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."
I've decided to give up. I can't get into this book and find myself bored by the thought of continuing. Plus, I accidentally spoiled myself as to*DNF*
I've decided to give up. I can't get into this book and find myself bored by the thought of continuing. Plus, I accidentally spoiled myself as to who the heroine ends up with and can't muster any enthusiasm for the choice. He really irritated me.
No official review for this one, though. I didn't get far enough into it for that....more
The prologue of this book made me blink a few times and wonder if I was comfortable with the romance setup. [Don’t worry, the following isn*3.5 Stars*
The prologue of this book made me blink a few times and wonder if I was comfortable with the romance setup. [Don’t worry, the following isn’t really a spoiler. It’s all explained in the prologue.] When Knox and Felicia first met, they both knew that they were soulmates (literally). The only problem was that Felicia's best friend, Noelle, was married to Knox at the time. They both tried to resist it. Felicia even stayed away for years at a time and visited rarely. When she did visit, she avoided Knox like the plague. She didn't want to hurt her friend by letting her see the pull between them.
Noelle and Knox are both vampires. Knox finally gave up waiting for his soulmate after 300 years or so and married Noelle. He loved her, but he wasn't in love with her. She was fully aware of this and okay. She didn't believe in soulmates the way he did. In this book, vampires don't value marriage the same way humans do. They marry, and don't believe in divorce, but they often have Mate-Pairs so they can have more opportunities to breed. Vampires are all about breeding to preserve the continuation of their race, especially now that they’re all slowly withering away.
I was kind of uncomfortable because the intensity between Knox and Felicia was great—even though it was only the prologue—but there was someone they both cared about standing in between them. Knox asked Felicia to be with him after he had been married to Noelle for 9 years. Noelle knew about their connection and wanted them to have relief. Noelle had already strayed a couple times, but that wasn’t considered a bad thing. Vampires just don't cast marriage and cheating the same way humans do. Felicia turns him down even though she doesn't want to. She does care about cheating and she can't do that to her friend.
Because of that prologue I knew going into it that this would probably not be a typical romance. And I was right. Although I was deeply uncomfortable with the friend/wife being a stepping stone to their happiness, I loved the struggle between the characters. Knox has finally grown tired of stepping back because of Felicia’s morals. He has to do what’s best for his race, so he can’t belong to her solely, but he’s determined to bring her around to his side of things. For her part, Felicia knows that she can never accept the life that Knox wants them to have. She doesn’t understand how he can truly love her when she’s not enough for him.
I loved the intensity between them in the beginning. They were both stretched tight from denying their attraction to each other and were in danger of snapping.
Another emotion--pure, undiluted rage--filled him at the thought of her with another. It made everything else, every other emotion he'd ever felt, seem innocuous. Made him want to rip off his clothes--the luxurious symbols of civility that he normally loved--and make her see him as he truly was--primal, lethal, and fucking ready to prove to her that she was his, once and for all.
I wanted to be angry at Knox for pushing Felicia to be with him just to make himself happy. He knew she wouldn’t be happy if she gave in, but he convinced himself that they could work it out. He was stuck in a position of power because of the decline in his race and he felt responsible for doing all that he could to ensure their continued survival. He was unwilling to give up his responsibilities for her, but she was unable to give in, no matter how much she wanted him. She wanted more for herself than to have to share a man when he was needed to breed.
Even though, I wanted to be angry at Knox, as I said, I couldn’t. He was in a crappy situation and I could understand how desperate he was to get her to agree to be with him in some way. But I also loved that Felicia didn’t give in. She wanted to, and at times she wavered, but she always stuck to her morals and refused to give in. At least in the beginning she did…
That’s really where the relationship shone the brightest. Unfortunately, once they got together, they seemed to change and lose all of the intensity I prized. Felicia lost her backbone and became a weak, self-pitying creature. The relationship devolved into a more typical, irritating romance and I lost interest in them. It was a shame to go from such a different, compelling romance to such an overdone, dramatic one.
Luckily, once the romance went down the tubes I still had the Para-Op team to keep me entertained. I think the author put together a great cast of characters there. They managed to feel fleshed out and compelling without taking away too much from the lead characters. I loved that each team member was so different and that they didn’t easily get along together. Out of them all, Wraith was the one that hooked my attention the most. I’d love to learn more about her. She was so closed off and abrasive, but I saw a peek of sentiment under there now and again.
The way the romance read in the second half is what slowly lowered my grade. I wish I could have been more satisfied with their relationship, because everything else in the book just seemed to pop for me. I did have a slight problem with a character from both of their pasts popping back in at the most convenient moment possible to talk them through their issues, though. That really made me roll my eyes.
Although I only gave this one 3 ½ hearts, I still really enjoyed how fresh and different it felt. I loved the Para-Op team characters and can’t wait to learn more about them. I already have my eye on book 2 and it’s not even out yet. :)
Favorite Quote:
He wanted to get so deep inside her that he would touch her soul and make her realize that, despite everything, their difficult circumstances, her mistrust, his inability to give her all she wanted, he loved her. Good, bad, it didn't matter. She was his.
Argh! Where’s the next book? I need to read it now! So many things changed in this installment. The book isn’t left on a cliffhanger, but, oh4.5 Stars
Argh! Where’s the next book? I need to read it now! So many things changed in this installment. The book isn’t left on a cliffhanger, but, oh, I am dying to find out where the author is going with this. I am still gaping after turning the last page. Where do we go from here??
As with the first book, Geist, we are treated to dense story development and layered character building. This time around Ballantine’s not bogged down by introducing the reader to various characters and the world as a whole, so the first third of the book is much smoother than it was in Geist. I can’t speak to how well this book stands on its own, though. When I finished the first book I knew it would be one I’d have to reread to be spun up for Spectyr. I hate feeling lost because I forgot an element of the first book, so I reread it right before starting this one. I have to admit, I had forgotten a lot of the little details since the first time I read it. So keep that in mind if you’re feeling hazy about the particulars of the first book.
Spectyr starts just a few months after the end of Geist, so we’re away from the characters long enough to give them time to work out the kinks left over from the tangle at the end of book one, but not long enough to miss anything significant to the development of their bond. Raed is still away and Merrick and Sorcha both miss him, although obviously Sorcha misses him a tad bit more. ;) Sorcha has finally moved to resolve the mess with her husband, and I, for one, am ecstatic. I don’t have the same rules for Fantasy that I do for Romance, but I still couldn’t help but grimace over Sorcha’s dallying in the last book, so I’m hopeful that it’ll finally be resolved soon.
Sorcha is just as badass as she was in the first book, but the bond has smoothed out her harder edges, so she’s more approachable and less apt to “Hulk Smash” first and ask questions later. She has grown to respect and trust Merrick more and more and has grown dependent upon the unique nature of their bond. We get to see a slight, but definite, realignment of roles in the bond. Surprising developments in matters of dominance and power come into play. I am intrigued, to say the least, about what the author has planned for these three.
I loved that we finally got more background information on Merrick, Sorcha, and Raed. Sorcha’s past was the least developed, but what we learned about Raed and Merrick was great. I was totally surprised away by the details I learned about Merrick and was heartbroken to hear about Raed’s past struggles (and failures) with the Rossin. I’m starting to notice a definite trend of his to blame himself for everything, even if he’s only indirectly involved, and I’m not sure I like it. I can understand it, but his relentless guilt is going to cause him to be more lenient toward certain people than I want him to be.
I’m impressed with how well Ballantine layer the action and intrigue into such a short book—in terms of fantasy books, that is. She did a great job developing twists and turns and packing an emotional wallop into only 310 pages. The emotional development between the main characters is so much deeper than it was in the first book, and we even get to branch off into some other characters to watch their story arc play out.
If there was a single complaint I could make, it was that I occasionally found the pacing of the book a bit off. I enjoyed watching the author maneuver the characters into place and liked getting to watch the evolution of a side character’s descent into fanaticism, but I felt that they slowed the momentum at times. I also wanted to throat punch a couple characters toward the end, but I think that’s what the author was going for, so that’s not a complaint. :) Bottom line, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one.
Favorite Quote:
"It had come to Sorcha's attention since getting her new Sensitive that she was perhaps lacking in the social graces. Without him, now was the perfect time to try to find some.
"Lovely weather," she barked at the nearest blonde beauty.
The girl spun around like she'd been shot and stared at the naked Deacon in open hostility."
I usually don’t bother summarizing the plot in my reviews because I find it rather tedious and awkward, but I have to point something out about the baI usually don’t bother summarizing the plot in my reviews because I find it rather tedious and awkward, but I have to point something out about the back cover. To me, the back cover blurb reads like Lucinda is kind of sassy and spunky but is in a bind and needs her ex-brother-in-law’s help. It gives the impression that there is more action than there actually is by mentioning all the people out to get Lucy. The book didn’t read that way to me at all.
For one, Lucy is not spunky. She’s been through some really tough times lately and is pretty beaten down. She’s not all emo, but it was hard not to feel bad for her.
He opened his senses wider, and emotions filtered through his shields: desperation, relief, panic.
Lucy.
"Where did she go?
"Don't know." She shook her head. "Sometimes, when people are damaged, dey view tings from upside down."
Gray's brows went up. "What does that mean?"
She sighed, as if he'd disappointed her. Irritation flashed through him. He wasn't a damn novice, and he hated that she made him feel like one. Battling his own impatience, he kept his gaze on her and waited.
"You ever play the opposite game?" she asked.
"Sure," said Gray, "when I was a kid."
She nodded. "Right. So everything you say and do during the game is the opposite of what you mean. But for Lucy, it's no game. She freed herself from a bad situation. Bad people. She learned to believe she has no worth. So, when someone is kind to her..." She trailed off and looked at him.
Gray felt like Ember had punched him in the stomach. Lucy had expected him to be a jerk, even though some small part of her had hoped he would be different from everyone else who'd rejected and shamed her.
"You were nice to her," he said softly, "and she couldn't handle it."
"Opposite game," Ember murmured. "She need some time to figure out how to right her world." She looked at him, one dark eye visible through the single purple lens of her weird glasses. "Maybe she not the only one."
Two, this book isn’t really that action packed. Even at the end when things started coming to a head, I never really got the sense that it was meant to be action-y. This didn’t bother me, but I wanted to give a head’s up.
I really, really enjoyed the beginning of this book. Lucinda’s struggle to survive—the fact that she had no pride left—really broke my heart for her. Pair it with Gray’s struggle with shame and you have some very compelling characters. At least for me.
I liked that Gray wasn’t willing to help Lucy at first. Who could really blame him? His struggle and eventual change of heart made his decision seem more realistic. It also said a lot about his character. I liked that Lucy never backed down from accepting the wrong the Rackmore’s did him. She also didn’t spend a lot of time bemoaning her fate as a Rackmore. I’m a lot more apt to sympathize with a character when I don’t feel like I’m being beaten over the head with how much I should pity them.
I found the setup very intriguing. I liked the idea of all the magicals living beside the mundane in a magically open society. I particularly liked the town, Nevermore, and all the characters we met there. Lucy’s power was actually really interesting as well. I particularly liked all that I discovered about the curse she was under.
I also liked a lot of the side characters, like the sheriff and his brother and the female character that popped up toward the end. I’m hoping that we’ll get to see more about them as the series continues.
Although I liked all that, I was kind of disappointed with the romance. I mentioned that I really liked the first part of the book, and I did, but what started to depress my enjoyment was when Lucy and Gray hooked up. Suddenly everything was happening too fast. He was affectionately calling her “Baby” and she was constantly reminding herself not to get too attached. Plus, they seemed to have sex all the time. It just felt out of place and less developed than I had been hoping for.
Also, the tone seemed to shift after their hookup into something a little lighter and cuter. I know that they both could use some happy in their lives, but I preferred the beginning tone.
Other than that, the only thing that bothered me was the caricature the exes turned into. I rolled my eyes a bit over how extreme their ‘badness’ was portrayed as. Couldn’t they have had a bit more depth and been less simple ‘eeevil?’
Despite those gripes, I still enjoyed my time reading this book. I’m already looking forward to getting my hands on the next book. The excerpt at the end of this one made the heroine seem pretty powerful.
I really, really like the world setup that the author created. I have a bit of a thing for the Salem trials, so seeing a modern day world modeled afteI really, really like the world setup that the author created. I have a bit of a thing for the Salem trials, so seeing a modern day world modeled after that was a big hit with me. Can you just imagine living like that? The author clearly shows that even just being seen talking with someone suspected of witchcraft can lead to you being snatched up too. There really are witches and magic, but a lot of innocent people are accused for no reason because the hysterical public has led to an act-first-ask-questions-later police force.
I loved the setup for Torin and Shea’s romance. I’m not big into reincarnation in books but I really liked it here. I don’t think quite enough time was spent dwelling on how awful the life of the Eternals has been throughout the years, but it was at least acknowledged enough that it didn’t bother me too much. When I first thought about their relationship it seemed really romantic. The thought of a man loving you so much that he finds you again and again through the ages is beautiful. But then I thought more about it and realized it was rather tragic. He finds her again and again, but each time he loses her. He has to watch her die and wait for years to be able to find her again. That’s very sad for Torin.
Even though I did like the idea of the romance, the actual execution was a little lacking. Torin was a very shallow character. He didn’t really have a personality other than his longing and impatience to be with Shea. I think he was supposed to be cast as “alpha” because of his pushy behavior in the beginning, but he needed more personality for that to work for me. I wish we could have actually had some relationship development instead of using their history together as a crutch. Especially when seeing actual flashbacks left me disbelieving their connection.
The story was all about Shea and her awakening and acceptance of her magic and Torin. I really enjoyed the story in the beginning—learning about the witches and the hunt for them and their weaknesses and treatment after being caught. But toward the end as we had more focus on Torin and Shea I lost interest. They just weren’t that interesting to follow. There was no struggle in their relationship other than Shea’s atonement and the fated mate thing is not a favorite of mine. Too often it’s used as an excuse to not develop a convincing relationship.
Shea really had some TSTL moments. I don’t know why, but she kept putting herself into danger and then being surprised that it found her. Even when Torin told her that she hadn’t changed she never really internalized the criticism and fixed herself. It was frustrating.
Sex scenes are not a huge draw for me in Romances, but I can’t help but comment on them when they stand out in one way or another. These scenes caught my notice, but not because they were great. They were so over the top and dramatic that it was kind of irritating. I would have rather had stale, mechanical scenes than that. They actually made me giggle as I read them.
I know that this is the beginning of a series, but did we have to have so many side plots that were introduced but never resolved? I thought they would have a purpose other than just to set up the next book.
I was going to give this one a 3.5 but after writing this I realized that I didn’t enjoy it enough to do that so I had to give it a 3.
Favorite Quote:
She ran because she had to.
Because the haunting memories overtaking her were too much to handle.
Not just of the last few days, when she'd found out what it was to be locked down and helpless...but the memories of the past--of lives she'd lived and died. Memories of dark magic and chanting voices.
It takes a lot to get me to DNF a book. I have a compulsion to keep reading. I can’t help but think the bookReview originally posted on Fiction Vixen.
It takes a lot to get me to DNF a book. I have a compulsion to keep reading. I can’t help but think the book might redeem itself in the end. But, sometimes, I stumble across a book that is so incredibly irritating and frustrating that I just can’t keep reading. In my whole life, the number of books that I have DNF’ed can still be counted on one hand. So, needless to say, I’m not very pleased to add another to the list. Unfortunately, this book irritated me to the point that I couldn’t not be frustrated with everything.
I chose this book on the assumption that it would be in the same line as Christopher Moore. I didn’t expect them to be exact copies, but I thought they’d have a similar style. I was wrong. They couldn’t be more different. For one, Christopher Moore is actually funny. I didn’t see a lot of humor here. Just a bunch of whiny people making grand pronouncements about how lame humanity is.
The main character, Fate (or Fabio as he’s nicknamed), whines about how lame humans are constantly. They rarely live up to their potential, they have mindless existences, blah, blah, blah. By page 4 I was already getting the vibe that it was not my kind of story. It seemed way too preachy, and I cannot stand “message” books that bash ad nauseam. There’ll be multiple quoted examples so you know what I mean.
Pg. 1:
The mall is one of the best places to go to see human nature at its best. Or worst, depending on how you want to look at it. Men and women, teenagers and children, shopping, eating, gossiping, filling up the vacuum of their lives with retail therapy and empty calories.
Pg. 2:
In the United States, there are twice as many shopping centers as there are high schools, and the shopping mall has replaced the church as the temple of cultural worship. In a society that encourages its citizens to measure their worth by financial success and material possessions, American humans spend more of their income on shoes, watches, and jewelry than they do on higher educations. Sure, it keeps Greed and Envy busy, but it makes my existence a living hell. Back when humans were still in their hunter-gatherer phase, existence was all about survival, fulfilling the basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter, so it's not like there were a lot of options for better living. Food wasn't prepared by Martha Stewart. Clothing didn't come with a Calvin Klein logo. And shelters didn't require Ralph Lauren curtains with a matching duvet. The thing about humans is that they're addicted to products. Habitual consumers. Indulgence abusers. Gratification automatons. Programmed to need and want and buy. MP3 players. Xboxes. Playstation 3s. TiVo. Surround sound. High-definition flat-screen TVs. A thousand cable channels with movies and music and pay-per-view. Distracted by their desires, overwhelmed by their needs and wants, they'll never remain on their assigned paths. Their optimal futures. Their most beneficial fates.
Pg. 4:
Not every human being has some kind of sexual hang-up or disorder or desire waiting to be realized. But most Americans do. This probably has something to do with the fact that the United States demonizes sex and represses sexual energy. Personally, I prefer the Italian and French. To them, sex is just a part of their culture.
Taken in small doses, these observations can be amusing. But there were no small doses here. All Fabio ever did was whine about how lame humans are and how much his job sucks. Beyond that he didn’t have much of a personality. And silly me, I actually like my characters to have some depth.
A huge premise of the book centered around Fate being a bad thing for humans. People who were going to be somebody important or have something good happen to them had destinies, not fates. The author explains this by throwing in some common sayings like “a fate worse than death” or “his fate was sealed” and saying that negative things are the only thing associated with Fate and the positive things are all associated with Destiny. But that is not how I associate Fate and Destiny so I found the whole premise rather perplexing.
But that wasn’t a big thing. It was really the whiny, self absorbed, hypocritical characters that I had to read about that really bugged me. I mean, really! How can you bash on people with Fates for making bad choices and screwing up their Fates when you don’t actually do anything with your life beyond bitching about said humans? Fabio’s head was just not a fun place for me to hang out in.
Example:
Pg. 67
Some of the places are a little seedy and can occasionally get rowdy, like this one, but I understand why human men enjoy going to strips clubs. Beautiful women dressed in not much, walking up to you and sitting in your lap, smelling yummy. Not to mention the private rooms and pole dancing and naked flesh in Technicolor abundance. True, the strippers are being paid to be nice and flirtatious and desirous, but technically, when you go out on a date with a woman, you're paying for it, too. And unless you're Greed or Frugality or a tightfisted bastard who insists on going Dutch, you're going to spend about as much money on a date as you are at a strip club. Of course, if you and your date don't connect for whatever reason, you're stuck on the date for at least a couple of hours until it ends. You can't just walk out after paying the cover charge and say, "Thanks a lot." And when the evening finally does come to an end, chances are your date won't rub up against you, give you a lap dance, and brush her breasts against your face and say, "Oops."
One last thing about the actual style of the writing. One, it’s written in First Person present tense. It was really hard for me to get into. Just a warning if you don’t enjoy that style! Two, the author had a compulsion to repeat patterns to his (or her?) writing again and again and again. The author constantly listed examples in three’s—and did this every few pages—and constantly said stuff like “the thing about so-and-so is that he’s such-and-such.” That happened every single time that a character was talked about. I was getting an eye twitch!!!
I made it to page 111 and I was done. I just couldn’t last long after Fabio’s love interest was (honest to God) turned on when he admitted to out and out stalking her for weeks. Blech! ...more
What a unique and interesting story! I don't read that many fantasy books, so this was a big departure for me. I liked it, but things that were new anWhat a unique and interesting story! I don't read that many fantasy books, so this was a big departure for me. I liked it, but things that were new and interesting to me might be common in the genre. I'm just not familiar enough with it to say for certain.
I really liked getting to see so many different points of view. The main focus of the story was Alexia and his fated love, but we got to see a lot of the rest of his group of six. The dynamic between them seemed really genuine. They laughed together and had issues with each other, and they all liked to mock Alexi for his brooding ways. That was also a negative in their favor, but it still seemed real.
I loved the mythological focus. I am a total sucker for Greek mythology, and I love seeing new incorporations of it. I really like the way it was brought into play here. We slowly learned bits and pieces of what actually occurred to the goddess and her lover. I like that things weren't info dumped, but I do have to confess to shaking my book in frustration a few times because I didn't know what was going on.
I wavered between liking and disliking Percy throughout the book. I liked how real she felt. Her completely understandable insecurities dominated her life and made her timid and shy. She practically cringed whenever she was spoken to sharply. While I did appreciate how well her personality fit in relation to how people reacted to her, I also had a hard time feeling satisfied with her as a lead. She felt true to her age, actually she felt younger, and that really made the age difference more pronounced. I just had a hard time with how needy she was all the time. I was especially mad at her forgive and forget attitude at the end after someone cut their ties.
The style of this book took a little bit to get used to. Everyone was extremely emotive. It felt rather melodramatic and flowery most of the time. Every time I turned around someone was bursting into tears. I have never seen so many people cry so often. It was a small thing, but it made me roll my eyes every time I saw it.
In the beginning of the book I really liked the members of the group of six. Well, I always had a problem with Rebecca, I found her extremely selfish and hateful. But I liked the rest of them! Until they decided that they knew better than their leader and took steps to make sure they got their way. I was pleased that Alexi was cold to them, but I wish he hadn't have been such an idiot and went along with their plan at all.
While I liked the mythology and the idea of it, the group of friends irritated me to no end! I spent a large majority of the book wishing I could reach through the pages and strangle someone! I plan to read the second book shortly, but those people better stop being douches!...more
Well, I'm noticing a definite climb in my enjoyment of this series. I don't know if the world building is smoother*Originally read 6/17/10*
*4.5 Stars*
Well, I'm noticing a definite climb in my enjoyment of this series. I don't know if the world building is smoother or if I have just stopped questioning it. I do still wonder where all the straight humans are. Come on, Crest can't be the only one out there. In regards to stars, I'd say this one is more of a 4.5 where the first two were more of a 4 and 4.25 respectively.
I think I liked this one more because there was more action. Because I feel disconnected from the characters, too much time spent slowly investigating tends to bore me. With this one we have a lot fight scenes and a lot more time spent around her core group of friends.
Poor Derek. Kid's had a hard life, and this book doesn't make it any easier. I like the bond that you sense between him and Kate. That moment they had when Kate couldn't cry - very affecting. I don't know why I connect at moments like that but can't seem to connect to the book as a whole. I'm just odd I guess.
I liked learning more about Saiman. I find him very interesting so I liked learning more about who/what he is. I liked that the events that take place didn't change his character. He isn't the fighter that Kate is no matter what blood he has. He fears and worries and doesn't like what he has to do. I appreciated the contrast to every other life form running around that world.
I liked how much more insight we got into Kate and her past. It was a great scene when Kate was telling Jim about what her dad wanted her to grow up to be. Harsh childhood, but it's hard to blame her dad because she grew up like that for a reason. Meeting Hugh... man, I can sense some bad things on the horizon. Even though you know bad stuff is going to happen, you have to respect Kate for consciously making a choice to stay and stand up for her friends.
The fight scenes were pretty engrossing. I couldn't help but laugh after their first bout. Poor Jim was so mad that he snapped his clipboard. The part that really cracked me up though was Kate and Curran's defensive comments about their technique. I really liked the last fight. Especially because it brought about an unexpected conversation with Andrea. The ending got a little hectic, but that's not a bad thing. I'm intensely curious about the ability Kate discovered she had. What's that going to lead to?
I think Andrea and Raphael are adorable. His conversations with Kate about the different clan's mating habits was both funny and illuminating. Curran got more interesting, but he's still kind of smothering to me. I liked the playful side he showed with Kate. I do have to point out one more fabulous character. Dali. She is awesome. I cracked up when poor Jim had to admit to her deficiencies. I loved her hidden talent. Who would have thought up a talent like that? How do you even discover you have that?
Overall, good book and the series is looking up. ...more
I loved this book, it was so funny! It wasn't just the one liners, Charlie's thought processes were hilarious too. Charlie wasn't the only good characI loved this book, it was so funny! It wasn't just the one liners, Charlie's thought processes were hilarious too. Charlie wasn't the only good character either. This author did a great job of creating side characters and making them shine.
I loved how some of the sections would start with a National Geographic feel. Instead of describing a wild animal, the author would narrate the habits of the Beta Male. It was really entertaining! I loved the comparisons between Beta Males and Alpha Males.
Charlie was a perfect narrator for this story. He was just a regular, neurotic guy trying to do his best to raise his daughter and deal with his new job. He's not over his wife, and he still isn't over her years down the road. He's a prepare for disaster kind of guy, but he's strong enough to put aside his own worries so his daughter will grow up living life to the fullest. He was such a sweet father. The scenes were funny, but they were also poignant at times.
Charlie's sister, Jane, was one of my favorite characters. How can you not love a girl that keeps stealing her brothers suits and then complaining that he needs to gain weight because the butt is too tight? She was funny, but she was also Charlie's rock. She was always there for him and his daughter Sophie.
Minty Fresh, Ray, and Lily were also great characters. I didn't really like Lily at first, you'll figure out why when you read the book, but she really grew on me. Her humor and matter of fact acceptance of Charlie really endeared her to me. I loved when she offered to take one for the team for Charlie. Hilarious!
I can't recommend this book highly enough. It was great. Go, all of you, read this book!
After reading the last book I was a little frustrated. Nothing about the world was explained and the vague hints about Kate's*Originally Read 6/16/10*
After reading the last book I was a little frustrated. Nothing about the world was explained and the vague hints about Kate's "big secret" were irritating. Luckily early on in the book we start getting some new information. One of my biggest irritants was my lack of understanding of these magic waves. What's causing this, when did this start? I got some of the answers I was looking for, which was nice. I still want want more answers, but I'll try to be patient.
The beginning of this book was slow. Well, the middle of it was too for that matter. I repeatedly found my mind wandering and had to force myself to pay attention. It wasn't the actual events that were a bore to me, it was the writing. For some reason I feel very disassociated from this author's style. It wasn't until the end that I became engaged in the action. That's predictable though. I'm a sucker for action and I am fascinated by power. So, being that the end had those things... well, of course I was hooked.
Kate's dense and irritating at times, but her determination to put herself on the line for her friends is endearing. When Kate explained to Curran why she was willing to go to bat to support the wedding she finally became human for me. During the first book, and this book to an extent, she comes off rather two dimensional and flat. I like the world though, so I'll read the next one.
I liked Julie and Kate's interactions with her. She didn't baby her, but she didn't come off as cold either. I liked that Kate sat down and discussed the wrongness of what Red wanted her for. She didn't beat a dead horse with it, but she made her view known. One thing did bother me in the Julie protection thing though. (view spoiler)[How exactly did Red make it far enough into the Order to grab Julie? Aren't they supposed to be the safest place in the city? (hide spoiler)]
I really liked Bran. I thought he was an excellent character. What made it even better was that Kate could see through him to his motives and wasn't fooled. I liked when they sat down and had a serious talk in his own domain. His history was sad though. When that certain event happened at the end that upset Kate so much - man, that upset me too. He was my favorite so far. How can you not love a man who poofs in, kisses Kate, and poofs out while Curran throws a hissy fit in the background?
Curran and Kate get a bit more page time in this one. They have some nice, quiet moments, but overall they're antagonism and one-upmanship dominates their interactions. Kate can't control her mouth, Curran thunders around intimidating everyone and wants everything his way. Rinse and repeat and that'll pretty much be them through the whole book. They do have a few cute interactions. I liked when he gave her soup and drooled over her bow. Cute. I don't really find Curran compelling, but I don't see anyone better around (anymore) so I'm not exactly against them either. He has an unfortunate habit of reminding me of my kid. He's selfish and thinks he's always right and if he doesn't get his way he turns into a jerk and tries to start a fight. Yep, he reminds me of my three year old. ...more
This was my least favorite of all the Dragon Kin books. I admit, I wasn't looking forward to reading about Keita in the first place. The appearances sThis was my least favorite of all the Dragon Kin books. I admit, I wasn't looking forward to reading about Keita in the first place. The appearances she made in the previous books didn't really endear her to me. She came off more like the female characters in the Mangus Pack books - extremely bitchy. Also, that girl got around a lot. Gwenvael got around a lot too, but he came off as sweeter and funnier, and less crass. That made all the difference for me.
But, I was still extremely excited to read this book. I love this author's blend of hilarity, action, romance, and sex. She is the only author I've read with a style like this, and I love her campy books that don't take themselves seriously. Her characters are always over the top and you can't help but love them for those qualities.
This book was considerably longer than most of the previous books in the series, and there was a lot less focus on the relationship in it. I think that was the problem with the book. This one spent so much time on other events that we never really got any alone time with Keita and Ragnar. Their relationship and interactions seemed to be sprinkled in between interactions with the other characters. We also spent a lot more time in other people's pov's. That's not usually a problem, but it felt intrusive because the main romance was so underdeveloped.
When the book ended it felt like their relationship wasn't complete. I wonder if the author has plans to continue their relationship in another book. It really felt more "happy for now" as opposed to "happily ever after." There was no claiming or relationship resolution like in the other books. Keita's resistance to any sort of permanence precluded that. I just felt unsatisfied with it. I can't help but fear she'll one day dump him because everything got too heavy for her.
But, if you ignore the relationship this is still classic Aiken/Laurenston. That's why I gave it three stars instead of a lower grade. The humor still pops and the family antics are hilarious. I loved getting to see more of the previous characters. I was very amused by Gwenvael's jealousy over Ragnar. It was cute! I also loved how touchy Briec was about his daughter smiling. Little things like that made this whole book worth it!
There was a lot of new developments on the Izzy/Eibhear front. I loved all those scenes! I can't wait until we get to see them in their own book. I was really glad the whole thing developed like that. He needed a reality check that she's not a little girl and she's not waiting around forever. I also hope we get to see more of Ren in the future. I find him very interesting.
I can't wait to get my hands on the next one! ...more
I couldn't seem to connect to this book. It wasn't a bad story, and it didn't have badly drawn characters, but there was nothing there to make me careI couldn't seem to connect to this book. It wasn't a bad story, and it didn't have badly drawn characters, but there was nothing there to make me care.
I liked the thought of this book more than the execution. Argonauts and gods and powers, what's not to like, right? Unfortunately I felt this book was a bit more melodramatic than was necessary. It's like it tried to be dark and angsty but still came off as light and frothy. It just didn't mix well for me. I think a big part of this was the fact that I had no emotional investment in the characters. Sometimes I know characters are behaving ridiculously, but because I empathize with them I forgive them for their stupidity. The characters left me cold here so there was no understanding.
I have a question I never felt was resolved. How did Isadora know about Casey? It was a huge secret right? The only one who was supposed to know was the king, so....? It was never answered! The whole story begins with actions that hinge around Isadora finding Casey. It's like once that was out of the way the author felt no need to go back and make it make sense.
Casey seemed like the most accepting character I have ever seen. She easily accepts the existence of the Argonauts and her connection to them. Toward the end she easily accepts that she'll need to make a sacrifice. She also easily forgives Theron for lying to her. It was all just so... pat. I'm really not a fan of martyrs so when Casey just decided to roll over and die she really irritated me. How is some other world that you've just found out about suddenly more important than yourself?
The writing wasn't bad, but the actual story was just too much for me. Like I said before, I think if I had felt connected to the story my mind would have easily brushed aside all the little things that bothered me (or at least made them seem less irritating). ...more
I really liked the storyline and relationship with Scarlet and Gideon, but there was way too much going on in this book. I alternated between bored, iI really liked the storyline and relationship with Scarlet and Gideon, but there was way too much going on in this book. I alternated between bored, irritated, and exasperated as I read the storyline Amun, Aeron, and William starred in. I'm interested in seeing more of Amun and William (especially him), but I felt that way too much time was spent on them when this was Gideon's book.
I also wasn't that thrilled with the whole purpose of that storyline either. Ugh! The fact that Aeron would put his friends at risk for that. Obviously he learned nothing valuable in the last book.
I was very intrigued by the possibility that Scarlet and Gideon had been married. I was bursting with questions by the time I finally got to read this book. When were they married? Why did they separate? Why doesn't Gideon remember? What does "To Part Is To Die" mean?
Luckily, I got answers to all of my questions. I did not expect the answer, though. I can't believe it! Kudos to the author for really throwing me a curve ball. I did not see that coming. I felt so bad for both of them. I loved how Gideon didn't care what the truth was. He just wanted to be with her no matter what. I think he's my favorite Lord so far. I also found the scene where we found out the meaning of "To Part Is To Die" utterly romantic.
I loved Scarlet's character. She's had her knocks, but she keeps picking herself up. Very sad things have happened in her past, but she doesn't constantly dwell. She does give into her moments of anguish, but the fact that they are few and far between made them that much more touching. I loved how she would deliberately take Gideon's statements at face value just to irritate him. He would get so frustrated!
I really loved the big reveal about the relationship between Scarlet and Gideon's demons. I cracked up! I also saw more hints that Galen and she-who-irritates-me will have a future when Scarlet was in his dreams.
I'm kind of nervous about the future of this series. I keep giving high grades, but it's almost despite the events in the book. I don't like how more and more of the story seems to be slotted for storylines and events revolving around other characters. I want more focus on the romance that the book is purported to be about. I really thought this one would be focused exclusively on Gideon and Scarlet when he took her away, but no such luck.
This author has an extremely engaging style, but I'm afraid I'll have to give her up if she continues this trend. I don't want to feel like I'm reading two books anymore. ...more
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