, and our picture begins to open up. As a result, our view of the rest of the world starts out very limited. This is very well done, but at times is also frustrating - I want to know what's going on! But I decided to sit back and take in the smaller picture for a while. It's quite a difference from most fantasy that I read, which is usually more on the epic scale right from the start. The main focus here is on one military company and specifically on one person's experience within that.

At times it did drag a little, and it was so detailed that I wondered if it was really going anywhere or if it was just reveling in the moment. But just when I was starting to get bored with the details, things picked up. For the most part I enjoyed the very detailed accounts and the slow development of Paks' experience and confidence as a soldier. There was not much magic until closer to the end, and that would normally bother me. But as the approach is to let us discover the world as Paks discovers it, I found I unexpectedly enjoyed the fresh outlook. The extra details of a larger world and magic that started to creep in towards the end were tantalizing, and I am looking forward to the next book, where I believe the view should widen significantly.



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Review: Out of Time: A Time Travel Mystery

Out of Time: A Time Travel Mystery by Monique Martin

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



Based on the description, I expected to find Out of Time a combination of time travel and historical mystery with a bit of romance. It is true that these elements are present, but really what I found myself reading was a fairly generic romance that could have taken place anywhere, anytime, with some time travel and mystery thrown in, but not sufficiently developed.

The story starts out in the present, with a professor of the occult and his assistant finding themselves unexpectedly launched back to the 1920s. They have to figure out how to survive in the past, but once they do, the story completely stalls as the focus shifts almost completely to the romance. Not much else happens until close to the end, when the conflict finally escalates just in time to bring about a cool time-travel twist to the ending - the sort of thing I'd been waiting for all along, and the reason why I gave this 3 stars instead of 2. If only there had been more of that throughout, I would have been happier.



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Review: The Tenacious Miss Tamerlane

The Tenacious Miss Tamerlane by Kasey Michaels

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



The Tenacious Miss Tamerlane reads like really over-the-top Georgette Heyer fan-fiction. It's extremely silly, humorous at times, painful often, and thankfully a quick read. This may actually be the book from which the term 'Regency Romp' was coined because I've never read anything that fits the bill more than this.

Country bumpkin Tansy finds herself living with distant relatives for a season in London, meddling in their household while they try to keep her from becoming a social disaster and she tries to keep the young debutante from being so stupid as to ruin herself. The scrapes both girls get into are downright unbelievable at times.

The cast of characters is irritating more often than amusing. The hero and heroine spend all their time vascillating between yelling at each other and kissing each other. The Duke is willfully blind, and the heroine is willfully ignorant and headstrong (oops, I think that's supposed to be 'tenacious'). Aside from them, we have an air-headed sister who purposely tries to ruin herself multiple times, servants without any sense, and to top it all off, an aunt who speaks - literally! - only in quotations. One of my greatest hopes throughout is that the aunt will be shocked into at least one normal statement as part of the wrap-up. Unfortunately not.

Ultimately, this reads like a set of outrageous caricatures all thrown together, and although I was forced to laugh at times, it was mainly due to the ludicrousness of it. I wonder if the author intended to write a work of satire.



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Review: Sabriel

Sabriel by Garth Nix

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I really enjoyed Sabriel. I didn't have any expectations going in, and found it a unique and enjoyable ride. Set in an alternate early 20th Century England, Sabriel knows little more about the magical Old Kingdom across the wall than we do, and we all have to figure it out while on the run towards unknown danger in a kingdom that is clearly falling apart. As matters become more obviously serious, we encounter the malicious dead not staying in death, and Sabriel's incomplete training as a necromancer barely keeps her ahead of the game. The magic is at times gruesome (since the dead are generally in decay), and other times beautiful (loved the paper wing!).

There's a little bit of romance that felt somewhat underdeveloped. It's not the usual kind of insta-love, but since it's not delved into very much along the way, it does feel like it emerges somewhat out of the blue. All of a sudden, the characters feel something differently, and you're not sure how they got there.

All in all, it's a fascinating story with death and darkness, mystery and danger, and just enough light and love to carry you forward. At the end, I feel as if I now know enough about this world to realize how deep this crisis could go - I'm looking forward to reading the next one.



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Review: The Merchant of Death

The Merchant of Death by D.J. MacHale

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I really wanted to like this book. The premise is great, the plot is fun and has plenty of action and twists. But somehow the writing style was a barrier for me. It's written in first person through journal installments. I simply couldn't get into it, couldn't feel close to what was happening. I also could hardly stand Bobby's voice, which is very juvenile and tedious, and because of the journal format, colors everything that happens. I had to struggle to finish. Maybe this setup appeals more to kids - and they are the target audience, so I suppose this could just be one of those kids books that doesn't translate well to all adults.

Then, in spite of my experience with this first book, the actual plot somehow convinced me to read the next two in the series against my better judgement. It's really hard for me to leave a story unfinished, and I would like to know how it all ends. Unfortunately, it didn't improve and I finally decided to stop torturing myself. It's a shame because the story itself has really great potential. The execution is just so boring! I have so much more to read and don't want to waste anymore time feeling these books drag by.



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Review: Shadowland

Shadowland by Meg Cabot

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Each of the six books in this series is pretty short, which might put some people off spending money on them. Luckily, I was able to get them from the library so I didn't have to decide if it was worth it to me. I probably would have missed out, otherwise, because I ended up loving them.

The series is light and humorous while dealing with some serious stuff (death, ghosts, murder, passage to the other side). I really love the setting in a small town in California. There's a feeling of history to it - of the days of Spanish influence. This adds a completely different flavor than you get in most urban fantasies or paranormals that I've read. If you're thinking 'pink princessy diary' thoughts about Meg Cabot, don't. This might as well be a different author, aside from the light, witty tone.

It's been a couple of years since I read them, but it's one of those series that will just pop into my mind occasionally. Not anything specific about the plot - it's more like catching a scent that reminds me of a feeling. I imagine I'll read them again one day.



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Review: Warbreaker

Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is the first Brandon Sanderson book I read. I chose it because it was a standalone, it was on sale, and I wanted to take the measure of the guy who was finishing the Wheel of Time.

I loved it. It's full of political intrigue, characters to care about, and wonderful magic. Sanderson is truly one of the most imaginative authors I've read. It was well-written, which was such a relief after all the duds I'd been reading. My hopes for the WoT ending were fully revived.

At the end of the book, my only thought was, "Why isn't there a sequel to this?" Then I went on to read the Mistborn trilogy and realized that although this is wonderful, it pales in comparison. Mistborn is now my all-time favorite. If you haven't read that yet, read this first so your expectations aren't too high.

I still hope that Sanderson will get back to writing a sequel, but it doesn't seem likely with the Stormlight Archive series at a projected 10 books.



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Review: The Fairy Godmother

The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is the start to a really fun series - an imaginative take on fairy tales. The setting is an imaginary world with 500 kingdoms, each with a Fairy Godmother assigned to keep the magic of the Tradition in line so that evil doesn't gain a foothold and people get their happy endings. The Tradition is powerful magic that forces people down the paths of fairy tales when their lives begin to show signs of belonging to one of them. For example, in this tale, Elena is being forced into the role of Cinderella. Unfortunately for her, however, there's no prince in her kingdom to complete the tale properly, and Elena has an abundance of magic that could all go wrong. Instead, she gets adopted by the region's Fairy Godmother and becomes her apprentice.

Each book that I've read in this series (4 so far) is unique. The fairy tales are re-imagined, not just retold, and they benefit from a fresh setting within the larger context of a fully developed world and magic system. They are also perfect for when you need something light to read with a guaranteed happy ending.



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Review: Darkfever

Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I picked up Darkfever as a free ebook promotion and had no idea what I was getting into. Before I knew it, I'd purchased and devoured the first four books of the series and was kicking myself for not checking to see if it was complete because I was going to have to wait for the last book to come out. And then re-read them all. (Don't worry, the series is finished now.)

This is not the kind of series that you can just chill out between books. It's intense, it grabs you, and you can't let it go. But you have to have a little faith that the blond, pink-obsessed main character is going to change along the way. It doesn't happen in the first book, but trust me, her world gets turned upside-down and she becomes far less air-headed and annoying.

What really grabs me in the beginning is the old-world feel of Ireland where this takes place. It's the kind of place where you can imagine a fine line between Earth and Faerie. And the kind of place where you find musty old book shops to get lost in. Then we have a mysterious, hostile male, resigned to helping the naive female for unknown personal reasons. Yeah, he definitely makes the series.

There is one big negative for me, and that's the sexually explicit content. The overall story was good enough for me to gloss over it, but I still don't see the necessity. Especially the part where just being in the presence of a Faerie causes mindless stripping and orgasmic experiences. I've just had to block that out, but the cataclysmic action is that good (again, talking the entire series here). It's saying a lot that this series remains a favorite that I'd re-read - although it could have been worth 5 stars if I didn't have to partition my brain to enjoy it.



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Review: Samantha and the Cowboy

Samantha and the Cowboy by Lorraine Heath

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



This book is part of the Avon teen historical romance series. I picked it up because I enjoyed a couple of other books in the series (by a different author, though), and hoped for the same quality from another author. No such luck. I guess the cheesy cover should have been my first clue.

This was a great idea, poorly executed. There was so much potential - a girl poses as a boy to get a job driving cattle, suffers hardships and danger, and falls in love with a cowboy along the way. This should have been so much more fun!

Instead, the action is sparse, and most of the time all we get is what the characters think about the action or about each other. At least half the book focuses on Samantha's inner dialogue. This isn't word-for-word, but here's the gist of it: "What am I feeling? Why am I feeling it? Why do his hands fascinate me? I've never paid attention to boys before and now I am. What does it mean? What could it possibly be?"

On top of that, we don't even get to see the last part of the cattle drive! All of a sudden it just skips to Sam's homecoming at the end. The author focuses so much on the feelings of attraction between the characters that she neglects the rest of the story, and in my opinion, the romance also suffers as a result.



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Review: Wanderlust

Wanderlust by Ann Aguirre

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I think for my experience / mood while reading Wanderlust, I should rate it 2 stars. But the end gave it a nudge back towards 3. I really don't enjoy books where nothing goes right and everything falls to pieces. This was one, and I also found some of the plot devices to be outrageously unbelievable.

That said, I believe it was necessary in order to give the series somewhere to go. It's like Grimspace was written without much thought of a larger story, and too much was wrapped up all nicely. When that happens, you have to break it all again. So, I understand what this book was about. I just didn't have fun reading it. I hope things will start to get put back together again in Doubleblind. I think I'll take a bit of a break before I try it, though.



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Review: Grimspace

Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I've been reading mainly fantasy and historical fiction for forever, and really needed to change it up for once. I haven't had much success with the sci fi genre so far in books, even though I love shows like Star Trek and Farscape. But with some Goodreads recommendations helping me to sort through the chaff, I took the plunge on this one, and I'm so glad I did. This was a great space adventure with plenty of emotion and depth (not dry, boring and uber-geeky, in other words), dashing through space, space stations and planets, sorting out conspiracies, and even with psychic powers and romance. I'll definitely be reading the next book.

Just in case this matters to you, the romance was a bit - er - warmer than I usually go for, but it wasn't very graphically explicit, and didn't take over the book. It's clear what's happening, though, so I just thought I should mention it for those who avoid sex scenes like the plague.



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Review: Crown Duel

Crown Duel by Sherwood Smith

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This was a fun tale of political intrigue and danger, a little bit of magic, and a good dash of romance. This edition is actually two books in one. The first is full of adventure and calamity, as the heroine escapes from one dangerous situation to another, and I felt like I had been sleeping under a fern in the rain myself. The second book turns towards political intrigue (and yes, romance), which I enjoyed much more. Then there are some bonus chapters written from the point of view of the hero. They are a wonderful treat, and could be classified right along with chocolate.

Although I gave it 5 stars, this was by no means perfect, and it's not quite the strength of many of the other books I've rated that highly. The heroine was annoyingly stubborn and prejudiced much of the time (stubbornness isn't always strength!). Her refusal to examine her own reactions or to re-evaluate her opinions when she realized she was ignorant or wrong was frustrating. She certainly had plenty of room to grow, though, and she did get there in the end, so I could forgive her for her blindness.

If that had been the whole story, it wouldn't have been nearly so enjoyable. What really made me gobble it up was the hero. He was exactly what he should be, although I wondered what he saw in the girl sometimes. But I wanted to see how he would end up getting her once she finally figured it all out. He was a character that I could like and root for and feel bad for when the heroine was being dumb. (I should probably mention that I'd recommend this only for those who enjoy a decent-sized dollop of sweet romance with their YA fantasy.)

I realize my review is a little mixed, but considering how absorbed I apparently was, and that I immediately wanted to go back and read it again (skimming the annoying parts), it has to be 5 stars for me, while any faults are happily glossed over, forgiven and forgotten.



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Review: The Dark Enquiry

The Dark Enquiry by Deanna Raybourn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was fun, for the most part. The part that started to drag was Julia getting lectured and chastened by both her husband and father. I know it's appropriate to the time period, but still. Yes, she's reckless. No, she never listens to any advice. But why should marrying Brisbane have changed any of that? Isn't it time to come to terms with this and find a suitable compromise? I believe it's driven the plots as far as it can.

Thankfully, the last part of the book moved beyond this tired conflict to the mystery at hand. I did feel that the mystery was only haphazardly explored throughout, but that did leave a surprise or two at the end. I've decided I don't really read this series for a tight, convoluted mystery, though. None of the sequels have been able to match up to the first book on that score, but I enjoy them nonetheless. This is more about Julia and Brisbane's relationship (which we get to see plenty of in this one), the scrapes Julia gets herself into by being impetuous, the rescuing Brisbane has to do, and the other relationships to both of them (Julia's siblings, the gypsies, etc). I love all the characters, including the minor ones and the villains - well, except for when they're being completely exasperating. And of course I love the Victorian setting, which Raybourn brings to life wonderfully. That's what I love to read this series for.

So I'm looking forward to the next one! The last couple of pages made it clear there will be another, and I'll be watching for it.



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Review: The Frontiersman's Daughter

The Frontiersman's Daughter by Laura Frantz

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I'm not sure what I think of this book. I enjoyed the frontier setting. There's plenty of detail to make you feel like you're there, and this is one time period it's hard to find good books about once you've read the Little House books.

Maybe I'm missing something (if I am, please tell me!), but a lot of the books set in the American frontier are 'inspirational', which often means written with a religious message instead of just for the enjoyment of the reader. The 'moral lesson' type of book can hamper my overall enjoyment at times, since that's not what I'm reading for. This is one of those, which is one reason I'm not sure I really liked it.

It's quite a long book, and really has three sections. The first is while Lael is a girl living on the frontier with her family. Then it goes off to the East coast with Lael being in school there for a while, and then back to the frontier with her as a young woman.

This felt a little disjointed to me, especially because Lael doesn't seem to know her own mind and is in love with enough men throughout that you're really not sure who she'll end up with (or who you want her to). The 'inspirational' part of the story influences the ending a great deal, since it starts to get quite preachy towards the end, and I'm not totally convinced or completely satisfied with the ending because of this.

I'm rambling, but that tells you how ambivalent I am about this book. Yes, it was ok. Yes, it annoyed me at times, and I found some of the plot to be contrived due to the inspirational motivation for the book. And yes, I did mostly enjoy it, I think, mainly because of the setting.



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Review: The Last Unicorn

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I read this mainly because I've heard it's a fantasy classic, and felt I should. It was indeed magical, and read like a true fairytale with a unicorn and other mythical creatures, a noble prince with quests, a wizard, and an evil king. I can see why it's a classic.

I'm only giving it 3 stars, though, because the emotional connection and immediateness of more modern fantasy isn't there, and it felt like watching the story from afar. The characters definitely felt emotions. Intellectually, I know they felt danger, love, hope, and despair. But I didn't feel involved or really invested in the characters myself. So based on pure reading experience, it's only a 3, but with recognition that it's still a really great classic fairytale.



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Review: Avempartha

Avempartha by Michael J. Sullivan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This wasn't quite as fun as the first one, as it's taken a turn for the darker. It's still very enjoyable, but it feels more like a warm-up for the next book - which I think I'm going to have to start right away. Much is left hanging at the end, and my curiosity is piqued!

There's more magic here than in the first, more tantalizing hints about the elves, and more involvement with dwarves and wizards, all of which made me happy. I am glad the main focus was with the thieves again, but with enough intrigue from the scheming Church of Nyphron to keep me wondering - and hoping that the underdogs will prevail. There's so much potential here, I can't wait to see how it develops.

Onward!



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Review: Arabella

Arabella by Georgette Heyer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is one of my favorites from Heyer so far. At the beginning, I was afraid this was going to be one of those big-misunderstanding-driven plots, but there was no such discomfort to endure in spite of the scrapes that Arabella gets herself into. It's purely fun, full of humor and indulgence. I believe the best character is the dog, and love the relationship between him and his owner.

Don't expect the most intricate of plots, however. I believe I still enjoyed Regency Buck more because there's that little bit of mystery and danger to spice it up. But I really liked the main characters in Arabella and enjoyed every minute of their interactions.



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Before They Are Hanged - Joe Abercrombie

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

There was plenty of action in Before They Are Hanged, at least in part 2. Part 1 was kind of slow at times. But whether it was full of bloody, bone-snapping action or not, I found it dragged for me most of the time. I skimmed, I took breaks to read other books and came back, and then I finally forced myself to make it through and be done with it.

I could somewhat appreciate the first book of this series, even though it wasn't really my cup of tea. But this second book was all grit and toiling, and everything going badly for pretty much everyone. I can't think of a single sliver of positive. Any hope that you might be foolish enough to feel is systematically squashed (although I didn't hope anyway because it was too bleak for me to feel anything).

It's too much for me. I can't continue. I don't even care what happens in the end anymore. All I feel is relief that I don't have to read it anymore, and some perverse satisfaction that I didn't quit and leave myself another 'didn't finish', which I hate doing. Unfortunately, I don't feel that perseverance paid off this time. The end really wasn't worth it to me.

I can recognize the value of this type of fantasy existing - the gritty, dark, realistic sort that at least offers a fresh approach for readers who are tired of the classic heroic style. I personally prefer the classic heroic style, though. I haven't tired of the good vs. evil, farm-boy becomes hero type of plot yet. I don't worry about it being repetitive because there's always something new about the world or the magic system or the characters. Those are a great escape. This is not. I will be cautious in the future about reading anything with the world 'gritty' in the description. This is not a sub-genre that I can dig into.

Review: The Snow Queen

The Snow Queen by Mercedes Lackey

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I had seen lower ratings on this than on previous books in the series, so was a little worried that it wouldn't be as fun as the others were. I think I know where those were coming from, though. There's hardly any romance at all, and that was always a large part in the past. I believe it's a positive difference here, though. A romance honestly didn't fit anywhere, and Lackey didn't force the issue, so I respect her more for leaving it out.

Beyond that, this was a fantastic retelling of the Snow Queen in the context of the 'Godmother' kingdoms. Aleksia is a Godmother who takes on the role of the Snow Queen as part of her 'Tradition' magic management. I loved that this story went back to the nuts and bolts of being a Godmother.

But rather than just reiterating the devices of the first two books (the 3rd was a little different), Lackey takes this one in a new direction. There is a second storyline outside of the tradition, and it's a really great parallel to the Traditional story going on. Lackey manages to keep the story fresh this way. Very enjoyable! Highly recommended to pure escapist fluff happy ending fairytale fantasy fans.



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Succubus Blues - Richelle Mead

Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was, for the most part, a fun read. The overall plot is interesting, both light and dark at the same time, with some mystery, the beginning of a romance, and imaginative modern-day mythology. After reading the Vampire Academy series, I expected much more, however. I hoped that moving onto an adult series would be a progression in depth. Instead the progression is into sexual explicitness, and there is a definite decline in depth.

What continues to bother me is how the gratuitous sex overshadows the rest of the plot. I understand that the main character is a succubus, and that she is supposed to seduce men, but I don't need to read every detail of it. I dislike it when sex is purely about lust in any story, and here it is not only lust, but is with strangers or enemies whom Georgina despises. When it comes to romance, I'm more interested in love stories and get turned off when people are having sex without any meaningful relationship between them.

That is enough to make me reconsider continuing with the series, even though the rest of the plot was well done. I am disappointed, and thinking maybe I should stick to YA Urban Fantasy, since this is not the first time I've had this experience in this genre.

Review: The Never War

The Never War by D.J. MacHale

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



MacHale has set himself an enormous task with this series, having to build a new world in each book. Unfortunately, up to this point the journal format has fallen short. It simply doesn't allow the kind of depth necessary and overlays everything with a distinct teenager's voice, creating distance between the reader and the action. I personally find his voice irritating on top of it all.

But finally, with this book we have an improvement! I believe this one works better because the setting is Earth. It's Earth in the past, which adds a fun twist (especially because I love historical fiction), but also adds a whole lot of depth. No world-building is necessary here. Finally, we're not reading the story entirely through Bobby's juvenile descriptions because we have our own framework for the world he's in! The story itself has a chance under these conditions, and I was able to overlook the method of delivery for once (although it did grate still from time to time).

I'm glad I persevered to this point, but have decided to stop while I'm ahead. I don't want to return to the boredom of Bobby's journals on the next world, although there's part of me that hopes his juvenile voice will mature and make it easier to swallow. It's hard for me to stop without knowing the rest of the story, but the small glimpse we are given of the next world reminded me not to get too excited here.



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Review: The Rose Garden

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I read the Winter Sea first, and at the beginning of this book was afraid it was going to be the same story with different people. Some aspects are indeed similar, including the Jacobite setting in the past, but Kearsley pulls it off again. I loved the mix of contemporary Cornwall and its smuggling past. The language is atmospheric and pulls you under almost immediately. And the love story is wonderful.



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Review: The Highest Stakes

The Highest Stakes by Emery Lee

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Highest Stakes is a historical novel set in Georgian England. It is not a romance novel, although a romance is central to the story. It is about greed and ambition, class and the lack of choice for women and commoners. It's about the lucrative and vicious business of horse-breeding and racing, soldiering in the Napoleonic War, and characters attempting to break out of their social status.

I really enjoy historical fiction that doesn't focus on famous people and events because the outcome isn't pre-determined. This is one of those. It submerges you in the time period and makes you feel the struggles of people living there. It doesn't modernize the characters' choices, but is realistic about what happens. It has really great historical detail, making you feel like you're there. I love the details about raising, racing and caring for horses. And the war scenes were not tedious at all.

The reason I only gave it 4 stars is that it reached a point when I realized that nothing was going right for anyone I cared about in the story. There were truly despicable characters who were very well-drawn and I wanted them to come to serious harm. So I loved it because the author was able to engage my emotions, but the emotions evoked were not happy ones. I wish there had been moments of stolen happiness for the protagonists - that they could have had more time together at points along the way. They do spend most of their time apart. This is truly not about their relationship, but about the hope/hopelessness of their love.

There was a point towards the end when I had no idea how in the world everything could be resolved, and I feared it was impossible. The ending is satisfying except for the fact that it's not longer - a little more of that hard-earned happy ending would have been nice.



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Review: The Crown Conspiracy

The Crown Conspiracy by Michael J. Sullivan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



What a fun sword-and-sorcery style fantasy! There's a good range of characters - thieves and royals, commoners and nobles, monks and wizards, dwarves and elves. There are murderers and traitors, but the twists and turns kept me guessing as to who they truly were. There's violence, but the overall feel is lighter than what I've read lately (Abercrombie). The plot kept moving, too, so I didn't have any of those moments of willing the story to get on with it. Very enjoyable, and I do plan to read the next one.



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Review: The Blade Itself

The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



The Blade Itself is the first in a trilogy, and it takes its time building up a vivid sense of the setting. It gives us plenty of time to get to know the characters in their current flawed states rather than jumping immediately into the changes they'll go through. Normally, this would sound boring, but Abercrombie's descriptive powers are impressive. He gets you involved at a level that is rare, bringing you close to the characters physically as well as emotionally. This adds depth, giving a feel for the characters and conflicts before the larger story arc really begins to show itself.

I had read reviews calling Abercrombie's style "gritty." Now I understand what that means. It is gritty in the sense that your senses are all evoked in the vivid, descriptive language. Often it's not pretty, and it feels very real. I was disgusted at times, and turned off, but still couldn't help continuing on.

The story is pretty dark so far, but not in the sense of despair, and it's not horror. It's more the darkness of reality - that life sucks, and even the noblest of heroes is human and has pretty serious flaws. Normally I read fantasy to escape the inevitable realities of life. I hope that I won't regret making an exception in this case.

At the end of the first novel, I still have hope that the condition of the characters will improve with the rest of the story. In spite of the gritty reality of each of them, somehow I still hope that nobility will rise up and change will be for the better. The reason I can hope this is that there were one or two moments of light and hope in this part of the story. They stood out all the more for the fact that they were rare glimpses of light in the darkness. It might be foolish, but I'm hoping these are seeds that will grow in the rest of the series.

These are my impressions at the end of what seems like an introduction. I will have to reserve judgement until I see how the series continues and ends. If, as I hope, it is not merely pessimistic and dark and hopeless for the characters I can't help caring about, then the gritty style will have achieved something wonderful. If not, then I will be terribly depressed and will want to throw the book at the end. So we'll see.

Edit 9/27/12: I ended up quitting the series after book two. Really, it's because Abercrombie does what he set out to do very, very well. So well that I couldn't take it. Book 2 lacks any of the hope that I mentioned above. The hope in book 1 is really just Abercrombie setting you up for the typical fantasy heroic overcoming of odds and self, etc., so that he can purposely blow all that out of the water in the rest of the series. It makes for really depressing reading, and his language is so vivid that I can still see scenes from book 2 that I'd rather not remember. It seems to me that this belongs more in the horror genre of fantasy, or at least in the bad dream variety. If you can handle that, I think Abercrombie is a brilliant writer, and you'll be in for some surprises if you read the series. It's just not my thing.



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Review: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



It's really hard for me to pull together my opinion of this one, because I loved it and hated it as I was reading. For me, it was a strange combination of savoring the language and style, and simultaneously being bored with the plot and impatient to get through it.

The style, especially at the beginning, is very Dickensian. The tone, the slow-building plot with seemingly unrelated characters, wondering how they're going to end up being integral to the tapestry being woven, all make for a warm, nostalgic feeling without any regard for the actual story. For the first 200 pages, that was enough to keep me going, even though I repeatedly found myself wishing for new characters and threads to be introduced. Unfortunately, the plot never really did get more intricate; it just kept moving along slowly on one or two tracks, and my primary feeling while reading the first 600 pages was impatience. The next 100 pages began to pick up, and I became hopeful. Then the last 100 pages – finally! – gave me what I was after, and allowed me to rate this book with 4 stars instead of a yawning 3.

I don’t know if it’s because I am a fan of regular fantasy, but I require more magic in a book about magic. I very quickly grew sick of the debates about whether magic should be used or not. I found myself sympathizing with Mr. Norrell's audience who just wanted to see a trick or two of real magic rather than getting a lecture about why not.

I don’t think that’s the whole, however. I enjoy historical fiction on its own, so why didn’t this combination of my two favorite genres satisfy me? On reflection, I believe it’s because I never felt close to the story. It was as if I were viewing the entire scene through a window. Even when something drastic finally happened, I didn’t feel it. I didn’t feel the characters felt it. The tone was too distant throughout. The same tone and language that gave me the nostalgic Dickensian feel never gave way to the Dickensian depth of character and feeling that usually follows. The intricate tapestry didn't materialize.

That said, the ending was good enough to bring up the rest of the book to 4 stars. I did enjoy the premise and I thought the story itself was well-conceived. In the end, it was just too long-winded and slow for me. Not enough depth, not enough feeling, and not enough magic.



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Review: Bitterblue

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I loved it. I hope there's more to come, and from the ending, I feel that there will be. Not that there was a cliffhanger ending. I just got the feeling that there's more story to be told.

There are definite differences between this and the previous two books in the series. There is not much romance, for one thing. It just didn't fit within the scope of this part of Bitterblue's story, and it felt complete without it. This is one reason I believe there will be a sequel - I don't get the sense that Cashore is done telling Bitterblue's story.

There is also less magic. Bitterblue doesn't have a Grace, and she's not a monster. She's a queen with a kingdom to rule. So although there is still magic around her, the story focuses more on her political struggles. I also felt this was appropriate, although I did miss the heavier focus on magic, and this was not my favorite of the three for that reason.

Bitterblue is also not adventurous in the same way as Graceling or Fire in the sense that it all takes place in one city. That's to be expected since a queen is not free to go gallivanting from kingdom to kingdom. But the mystery, the danger, and the political intrigue as Bitterblue tries to find her way to being a true queen is adventuresome in its own way. I thoroughly enjoyed it.



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Review: Wolfsbane

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This was pretty dark, and sad. The lighter aspects of friendship and the pack relationships from book 1 were missing. I hope things turn around in book 3. There's a bit of a cliff-hanger at the end, but luckily the 3rd book is already out.

I've also decided I'm not a fan of love triangles. I guess I prefer the 'one and only undying love' types instead of the 'I can't make up my mind so I'll just keep kissing everyone' types. Somehow that just really annoys me. It annoyed me in Twilight, and it still isn't working for me in this series. Maybe it's because I'm not a teen anymore that I don't enjoy the concept of being in love with multiple people at once. That's not love. That's hormones. I just don't find it plausible or desirable in a story.



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Review: The Cater Street Hangman

The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I struggled to get into this for the first 70 pages. The setup of the family relationships as being over-righteous, stuffy and proper took about that long. Once they finally started to be shaken by the events taking place, characters finally began to take on more depth and interest for me.

I enjoy mysteries in the Victorian setting, and this causes enough suspicion between people to shake things up, regardless of who is really the killer. There were enough surprises to make me want to read more in the series, plus I want to read more about Detective Pitt and his relationship to Charlotte.



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Review: Dark Road to Darjeeling

Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was an improvement on Silent on the Moor, not being so completely dark and frustrating. Julia and Brisbane still don't talk to each other nearly as much as they should, and a lot of the plot comes from their continued lack of trust. But at least they're together finally, and they do seem to be learning by the end of the book. This gives me hope for the future.

India provides a different setting, so that was interesting. I'm slightly ashamed to admit that although I should have found this change refreshing, I missed England and wished they would return to London again.

The mystery itself is ok. Still not the caliber of the beginning of the series, but I enjoyed it overall. I'm looking forward to reading The Dark Enquiry, which I believe does return to London, and hopefully more after that!



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Review: Silent on the Moor

Silent on the Moor by Deanna Raybourn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I have to admit I was disappointed in this third installment of the Lady Julia Grey series. The setting is part of the problem. Although a gothic moor lends atmosphere, it's also quite depressing when the author doesn't allow lighter moments to break up the monotony. This does not happen, and honestly, I felt let down. There were real opportunities here that went unrealized, especially for the development of Julia and Brisbane's relationship.

Julia and Brisbane are thrown together in this remote place, but rather than using the time to deepen their relationship, it only heightens the sense of isolation and despair between them. The relationship that I had hoped would be maturing at this point remains at an impasse; they spend most of the time avoiding and hurting each other for no apparent reason, and Brisbane's excuses for turning his back on their love are just not believable.

I had hoped by this point in their relationship, they'd finally be learning to trust each other and working/growing together. Instead, I feel that the author was just dragging out the heartache unnecessarily. Then there's suddenly a happy ending out of nowhere. It just doesn't jive, although I am relieved that it happened. It gives me hope enough to read the next book.

There is also no relief or lightness from secondary characters. Yes, it is a murder scene, and there are those gothic family secrets. It's going to have its dark moments. But surely something happy could have happened? Someone could have restored the gardens or something! Anything! That would have been totally in line with the gothic theme. Instead Portia - whose role should have been to help with this - suffers her own tragedy. Seriously sad and depressing.

The mystery itself is also blah. It just doesn't have the sophistication of the previous ones and generally falls flat. Maybe it's because the other aspects I've already described make the entire story one-dimensional. This whole book was a missed opportunity. It was filler. I will continue to read the series because reviews suggest a return to higher quality in later books. I hope so.



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Review: Silent in the Sanctuary

Silent in the Sanctuary by Deanna Raybourn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



It would be difficult to follow up Silent in the Grave, and I had little hope that this second installment could live up to the first. Although I don't believe it was as good, it was still very enjoyable. The gothic setting, the characters, the gypsies, the mystery... it was still fresh. I was satisfied. This is another favorite.



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Review: Silent in the Grave

Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I've discovered a new favorite genre! I love the mix of historical fiction, mystery, and little bit of love story. The characters are full, intriguing, mysterious, and witty. The setting is fully realized, the atmosphere intoxicating. The mystery is twisting, convoluted, and absolutely satisfying. Fantastic!



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