Books » Waiting for Fairies

How to Miss Out On Great Books

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Apr 292011

I said in a recent review that I would come back and tell the story of how I came so late to the Retrievers novels and Laura Anne Gilman‘s Cosa Nostradamus world.

It’s really quite simple and easy, but if you’re curious, here is Kiara’s Guide to Missing Out On Really Great Books™ .

Hold tight to your tropes.
- When I first picked up Staying Dead back in 2004 or 2005, I was really big into Laurell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake series. (We’re all youthful and naive at one point or another.) The genre was just getting big on vampires and werewolves and kick ass chicks in leather pants. Staying Dead had none of these things. Here was a book with a nervous heroine whose “super power” was being ignored. What kind of kick ass chick was THAT?
Scoff at anything outside the “norm”.
- Electricity as a magic power? That was just too… normal… to be fantasy. Fairies that weren’t tall and coolly elfin and romantically aloof? A heroine who not only had never killed anyone – or even beaten anyone up, from the look of it – but who was afraid of guns?
Dis the romance. Overlook the other relationships.
- One of the major elements, I think, in the Cosa Nostradamus series is the relationships. Sure, Wren and Sergei have “a thing” blossoming, and that’s the only place I looked at first. “Romance,” I thought to myself, disgustedly. “Who has any use for a heroine who can’t even figure out her love life? Or one who even NEEDS a love life?” But the beauty of this series is that it looks at the ways different people interact with one another. I mean – I’m sure the author didn’t give her main character the ability to be overlooked because she thought it would be FUNNY, you know? Sure, it’s useful for a thief, but what does it do to the person inside - the one who’s being ignored? That’s just one of the incredibly subtle ways that Gilman makes a statement in this series.
Dismiss anything unique as “silly”.
- A demon who looks like a polar bear? I admit it, I scoffed. Sure, it was cutesy. But he was supposed to be a “fucking demon” (to quote Jason Lee in Dogma). Never mind that this gives a character who could very easily become one dimensional a depth and richness that moves his story from trite to significant. No one takes a monster who looks like a cuddly stuffed animal seriously, after all. So neither did I; I didn’t look any deeper.
Don’t give a decent book a second chance. Or even a first chance, if you can help it.
- I’m ashamed to admit that I only read Staying Dead a second time because I won a signed copy in a contest and – after months of seeing it still sitting on my shelf – I guiltily decided that I’d better at least READ the damned thing before I found another home for it*. That, and because I agreed with so much of what the author was saying on her website. SURELY, if I liked her non-fiction blogging so much, there must be SOMETHING to like in her fiction too, right? So I decided to read it again.

This was in fall of 2010 and I was in a much different place than I had been. When I first read these books, I was single and bitter about it. I was lost, lonely, and was just starting to gain back some of the confidence and self-esteem that had been destroyed by a bad relationship. Now, I have been happily married for a handful of years and have learned to say things like “No” and “I don’t need you in my life”. Back then, I was happy with a two-dimensional heroine who had what I thought I wanted in life (ruthless ambition, a pair of leather pants, and the power to make sure no one ever hurt her again). The more mature me of now has decided she’d like a little real life (a little moderation, a bit more than a wee taste of fun, and most definitely no chafing from leather pants) in her fantasy, please, kthxbai.

Moreover, now that I have grown a bit older (no comments from the peanut gallery, please) and have begun to take myself more seriously as a writer, I can look deeper into the story and see the grace and finesse. Now, I can appreciate Gilman’s obvious experience as an author and what she’s trying to do as an artist. I had previously (idiotically) been dismissing the very things that make this series so interesting and unique. I’m now three books into the series and I’m waiting to get my hands on the fourth. The only reason I took a break is because my TBR shelf was giving me sullen stares when it thought I wasn’t looking.

So, kiddies, don’t be like me. Just because you’re not in English Lit anymore and just because genre novels aren’t the usual college fare doesn’t mean that you have to turn your brain off when you’re reading a novel. (Although that’s fun sometimes, too!) So pay attention, be on the lookout, and don’t forget to eat your Wheaties. Oh, and give the Retrievers a look. You might be as surprised as I was on your first (or second) time through.

*And in case you’re wondering: no, you can’t have my copy. I’ve changed my mind. It’s not going anywhere.

A Precious Gift, or How David & Leigh Eddings’ Books Taught Me to Be A Decent Human Being

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Apr 262011

I’ve done lots of stupid things in my life. I think just about everyone has. Regardless, I try not to spend a whole lot of time on regrets because if even one thing in my past were changed, I think the whole domino pile of craziness would collapse — and, well. I kind of like where I’m at now.

So I only really ever had one big regret, and it has nothing to do with past loves or big mistakes or foolish choices.

It is simply this: I never got to meet David or Leigh Eddings. If you’re not familiar with this King and Queen of Epic Fantasy (and why aren’t you?), then you’ve probably never read the series known as The Belgariad. Or the ones titled: The Mallorean, The Elenium, The Tamuli or the stand-alone The Redemption of Althalus.

The Belgariad in particular is a universal, coming-of-age, farm boy becomes a King kind of epic fantasy. Yes, that’s become a familiar trope but dare I say (and yes, I do) that even if Eddings did not do it first, then at least he did it best. This is a truly world-encompassing tale with sorcerers, knights, both benevolent and evil gods, and a pair of dueling prophecies that could shatter the entire universe with their opposition.

I admit it – I read this series when I was very young. I read it, and loved every bit of it. From the illiterate kitchen scullion to the fiery-haired princess to the magic-wielding aunt to the curmudgeonly old story-teller/sorcerer. I didn’t love it in the same (lesser) way that I enjoyed Dragonlance, which I read at about the same time. That was adventure, but this was something else.

The Belgariad is carried not by its plot (which is, though entertaining, fairly predictable for anyone familiar with the fantasy genre), but on the backs of its characters. Garion, our hero, is very young when the story starts and is essentially “raised” during the course of the books. From his practical old friend, Durnik, he learns the value of hard work and that the best course is always honesty. From the old storyteller, Belgarath, he learns that many things can be accomplished based on the way others perceive you. From the burly Barak, he learned swordsmanship; from the knight Mandorallen, bravery; from the spy Silk, cunning and wit; from the horse-lord Hettar he learned a sort of stoic justice; from Her Imperial Highness the Princess Ce’Nedra, he learned passion; from his impulsive friend Lelldorin, he learned devotion. And from his aunt, the sorceress Polgara, he learned the value of boundless love.

As Garion learned these things… So did I. As I read of serpent queens and mad gods, I was also taught the value of self-worth, honesty, the real meaning of courage, practicality, and much, much more.

When I am exhausted, defeated or lonely, I come back to this story, these books (and, to my great satisfaction, I am not the only person I know who does this). The characters are all the oldest of my friends. Each one has a voice of their own in my head, and I could probably quote long portions or at the very least tell the whole tale without reference. It was only recently that I started to wonder at the fact that it seems very apparent that The Belgariad taught me how to be a good person. I am grateful for that, more grateful than even I could know, I think.

So it was with a heavy heart that I heard of Leigh Eddings’ death – on my birthday, no less – in 2007. Later, I read with real devastation the announcement of David’s own death in 2009. Gone were my heroes, the most beloved of the hundreds (thousands?) of authors I have read. I think it took me another year or maybe even two before I realized the full tragedy: I would never meet either of them, would never hear them speak at a convention or book signing, and I would never possess a signed copy of any of these books.

Until now.

Slip case and cover

A dear, dear friend who has often spoiled me far more than I truly deserve has done it yet again. (There is a reason, my dear Reader, that she was the best “man” at my wedding. We could find no better person – woman OR man.)

#280!

This is a Signed, Numbered, Hard Cover, Slip-Cased, Limited, FIRST edition of The Redemption of Althalus. Althalus is, of course, my favorite of Eddings’ work now that I’m an adult. The Belgariad is an old childhood friend that taught me everything I know about growing up. Althalus is the devious, incredibly fun friend of dubious morality – a perfect grown-up companion. Garion’s world is where I retreat when I’m feeling beaten. Althalus’ realm is where I go when I’m feeling sort of naughty*. (*In a “short-sheeting the bed” prank-y kind of way, not the Adults Only kind of naughty.)

I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve friends like this, but boy am I grateful for them. And? Not only do I have the one thing I never thought I would (which is the second best option to actually meeting David and Leigh, which would be sort of difficult at the moment), but apparently the dough that was ponied up for this book also went to benefit the people of Japan after their recent disaster(s). That, I think, would make Durnik awfully proud.

I’m not ashamed to say I cried when I realized what I was holding. I don’t think that even after this entire post that I can really express to you what it means to me to be holding a tiny piece of the history of two people that, despite my never having met them, made a very large difference in my life. It is a gift beyond measure, and I am doubly blessed that not only can I hold it, but that I have a friend who would go to this distance to put this most significant gift into my hands.

The only way I could think to repay her (since she would not accept anything else) was to share this story with you.

Review: The Goddess Test by Aimée Carter

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Apr 242011

The Goddess Test

Goddess Test #1

Written: Aimée Carter

Published: April 26, 2011

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 0373210264

Obtained via: NetGalley

Blurb:

It’s always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he’s crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.

My Review:

I had a long statement here before about how much I’ve always loved the Persephone myth, how I always thought something was missing, that I believed that Persephone might have been almost grateful for the things her kidnapping allowed her to become.

Then I realized that’s not what this book is about, so my review shouldn’t be, either. This book wasn’t the way that I had envisioned a retelling of this mythology – but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have merit in its own right.

In The Goddess Test, the original Persephone became Queen of the Underworld due to a political alliance, not through a kidnapping. Her husband loved her to distraction, but she did not return his favor. She loved a human, and gave up her status and power to follow him into death itself.

Now, the Underworld has been without a Queen for many years. Girls have been tested repeatedly, but all have failed – been murdered, actually, and the murderer has never been found. Now, in the last few years before a deadline that would force him to give up his life and his place, Hades has found his last chance: Kate.

Not only does she have to survive the testing, but she also has to be accepted by the other gods. Neither of these is an easy task. Worse, to Kate’s mind… What’s the point of becoming immortal if you’re forced to marry a guy who could never love you, because he’s put the memory of his former wife on a pedestal higher than any girl could ever reach?

This book is the ultimate in teenage wish fulfillment – which is good, because it’s a young adult novel. Ordinary girl Kate, who’s mother is dying and who hasn’t had a real friend in years, is snatched out of the mundane and given everything she could ever want. Her mother’s cancer is held back by a promise from Hades. A girl who started out hating her is suddenly her best friend. Two different gorgeous boys are vying for her favor. She’s also given a beautiful room, servants to dress her, all the food she could want, and a closet full of clothing from every time period known to man. Oh, and she also has the chance to become immortal: a goddess, with powers beyond imagining.

What teenage girl wouldn’t want all of that?

Persephone’s myth is a perfect story to be adapted for teen readers: forbidden love, a rich and powerful guy, the change in perception from girl to woman. What teenage girl wouldn’t swoon at that? It’s a classic. Even so, there’s always a chance that it could be handled badly.

I have to admit, though, that in this case it was handled very well. Even if the adult in me was rolling her eyes at the obvious wish-fulfillment, the teenage girl I still remember was fascinated by the tale. Yes, sometimes it even gets to me: clothes, food, friends, immortality (read: eternal youth and beauty), and the true love of an honestly decent guy. Now that I think about it, maybe even the adult woman in me had more fun with this than she’d care to admit.

If you’re a Greek mythology fan, especially if you like Persephone’s tale, and if you don’t mind a bit of teenage angst, then you should give The Goddess Test a try.

Rating:

Review: The Wise Man’s Fear by Patrick Rothfuss

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Apr 192011

The Wise Man’s Fear

The Kingkiller Chronicle #2

Written: Patrick Rothfuss

Published: March 1, 2011

Publisher: DAW

ISBN: 0756404738

Obtained via: Purchase

Blurb:

For nearly four years, fantasy and science fiction enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting this second volume to Patrick Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicles. The first volume, The Name of the Wind, won the prestigious Quill Award and was recently voted as the third-best SFF novel of the decade on Tor.com. In this linchpin book of the trilogy, Kvothe continues his perilous search for answers about the Chandrian even as he grapples with more pressing dangers.

My Review:

Pat Rothfuss’ writing ranks about an 8 on the Sanderson scale. What? You don’t know about the Sanderson scale?

Have you ever read any of Brandon Sanderson’s stuff? Not his Wheel of Time work, but the books that spring from his own imagination like Elantris, Mistborn or — most especially — The Way of Kings? You see, Sanderson writes a mind-bogglingly good fantasy novel. A very highly complex, really good fantasy novel.

If you’ve read any of the above, especially TWoK, you’ll understand. The Sanderson scale is when you come across a book that is a mind-blowing, amazingly fun read — even though you have no idea what the capital-F is going on. And it’s an exponential scale, kind of like the one they have for earthquakes. An 8 on the Sanderson scale is like 100 times more crazily weird than a 7, and so on.

The Wise Man’s Fear is about an 8 on the Sanderson scale because Rothfuss manages to slip in about a 100,000 tiny little mysteries and then MAKES YOU FORGET ABOUT THEM in the next five words, because of the other awesomeness he is writing about.

There are the big ones, of course. Like the Chandrian and the Amyr or who Denna’s patron is. But there are hundreds of smaller ones, too. Like why is Denna’s ring so important to her? And why did Auri come to Kvothe’s room the night Ambrose drugged him? There are tons of little things like that, the ones that make me wonder for an instant and then are gone by the next page.

Intricate is about the only word I can use to describe this book. Kvothe’s whole world seems so intricately locked together that it’s no wonder it took so long for Rothfuss to write and edit book two. I couldn’t even begin to pull out all the threads for examination, let alone keep them all straight in my head if I were the author of this beast!

So yes, here is my summary of adjectives: mind-blowing, amazing, intricate, mysterious, complex. Wonderful. Stunning. (And lots of people say “stunning” in regard to books and movies, but I say I am seriously *stunned* to even think about the amount of effort that went into creating this story.)

Patrick Rothfuss is a rare and delightful storyteller, the likes of which come along by only a handful in each generation. The writer in me can only grovel, bang my forehead on the floor and weep, “I’m not worthy!” The reader in me would say something profound… Except she is still stunned by the depth and richness of this story, and can only blink and rub her eyes and look mystified.

Rating:

Review: Flip This Zombie by Jesse Petersen

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Apr 162011

Flip This Zombie

Living With The Dead #2

Written: Jesse Petersen

Published: January 1, 2011

Publisher: Orbit

ISBN: 0316102954

Obtained via: Purchase (e-book)

Blurb:

The Zombie Apocalypse has been good to Sarah and David. Their marriage is better than ever. They communicate well, share responsibilities, and now, they’re starting a business. ZombieBusters-for all your zombie extermination needs.

There are lots of zombies and that means lots of customers…Except one of them doesn’t want the zombies dead, he wants them alive and ready for experimentation. Mad scientists make for difficult clients and this time, Sarah and David might have bitten off more than they can chew.

My Review:

I wanted an urban fantasy series that didn’t have the side plot of the main heroine trying to find her “true love”. Just once, I wanted to see a couple that was already in a committed relationship at the beginning of the novel. ‘Why aren’t there more married couples in UF?’, I railed. ‘Does everyone in the world have a crazy wish-fulfillment dream of the first blush of love? Where are the Old Married Couples of fiction??’

Well, I need no longer gnash my teeth at the lack of proper married couples: Sarah and David fill that need very well. Here — finally! — is a couple that doesn’t stare dreamily into their partner’s eyes in the midst of danger. FINALLY, here is a couple that takes care of business first and saves their sexual heat for times when they’re not about to be killed and eaten.

What a relief!

Jesse Petersen has provided us a no-nonsense, well-balanced couple who know the difference between nookie-time and zombie-killing-time. Obviously, there’s still room to play with the emotions of romance even in an old-hat marriage. This book, for instance, has a creepy scientist third wheel and some serious jealousy issues going on.

If you like zombies and sarcasm and are just a little bit curious about how life would go on for regular folks after the zombiepocalypse, then I think you should read this series. It’s a heck of a lot of fun.

Rating:

Review: Cold Magic By Kate Elliott

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Mar 132011

Kiara’s note: Whoops! I’ve had this review sitting for awhile and forgot to publish it! Sorry about that.

Cold Magic

Spiritwalker #1

Written: Kate Elliott

Published: September 2nd, 2010

Publisher: Orbit

ISBN: 1841498815

Obtained via: Publisher (ARC)

Blurb:

It is the dawn of a new age… The Industrial Revolution has begun, factories are springing up across the country, and new technologies are transforming in the cities. But the old ways do not die easy.

“I was not a bard or a djeli or an historian or a scribe and I was certainly not a sage, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t curious…”

Young Cat Barahal thinks she understands the world she lives in and her place in it, but in fact she is merely poised, unaware, on the brink of shattering events. Drawn into a labyrinth of politics involving blood, betrayal and old feuds, she will be forced to make an unexpected and perilous journey in order to discover the truth, not just about her own family but about an ancient secret lying at the heart of her world.

Cat and her cousin Bee are part of this revolution. Young women at college, learning of the science that will shape their future and ignorant of the magics that rule their families. But all of that will change when the Cold Mages come for Cat. New dangers lurk around every corner and hidden threats menace her every move. If blood can’t be trusted, who can you trust?

From one of the genre’s finest writers comes a bold new epic fantasy in which science and magic are locked in a deadly struggle.

My Review:

The basic elements of Cold Magic are all extraordinarily intriguing: ice magic, steampunk dirigibles, fairies, and an alternate-history London with more diversity than nearly any fantasy novel out there today. Unfortunately, I don’t think the elements come together all that well. I WANT to like this book; I really LIKE Kate Elliott’s previous work, and steampunk fascinates me.

Part of the problem, I think, is that Cat is a very reactionary character. She manages to get things done, but it seems like things are always happening TO her, rather than her DOING things. She flails from one plot point to another without much of a clear goal, and she has no idea what she wants out of life. She’s young, I know, but rather than making her endearing, these things make her sort of annoying.

A despised ice mage shows up at her family’s estate and demands Cat as his wife, to fulfill an unbeknownst-to-her contract that was made by her aunt and uncle years ago. Suddenly torn from everything she knows, she meekly follows this mage halfway across the country – being half-starved, confused, and ignored most of the way. Worse, her brand-new husband is a young, arrogant nobleman with problems and enemies of his own. But he doesn’t take the opportunity to make his new wife an ally…. And Cat doesn’t make the attempt, either. Then, of course, she’s not accepted into her husband’s mage household (for reasons I won’t ruin for you here) and is forced to run away. She bounces from England to Fairy and back again, and ends up … Right back where she started. And not much more wiser than she was when she left.

The problem with this novel, I think, is that I don’t love the main characters. I don’t even LIKE Cat or her mage-husband. I have big problems with a love story that so obviously leans toward “We don’t know anything about each other but somehow we just know our relationship is the beginning of TRUE LOVE, even if we won’t ADMIT IT.” This plot element is EXACTLY why I don’t read romance novels. I don’t find it believable or cute and I don’t like to sigh into my handkerchief and weep a gentle tear for the magic of love at first sight. Because, frankly, I think that kind of thinking is the worst kind of adolescent, wish-fulfillment bullshit.

The secondary characters, however, are stunning and awesome. Cat’s best friend and cousin telling the future through her drawings? AWESOME. The non-human races we’re introduced to? AWESOME. Ice magic and steampunk TOGETHER? In the same world? ALL KINDS OF AWESOME.

Which is why I’m so frustrated with the fact that, shortly after finishing the story… I’ve forgotten the details. It’s forgettable, and I’m disappointed by that. I still want to read the next in the series eventually, but it’s going to be pretty far down my to-do list.

Rating:

Review: Green-Eyed Demon by Jaye Wells

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Mar 082011

Green-Eyed Demon

Sabina Kane #3

Written: Jaye Wells [website]

Published: February 22, 2011

Publisher: Orbit

ISBN: 9780316037778

Obtained via: Netgalley

The Blurb:

The clock is ticking for Sabina Kane. She has to save her sister from her mysterious captors. And in order to do that, she has to broker a deal between the mages and the vampires before all hell breaks loose.

But as much as Sabina is focused on surviving the present, the past won’t be ignored. Before she can save those she cares about, she’s got to save herself from the ghosts of her past. Because the past is haunting her. Literally.

My Review:

I have to be honest. I was looking for something to dislike about this book. I wasn’t happy with some of the choices our main character made in the last volume.

(Judgmental? Me? Absolutely, when it comes to fictional characters and whether I spend my time on them. A girl has only so much reading time in the day and must needs be choosy! Why read a book – or continue a series – if you’re not going to enjoy it?)

So, anyway, I was ready to give this book a run-through, be disappointed, and have one less series on my shelf.

Except. Dammit. The characters (and thus the author) have made all the right moves this time. Sabina is finally growing as a person – complete with real feelings! The story was lively and interesting (who could possibly write a boring story that has New Orleans and voodoo??) The ending was satisfying, while still leaving problems to be solved. And I have fallen in love with Gighul all over again.

Ms. Wells has done a very good job on this book. I guess I’ll need to find an arbitrary reason to take some OTHER series off my shelf instead. If you’re wavering on continuing after Mage in Black (like I was), let me tell you that this volume is worth the read. I went from being willing to give up on this series to wanting the next one in the course of one book. I guess all it takes is some voodoo, a midget orgy, a zombie or three, and a handful of drag queens to keep me hooked.

Rating:

Previous Reviews:

Mage In Black

Red-Headed Step-Child

Kiaras Festivus Winners

Books, Featured 2 Responses »

Mar 052011

My most sincere apologies for being a few days late with this. My Darling Husband, the Artist, had surgery this week so one or two things sort of slipped through the cracks. Here are the winners of our Kiaras Festivus contests:

The winner of spragusj‘s copy of BLACKVEIL:

~ap~

The winners of Leanna Renee Hieber’s giveaway of 1 copy each of STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL:

spragusj

Matt White

And the winner for the copy of N.K. Jemison’s ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND KINGDOMS:

Reyna-nana

Winners – please email me your shipping addresses at kiara at waiting for fairies dot com, even if you think I might already have it. Please get them to me by this Monday, March 7th at noon Eastern, or I will chose a backup winner for your contest.

Review: The Sworn by Gail Z Martin

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Mar 032011

The Sworn

Fallen Kings #1

Written: Gail Z. Martin [website]

Published: February 3rd, 2011

Publisher: Orbit

ISBN: 1841499137

Obtained via: NetGalley

Blurb (via GoodReads.com): As plague and famine scourge the winter kingdoms, a vast invasion force is mustering from beyond the northern seas. And at its heart, a dark spirit mage wields the blood magic of ancient, vanquished gods.

Summoner-King Martris Drayke must attempt to meet this great threat, gathering an army from a country ravaged by civil war. Neighboring lands reel toward anarchy while plague decimates their leaders. Drayke must seek new allies from among the living – and the dead –- as an untested generation of rulers face their first battle.

Then someone disturbs the legendary Dread as they rest in a millennia-long slumber beneath sacred barrows. Their warrior guardians, the Sworn, know the Dread could be pivotal as a force for great good or evil. But if it’s the latter, could even the Summoner-King’s sorcery prevail?

The Sworn is Book One of The Fallen Kings Cycle, and it picks up the adventures of Tris, Jonmarc and the Winter Kingdoms gang six months after the end of Dark Lady’s Chosen. There are all new challenges, lots of dark magic and the biggest threat Margolan has faced in 400 years.

My Review:

The Sworn is the first book in a new series featuring the Winter Kingdoms and all our old friends fromChronicles of the Necromancer plus a few extras. It’s being advertised as the perfect place for new readers to start, and I agree that one could pick up the series here. However, I’m not entirely sure that this is thebest place to start.

We’ve got problems new and old in this story: there’s something odd with the infant heir to Margolan, the Divisionists in Isencroft are continuing to cause problems, the Black Robes are still trying to raise the old gods – this time by disturbing the Dread, a mysterious noise is driving the hedge witches of the Winter Kingdoms mad, and the traitor Alvior is rumored to be on his way back home accompanied by an invasion fleet from across the Northern Sea. Maybe worst of all are the indications that there is a dark summoner walking the world, one who could be worse than Lemuel and the Obsidian King together.

The Sworn is a great addition to the world of the Winter Kingdoms. Fans will be thrilled to see Tris, Kiara (Can you guess that Kiara is my favorite?), Jonmarc and the others again, and it’s just as exciting to see new faces. I thought the story was engaging and Gail Z Martin certainly has a knack for creating interesting worlds and merging multiple mythologies together into a cohesive whole. What other book can you think of that has necromancers, ghosts, and mages along with vampires and werewolves, all set in a sword-and-sorcery type of world?

That said, I don’t know if The Sworn would be quite as engaging to the new reader as The Summoner (first book in The Chronicles of the Necromancer series) was for me. I’m frankly worried that a married Tris, a pregnant Kiara, and Jonmarc Vahanion as a father-to-be won’t capture the attention the way a palace coupe, a caravan of slave traders, and an army of the dead did for me. While a new reader can pick up here and not be confused, I feel they also would be missing out on the bulk of the story. If you’re considering this series, do yourself a favor and go back to The Summoner to start. I can’t imagine a single person who would prefer to just “skip to the end” this way. If it’s worth reading (and I believe it is), it’s worth reading the whole story. Don’t short-change yourself.

Rating:

Review & Giveaway: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

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Feb 252011

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

The Inheritance Trilogy #1

Written: N.K. Jemisin

Published: February 25, 2010

Publisher: Orbit

ISBN: 0316043915

Obtained via: Gift from a friend

Blurb:

Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother’s death and her family’s bloody history.

With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Yeine will learn how perilous it can be when love and hate – and gods and mortals – are bound inseparably together.

My Review:

N.K. Jemisin’s The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms twists and pulls traditional fantasy more times than a piece of string on a pair of knitting needles. We have all the usual epic fantasy elements: strange gods, a stoic king, a beautiful palace, powerful magic, and a youngster trying to find her place in the world. Except that none of those pieces fit together in any of the usual ways: the king is a tyrant, the palace is poison, the youngster already ruled her homeland before we met her, and the gods are weapons and slaves turned against each other by mortal hand.

The world of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is exotic and strange, and the Palace of Sky is the strangest, most exotic place in all the land. It is a place where the ruling family is dozens (maybe hundreds) strong and where the large majority of them work as servants, but the only slaves in the place aren’t human — they’re gods. Yeine is thrust into this strange world – her mother’s world – where she’s been declared heir to the kingdom, if she can survive. Surviving won’t be easy, though, with her two cousins doing their best to kill her and with the god-slaves trying to draw her into their own dangerous conspiracies.

This book is cruel and strange; deadly and beautiful; by turns compelling and repulsive. I’ve seen a whole truckload of hype about this book, and I’m not entirely convinced that it’s lived up to all of it. But I daresay that it was woven well and uniquely and is worth a look for any fantasy fan. I’m looking forward to having the time to take #2 – The Broken Kingdoms off my shelf.

Rating:

Interested in winning your own copy of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms? Leave a comment on this post by midnight ET on February 28th, 2011 to be entered to win. (1 entry per person, drawn at random. Must have US shipping address.)

Green Rider Series Guest Review: Blackveil

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Feb 242011

Kristen Britain’s fourth Green Rider novel, Blackveil, came out February 1. Having now read through it I am extremely happy to have gotten a new novel. Before I get started though, a blurb:

Viewings at a masquerade ball celebration before the King’s wedding give us glimpses of events that may have a huge impact on Sacoridia. Karigan gets sent to Blackveil on a joint Eletian and Sacoridian expedition. Alton meets Karigan’s best friend and minstrel, Estral, and they start making progress on fixing the D’Yer wall. Meanwhile, the Second Empire’s leaders continue to do their utmost to bring about the downfall of Sacoridia.

The High King’s Tomb also introduced Lord Amberhill to us, and he plays an interesting, almost bit part in this novel. I have a feeling he’s going to turn out a big part of this story in the end, but I don’t currently know just how big. He also makes some rather unfortunate decisions in his stint throughout these couple novels.

I also feel I’ve got a bit of a handle on Karigan. She’s bad at relationships. Just about any of them. I can think of only two times when her bad assumptions are not her fault. And she’s decidedly selfish when it comes to some of these things. I know she’s a stubborn girl, but seriously, when you already know you’re lonely, why in the world would you push away your closest friends? That loneliness is part of why I think she makes those bad decisions, but I guess if she made all the right ones all the time, she’d be a less interesting character. I do wish she’d make better decisions at least on occasion! At least she and Stevic made up at the beginning of this one! Also, Stevic was finally back in the book!

Another thing I’ve noticed is that Karigan herself seems to be the deus ex machina of these books. I think most of the things she’s done as such have been explained (which I suppose makes her not much of an actual deus ex machina), but I wish we could see more of her out of the box thinking and skills saving the day instead of who she is being the Big Thing.

And the ending. I don’t know if it’s come across in my collection of posts, but endings really help make a book for me. They’re extremely important in making a book feel like a finished product, in particular when the author only comes out with a book once every 4 years or so. (Seriously, 1998, 2003, 2007, and now 2011.) This is the first time I’ve been disappointed. Matter of fact, I very much liked the way the other books ended. Don’t get me wrong, there’s an ending, and even a good one for some of the characters (with high hopes and potential drama insinuated for the next book in those endings), but the very end of Blackveil, with the likelihood of it being another 4 years till the next book definitely leaves something to be desired.

All that being said, I really enjoyed this book! So many things happen (Estora gets to be a badass), and it seems that the world might start being a somewhat less dark place than it seemed in the last couple, though I’m sure there are still many dire straights left in store for our favorite Sacoridians, and I can’t wait until I get to read of their continued exploits! (Please, please let it be less than 4 years.)

Another Guest Review: Death Most Definite by Trent Jamieson

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Feb 222011

A Note From Kiara: This cross-posted guest review comes from another dear friend of mine. Paige is SUCH a great friend that she was the best “man” at my wedding. She’s only recently started her own review blog but she has very good instincts, so please click over and give her other reviews a visit.

Published in August of 2010, book #1 of the Death Works Series is Death Most Definite, Australian author Trent Jamieson’s debut novel. Set in the city of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia, the story focuses on Psychopomp Steven de Selby, whose job it is to facilitate the journey of the souls of the newly dead to the afterlife. Yet the newly dead girl he just met doesn’t want him to do so. Instead of needing him to ease her journey to the Underworld, she’s trying to save his life.

The back cover blurb:

Steven de Selby has a hangover. Bright lights, loud noise, and lots of exercise are the last thing he wants. But that’s exactly what he gets when someone starts shooting at him.

Steven is no stranger to death-Mr. D’s his boss after all-but when a dead girl saves him from sharing her fate, he finds himself on the wrong end of the barrel. His job is to guide the restless dead to the underworld but now his clients are his own colleagues, friends, and family.

Mr. D’s gone missing and with no one in charge, the dead start to rise, the living are hunted, and the whole city teeters on the brink of a regional apocalypse-unless Steven can shake his hangover, not fall for the dead girl, and find out what happened to his boss- that is, Death himself.

It’s a certainty that our main character, Pomp Steve de Selby, wouldn’t have lived through the first chapter had it not been for newly deceased Lissa Jones. A fact which makes him tend to rather like her quite a lot. Maybe a little too much. Even though she’s dead.

After the attempt on his life, things just go from bad to worse to horrific for Steve and he’s literally running for his life while those around him are all dragged down. So here he is, attempting to deal with the dreadful weight of loss and betrayal that’s been heaped upon him out of nowhere, while realizing that he’s the only one left who might be able to prevent a regional apocalypse.

The dead need to be pomped and as time passes and his Pomp colleagues dwindle, Steven is the only one who can ease their passing to the Underworld. And dammit, it’s getting hard! To make matters worse, Stirrers are beginning to inhabit the bodies whose souls are seeking passage. They’re everywhere and they’re after Steven. Now, Stirrers aren’t your run-of-the-mill, Romero-esque, living flesh-eating zombies. Oh, no… they’re much worse. Here’s how the book describes an outbreak of Stirrers:

Bodies will disappear from morgues, people will see their deceased loved ones walking in the street, or wake up with them in their bed. And there will be no joy in the occasion, because they are not loved ones, just something that possesses their memories: an imperfect and deadly mimic.

Stirrers are voids. They will turn a house cold and they will swallow laughter. They are the worst aspects of time only sped up and grown cruelly cunning. Bad luck follows them.

The scariest thing about them is that instead of mindless sacks of flesh and bone shambling aimlessly about and trying to eat people, Stirrers are actual beings from the depths of the Underworld that inhabit dead bodies and move them about. They do very unzombie-like things like talking and driving cars and shooting at people and such. People like poor Steven de Selby. As a Psychopomp, he can “stall” these Stirrers, or banish them from the bodies they inhabit. He only needs to shed some blood, his blood, and touch them to do so. But it’s difficult, it’s painful, and they’re just… everywhere.

Steven is racing against the clock, trying to avoid being wiped out, trying to avoid the Stirrers, trying to discover his betrayer and the reason for the Pomp massacre, trying to stop the apocalypse… and trying to find his boss because as creepy as he is, Steven could really use his advice and assistance. Where in hell is Death, anyway? With help from the dead girl he’s falling for, despite knowing better, and a couple of Black Sheeps who didn’t want to join in the family business but happen to be relatives of newly murdered Pomps, he’s going to try to find out. Even if it means going to hell and back.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book, the humor in the writing and the way Steven wore his heart on his sleeve. His bewilderment and pain in the face of the fiasco his life and his world became, literally in the blink of an eye, were believable and it was easy to sympathize with his plight. The story was fast-paced and the plot was like nothing I’ve read before. It held my interest so completely that I read it in three parts, kicking out the entire last half of the 320 page paperback in one sitting. I most definitely look forward to the next installment of the series, the recently released Managing Death.

Fave quotes:

‘It’s the first new law of the universe according to Steven de Selby’s life: things always get worse-and then they explode.’

‘Why were the seventies all about vomit colors?’

‘This would all be so very Mad Max if I was driving a V8, and if it wasn’t me.’

‘Shit, give dead people firearms and soon enough it’s all they know. Shoot this, blast that.’

“I never bothered with a computer for the real work. Who needs one, eh? Though I do like my Twitter.” ~Death

Review: Pale Demon by Kim Harrison

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Feb 202011

Pale Demon

Hollows #9

Written: Kim Harrison [website]

Published: Eos

When: February 22, 2011

ISBN: 0061138061

Obtained Via: NetGalley

Cover Blurb:

Condemned to death for black magic and shunned, Rachel Morgan has three days to somehow get to the annual witches convention in San Francisco and clear her name. If she fails, the only way she can escape death is to live in the demonic ever after . . . for ever after.

Banned from the flight lists, Rachel teams up with elven tycoon Trent Kalamack, headed for the West Coast for his own mysterious business. But Rachel isn’t the only passanger along for the ride. Can a witch, an elf, a living vampire, and a pixy in one car survive for over 2,300 miles? And that’s not counting the assassin on their tail.

A fearsome demon walks the sunlight, freed after centuries of torment to slay the innocent and devour souls. But his ultimate prey is Rachel Morgan. While the powerful witch with nerves of steel will do whatever it takes to stay alive, even embracing her own demonic nature may not be enough to save her.

My Review:

I’ve been a fan of The Hollows since I found Dead Witch Walking on a bookstore shelf in Cincinnati shortly after its release and picked it up, delighted that I’d found a story set in my own hometown. I fell in love with Rachel’s fiery temper, Ivy’s stoic vampire glamor, and Jenks’ fierce disrespect for everything. The series has had its ups and downs. When a certain cast member died, my heart broke (we’ve lost two and this statement is equally true for them both). Rachel as a character has a history of bad choices. Some of those have made me furious (namely, Black Magic Sanction), others I’ve been less upset with but they made me wonder if the story was going in the right direction. I’ve remained steadfast, however, picking up every book each year as they are released (shortly before my birthday – the perfect gift!), and I’m thrilled to say that the ride was so definitely worth it.

Pale Demon is the most thrilling book we’ve seen since A Fistful of Charms — and is also the absolute best in the series. We finally get a full look at life in the ever after! The stakes are the highest they’ve ever been: Rachel stands to lose what little standing she has left in the witch community, her church, her friends, her freedom, her magic, and quite probably her life. She finds a surprising ally in her nemesis, Trent Kalamack — but Trent also makes it clear that he has his own agenda in going to the West Coast. Rachel somehow has to travel by car to California, get her shunning revoked, protect Trent from a gang of elven baddies, and — oh, yeah — defeat a suddenly-released day-walking demon that has every resident of the ever after shaking in their boots.

Yes, we have here the classic story-making trope of taking the crew on that oldie-but-goody “the cross-country road trip”. But there’s nothing old or tired about the story we’re getting. I’d have read this straight through if I could have, and when I finished I wanted to pick it up and read it all over again. I may have gotten an advanced galley from NetGalley but this won’t stop me in the least from making sure the hardcover is pre-ordered so that I can devour it once more on the release date.

Kim Harrison is a master storyteller, one who knows her craft very well. Check out her website sometime, her writing posts are of a phenomenal help to aspiring writers. I have never picked up a book by Kim (or her alter-ego, Dawn Cook) that I haven’t enjoyed tremendously. Her young adult series is also a wonderful tale to read — even for adults.

If you’re not reading this series, then you are simply missing out. Buy it now at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Rating:

Green Rider Series Re-Read: Guest Review of The High King’s Tomb

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Feb 182011

I have to admit The High King’s Tomb, book 3 of Kristen Britain’s Green Rider series, is not my favorite of the three I’ve read so far. For example, again with only the mentions with Stevic G’ladheon. Also, Karigan actually gets a bit whiny in the first half of this book, where as I specifically mentioned she doesn’t get there for me in the other books. However, as usual she’s too busy to be whiny in most of the second half!

The blurb:

Karigan and a Green Rider trainee are sent on what seem to be mundane errands for the king of Sacoridia and Captain Mapstone, and which end up being anything but. Attempts to mend the breach in the D’Yer Wall continue. And the Second Empire continues its no longer secret attempts to overthrow Sacoridia for their ancient leader, Mornhavon the Black. Britain keeps the excitement high from beginning to end, balancing epic magical craziness with the humor and camaraderie of Karigan and her fellow riders.

This novel starts out much more sedately than the first two books, which is actually something I quite like. I like to read about “normal” in these long series. The first couple books were separated by two years, but it wasn’t something that the reader actually gets to experience.

I think I’ve figured out why this novel isn’t sitting the same with me as the first two. The villainess introduced in this book has a mission. She also has a side mission. A huge, horrible side mission that potentially affects the universe, but still only feels like a side project and unimportant to the story. Maybe as the series goes along this side mission will be shown to have had more impact on the story than I could see.

And just a couple of random comments to add: I’ve read reviews that mention how Britain likes to use all the fantasy tropes you can think of, and I can’t disagree with that. However, a lot of them seemed pretty fresh uses to me. There are also definite parallels with Tolkien’s work, beyond the very black and white nature of the characters, but that’s almost hard to not do these days. I would definitely have to agree that Green Rider’s parallels are stronger than those I’ve read in other novels lately. On the other hand, it’s a bit like coming home in that sense.

And apparently my blog has been found at least once by people searching to see if you can read the Green Rider novels out of order. In this case, it’s something I’d definitely not recommend. I may be biased however. Even with series that aren’t necessarily connected (Terry Brooks, Brian Jacques, L.E. Modesitt, Jr.) I like to read them in order. On the other hand, thinking about it, the stories are fairly self contained. I just can’t say personally whether they work out of order, since I’ve never read them that way. One would definitely be missing out on detailed background info as a person might assume.

And now for the most recent installment, which you can still comment to win over at Waiting for Fairies, Blackveil!

Review: Right Hand Magic by Nancy A Collins

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Feb 162011

Right Hand Magic

Golgotham #1

Written: Nancy A. Collins

Published: December 7, 2010

Publisher: Roc

ISBN: 0451463668

Obtained via: Purchase (e-book)

Blurb:

Like most Manhattanites, aspiring artist Tate can’t resist a good rental deal-even if it’s in the city’s strangest neighborhood, Golgotham, where for centuries werewolves, centaurs, and countless other creatures have roamed the streets.

Her new landlord is a sorcerer name Hexe, who is determined to build his reputation without using dark, left-hand magic. As Tate is drawn into Hexe’s fascinating world, they both find that the right hand does not always know what the left hand is doing-and avoiding darkness is no easy trick…

My Review:

This book was the first one I bought after I received my NookColor. I think it was a great candidate for that, because, while I enjoyed Collins’ Sonja Blue stories, they were very much on the dark side and I wasn’t sure about this new one. I’m thrilled to say that this series is much lighter than Sonja Blue, and that I really enjoyed the world and the city-within-a-city feel of Golgotham. The story doesn’t have a ton of depth, but it’s a perfect cotton-candy piece.

Tate is a little on the annoying side, as a trust-fund baby with a fairly large chip on her shoulder. Her parents suck and would rather she hang out at the country club and work on an eating disorder than get an art showing for her very large junkyard-reject metal sculptures. She does come off a bit juvenile, and she’s OBVIOUSLY out of her depth after she moves into Golgotham, but the setting is so complex and fascinating that I’m willing to forgive that for a book or two. After all, if the main character was perfect in the very first book there wouldn’t be much room for the character to grow.

I will say that I’m VERY tired of the rote romance elements in a lot of urban fantasy novels. Yes, Tate’s new landlord Hexe is a sorcerer-with-a-heart-of-gold and extremely hot, even with his funny hair and six-fingered hands. But c’mon, authors, do we have to be SO predictable? With maddened werewolf attacks, giant shapeshifting cat-dragons, a wicked uncle, and a world so fully realized that a reader could actually step into it, do we HAVE to have that old, tired, “he-helped-her-out-so-of-course-she-falls-in-love-with-him” plot point?

Despite its flaws, I genuinely liked this book. I think it’s a great start to a new series and I’m looking forward to future installments. This book is an absolute perfect, lazy weekend read. It’s a little cheesy in places, but every diet needs a bit of cheese – and the world-building is worth any price.

Rating:

And Now For NEW Fiction From Leanna Renee Hieber!

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Feb 142011

An Exclusive new piece of fiction from the award winning, bestselling Strangely Beautiful series by Leanna Renee Hieber

February 13th, 1894, café La Belle et La Bete, London

It was late at La Belle et La Bete, and the rest of what was once the Guard- though they’d always think of themselves as the Guard- had gone home. Josephine cleaned up alone behind her smooth wooden bar, offering a few choice admonishments in French to the ghosts who wished to readjust her glassware. She heard the key in the front door lock and smiled, sliding a heaping glass of wine across the bar for the richly dressed blonde man in a foppish coat who strode towards her, a grin engaging his sharp features.

“Ah, ma cherie, and where have you been?” she asked, her French accent always heightened around him. Because he liked it.

“The rich have many errands,” Lord Elijah Withersby said with a lofty chuckle.

Her lover of nearly twenty years, Elijah was now five years her husband. The pretense that had hid them as a couple felt silly now, but they’d long kept their affair away from their unlikely band of six spectral police. Not because they cared about the opinion of their fated coterie, but because the Guard were dear friends and frankly the romantic dynamics between them had been wretchedly uncomfortable. A tangled mess of love triangles, none of them, save Josephine and Elijah, were requited.

But Miss Percy Parker changed all that in the fall of ‘88, had made their group of six into seven, among many other spectacular things. Her sweet and radiant presence too, had changed the dynamics of the Guard, allowing for love to take precedence for once, for all of them. Josephine would always cherish Percy most for that.

Elijah flopped down at the bar, making a face at The General, a resident ghost in a uniform of the late 1700s who had been drinking at that very spot for far longer than they’d owned the place.

“So, my sweet,” he began at a drawl, absently tapping his bejeweled rings on the stem of his wine glass. “You’ve been making broad hints about tomorrow and I’ve learned I ought not ignore a lady’s hints. Is there something I should be aware of, else I dash myself upon the treacherous rocks of feminine expectation?”

Josephine looked at her husband pointedly. “The date, tomorrow, Lord Withersby.”

“Ah, yes, the 14th of February. Wretched month, February.”

“This barkeep needs to know if she should mend and press her finery for an engagement or if she should keep her apron on instead to reluctantly serve the enamored coming through her doors.”

“Saint Valentine. The man was beheaded, you know. That’s romance for you. Beheaded, I say. There’s hardly anything known about him, why he’s all cherubim, hearts and arrows is a mystery. Perhaps he was known for marrying Christians but as for love notes, flowers and sweets; it’s the fault of Chaucer and this fool romantic age. Would you have me go to absurd lengths for Chaucer’s sake?”

Josephine shrugged. “For me.”

He arched an eyebrow. “For absurd French sentimentalism?”

“I don’t know about French sentimentalism any more than English.” She curved her lips at him. “But we French are better at the ways of love…” Her look had him shudder delightedly in his chair.

“That you are, my pet, that you are…”

“And it is a day marked to celebrate love, no matter how obscure or unrelated the traditions.”

“And so I should put stock in a calendar mandate of romantic notions?”

“Well, you have before. We live in a society run by men, dear, and men need calendar dates to remind them to attend to basic niceties for their women. I recall many nice things you’ve done for me on certain appointments.”

He leaned in over the bar. His cravat woven with shimmering thread and tied with a too-large bow bounced a bit as he spoke. “And since when am I predictable?”

Putting glasses on a shelf she replied over her shoulder. “Never. Not even in living with you, as your wife, do I dare make assumptions or take anything for granted. Why do you think, then, that I ask?”

As far as Josephine was concerned, they were only going about their fond verbal volley as usual. But Elijah’s face darkened, and his voice was a terrible murmur. “Because you think I’ll fail you.”

There was a disquieting silence. Oh, no, would he bring that up?

Josephine reached out but he drew his hand away. “No, cherie, of course not, you know-”

“Leave it.”

His tone gave her pause and she returned to cleaning.

Elijah had once- goodness was it fifteen years ago now- done something terribly unpredictable indeed. Abandoned the Guard. It was a mess. Being without their mentalist, had put them in danger and had cost a young life… But that was then. Elijah had repented, long ago thrown himself again at their feet and into Josie’s arms. She’d tried not to take on the guilt that had collared her when he left, after a private fight… Still, it had everyone second guessing Elijah then, and it still lingered like a ghost so many years later. Even haunting her.

She should know better, she thought, leaving Elijah to his glass of wine, dabbing oil on a rag to polish the ornate carved wooden corners of the bar shelves. She knew how his mistake pained him, and that the wretched event had indeed occurred in February, not too long from this date so marked by Victorian sentiment. She alone knew the depth of his burden but only he could truly reconcile it, and she prayed he someday would. The child that perished still quite truly haunted him, especially near the anniversary of his death. But that was Elijah’s journey, his cross to bear.

They each had their own private crosses.

Josephine pined for Paris and thankfully these days she was free to go on a whim. The Grand Work had tied her to London, and while never denying her French identity, she called herself a Londoner, loved the city, its people, and particularly her husband, this ridiculous second son of a marquess. But she’d been known even then to take a few discreet days in that magical city, to breathe deeply and cleanse her palette of the spectral weight the Grand Work heaped on their souls. As long as she wasn’t gone long and stored up paintings for the Guard to hang at the scene, her absence was not keenly felt. She herself considered that as the Artist, she was the least important of their group, though she’d be the only one to ever say so.

Getting away from the city would also do Elijah good, especially around this troubled time. She angled for a romantic excursion as much for his sake as her own need for beignets, baguettes and to gaze down at the Seine.

Hearing a step near the landing she whirled around, ready to say whatever she could to smooth the moment. Was he simply going to walk out? Would they pass an unspeaking night in two separate ends of his fine estate? They two were dramatic souls, passionate souls, there was always a tension, but never enough to overturn the love they’d fought for since their youth… They’d never have lasted this long if they weren’t made for one another… She opened her mouth to protest his departure but the bells on the door were already jingling.

Something near her, white and rectangular, caught her eye.

There was an envelope upon the bar.

The note read: “For partaking in absurd French sentimentalism. I do wish you’d trust me one day, Josie my love.”

Inside were two ferry tickets across the channel and first class train tickets to Paris. They’d leave in the morning. His errands that kept him from dinner were there in the envelope. Josephine couldn’t hold back her smile, or the tear that always came into her eye when he did these small yet profound things.

Maybe this year, she thought, her husband would return to London just a bit less haunted by his past than when he left. She hoped.

Regardless, Josephine’s heart was as buoyant as if cupid had skewered it with arrows and was flying away with it. She did trust him. With her life.

– Finis –

What’s next in the Strangely Beautiful series? Be sure to check out Michael and Rebecca’s novella in A Midwinter Fantasy, anthology available now in digital, releasing in Trade paperback in October. The next novel? A prequel! Learn the dangerous, heartbreaking how and why of the noble sacrifices made to clear the way for Miss Percy and Alexi’s destiny (and if you’re Elijah / Josephine fans, witness their first kiss) in The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess releasing May 2nd in digital and Trade paperback, along with Strangely Beautiful books 1 and 2 reissued in Trade as well. Fall marks the launch of my new Gothic Victorian Paranormal series set in a 1880s New York City under the threat of black magic, MAGIC MOST FOUL (November 1st from Sourcebooks Teen Fire)

Keep track of the goings on:

Twitter: @LeannaRenee

Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/lrhfbfan

Blog: http://leannareneebooks.blogspot.com

www.leannareneehieber.com

Cheers and Happy Valentine’s Day!

Review: A Christmas Carroll by Leanna Renee Hieber

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Feb 112011

A Christmas Carroll

A Midwinter Fantasy Anthology

Strangely Beautiful #2.5

Written: Leanna Renee Hieber [website]

Published: Dorchester Publishing

When: Digital release in November, 2010 with a trade paperback release in October, 2011

ISBN: 0843964219 (digital version)

Obtained via: Publisher

Cover Blurb:

You have ventured through the wardrobe and down the rabbit hole. You’ve beheld the Fading Lands and glimpsed the ivory spires of Minas Tirith. A star now rises over three other kingdoms, and over three heroic couples, all deep in winter’s thrall:

Visit Leanna Renee Hieber’s Strangely Beautiful Victorian London, “strange in its happenings and mood and beautiful in its romance and language.” -Booklist
Haunted though these soot-stained urban alleys may be, a lonely headmistress and a gallant vicar shall here reap the season’s blessings.

Travel to Meridian and Sylph Valley, L.J. McDonald’s “mesmerizing, magical world [readers] won’t want to leave.” -Library Journal
Immensely powerful creatures called battle sylphs vie for dominance here, while fulfilling every wish of their queens. But what woman shall rule the mighty Mace?

Discover Helen Scott Taylor’s land of The Magic Knot, which is “wonderfully creative and lusciously sexy.” -The Chicago Tribune
In the frosty North, in the ice palace of Valhalla, Sonja’s life depends upon unraveling the mystery of the Crystal Crib–and upon winning the love of Odin’s son.

My Review:

Note: This review covers only A Christmas Carroll and not the other novellas in this volume.

This novella is the perfect compliment to the first two Strangely Beautiful volumes. The major conflict was resolved at the end of Darkly Luminous, but there were definitely ends left untied. Namely, Michael had confessed his love for Rebecca, Headmistress of Athens Academy, but would she return that love? Would they find the happiness that had been delayed by two decades?

Hieber has a talent for making the eerily supernatural a perfectly normal phenomenon. Reading her words, it is not unreasonable to imagine that one could look up from the turn of a page to see a Victorian ghost come gliding through a wall. The language, like the previous volumes, is lovely and ephemeral and obviously carefully chosen to evoke the time period in question.

This novella focuses on the importance of love and friendship, and the power of the light to turn back the darkness. Which, really, is an over-arching theme throughout the whole of the books, but it is particularly poignant in this one. The departed spirit of a lost member of the Guard arranges a dangerous quest through twenty years of history to fight despair and guilt — and to bring a pair of soul mates together.

A Christmas Carroll is a must-read episode, and probably my favorite in the Strangely Beautiful universe. It may be possible to read the novella first, but it would have major spoilers for the first two books, so I don’t recommend it. We’ll be receiving a third volume (a prequel) titled The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess in May. There is also a turn-of-the-20th-century volume in the works, to round out the quartet. If you like the Victorian era, Gothic architecture, Dickens, or love stories then this series is a good one to try.

Buy it at Amazon.

Note: Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for a copy of the 1st book in the series: The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker.

Rating:

Kiaras Festivus: Author Focus – Leanna Renee Hieber (w/ Giveaway!)

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Feb 092011

Sometime back in 2009, I received a review request via email from an author. She introduced herself quite politely, identified herself as a fellow Southwest Ohioan, and asked that I give her book an honest review. Having less than a year of book blogging under my belt, at that time I never turned down a review (I’ve since learned better), and I readily agreed. I’m sure any book blogger out there could tell you that sometimes these review requests turn out well, and other times they do … not.

This is one of those times that it turned out very, very well and today I’d like to introduce you to her and her beautiful, haunting work.

Meet Leanna Renee Hieber, author of The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker, The Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker, and the upcoming The Perilous Prophecy of Guard and Goddess (out May, 2011).

She is not only an award-winning, best-selling author but also an actress and a playwright. Further, she co-founded Lady Jane’s Salon, a romance fiction reading series in NYC whose proceeds go to organizations that benefit women in need. She is a Renaissance Woman, by talent — although it seems she is Victorian Gothic by temperament.

I won’t re-hash my reviews of her work. You can find them here and here. However, I will say that if you would like a dark Victorian romance with a hefty helping of Greek mythological figures, ghostly hauntings, and dangerous situations then you should give this series a try.

To facilitate that, the author has most generously donated 2 copies of the first book in the series, The Strangely Beautiful Tale of Miss Percy Parker for me to give away. The contest will open today and will end at midnight February 28th. Comment here to enter. Any comment on this post will be an entry. If you’d like an extra entry, follow Leanna Renee Hieber on Twitter. For a second extra entry, like her Facebook page as well. Make sure you note in your comment that you have done these things, so that all your entries can be counted. Winners must have a United States shipping address. (Sorry, international folks.)

For more Gothic Victorian goodness, come back this Friday for my review of Strangely Beautiful #2.5 – the novella A Christmas Carroll. And be sure to check back on Monday, for the crown jewel of our Kiaras Festivus celebration — an exclusive new Valentine’s Day short featuring two of our (okay, my) favorite Guard characters!

Guest Review – First Rider’s Call

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Feb 072011

A note from Kiara: Thus continue our guest reviews of the Green Rider series. Don’t forget to enter our Blackveil Giveaway!

The blurb:

Karigan, who took on the mantle of king’s messenger after chancing upon a dying Green Rider, has returned to her everyday life. She has put the thrills and perils of being caught up in great events apparently behind her. But few may evade their destiny, and Karigan is soon to face even greater dangers… Blackveil Forest is stirring, its tainted powers seeping through the breach in the D’Yer wall. While havoc sweeps the countryside, a Green Rider and scion of the stoneworkers who created the wall, attempts to mend the breach. Summoned to duty by the call of the First Rider, Karigan must help the Riders, and face the truth about her own savage heritage. Sought by undead warriors and caught in the machinations of the mysterious Eletians, Karigan must confront an ancient enemy in the rotten heart of Blackveil.

First Rider’s Call, the second book in Kristen Britain’s Green Rider series, can be summed up with one word. Betrayal. I’m not the most sopisticated reader ever. I tend to read only for enjoyment, but this one I actually caught the thread in. I’m not even sure I can count the number of different betrayals (or seeming betrayals) that occurred in this story; I certainly can’t do it on only one hand.

For the record, I should mention that in no way did I, as the reader, feel betrayed. Quite the opposite actually, this novel provides so much quality, character insights, and exciting happenings that I can’t even describe how happy it makes me. Or how sad I was when I finished (sort of, the ending was fantastic, which is fortunate for those unfortunate souls who had to wait years for the next book)! Fortunately for me, I had the next one on hand to start reading once I finished this one!

The funny thing about betrayal is that it can often lead to hope and happiness and lots of other great things. Sounds weird, I know, but if you read this novel, you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

And that Karigan. She’s impulsive surely, but as Captain Mapstone once thinks, leaders of the Green Riders need to have flexibility in their thinking. And Karigan’s got that in spades. She thinks out of the box and takes advantage of crazy things without thinking twice. This is the second time I read this book and I was completely surprised by her solution for the second time. Totally didn’t see it coming. (Of course, it doesn’t help that I hadn’t remembered how it finished since it’s been so long since that first read through!)

My only disappointment is that Karigan’s dad didn’t play a direct role in this novel. He’s mentioned, but that’s not the same at all. Oh well, I’m sure I’ll get over it.

So there’s that! On to The High King’s Tomb!

Review: Pack of Lies by Laura Anne Gilman

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Jan 242011

Pack of Lies

PSI #2

Written: Laura Anne Gilman [website]

Published: Luna

When: February 1, 2011 (Although some stores may have it out now.)

ISBN: 0373803249

Obtained Via: NetGalley

Cover Blurb:

FUNNY HOW LIFE CAN TURN YOU UPSIDE DOWN…

My name is Bonita Torres, and eight months ago I was an unemployed college graduate without a plan. Now I’m an investigator with the Private Unaffiliated Paranormal Investigations team of New York. Pretty awesome, right?

The Cosa Nostradamus, the magical community, isn’t quick to give up its secrets, though. Not even to fellow members. Not even when it’s in their best interests. So we’ve been busting our tails, perfecting our forensic skills, working to gain acceptance. The team’s tight… but we have our quirks, too. And our Big Dog, Benjamin Venec…well, he’s a special case, all right.

But we can’t give up. We’re needed, especially when a case comes along that threatens to pit human against fatae. But one wrong move could cost us everything we’ve worked for…

My Review:

Making the focus of your mystery a sexual assault is either a very brave or a very stupid thing for a writer to do. Readers are way more uncomfortable with rape than they are with murder or other violent crimes. The success or failure of the story depends on whether you’re a good enough writer to pull it off. Laura Anne Gilman carries the sensitive subject well, resolving it in probably the only way that it could have been.

When Bonita Torres and her fellow PUPIs (I’m still not sure whether to love or roll my eyes at that acronym) are brought in on the case of an attempted rape, they believe it’s an open and shut case.The female companion of a ki-rin is assaulted by two Talented males, and one of them is killed when the ki-rin retaliates. Since the ki-rin is a unicorn-like fatae, complete with the unicorn’s requirements for virginity in its companions, nearly everyone involved assumes the ki-rin’s attack is justified. Open. Shut. Done.

Except heightened tension between the human Talents and the non-human fatae community means the city is ready to erupt into violence and war, and this attack could be the match that lights the inferno. Once the surviving male from the assault swears that the whole thing was a setup, that the girl had asked to meet the pair and that it hadn’t been rape, it becomes essential for the team to discover the truth – and fast. The case devolves into a he-said/she-said nightmare with no evidence that can prove either side.

This is where the whole thing could’ve broken down into a tangle that would have caused the story to fail. It didn’t. Gilman handles the twisty situation with a dignity that a lot of authors couldn’t have done. We don’t get to meet the surviving attacker “on-camera” but it would have been difficult, I think, to make all sides look sympathetic, even with the situation that’s been set up here. In the end, I think the reader is shown a fundamental truth: nobody wins when violence is done, not the attacker and certainly not the victim.

Since this is the second series Gilman has set in this version of NYC, the world is fully realized and extensively built. Something about the main characters didn’t grab me, though. Maybe it’s because I didn’t have the benefit of starting with the first in the series. I don’t know. Bonnie’s emotional reactions seemed just the slightest bit off. Then again, her emotions are being manipulated without her knowledge for the first half of the book, and this is a character who is very different mentally than I am, so maybe that’s all it is. She’s not written badly, she just doesn’t make me love her the way other characters have in the past.

I’m still reading through the first set of Cosa Nostradamus books. (I’m on book three. Maybe I’ll tell the story sometime of why I’m coming so late to that series.) So it’s possible there are bits of history missing that would better flesh out the characters. We’ll see.

Pack of Lies is certainly a solid story for the series, handling a delicate subject with grace, and I’ll definitely be giving the characters another go at reeling me in. I’m going to give this book a hopeful three and a half stars, with a look toward going back to Hard Magic for another go-round.

Rating:

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