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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