The style just isn't working for me. It has too much of a young, simple, YA feel to it. If my complaint was anything other than the style of the boDNF
The style just isn't working for me. It has too much of a young, simple, YA feel to it. If my complaint was anything other than the style of the book, I'd continue to push through. But I just don't think I'm going to be any happier with the style no matter how far I read. ...more
Reading this story was quite a departure for me. I am not a fan of short stories, so it’s rare that you’ll see me reading novellas or anthologies. ButReading this story was quite a departure for me. I am not a fan of short stories, so it’s rare that you’ll see me reading novellas or anthologies. But I was browsing through some of the books offered for review and found my attention caught by this. It was set in Alaska. There. That’s my whole reason for choosing it. LOL. I found the rest of the blurb intriguing too, but the Alaska thing is what really convinced me. I am quite familiar with Alaska, especially Anchorage, so I am always surprised and intrigued when I see a book set there. I guess I’m always curious to see if the setting is done well.
Well, the setting didn’t come in to play much, other than to be used to make it easier for the vampires to live there. I was rather curious about what they did during the summer, though. Sure, it’s great in the winter when daylight is reduced, but what about in the summer when daylight is maximized? The vampires would hardly be able to move around. The whole “midnight sun” thing, you know? Regardless of the setting being largely unimportant, I still liked the world the author created. Alaska may have hooked me, but the story was what reeled me in.
I really liked the heroine, Sydney. She was very capable and convincingly badass. Most messengers don’t last long, but not Sydney. She’s 26 and she got to that age by being smart and vigilant. She plays the game better than most and thrives on the excitement and danger she faces daily. She is never off the clock. She never tells anyone her name, not even the other messengers. She always disguises her scent and never takes the same route twice in a row. Her hair and makeup always change. She might not be able to recognize herself anymore, but that just means no one else can either. The only close tie she had was a mentor that quit the game years ago. She’s been thinking about pulling up stakes and moving to sunny Hawaii, too, but life has a way of complicating things.
A turf war is brewing and Sydney finds herself stuck in the middle before she can leave town. Her life becomes tangled up with a mysterious man named Malcolm and she finds herself allowing him closer than she has let anyone else come in years. Things are not as clear cut as they first seem, though, and Sydney has to decide how much she can truly trust him after she learns the truth about him.
I don’t want to say much more about the story because I’m afraid of spoiling it. It’s a pretty short story and it would be easy to reveal too much. I liked the characters and the stoyline a lot. I felt that the romance lacked proper depth, but I’m sure that’s just a symptom of the length of the story. I also felt that some of the scene changes and time shifts were jarring, but it wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t reorient myself quickly. I was really impressed with the heroine’s strength, intelligence, and well honed survival instinct, so I was surprised to see her make a ridiculous assumption toward the end which led to her being in a dangerous situation. I know it served the plot, but it didn’t mesh well with what I knew of her. It seemed like newbie behavior to me.
A friend on GR mentioned that this book sounded like a hoot (after one of my status updates) and I said it had some funny moments. That same friend pointed out that if I had posted that many funny quotes by 50% in a novella, then chances are it had more than just “some funny moments.” And she was right. I didn’t consider it a funny book because so much of the tone was edgy and occasionally grim, but there was a nice sprinkling of humor throughout the book that kept the mood upbeat and the pages turning quickly.
There were a lot of plot points left dangling, so I wonder if this is going to be part of a series or if it was meant to feel open ended, like an ongoing journey for the characters. I was glad that the author didn’t tack on a cheesy, unconvincing HEA. Instead, there was a hopeful HFN that felt much more authentic. I just wouldn’t have believed it any other way. Malcolm and Sydney have a definite connection and are willing to give a relationship between them a go, but there are a lot of things that need to be worked out before they’ll have a chance at a long lasting relationship.
As I mentioned before, I’m not a short story reader. I find them unfulfilling. I can’t say that I found this one any different. There’s just not enough time to develop rich characters and deep worldbuilding in a short story, and that’s what I crave in a book. But I was satisfied by the author’s voice and her writing style. So even though I would have preferred that this develop into a longer novel, I enjoyed being exposed to a taste of her work. I finished the book and jumped onto the author’s website, only to be disappointed that she didn’t have anything else out for me to read. I guess that just means that I’ll have to keep an eye out for more from her, because I would really like to something else by her. Her voice was great and her style easily drew me in.
Favorite Quote:
"And obviously getting you to sleep with me wasn't a challenge." Malcolm gestured at the bed, his smirk completely out of place with my stark confusion and building fear. "I merely had to suffer serious injury while saving you and then lie about looking pathetic until you took pity on me. A small price to pay."
It was nice getting to see a glimpse of the Guild Hunter world from the sidelines. There were enough details about Raphael and Elena to perk my intereIt was nice getting to see a glimpse of the Guild Hunter world from the sidelines. There were enough details about Raphael and Elena to perk my interest in reading their stories again, but I also got a deeper look at a few characters I have wondered about for a while. Namely, Jessamy/Galen and Ashwini/Janvier. Though I didn't love every story in this collection, I never out and out disliked any of them. And it whet my appetite for more from this series.
Angels' Pawn:
A vampire hunter faces off against two rival factions and the angel manipulating them both, and a vampire whose help is not entirely selfless...
This was my second favorite story of the collection. I have been wondering about Ashwini and her crazy Cajun vampire ever since I first met her in Angels' Blood. It was great to finally get some detail on their unique relationship. I don't think this story will be quite as pleasing to those who are completely unfamiliar with the glimpses we have seen of them in the main books, but I think it will still give a solid taste of what the overall world is like.
I liked that the author didn't tie everything up neatly in a bow when the story ended. If you're current in the series, you know that Ashwini and Janvier still aren't together, so although the plot is wrapped up, the romance ends without a HEA or even a HFN. It was just a peek at their unconventional relationship. Foreplay, you could say. :) Some may not be pleased with that, but I thought it fit perfectly. We're left with the impression that they will one day end up together, but that day definitely isn't today.
Rating: B+
*****
Angels' Judgment:
A hunter must track one of her own gone bad, while surviving the deadly tests placed in her way by the archangels themselves. Unexpected backup comes from a stranger who might just be the most lethal threat of all...
This story made me realize that I had never really thought about Sara as an object of interest in Elena's books. She was always there in the background, ready to stand for Elena, but I never really thought about her on an individual basis. Maybe because she already seemed so grounded? I don't know. Regardless, it was interesting to get a closer look at her. I liked that we jumped into the story before Sara was even the Guild director. For one thing, it gave us a chance to see an early Raphael as the cadre discussed what the change in position would mean to them (yay!). For another, it gave us a chance to see her struggle with her decision on the director position.
Deacon's job was interesting. If his past as the Slayer was mentioned in the main books, or even the existence of the Slayer at all, then I don't remember it. But I thought it added an interesting level to the Guild world. They are serious about policing their own, and if you're the boogieman that the rest of the hunters keep a wary distance from, then chances are that you're quite a badass.
Although there was heat, the romance itself felt rushed and rather perplexing. It just didn't feel natural to the circumstances or the characters. The crimes were interesting, although the eventual reveal of the bad guy made me cock a brow. It seemed random. And has Sara always called Elena "Ellie" so incessantly? That grated on me a bit.
Rating: C
*****
Angel's Wolf:
A vampire becomes fascinated with the seductive angel who rules Louisiana. But all is not what it appears to be in her court.
*Since I read this story just a few months ago in the Angels of Darkness anthology, I didn't read it again this time around. The review below is taken from the Angels of Darkness review.*
Despite not loving this book, I enjoyed getting to follow a female angel this time around. Well…a natural born angel, I mean. ;) I was a little surprised to see how nice she was, though. I didn’t want her to be cruel but every other angel out there (except for Illium) seems to flirt with a lack of care for those weaker than them. I expected Nimra to have that edge of inhumanity as well and was a little disappointed to see that she didn’t. It aided the romance development in such a short story, I know, but I was looking forward to seeing a female version of a toned down Raphael.
Noel fell pretty easily for a guy who had the issues that he did, but I enjoyed watching the fall. I felt that he was the more emotionally healthy of the pair, despite the intimacy issues he struggled with. Both Nimra and Noel were dominant personalities, but when they came together they were surprisingly sweet. Especially Noel. ;)
Rating: C-
*****
Angels' Dance:
An angel trapped in the mountain stronghold of the Refuge finds herself under siege by a warrior angel from a martial court.
So here it is, my favorite story in the anthology. We have been given glimpses of these characters throughout the series, and I have always been intrigued by the sweet teacher and the surly warrior. I was surprised to realize that Jessamy was so much older than most of the other angels we have spent time with in the series. She has an air of sweetness and innocence that makes her seem younger than she is. It turns out that Galen is the young one. For all his strength and grumpy ways, he is barely a fraction of her age.
I really liked the way Jessamy's lame wing was treated. She struggled to come to terms with it the way any other normal person would. She may have been sweet and nice, but she wanted to fly just as much as any other angel did. The beginning of Galen and Jessamy's courtship is a little bumpy due to Galen's blunt speaking, which manages to insult poor Jessamy. Both of them struggle to mesh their personalities and lives together, while Jessamy fears for their future together. In addition to having a wonderfully sweet romance, the story managed to feel much longer than it actually was, pleasing me with its well-rounded feel.
I loved that we got to see so many quality details about so many other characters. We got to see some of Jason, some of Aodhan, and some great details about Raphael. Being the teacher, Jessamy has some nice mentions of his change from a child to a man. And...we also got to see the story behind Illium's nickname! I love little details like that. Even if I wouldn't have enjoyed the romance, they make the story worth reading. For me, at least. ;)
Rating: A-
*****
Favorite Quote:
"What makes you think I'd let you within a foot of me?" Her voice held the rough edge of desire, but it could as easily have been anger.
"What makes you think I'd ask nice?"
"Try anything and I'll cheerfully gut you with your own knife."
Deacon smiled. And it turned him from sexy to devastating. "This'll be fun."
I can't say that I read much Fantasy romance, but I was intrigued when I read the description of this book. It made it seem like the book would be fulI can't say that I read much Fantasy romance, but I was intrigued when I read the description of this book. It made it seem like the book would be full of uncertain politics and tense relations between two factions. The politics and twists and turns were one of the things I loved about the Tairen Soul series, another Fantasy Romance series I've read, so I was hoping for the same thing here.
Although I found the world idea interesting, it wasn't developed as well as I'd hoped. In the beginning we're introduced to Annika, a Na'Chi (AKA a Na'Reish/Light Blade halfbreed), Kalan, a Light Blade warrior (human), and the Na'Reish, the race of demons who captured Kalan. The plot develops from there, with Annika striking a bargain with Kalan to help him escape. They both initially distrust each other, and even occasionally fear each other, but they are forced to learn to rely on one another in order to successfully survive the escape.
Unfortunately, not much more development happens in regards to the world setup. The author developed the broad strokes of the world, like... There are demons and there are humans and they don't like each other. Halfbreeds are abominations that are rarely allowed to survive. The Na'Reish seem to have no religion, but the Light Blades believe in a goddess--who is indicated by the incessant use of italics and capitalization of the words "Her" and "She"--and their whole culture seems to be based around her, excuse me, Her influence. But that's about it for worldbuilding. At the very end more detail is given, but even then it wasn't enough. I needed more depth to the world and characters to truly become engaged.
One thing that I really enjoyed was the tension and wariness between Annika and Kalan in the beginning. Both of them took a big leap in trusting each other, but there was no other alternative. Their wariness was not cured in an instant, and they both spent a lot of time watching for betrayal. Of course, I didn't like that the heroine only proved that she was different from the other demons by showing her humanity. That seemed to translate into her showing her soft and caring side. Basically, she had to be emotional. This left the heroine feeling rather young and overly emotional, at least for me. Then again, I found the whole tone of the book flowery and overly emotional in general. Given that the Tairen Soul series reads the same way, I have to wonder, given my relative inexperience with the genre, if that's just the style of most Fantasy Romances.
The romance took its cue from the rest of the book and stayed underdeveloped. Kalan and Annika were likable characters, but their connection came too easily once they got past their initial mistrust. Love came way too quickly for both of them, and given Kalan's position and the responsibility on his shoulders, I expected more of a struggle over divided loyalties. The lack of it gave the whole Light Blade culture, and the romance, a superficial feel. Even at the end, when Annika is faced with the threat of an addiction she'd fought to avoid, we're still only given a bare minimum focus on it. It wasn't gone into at all, and I had to wonder why the author even felt the need to bring it up if she wasn't going to treat it as important.
I liked the book's focus on prejudice, and especially liked that the author wasn't afraid to play with who was to blame in the situation between the Na'Reish and the Light Blades, but I found the overall plot to be predicable and the conflict to be too easily solved. The situation lacked the intensity I was looking for and I was left feeling ho-hum about it when it ended.
Favorite Quote:
"Hesia was right. The real test of a person is whether they can see past the names and labels." His gaze was steady. "I've seen you. You laugh, you fear, you cry, you love. You're as human as me, Na'Chi."
"You want your reputation as the Enemy of Old to precede you, to make your enemies fear you?" When she jabbed at his chest a
*4.5 Stars*
Favorite Quote:
"You want your reputation as the Enemy of Old to precede you, to make your enemies fear you?" When she jabbed at his chest again, his gut clutched with want. "My greatest asset is that I'm forever underestimated--by people like you." She pinned his gaze with her own. "I'm the sucker punch that you never saw coming."
This book had a weight to it that I wasn’t expecting. I guess I’ve come to associate shifter books in Paranormal Romance with mating games,*4.5 Stars*
This book had a weight to it that I wasn’t expecting. I guess I’ve come to associate shifter books in Paranormal Romance with mating games, dominance plays, and a group of badass guys running around sweeping women off their feet. There’s nothing wrong with that but I love when a book comes along and shakes things up for me. The shifters in this book don’t change into animals. They’re actually a group of aliens that have the ability to change their shape into any human whose DNA they have come in contact with. They have no rights on Earth and there’s conflict between the humans over how they should be treated. This setup is not unfamiliar in real life and it really helped to develop an authentic conflict between the protagonists.
Cam and Griffin stand on opposite ends with their regard for shifters. Cam is a shifter, so obviously she’s for shifter rights and wants them to be left in peace. She has no illusions about the human’s regard for her species. This is not the first time the survivors of her species have traveled to a new planet to try again. The last one they tried didn’t appreciate them either. Cam has a wry, accepting manner that made it easy to sympathize with. She isn’t bitter about their lot in life, although she is sad. She’s a survivor who rolls with the punches. I really loved how strong she was, especially when it came to her relationship with Griffin.
As I said, Griffin stands opposite of Cam in his opinion of shifters. He flat out hates them. His whole life was ruined by one and he is still picking up the pieces. He has no trust for a people that can change their appearance at will. They could be anyone, do anything, and that’s what they do. They’re not all malicious, but to fit in on Earth they spend their day to day lives in human form. That means that they’re running around with someone else’s face. What’s to stop them from taking over their life too?
I understood where both sides were coming from, but it took me longer to understand Griffin’s point of view than it did to understand Cam’s. I was shocked to find that Cam didn’t join the XCEL team voluntarily like I thought she did, based on some assumptions I had going into the book. Griffin was the agent who led the way in capturing her and blackmailing her into doing what they asked. I had a hard time liking him in the beginning and prayed that the author would pull off a believable slide into love. She did, thank goodness.
Cam and Griffin are attracted to each other, but they aren’t very happy about it. Cam fought it less than Griffin, but she had her moments of bitterness and resentment toward him and his views. Griffin slowly came to see the species in a different light based on his slow fall into love with Cam. Getting to know her and working alongside her opened his eyes to the fact that they are not all the same. There are good people who have had a rough life. They didn’t come to Earth to irritate the humans. They were just trying to save themselves.
I really enjoyed the characters we met. Cam and Griffin were great, but I also loved their nerdy little champion in XCEL and Griffin’s grandfather. I know that we didn’t see much of the grandfather beyond the phone messages he left, but Griffin’s regard of him made him standout in my mind. I originally wasn’t sure what I thought of the Native American mysticism running through the book, but I ended up enjoying it a lot. The grandfather’s messages nicely highlighted Griffin’s slow change of opinion toward Cam and they also provided a nice starting point for us to learn more about his past.
This was a fast paced PNR that had a strong Romantic Suspense feel to it. The characters and their development were great and I really enjoyed watching the storyline unfold. There were strong characters, great action scenes, and a wonderful love story. The only complaint I had was that the end wrapped up a little too quickly. The book ends with a definite HEA between them, but I would have liked just a tad more time spent on wrapping it up.
Favorite Quote:
"And if you get any closer, you're going to get what you want."
She felt her eyes widen. "And what is it I want?"
Mercer's palm wrapped around the back of her neck and brought her lips to his--a fraction of an inch away. She felt the fire ignite in her belly with anticipation.
"Trouble," he whispered. "And not the kind you're looking for."
That intrigued her. "You want it too."
He peered into her eyes. "No, I don't. I'm already in as deep as I want to get."
"Really?" she said and bushed her lips against his.
"You can't just take whatever you want," he said, but his pulse was getting faster by the second. Maybe he was right and she shouldn't be pushing him. Still, curiosity gnawed at her.
She ran her lips over his and breathed, "Chicken."
I’ve discovered that I’m not a big fan of a romantic connection being established prior to the start of a book. I don’t mind a preexisting attraction I’ve discovered that I’m not a big fan of a romantic connection being established prior to the start of a book. I don’t mind a preexisting attraction or a second chance, but I don’t like having an established connection plopped in my lap. I know I’m just supposed to go with it, but it’s hard. It can succeed if done well, but an author has to be careful to still provide supporting data to make me believe in the characters’ feelings instead of expecting me to swallow it just because it’s presented as a fact.
Such is the case with Darian and Tyler. They’ve known each other for five years and have been dancing around their attraction the whole time. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s very apparent that they are approaching the love end of things. I just didn’t understand why. I felt no connection between them; no tension. Tyler became pretty pushy and demanding toward Darian and her accountability to him—which was attributed to something that I can’t talk about for fear of spoilers—and I couldn’t help but draw back from his behavior. It felt presumptuous, to be honest. If I had more belief in their relationship and understood him better it might have irritated me less, but as it stands I felt repulsed by his gall and was irritated by Darian’s childish back and forth with him. Of course, the author throws in the obligatory love triangle, which seemed out of place and intrusive, not to mention kind of creepy, given her connection to that other guy.
Darian was my main problem with this book. I found the writing mechanical and the story rather boring, but all that paled in comparison to my issues with Darian. I can’t believe how irritating she was! She wasn’t strong or capable, although I’m sure I was supposed to think she was. She actually came off as childish and petulant. She would frequently blow up and never stop to consider the company she was in or the reaction it would bring. That wouldn’t be so bad if you were the baddest chick on the block, but she wasn’t. Her skills were laughable compared to the other people. She had a great reputation for assassinating humans, but she was a joke when stood alongside another supernatural creatures. I don’t have a problem with her being low man on the totem pole, but I do have to question her intelligence when she refused to recognize that fact. Her attitude and her behavior made it seem like she was trying too hard. She felt like a preteen trying desperately to prove how adult she was. What irritated me most about this was the fact that she was never called on her crap. Certain characters even seemed to admire her for her daring. It made them all seem ridiculous.
In addition to not liking her attitude, I also found her pretty dim. She’s been shaede for years, but she never bothered to research her existence? She was told by her maker that they were the last two in existence and let him put her off every time she pushed for more information about her abilities and what she was. But when he disappeared she never tried to find out on her own? She just went through the next couple decades oblivious, not stopping to consider that even if she was the last of her kind, there were other supernatural creatures out there as well? What??? Maybe it’s harsh of me, but that seems really dumb. She’s introduced to more of her kind in the story and blunders through their world, not even trying to learn the lay of the political land. At that point I gave up on her and concluded that it was a miracle that she had stayed alive that long.
I came close to DNF’ing this book quite a few times in the beginning. It was s-l-o-w and was nothing but tell, tell, tell. It’s written in first person, so we spend all of our time in Darian’s head. This wouldn’t be a problem, except for two things. One, Darian is not a very interesting or likeable character. Two, the writing style made it very apparent that Darian was narrating the story to us instead of us just watching her experience it. That won’t be a problem for all, but I find that style of narrative boring to read about. It inserts an unwelcome distance between me and the events of the story. Plus, I could have done with some more dialogue so I could have gotten a break from Darian. Obviously I didn’t DNF the book, though. I was interested enough in the idea of the world to push through and hope for improvement. Although the story could have used better worldbuilding, I ended up enjoying the setup enough that I gave it a D instead of an F.
Favorite Quote:
”You hired me to kill…you?” I asked incredulously, because, well, who does that?
I was looking for something fun and sexy when I picked this book, and the mention of a ‘magical wannabe guardian angel’ on the back cover had me intriI was looking for something fun and sexy when I picked this book, and the mention of a ‘magical wannabe guardian angel’ on the back cover had me intrigued. What? I admit I have a weakness for angel-ish creatures. Don’t judge me. ;) I knew this was an Erotic Romance going into it, but I didn’t expect to be robbed on the relationship and only given sex. Blech. Not my cup of tea.
One of my biggest complaints about this book is that it’s so hard to care about the characters. You barely get to know them at all. I suppose the character investment was set up in the first book of the series, Possess Me, but since I didn’t read that book I needed the author to make me care about them in this one. The only person that had any depth was the hero. The heroine had zero personality beyond being an enthusiastic sex partner—although I suppose that’s all that’s necessary when they spend all their time in the bedroom.
What sucks is that the author had an interesting plot idea. That’s what kept me reading when I realized that the book wasn’t doing it for me. It wasn’t horrible or anything, but it felt juvenile and silly. I’m not a fan of that unless the humor is intentional. The characters felt young and silly, which struck me as ridiculous since most of the guys were supposed to have been ‘bad’ before they were reformed. Maybe I would have been able to get into the story more if the world and its rules had been built up more. There wasn’t any depth to it and if I hadn’t already been familiar with voodoo and some of the particulars of it, then I would have been further frustrated by the way it was cobbled together without any explanation about the particulars of it given to the reader.
I liked the way the author developed Gabriel. The book opened with him in a bar giving off a ‘loser’ vibe. Soon we realize that he’s haunted by past torments and is uncertain of his sanity. He doesn’t feel that he can involve his family in the situation while he figures things out, so he mopes and deals with the darkness inside himself by drinking, fighting, or having sex. When he meets Angelique he can’t help but start to feel for her, despite his issues. What bothered me about him was the way his mood swung like a pendulum. He could turn into a total jerk in the blink of an eye. Angelique was mad about it, but I never felt that he actually ever had to feel bad about the things he said. Apologies and emotional development were always ignored in favor of more sex.
I liked Gabriel’s ghostly tag along (or whatever he was). However, I didn’t like that a threesome between him, Gabriel, and Angelique was thrown in there out of the blue, with no real discussion between the players. I knew he had an unhealthy obsession with Angelique, but I never got the idea that sharing—even temporary sharing—was something that Gabriel would have been okay with. It was just weird and jarring to have it crop up like that for no reason.
So…I don’t think this author’s style is my type. I needed more relationship and character development to care about the events of the book and to have any interest in the sex. The idea had promise but the execution didn’t do anything for me.
Despite popular belief, angels were not the favored ones. They did not have choices like the humans. Angels only had duty.
Well hello, Cynthia Eden. I
Despite popular belief, angels were not the favored ones. They did not have choices like the humans. Angels only had duty.
Well hello, Cynthia Eden. I see I’ve been missing out by putting off giving your books a try. I can’t remember where I got the impression, but for some reason I always assumed that Eden wrote light, fluffy PNR. I’m relieved to be mistaken. I liked the way she kept me guessing through the story. I wasn’t sure who was good and who was bad and how everything would resolve. The uncertainty of it added a nice tension to the read.
Keenan was a very interesting character. He was an Angel of Death for years and had no life beyond his duty. He didn’t experience emotion the same way humans did so he never had a problem fulfilling his task. Until Nicole. For some reason she got to him in a way that no other person had. He was drawn to her goodness and found that when the time came, he couldn’t help but intervene. Of course, it still didn’t turn out perfectly, but he was cast down for stepping outside his role and daring to take a life that he wasn’t ordered to take. He lost wings and powers and found himself bombarded with human emotions and sensations that he previously lacked.
When Keenan finds Nicole he’s shocked to find how much she’s changed. She’s done some bad things since becoming a vampire and he has a hard time reconciling her with the woman he spared. I liked this aspect of their relationship. Nicole talked a good game, but she didn’t always like the person she had become. She was worried about what Keenan would think of her because even she didn’t approve of what she had done. Keenan and Nicole both had to learn to love the woman she had become, vampire baggage and all.
I really liked the way this book was setup. It had a bit of a ”City of Angels” vibe to it, except without the depressing ending. Speaking of "City of Angels"--Why? Why would you do that to me at the end??? That was so upsetting. I’ll hate you for it foreva, I swear! *ahem* I'm back from my little tangent now. Keenan falls and gets to discover the wonder of life and emotion with Nicole. He’s never loved, never touched—hear that virgin hero lovers?--before her. But I didn’t quite understand why this girl, out of all the girls through time, was the one to reach through and cause him to let her live. It was a small niggle, but I would have appreciated a little stronger of a foundation. Once they were together it was smooth sailing for me. I loved watching them learn to trust and rely on one another and then eventually fall in love.
The uncertainty of who to trust was very well done. Keenan was walking in unfamiliar territory and had no clue of what to expect, let alone who was telling the truth. I found myself bouncing back and forth between believing Sam and believing Az. It helped that they both seemed to have a thread of truth running through whatever they said. I enjoyed being confused about who to believe, right alongside the characters and I’m very curious to see where the next book will take us in this world.
I’ve heard that this series is lightly tied into the author’s Night Watch series, but seeing as how I’m new to this author, I can say that this reads just fine with no outside knowledge of the other series. The only time I felt that I might have been missing something was when Nicole spoke about her past torment at the hands of another vampire. I have no idea if that tied into something else, but I felt that there was more to that story that I was already supposed to know.
Favorite Quote:
"Some things in this world were more important than duty, and some things were even stronger than death."
I’m not usually much of an anthology fan, but I needed a Meljean Brook fix to tide me over while I wait for Michael’s book, so I jumped at the opportuI’m not usually much of an anthology fan, but I needed a Meljean Brook fix to tide me over while I wait for Michael’s book, so I jumped at the opportunity to review this book. I was quite surprised to find that I really enjoyed it! Maybe I should try to overcome my anthology dislike and give more of them a try.
Angel’s Wolf by Nalini Singh:
In the spellbinding universe of the Guild Hunters, a vampire becomes obsessed with the seductive angel who rules the Louisiana territory. But in her court, all is not what it appears.
I was surprised to find that this was my least favorite stories in the anthology. I found the read pleasant, but that was about all. I’m a big fan of the Guild Hunter series so I was expecting this to be one of my top reads out of the bunch. Brook may have been my motivation to get the book, but Singh was the icing on the cake.
Despite not loving this book, I enjoyed getting to follow a female angel this time around. Well…a natural born angel, I mean. ;) I was a little surprised to see how nice she was, though. I didn’t want her to be cruel but every other angel out there (except for Illium) seems to flirt with a lack of care for those weaker than them. I expected Nimra to have that edge of inhumanity as well and was a little disappointed to see that she didn’t. It aided the romance development in such a short story, I know, but I was looking forward to seeing a female version of a toned down Raphael.
Noel fell pretty easily for a guy who had the issues that he did, but I enjoyed watching the fall. I felt that he was the more emotionally healthy of the pair, despite the intimacy issues he struggled with. Both Nimra and Noel were dominant personalities, but when they came together they were surprisingly sweet. Especially Noel. ;)
Rating: C-
*****
Alphas: Origins by Ilona Andrews:
A woman is kidnapped into a world divided by a superhuman civil war. As the captive of an irresistibly dangerous male, she has two choices: submit and become a pawn, or take hold of her own destiny.
I am shocked--shocked, I say!--to find that this was my favorite story in the anthology. I did not like it at all when I began reading it. I was deeply uncomfortable with the set up and the dynamic between Lucas and Karina. Karina was in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up being mortally wounded. The “good guys” can tell that she’s a donor (a semi-rare subspecies that contains a hormone needed by subspecies 30—aka Lucas) and offer her a bargain to save her life. This bargain is crap, really. It’s death or slavery. Lucas owns her. He can do whatever he wants to her.
Lucas hadn’t kidnapped her. He hadn’t forced her into human slavery at gunpoint. She’d been attacked by Rishie and the shark-toothed man, and she’s been given a choice to die or to live on Lucas’s terms. She was a victim of circumstance. That didn’t change the fact that Lucas owned her now.
The House of Daryon had stripped every shred of independence from her. She depended on Lucas for everything: her food, her safety, her clothes, the safety and survival of her daughter. He had the power to tell her when to go to bed, where to sleep, when to shower…He was protecting her and Emily from some sort of terrible enemy she couldn’t understand and he could kill them both at a moment’s notice. Any relaxation of the rules became a kindness on his part. A small thing, like a toothbrush, seemed like some great favor. But it wasn’t, she told herself. It wasn’t.
And don’t imagine that he was some sweet guy and that his ownership of her was just a formality. The so-called “good guys” were very scary men. Sick men, really. Lucas strongly reminded me of a serial killer and I got the heebie-jeebies when I realized just how easy it was for him to contemplate raping Karina. He didn’t, but that was just because he respected her for submitting to her part of the agreement without even trying to fight. The reader never had the comfort of assuring themselves that he wouldn’t cross that line. Later in the story he admits to Karina that he was raised in a culture where the only real behavior check was that they couldn’t murder each other just because they felt like it.
So why did I like this story so much? I honestly don’t know. It was dark and sick and the closest thing you’ll get to a romantic relationship is a connection that closely resembles Stockholm Syndrome. But, man, it sucked me in.
Rating: A
*****
Nocturne by Sharon Shinn:
Accepting a position in a secluded and whispered-about mansion, a woman soon discovers the source of its mystery: the blind, tormented angel who lives there, and whose secrets could now destroy them both.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author, so my opinion is of a total newbie, not someone who is familiar with the Samaria series. I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed the world, despite being a little confused by the connection between God and the angels and the humans. Why exactly are angels living with the humans? I get that they need to mate with them to produce more angels, but are they angels-angels? They can sing to Jovah and he can immediately send what they desire (like medicine) to answer their prayers, but it didn’t really have much of a religious vibe to it. So…yeah. A little confused about that.
I really, really enjoyed watching the bond develop between Moriah and Corban. They both initially are drawn to each other for complicated reasons—Moriah from a desire to tempt fate, and Corban from a reluctant interest in something other than his depression. Soon they find themselves growing closer. Corban comes to depend upon Moriah for her aid in helping him overcome his injury, but you can also see the subtle hints that he is beginning to care from her. I say subtle because the story is told strictly from Moriah’s point of view. She’s a strong, abrasive woman at times, but I loved her all the same. She is unceasingly practical and it was fun watching her roll her eyes at herself over falling for an angel. Especially because she has such a bad opinion of angel-seekers!
This was the most emotionally satisfying story of the bunch for me, although I do wish the romance had been expanded more and that the ending had been more leisurely. Regardless, I plan to check out this series to see how I like a full length novel by her.
Rating: A-
*****
Ascension by Meljean Brook:
When vampires disappear from a community he’s protecting, a world-weary Guardian doesn’t know what evil he’s hunting, but he’d rather hunt alone than accept help from his ex-lover and fellow Guardian, Radha. But Radha refuses to leave him, because she’s determined not just to help him save the community…but to save him.
I’ve been curious about Radha for a while now—who wouldn’t be curious about a perpetually half naked woman who dyes herself blue?--so it was a treat to find that this story was about her. Learning about her past with Marc made me wince in sympathy for her--Ouch! I thought her present behavior toward him was a little uneven, though. She confused me with her assertive sexual advances while still being hesitant about her feelings. I didn’t feel that I got a good handle on her personality and my enjoyment of their relationship suffered because of it. Marc was a little too placid and boring for me as well, so I found that I didn’t feel much of a spark.
I liked what we discovered about the killer’s identity. I think Brook excels at twisting expectations and playing with the line between right and wrong and good and evil, and this was no exception. Nothing was cut and dried about it and you’ll find yourself wondering where your true sympathies lie.
Although I found the story pleasant, I wasn’t that thrilled with it overall. I don’t think it was able to adequately showcase Brook’s awesome skill with subtle character development and rich world building. She can build a story like nobody’s business, and I think I’m going to have to stick with her full length books from now on, rather than being disappointed in the limitations that a novella length story imposes.
“He’s right. If anything is to survive, we have to risk everything. Everyone. There are no safe places left.”
Finishing Unbroken by Rachel Caine has ma
“He’s right. If anything is to survive, we have to risk everything. Everyone. There are no safe places left.”
Finishing Unbroken by Rachel Caine has made me a little sad. The Weather Warden series can be traced back to my early Urban Fantasy days, along with The Dresden Files and the Anita Blake series. I have followed it for years. It’s hard to say goodbye to a world that has given me so much enjoyment, especially a world that was so unique. Even after all these years, seeing so many different PNR and UF worlds, this one still stands out.
If you have never read the Weather Warden or Outcast Season series before, do NOT start with this book. You will be completely lost and will miss out on everything (two series worth of everything) that has gotten the characters and the world to this point. It’s the end of the world, literally, and there is simply not time for the author to stop and info dump enough to get you up to speed. So do yourself a favor and start in the beginning. Don’t worry, it’s worth it. ;)
Watching the world end is a thrilling experience—nail-biting and humbling, sure, but quite thrilling. Danger wasn’t coming from a single front, which leaves the characters and read with an overwhelming sense of constant peril. The Mother (aka Earth) is waking up and disaster is everywhere. In the world Caine has created, the main characters don’t simply gain a new power and turn into a bigger badass than the bad guy to save the day. Simply put, there is no bigger badass than the Earth. Tornados, earthquakes, lightning, fire…you name it, the Earth can throw it at you. That kind of opposition is simply overwhelming. Just stop and imagine what that would be like. There is nowhere to hide and your power, however mighty, is a speck in the face of that kind of power. When you add in the Djinn…well, let’s just say that things are not looking good for the Wardens.
I have always loved Cassiel’s character. She’s cold and logical and I could gorge simply myself on heroines like her. Having said that, her character type means that she is always the one to do what has to be done. I love that, but I get tired of whiny characters being horrified or disappointed by her actions. Those hypocritical, ivory tower types are true to real life, but the mean part of me would rather Cassiel let them die simply to teach them a lesson about being hypocritical. *cough*Luis*cough* Maybe they’d rather die with their morals than have Cassiel step in to do what has to be done to save them, no matter what it takes? *ahem* Enough of that. I’m starting to get irritated again.
I loved Cassiel just as much as usual, but I was not impressed with the people surrounding her. I started to question why she had to fall in love with this man and this family. She’s gone to the wall for them, but I don’t ever see them returning the favor. I never really got over what Luis did in the last book. Cassiel easily forgave him, although she never forgot, but I am not nearly so nice. He knew what it would mean to her and he still did it. But despite my irritation, I was actually glad the author cast him like that. It stood as a good indication of what this kind of circumstance does to people. The lines between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ became easy to blur and your opinion on the behavior of the different groups became hazy, depending on which side of the battle you were standing on. It was an us-against-them free for all and certain characters crossed some definite lines.
This story runs concurrently with the last book in the Weather Warden series, Total Eclipse, so you’ll notice some overlap with Jo, David, and Lewis. I really liked getting to see another side of the action. It goes to show that everyone is star of their own show, even when they’re fighting the same battle. At times it felt like you were missing part of the action, but that was because you literally were. Cassiel was fighting her battle, but the larger fight, the one to save the world, was being waged by Jo. They occasionally intersected but a lot of the information about the larger battle came from casualty reports and information given by side characters. This made Cassiel’s final battle seem a little random and easy, but the overall story arc was good enough that it didn’t bother me too much.
Despite the problems I had, like the ones mentioned above and my dissatisfaction with the too easy solution for the dilemma of Ibby’s involvement in the battle, I really loved this book. If you’re looking for a new, unique world with complicated politics and uncertain allies, this is one you need to check out. I hope you love the world as much as I do.
Favorite Quote:
There was hope. Always hope. And it was those like Luis who would be the bearers of that hope, and the victims of it; heroes they were, and heroes died so that others might live.
I have one simple question to ask after finishing the book: Where was the romance? Oh, there was a hero and heroine who hooked up at the end of the boI have one simple question to ask after finishing the book: Where was the romance? Oh, there was a hero and heroine who hooked up at the end of the book, but there was no relationship that would require, you know, actual interaction between them.
Although I had issues with the first book in the series, Never Again, I liked it. I found the story's 'voice' very readable and really liked the cast of characters the author assembled. The paranormal aspects of it were interesting, and I liked the small town vibe. This book had a lot of the same positives, which is what's keeping it from being an F, but the bad outweighed the good in this case.
First off, was it necessary to have so many POV's running around? The romance needed all the help it could get, so taking time to pay attention to every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the story was a mistake. But that wasn't the only factor causing me to dislike the POV's. They were, in a word, boring. I liked Gray and I liked Ant, just as I did in the first book, but did we have to spend so much time with them, especially in addition to all the other POV's we were treated to? I'm all for getting a well rounded look at the story, but maybe we could hold off on reading about some of those characters until, I don't know, their own book? Oh, wait, Gray already had his book, didn't he? (/sarcasm) Maybe (although I doubt it) this wouldn't have bothered me so much if the author had actually devoted time to the main relationship. That's a pretty important factor in a Romance and the lack of it was glaring and left me a touch resentful of all the time spent on other people.
Speaking of the relationship... It is not a good sign when the hero and heroine do not interact--barring the extremely brief rescue of the heroine, where they barely spoke since she was in such bad shape--until page 129 in a 296 page book. And even then they weren't exactly making up for lost time since the heroine was temporarily unable to speak. Norie and Taylor were attracted to each other for some reason that I'm still not sure of. They never actually had any insightful or deep conversations, or even an emotional connection of any kind. They just had some random, magical dreams which somehow replaced actual relationship (and personality) development. Apparently magical dreams are now shorthand for true love. Good to know.
But never fear that the relationship was pushed aside and replaced with meaningless sex scenes. (<--sarcasm) Nope, none of that. In fact, they don't even kiss until page 249. I thought that there was an obligatory, awkward sex scene shoehorned in there, too, but a review of the book tells me I was wrong. I must have mixed that up with one of the magical dreams. Yes, once again actual development was brushed aside by being told everything in a dream.
And in addition to too many POV's and a lackluster romance, the plot was confusing. *tears hair out* Events seemed to jump around and take us from one situation to the next with no real flow to it. The plot felt jumbled and randomly cobbled together. All in all, it was just not a good read for me.
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